The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood

2012 John Steinbeck Award, Presentation and My John Mellencamp Experience Blog

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone! Welcome to this months edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. My Blog is different from many others you have probably read. They are not detailed reviews of events, or gossip about who whore what and who was with who. This is about my personal experiences, not only just at the event, but my history with the artist or subject. I write from many different perspectives. I was a child actor and movie fan, who happens to be an aspiring screenwriter. I also spent time working as an assistant in Hollywood for Talent Agency’s and Management companies. I’ve also been a life long music fan and have worked managing local and local bands.

This month’s blog is about the presentation of the 2012 John Steinbeck Award, to John Mellencamp and my four decades of going to John’s shows.

August 1, 1981

On August 1, 1981 an event occurred that changed television, the music industry and pop culture, as we know it. The birth of an all music video channel brought a new marketing tool to lure in Generation X. With the launch of MTV, it instantly created music stars. What is also did, was put artists who may have not been critically but not commercially know to the masses exposure.

My First Album Purchase “American Fool” – 1982

One of those artists, whom I was introduced to, went by the name of John Cougar. John’s sixth album “American Fool” was the first record I ever purchased. I loved not only the music put his lyrics and if attitude that I saw in his early videos for “Jack and Diane”, ‘Hurt So Good”, and Hand To Hold On To”.

As the 80’s moved on, John returned to his roots by name (John Mellencamp) and artistically through his music. I’ve always had a strong connection to artist who write, their own lyrics, and tell stories of underdogs fighting to survive and find their piece of the American dream. John’s music evolved to tell stories of social and economic problems that affected his home not just his area of Indiana but across the United Sates.

1988 Lonesome Jubilee Tour Meadowlands Arena

In 1988, family and I attended the John Mellencamp show in New Jersey at the Meadowlands Arena. Mellencamp, was one of the few modern artists both my parents and my sister and I listened to. The final song that night came from an artist that my sister and I use to cringe every time my parents would play. My sister thought that his voice sounded like a frog. However after hearing Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” preformed and listening to the lyrics, it opened me up to discovering one of the greatest songwriters of all time. So when I heard that John, was going to be in San Jose receiving the 2012 John Steinbeck Award, I knew I wanted to not only cover it, but also attend it.

2012 John Steinbeck Award – John Mellencamp: A Conversation and Special Performance at the California Theatre in San Jose on July 30, 2012

The John Steinbeck award, is given to artists who capture “the spirit of Steinbeck’s empathy, commitment to democratic values, and belief in the dignity of the common man, in collaboration with the John Steinbeck Family Foundation, San Jose State University, and The National Steinbeck Center. The evening was broken down into three parts. The Award presentation. A conversation with John being interviewed by Robert Santelli (Executive Director, Grammy Museum). The evening would end by a live performance with Mellencamp and his 6-piece band.

John way humble when accepting the award. During the interview John played some of his classic including “Jack and Diane” acoustically in between questions he answered. The small and intimate California Theater, was the perfect setting for this type of performance. You really felt like you were in a living room at times. Mellencamp’s spoke of his past, musical influences, and his work with charities, like Farm Aid were discussed. The only controversial part of the evening was when John, light up a cigarette on stage during one of the segments.

John hit the stage with his 6 piece and played a short set of some of his classic hits. This marked the fourth decade I had seen Mr. Mellencamp perform. Mellencamp, still puts on a magnificent performance as he continues to be a voice for the underdog. Thank you to the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies, for allowing me to photograph the event and for using one of my photos on their homepage. http://as.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/

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“Rock of Ages” Los Angeles Premiere and my Personal 80’s Experience Blog

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone! Welcome to another sneak peek inside some of the entertainment industry’s hottest events. This blog is dedicated to the new film based on the play “Rock of Ages”. The film is directed by, Adam Shankman (Hairspray). The film is an adaptation of the 2006 Chris D’Arienzo rock jukebox Broadway musical of the same name. The film and play featured a soundtrack of 70’s groups like Journey, Foreigner, and Reo Speed Wagon along with music from some of the most popular bands from the 80’s hair band scene including Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Poison and more.

Before I talk about the film and the premiere, let’s take a trip back to 1987, as I can share some of my experiences from that time period.

Some of you that know me know I have a younger sister named Rachel who is four years younger than me. If you grew up in the 80’s and were a female, musically there were two roads you could go down. The first was the hair band / Glam Rock phase. This included music from bands that are still playing live like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Poison. It also included some bands like Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, Winger, Warrant and others. The other and more popular choice with teen girls were the beginning of boy bands and pop stars like New Kids on the Block, Tiffany, and other one hit wonders. Luckily my sister took the hair band road.

Bon Jovi Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, April 8, 1987 – Slippery When Wet Tour

After a few months of listening to every song on the Slippery When Wet album by Bon Jovi, I wanted to see them live. At the time none of my friends were allowed to go to rock concerts. My sister who was only 11 at the time desperately wanted to go. My mom decided to take us, but she wasn’t going to stay in the parent’s waiting room with the other moms. My mother surprisingly liked the band and did not trust me to watch my sister at the show, so she ended up taking us. My mom would later be called an old hag by some glam rock chick in the women’s bathroom. After returning from the bathroom with my sister the opening band Cinderella started to play. Some of the crowd started to bang their fist and had their head sway back and forth to the music. My sister saw this and immediately started to copy them.

About an hour later the light went out and the smell of hairspray mixed in with cigarette and another unusual kind of smoke filled the air. Girls were screaming as the band slowly walked on to the stage. Our seats were nosebleed ones a few rows from the top of the arena. John was dressed in leather pants and a blue Jean Jacket, to go along with his long brown curly teased up hair. The band put on a great show and I was hooked on live music.

Def Leppard Hysteria Tour: September 21 1988, East Rutherford, New Jersey Meadowlands Arena

The next band that I saw was Def Leppard, in 88 at the Meadowlands Arena. This time I brought a friend with me. Once again, my sister wanted to go. This time it was my dad’s turn. Unfortunately for him the opening band Queensrÿche, which was a louder band, to begin which had their sound turned up way too loud for an indoor arena. This would be my final show with a parent taking us. We would go on to see many of the hair bands from 88-92 including Poison, Warrant, Motley Crue, and ending with the Guns N’ Roses / Metallica tour. Now that I’ve shared my hair band experience now it’s time to talk about the “Rock of Ages” premiere.

Rock of Ages – World Premiere – Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Hollywood

I walked on to Hollywood Boulevard, and saw a large black carpet set up to look like the Sun Set strip in 1987. Various landmarks, like the Whisky and the Rainbow Room, were joined by some fictitious clubs like “The Bourbon”, which is owned by Alec Baldwin in the film. The first person seen on the carpet was a flyby by one of the films stars Tom Cruise, who plays “Stacey Jax” a cross between Jim Morrision and Axle Rose. Tom waved to the photographers while saying hello to the films producers. The first stars to walk the carpet were a mix of 70’s and 80’s music stars like Lita Ford, Reo Speedwagon singer and Brett Michales who arrived before his band Poison. Brett quickly found Tom Cruise and would go on to take pictures with dozes of celebrities. The first band to walk the carpet were Def Leppard, whose song “Rock of Ages” from the bands mega album Pyromania the play and the film are named after.

Most of the cast, from the film, attended the world premiere. Even 80’s pop queen Debbie Gibson (this bloggers teen age crush) who has a cameo in the film was there to celebrate the release. Juliana Hough lit up the black carpet in a yellow dressed. This was my third time photographing Miss Hough and every time she has a different amazing and original look. Juliana posed for pictures with everyone from Tom Cruise to her “Dancing with the Stars” brother Derick Hough.

In the end it wasn’t an actor or musician from the film that stole the carpet. “Transformers” star Josh Duhamel, strutted down the carpet dressed in full blown 80‘s hair band costume. Josh wore a long black curly hair wig along with a black skull shirt unbuttoned and holding a Corona beer . Josh would have gone unrecognized if it wasn’t for his wife actor and Black Eyed Peas member Fergie.

The movie has the feel of a musical / rock opera. Going into the film I knew stars like Julianne Hough and Catherine Zeta-Jones would have no trouble nailing the singing roles. One of biggest surprises for me was how well Tom Cruise created,acted and sang his Jim Morrison meets Axl Rose character. The other surprise for me was co – star Diego Boneta , who shined as a singer and actor in the film. The film may not be nominated for any awards but it was a lot of fun. The same can be said about what the music scene was like in the 80’s. What made those shows so special was the live performances. The crowd gave back as much energy as the bands did. People would sing along clap their hands and light an arena up with 20,000 lighters. The shows let the audience take part in it. You had the feeling of a live show. Not like today when people at concerts are more interested in updating their status on Facebook or taking pictures with their camera phones.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in Concert at the Marin County Fair in San Rafael – July 2, 2012

Now that Generation X’s kids are growing up, some of them who were raised with the music of the 80’s as continued the trend. On July 2nd of this year I photographed the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts show at the Marin County Fair. As I expected the audience was female dominated. After all Joan Jett has been referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Joan along with Lita Ford and their all female band may have not been hugely commercially successful in the U.S. but their influences in rock history still lives on to this day. In the crowd were females wearing Joan Jett and The Runaways shirts ranging from 7 to 57. Joan delivered a powerful performance looking and sounding just as good as she did in the 80’s.

As I looked back and watched the crowd sing along, I was reminded how much can be ageless and timeless. This hair band or glam rock scene has now transformed into classic rock. Bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Poison are some of the most played bands on classic rock stations. To borrow a line from The Rolling Stones “It’s only rock n’ roll but I like it”.

Thank you for joining me on this trip back to the 80’s. My next blog will be returning to the 21st century, and will be on the Los Angeles Film Festival. Till then don’t forget to support independent films and music in your city.

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Posted in Celebrity Photos, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", 2012, 80's Exprience, 80's music blog, Bon Jovi, brett michaels, Catherine Zeta-Jones, celebrity blogs, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, Def Leppard, Diego Boneta, Entertainment Blogger, fergie, Generation X’s kids, glam rock, hair band, Independent Photographers, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in Concert at the Marin County Fair in San Rafael - July 2, Joan Jett and The Runaways, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, movie premiere, movie premiere blogger, Poison, Rock of Ages movie, Rock of Ages premiere, tom cruise | Leave a comment

18th Annual Live 105 BFD Festival and the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards – One Long Day Blog

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone! Welcome to this edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. This entire blog is dedicated to a very long day I had on June 2nd. For the past few months I had trouble finding and getting credentials for Northern California entertainment events. My main problem is my wire service, PR Photos normally only gets Southern California events. Normally I have to find events on my own which is an every day battle. I usually spend hours researching and applying for photo credentials to places that only grants them to the chosen ones. The chosen ones are photographers who work for the big boys (Getty & Wire Image ect.) or have worked with the companies and studios forever.

After weeks of nothing to cover since the San Francisco Film Festival, I saw a listing for the Black and White Ball in San Francisco. I submitted an email knowing it was a long shot (declined). The next event I saw was an event I had applied for and got turned down the previous year, Bay Area Alternative / Indie Rock station Live 105’S 18th Annual BFD Festival. Four days before the festival I had not heard anything, which normally means my credentials, was turned down. Unfortunately a lot of sometimes I don’t ever get contacted. Since I got turned down last year I assumed the same result would occur this year. I then got a mass email that was sent out to all the PR Photos photographers, for the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco, hosted by “Glee” actress (and my new celebrity crush) Dianna Agron. I sent an email to my agent and asked her to submit me. I almost instantly was confirmed. About 3 hours later I got an email from Shoreline Amphitheaters media person that I had been approved to shoot the side stages and she was waiting to hear about the main stage. I thought to myself Murphy’s Law. After 3 years applying to shows this was only the 2nd time I’d ever been granted a photo pass. I didn’t want to tell them I couldn’t make it but I also couldn’t back out of a job my agency booked for me. The concert was an hour from the Award show; I thought that if I got there early I could shoot for a couple hours then run to the city and comeback to Mountain View in the evening for the headlining acts.

The day before the show I got contacted by the venue telling me I got turned down and only would be able to shoot the side stages. The GLAAD Awards carpet media check in was scheduled for 3:30. I then came up with a plan where I would get to the venue by 10:30 a.m. and shoot the side stages in the morning and end my day in the Subsonic Dance Tent with a D.J. set by one of my favorite groups “The Limousines”. Then I would jump in my car and drive to the Marriott Marquis San Francisco for the GLAAD Awards.

18th Annual Live 105 BFD Festival – Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, CA 10:30 A.M.

I left my place in Sausalito around 9 a.m. and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and headed down 19th Avenue. Lucky for me it was a Saturday and there was no traffic. I made it to the venue and parked. I knew I was a little early so I wanted and waited. Finally some more photographers also showed up. As the show got close to starting the media table was empty and not set up. The first band went on and I wondered if I should just head back, but finally we got checked in. I was glad that I attended last year’s show as a patron because it was the same set up. The C parking lot had been turned into a area with 2 side by side stages and the Subsonic dance Tent. The great thing about Shoreline unlike most venues is that have you shoot from the soundboard on the opposite side of the stage, we shoot 2 songs from a closed off area in front of the stage.

The first band I shot was a band called “Imagine Dragons. http://www.imaginedragonsmusic.com The band is a five-piece rock band based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The lead singer Dan Reynolds reminded me of “Coldplay’s”Chris Martin a little bit in looks but mainly in stage presence. He banded away on a giant drum during many of the bands songs. Though I did not hear of there music before it went off really well live. The band also interacted with the fans and signed autographs after their set for fans. They had lots of energy and were fun to photograph.

After the “Imagine Dragons” set the action literally moved over to the side and the second stage. Next up was “Walk the Moon” http://walkthemoonband.com an indie-rock band based in Cincinnati, OH. They looked like a young “Death Cab For Cutie” and the crowd seemed to enjoy their performance. After photographing the first two songs I decided to walk around and try and get some festival atmosphere pictures. Unfortunately I would not be able to make the sets of “Angeles & Airwaves”, “Neon Trees”, and “Fun”.

18th Annual Live 105 BFD Festival – Autograph Tables – 12:30 P.M.

One of the really cool things BFD has is an autograph area. A number of artist including a couple on the main stage signed autographs for fans. My main reason for wanting to cover the side stages at BFD was because one of my favorite bands “The Limousines” http://thelimousines.com, was the signing autographs at 12:30.performing a D. J. in the Subsonic Dance Tent.

I featured the band on my January edition of my blog “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood” here: https://theoutsidersguidetotheinsideofhollywood.com/2012/01/24/the-limousines-show-indie-music-is-far-from-dead/

Some of my favorite photo shoots of all time have been ones where celebrities interact with the fans. You could easily tell that bands members Eric Victorino and Giovanni Giusti truly love their fans. They guys signed autographs for fans of all ages. To truly appreciate “The Limousines” you must check them out next time they play in your city.

The second band to hit the BFD autograph tables was alternative rock band from Provo, Utah “Neon Trees” who for the second year in a row were playing the Festival Stage later in the day. The band reached # 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Animal” in 2010. Band members Christopher Allen, Tyler Glenn, Elaine Bradley, and Branden Campbell were all there to meet their fans.

Live 105 BFD Festivals – Festival Stage – Falling In Reverse – 1:15 P.M.

As I started to head back to the Festival Stages, the small group of people in the area between lot C and the entrance area was body to body with people. Finally, making it in to the area and to the front of the photographers. With a little time to spare before The Limos D.J. set, I wanted to photograph one more band on stage. The hard rock act “Falling into Reverse came out looking like “Motley Crue” on the “Girls, Girls, Girls Tour. The band had great stage presence and reminded me of my hard rock days back in the 80’s. Unfortunately the singer was having microphone problems and it was hard to hear him.

Live 105 BFD Festival – “The Limousines D. J. Set

After another struggle to get through the crowd I finally made to “the Limousines” D.J. Set at the Subsonic tent. I had wished the band was playing this years festival like they did last year, but The D.J. set turned the tent into an all out dance party and celebration. Singer Eric Victorino showered the packed in crowd with a confetti gun, as the crowd knocked around giant balls. Keyboardist Giovanni Giusti looked like he was having lots of fun spinning records for the crowd in his beastie Boy’s like attire. Once again the band showed how multitalented they are. I hope to see these guys on the main stage at BFD 2013 and US Amphitheaters soon!

Live 105 BFD Festival – Autograph Tables – Angels & Airwaves 2:00

As it got time for me to head into the city for the “GLAAD Awards I noticed that one of the bands I really wanted to photograph but would miss was doing an autograph session. I took the chance that check in was really not at 3:30, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Unlike the “Neon Trees” earlier A & A was on time. “Angels & Airwaves”, an Alternative Rock super group, led by “Blink-182” guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge. I had photographed Tom before when they toured with “Weezer” a few years ago. He is always extremely photogenic. He was kind enough to give me a good direct eye contact shot. I’ve seen A & A twice before and wish I could have photographed and seen their set. I then started my dash for my car and the freeway, hoping that it would take less than 90 minutes to reach my next destination.

280 North – 245 p.m.

About half way to the city I saw a sign on the road warning about a brush fire. Not knowing the area it was in I was hoping not to run into it. A few minutes later traffic started to slow down. I started to smell smoke. I saw that the fire was at its beginning phase. Luckily the fire department caught it early, and I was going the opposite direction.

Marriott Marquis – San Francisco – 3:10 P.M.

Somehow I made it to my destination with a few minutes to spare. Just when I though I pulled it off I was hit with a fastball. The bellhop informed me of the parking rate. I realized that it would have cost over $50 to park in the hotel garage. I was still in a t-shirt and shorts from the concert shoot. I gave the attendant a few bucks to hold the car while I changed into more suitable clothes. Feeling like a bad comedy film, I returned to my car and searched for a cheaper lot. After finally finding one I made it back to the hotel. As I went to check in I saw I was the only one around. I then was told that check in was not till 4:30 now. I laughed to thought and myself now I can actually relax for the first time today.

23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards – San Francisco 4:30 P.M.

GLAAD Media Awards honored outstanding images of the LGBT community. Events were held in New York and Los Angeles earlier this year with over 5,000 attendees, the GLAAD Media Awards bring celebrities, corporate partners, media professionals, and young adults together in support of GLAAD’s mission to amplify the voice of the LGBT community and achieve full equality.

Before the ceremony a red carpet was held. The ceremony was hosted by “Glee” star Dianna Agron Presenters/attendees included Pretty Little Liars stars Shay Mitchell and Ashley Benson, the cast of Scandal, the cast of Degrassi and Rita Moreno and Grey’s Anatomy/Private Practice/Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes received a special award. Everyone seemed in good spirits. Unlike other cities Bay Area photographers are very friendly to each other. It was nice seeing some friendly faces and catching up on what everyone was doing.

Everyone looked great on the carpet but the two that shined the brightest were Dianna Agron and Ashley Benson. Mario Lopez and Rita Moreno chatted for a few minutes before separately walking the carpet. Lopez did take photos on the carpet with performers “Cirque Du Solei”l. Everyone was in great spirits and it really had the feel of a joyous occasion.

Meeting “Glee” Star Dianna Agron at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards

After the carpet was done I saw that the evenings host Dianna, did not rush into the ceremony or hide out in some V.I.P. area. Instead she spent time talking and taking pictures at the pre reception for all the guests who wanted to meet her. After that a few photographers including myself took photos with the blonde beauty. I couldn’t believe how down to earth she was. She really seemed down to earth and happy to be back in the area she came from. She literally had to be pulled away by one of the shows staff so they could start the awards.

Thank you for joining me on this trip inside my celebrity experiences. For my next blog, I will be doing deep inside my closet, and pull out a pair of ripped jeans, to go along with my 80’s collection of Vintage Concert T shirts. The next edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood” will be on the Black Carpet for the “Rock of Ages” Premiere in Hollywood.

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Posted in Celebrity Photos, concert, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Imagine Dragons, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, live concert review, Music Blog, Music Festival blog, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged 18th Annual Live 105 BFD Festival, 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, Angels & Airwaves, Ashley Benson, Ashley Benson pictures, bfd 2012, BFD Concert, celebrity blogs, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, concert review, Dianna Agron, Entertainment Blogger, Falling In Reverse, Fox TV Glee, Glee, Glee blog, Gleeks, Imagine Dragons, Imagine Dragons blog, Johnny Paparazzi, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, meeting Dianna Agron, meeting glee star, pretty little liars, The Limousines, The Limousines photos by Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood | 1 Comment

“The Avengers” Premiere, Running into Julia Roberts, and Meeting Adam Yauch in 2009 – Entertainment Blog

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to my latest edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. This blog is from my experience at “Marvels” “The Avengers” World Premiere in LA last month. I will also be sharing running into Julia Roberts at a Screening in Hollywood. Sadly the last experience I will share with you was when I ran into Beastie Boy’s Adam Yauch in 2009. Adam who lost his battle with cancer this week.

“The Avengers,” World Premiere – Arrivals El Capitan Theatre – Hollywood

Before the shoot even began I knew this was going to be a tough one. “The Avengers” was one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Hollywood Blvd was shutdown. The carpet looked larger than a football field. I knew that not only would I be dealing with all the usual photographers but for this one there was a large pool of International press too. I got to the shoot location at the El Capitan Theatre and saw the carpet covered in a plastic tent (due to possibility of rain). I knew that we were now going to be in a tighter situation. When I got to the press area there was only a few photographers. As the time got closer to check in there was a last minute of rush of the A list photographers. They immediately cut in front of us like we weren’t even there. Having to once again, take the high road I waited till I finally was able to check in. Every premiere is different but for this we were given a number from 1 – 85. Once again, I ended up in the back of the list at number 83. Which was upsetting because I wasn’t an Independent photographer on this one, it was booked through my agency. Though it’s not at top 3 wire service, it probably is a top 5. A number of the people ahead of me came from places I’ve never heard or seen their work.

By the time I got into the tented carpet there was already photographers looking for spots that weren’t there. I realized I was going to have to use my point and shoot along with my professional camera. I finally got to an area, where I again was stuck in the third row. For the second time in a row I had a douchebag in my way. I always try and be respectful but its hard when that respect is never shown to you. What made matters worse was that they allowed two videographers in the photography area by me, which had no room. Like many times before, I had to make the best of the situation I was dealt.

The carpet started with a familiar face Disney actress Bella Thorne. Shooting over two rows of photographers on a flat surface, I knew I was not going to be able to get many full length shots. To the right of me on the carpet was a black Harley Davidson motorcycle that some of the cast and celebrity guests posed in front of me. Stellan Skarsgard from “The Avengers” and “Thor” posed for pictures with his son and “True Blood” star Alexander Skarsgard. Some of the photographers were yelling to people who they didn’t know to move down the carpet. I had to inform them that those were Seattle’s legendary band Soundgarden who had a song in the movie. Lead singer Chris Cornell’s kids also waled the carpet and one of them sat on the motorcycle. Off course the star of the carpet was a blond Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow “The Avengers”)who looked stunning dressed in a black dress. Robert Downey Jr. was dressed in a pink Prince like suit. Susan Downey accompanied her husband down the carpet. All of the super hero’s walked the carpet. My only disappointment was that Iron Man’s Gwyneth Paltrow was not in attendance.

Due to my position I knew I needed more photos. Like always I waited around till I was one of the last photographers there. After a few minutes of watching the actors being interviewed they all went behind a curtain. An announcer started to introduce all the actors as they came out for V.I.P.’s and videographers there.

After a few minutes of fans screaming from across the street. Robert waved to them. Film director Josh Whedon and Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk) waved and thanked the crowd. Ruffalo bowed to the crowed before heading inside the theatre for the premiere.

Yesterday I saw the 3D version of “The Avengers”. The film is a lot of fun. It also answers a lot of how these characters some from other time periods come together as one. Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) showed she can kick just as much ass as her male team members. The story took a little time to bring everything together but was still fast moving. It will be interesting to see how the characters in other film sequels will continue this storyline. The 3D fight scenes were well done but the film can also be enjoyed in 2D. The film had a huge world wide opening and looks to be one of the highest grossing films of this decade.

“Jesus Henry Christ” Los Angeles Premiere 4/18/2012 Grauman’s Chinese 6

My last day in LA a friend of mine and I were suppose to attend a screening of a movie called “Jesus Henry Christ”. I didn’t know anything about the film. The passes were from a site http://www.gofobo.com that gives free passes to films. Sometimes they are early screenings but sometimes they are actual tickets to a premiere. We got to the theater in Hollywood to find a small carpet inside the Chinese 6 at the Hollywood & Highland complex. At this point the line was out the door. At this point I knew we were not getting in but my friend wanted to wait. After 90 minutes 60 of which was inside in a non air conditioned area, I headed to entrance to see what was going on. As I walked by a saw a red head being interviewed by Extra. Looking through the camera men, publicist a saw it was Julia Roberts. Turns out she was a producer. I took out my point and shoot and took several shots before security told me to leave. Not a bad way to close out an LA trip.

Meeting Adam Yauch on Hollywood Boulevard in 2009

Last week the music world lost another musician way too early. Beastie Boys founding member Adam Yauch lost his battle with cancer. In 2009, MCA announced he was being treated for a cancerous parotid gland. I ran into Adam and his wife a few months after he was diagnosed. He was looking great and seemed really happy to me. I was wearing a Yankee Jacket and when I called to him he smiled and said hi. I wished him well and he posed for an exclusive picture for me that I shot with my point and shoot. My heart goes out to all his family and friends. If your a fan or have lost someone you know from this disease and want to do something in to remember MCA think about donating to the American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/

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“The Vow”, “This Means War”, and “Wanderlust” Los Angeles Premiere Blogs

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to my latest entertainment blog for “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. This is the third and final blog, from my last trip to Los Angeles. As some as you already know, this is a different kind of blog. I write this blog as a Celebrity Event Photographer, who is also a lifelong film fan, and an aspiring screenwriter. What makes my blog different from others, is that I write from my personal experiences covering these events. Today I will be taking you on the red carpet for the Los Angeles premieres, of “The Vow” and “This Means War”. I will also be sharing my experiences hanging out in the fan area before the “Wanderlust” premiere and during and after with autograph and seekers.

“The Vow” Los Angeles Premiere – 2012-02-06 – Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

As I started walking on Hollywood Boulevard, I started to feel like I had come full circle. My first premiere I ever photographed was at the Chinese theatre back in 2009, for “G. I Joe”. The film starred “The Vow’s” and “21 Jump Street’s” Channing Tatum. Having my first carpet premier alone would be tough enough without being out gunned by other photographers. This was only my third job for a wire service I was working with. I had just covered the Mad Men season 3 premiere, at the much smaller venue the Directors Guild of America. For my music friends out there, it’s like having your first gig at Madison Square Garden. I was the last one called to the carpet and ended up with a really bad spot where many of the actors walked right past me. As I walked away from the other photographers I ran into Channing on the street as he was going to sign more autographs for his fans. I asked for a picture and I took out my point and shoot and got an exclusive shot. That’s right I said point and shoot. I didn’t get my Nikon D5000 camera till March 2010. So when I had the chance to photograph Channing on a carpet made me see how far I had come. However the problem with applying for premieres, on my own without my agency doing it, always means my name is at the bottom of the list.

After name after name was called close to the end of the list my name was called. I walked down the photographers pit and couldn’t find a spot in the second row. Unfortunately, that means being stuck in the third row shooting over two rows of photographers some standing on ladders. I do realize I’ve only been doing professional jobs for 3 years, and can’t complain about my placement. As I started to set up an older photographer named Russ approached me. The photographer told me I shouldn’t try and shoot from the third row. I explained that I’ve done it on more occasions than I care to remember. He ended up asking someone he knew to let me in to an area in the second row. I thanked him. It made the difference and the shoot turned out well thanks to him.

The first person to hit “The Vow” carpet was a familiar face, teen star Bella Thorne. Bella looked amazing and truly has grown up in front of my eyes. She also knows how to walk a carpet, which a number of our younger actors out there could learn from her. Another pair of sisters who, have also grown up before my eyes over the past two years. They may not have Kardashian in their name, but what Kylie and Kendall Jenner, do have is a beautiful and classy look. They really know how to light up a red carpet. They seem to have a certain look that I feel will keep them working in the industry for a long time. Another newcomer who just looked stunning on the carpet was ABC’s “Revenge” co star Christa B. Allen who plays Charlotte on the hit show. Finally we started getting arrivals for actors in the movie.

Channing Tatum, arrived dressed in a classic blur suit signed autographs for fans before walking the carpet with his wife, actress, Jenna Dewan-Tatum. The final actor to arrive was the films female lead Rachel McAdams. Being a guy and never seeing “The Notebook”, they only thing I really knew about Rachel besides seeing her in Sherlock Holmes and Mean Girls was that she shared a name with my sister. To my surprise Rachel, had long wavy blond hair, dressed in a light blue dress with a long silver necklace. She was absolutely stunning and owned the red carpet. After taking pictures together as a cast and director, Channing and Rachel took pictures with the family that inspired the film before heading into the theater for the premiere.

“This Means War” Premiere – 2012-02-08 – Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

As I headed back to the Chinese Theatre, for the second time in 48 hours I arrived at the carpet. I immediately saw that the photo section was much smaller than the other night. Once again, I applied on my own, and was one of the last names called. Unfortunately there was no space anywhere. I ended up squeezing into a small area at the end of the carpet. As I started to set up another taller photographer who appeared to be foreign in the second row decided he was going to use a step stool. That totally blocked my area. I kindly asked him to leave a space open for me to shoot. I’ve done this several times myself. It’s about respect for other photographers. He said he would try to. That ended up being a total lie. Not only did he not leave me any shooting room but he pointed and used his hands to get the actors attention for him. By far he is is the “King of All Douchebags”. Not wanting to get into a fight that would get me blacklisted I had to make the best of the situation.

I was really excited to photograph Chris Pine and Tom Hardy for the first time. The person I was looking forward to the most was Reese Witherspoon. NBC T. V. star Whitney Cummings, was there to support “Chelsea Lately” and the film’s co star Chelsea Handler. Christa B. Allen, was also back at the Chinese Theatre showing a more conservative look with her dress and her hair brushed back. Star Trek’s Chris Pine looked like he was in an add for a clothing store wearing a suit with a purple shirt and tie.Tom Hardy also looked great and was sporting a full beard look. In the end, the star of the evening and the carpet was Reese, who looked absolutely glowing.

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“Wanderlust” Premiere – 2-16 – 2012 – Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA

The evening before I went to Arizona, to cover the premiere weekend of “Dorothy and the Witches of Oz”, I decided to try to cover the new Jennifer Aniston film “Wanderlust”. I couldn’t get credentials but ended up going down a few hours early and hanging out in the fan section. After about two hours of talking to fans from all over the country the stars started to arrive. We were set up directly across the street from the Village Theatre (LA Confidential theater) in Westwood. The good thing about premieres here unlike in Hollywood, they close off the street, which gives more incentive for the actors to come across the street and sign autographs.

The premiere started with the usually early arrivals of lesser known actors and models. The first person I noticed from across the street was from “The Office” Kate Flannery. Paul Rudd was the fist major star of the film to arrive at the premiere. As his car pulled up he got out and started to sign autographs for fans. He seems like an actor who really loves his fans. He walked an entire line of fans, as he got to my area it was a crowd frenzy. I did get a shot of him close up (like directly in front of me). At the same time this madness was going on, Jennifer Aniston arrived. She did make it across the street but not in my direction. I ended up getting a couple of shots of her from across the street. After the director and a few more co stars signed autographs, I decided to go to Starbucks and wait till the film was over to get some departing pictures.

I started off waiting with some professional autograph seekers. What I mean by professional is these collectors are trying to sell the autographs they get on everything from posters to pictures and more. I carry around portfolios with thousands of pictures of different actors. Also waiting were a small group of loyal fans hoping to get a picture taken with the actors. About 5 minutes before the film was to let out a black haired women walked on the opposite side of us. Screams of Courtney. She turned around and waved for a second. I saw it was one of Jen’s friends on and off the screen Courtney Cox. A few minutes later Jen and co star / boyfriend Justin Theroux left and headed to their window. Finally as the crowd came out director David Wain, Ken Marino, and Malin Akerman signed autographs for the fans.

After spending at least 6 hours trying to get my shots, I headed back to the Valley to upload not one but two different assignments for my wire service. I ended up pulling an all nighter and driving to Arizona for a premiere later that night. Just another normal week in my life.

Posted in Celebrity Photos, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged "The Vow", "This Means War", "Wanderlust", abc revenge star Christa B. Allen, autograph seekers, “21 Jump Street’s” Channing Tatum, “Chelsea Lately, blogger, celebrity blogs, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, Channing Tatum, Chris Pine, Christa B. Allen, Entertainment Blog, Entertainment Blogger, hollywood movie premiere blogs, Independent Photographers, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Aniston candids, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Kardashian half sisters, keeping up with the Kardashians, Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Los Angeles Movie Premieres, movie fans, Paul Rudd, Rachel McAdams, Rachel McAdams photos, red carpets, Reese Witherspoon, Reese Witherspoon photos, Tom Hardy, wanderlust premiere | Leave a comment

Dorothy and the Witches of Oz – Land in Arizona for their Premiere Weekend

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone, and welcome to my latest entertainment blog for “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood.” Originally my newest blog was supposed to be my experiences as a photographer on the carpet at “The Vow” and “This Means War” premieres. I will also include, my evening in the fan section, and in the autograph seeker section at the “Wanderlust” premiere. I have not had the time to see “Wanderlust”, so that will be my next blog.

You may already know from my previous blog that I’m a huge supporter of independent music. I’ve also been a lover of Independent films. Ever since seeing “Reservoir Dogs”, at the Boston Film Festival back in the 90’s (that film made me want to be a screenwriter) I’ve always been a fan. I’ve always loved stories where an underdog trying to make it with out help or money from a major studio gets their film produced. Last week, I had the privilege of covering opening weekend events for an independent director, Leigh Scott for his latest film “Dorothy and the Witches of Oz”.

After working a before and after shoot for “ Wanderlust” on only had about 2 hours of sleep, I started to drive further than I’ve ever been on the 10 East freeway. As I headed into the middle of nowhere, I felt like I was on a journey. No, I was not going to “The Land of Oz, I was heading for Mesa Arizona, which was the first stop on the film’s promotional tour.

After not being able to book anymore events with my agency, I originally was heading back to Northern California, but ended up getting in touch with Eliza Swenson. I started to read about the film and decided to make the trip and to cover the premiere. Eliza is not only a writer, producer, and composer for the film, she also plays Billie Westbrook, Dorothy’s agent in the film.

“Dorothy and the Witches of Oz” Mesa Premiere – Arrivals and Q & A

When I got to the theater the first thing I saw was a Yellow Carpet, and a long line of fans for the sold out premiere. After a very long drive, I was happy to see how well the carpet was lit. It sounds simple but I can’t tell you how many A list events have lighting issues. The carpet began with some local celebrities. One of them was former Arizona Diamondback Matt Williams, who was part of the 2001 World Series champion team that broke my heart and many other Yankee fans. I wanted to yell out “You’ve Got My Ring”! He was accompanied by his spouse and reality TV star Erika Williams (Baseball Wives) and family.

Actor and comedian Barry Ratcliffe, who does an amazing job playing the Cowardly Lion, was the first tom arrive and was the host of the yellow carpet. Barry gave us some Lion poses then signed autographs for fans. Everyone looked stunning walking the carpet. Professional wrestler and actor in the film Al Snow, posed for pictures with the films stars in his sports jacket and jeans. From his pictures you can tell what a great personality he has to go along with his many talents.

The ladies’ gowns were some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen at an event. Jessica Sonneborn, Chanel Ryan, and Brooke Taylor wore perfect dresses to to go along with the colors of the carpet and background. Up and coming actress, Ashe Parker was stunning in an emerald green dress. I expect to see a lot more of her in the future as she truly has an interesting look.

All of the witches walked the carpet. The final one’s to arrive were Eliza Swenson who wore a long blue dress that looked amazing on her, and Noel Thurman in a long black gown. Paulie Rojas, who was superior in the role of Dorothy in the film looked elegant in her purple dress.

After the carpet we all headed inside to watch the film. This version of the classic tale was brought together by director Leigh Scott http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Scott.

The film is a modern adaptation of L.Frank Baum’s world of Oz. It contains elements from the books, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Magic of Oz, Ozma of Oz and The Road to Oz. I was really impressed by this film. Scott’s directing and writing were magnificent. He brought to life the story of a modern day Dorothy living in New York City, as a children’s writer unaware that her stories were represented memories she had from her journey to Oz. All the performances were great. However Eliza Swenson had the toughest job playing the dual role of Dorothy’s agent, who turns out to be the wicked witch. Eliza’s transforms from the Upper East Side New Yorker type to the wicked witch right in front of us. The movie is in selected theaters. I highly recommend this film. It’s a must to see on the big screen. After the film a Q & A was held with Scott and several actors, who answered fans questions, signed autographs, and took pictures with the sold out crowd.

“Dorothy and the Witches of Oz” Premiere & After Party at Hotel Indigo Scottsdale on February 17, 2012

The after party was held at the Hotel Indigo in Scottsdale Arizona. The hotel was in the heart of the downtown area. There had to be 50 bars and restaurants within walking distance in the area. Along with fans were people using Golf Carts and other methods of transporting people. It felt like an adult Disneyland. After finally parking my car I went to the hotel where a number of the cast mates were celebrating the evening with their friends and co actors. I took a number of pictures of the actors and their guests. After that I spoke to several of the guests and heard about a lot of interesting independent films that these filmmakers were working on. As the evening ended I knew I was going to have to pull another all nighter. I decided to get some sleep for a few hours before working throughout the day.

“Dorothy and the Witches of Oz” Screening and Meet & Greet at the Harkins Chandler Theater, AZ – February 18, 2012

After working all day on the premiere pictures I was getting ready to go to Chandler for the evening’s next event, a Screening and Meet and Greet at the Harkins theater in Chandler. After the film the crowd was surprised by actors Barry Ratcliffe and Al Snow.

Barry and Al answered some questions as the cast members took pictures with fans and Harkins staff employes by the films poster. One of the kids looked to be about 9 and was stoked to have his picture taken with a professional wrestler, Al Snow. That brought back memories of my dad taking me to the matches in Madison Square Garden. As we started to walk outside a large crowd of pre – teens were hanging out at the theater. As soon as the kids saw the ladies who were all dressed up, their eyes lit up like Christmas morning. one of the boys looked at Eliza and said “You look like Angelina Jolie”. They couldn’t believe that these Hollywood actors were at their local theater. A large number of kids met and took pictures with the actors. It was an unplanned event but ended up being one of the most fun to cover. To me that’s what it’s all about having a direct impact in someones life. The cast showed what down to earth people they were. Sadly this was my last event with the cast. This was not just a great cast but a great bunch of people. A lot of them have worked together before but they seemed just as close off screen. It was like a family and I want to thank all of them for accepting me into that family even if it was just for a few days. The “Dorothy and the Witches of Oz cast and director continued on the promotional tour that took them to Kansas and Kentucky this week. I have the feeling it will be in a lot more markets soon. If you live in the area you must go out and support this visionary film. http://followtheyellowbrickroad.com/

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Thanks for joining me on this edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. Later this week we’ll take a step back as I’ll be diving back in to that mosh pit known as the photographers pool at LA premiere’s of “The Vow, “This Means War”, and the fan and autograph section at “Wanderlusts” premiere in Westwood.

Posted in Celebrity Photos, Entertainment, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged "Dorothy and the Witches of Oz" Mesa Premiere - Arrivals and Q & A, "Dorothy and the Witches of Oz" Screening and Meet & Greet at the Harkins Chandler Theater, 2012, Al Snow, Ashe Parker, AZ - February 18, Barry Ratcliffe, Brooke Taylor, celebrity blogs, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, Chanel Ryan, Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, Eliza Swenson, Entertainment Blog, Entertainment Blogger, Entertainment Blogs, Harkins Theater, Independent Photographers, Jessica Sonneborn, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Leigh Scott, Mesa Arizona premiere, movie premiere, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood, Wizard Of Oz Movie 2012, Wizard Of Oz Movie 2012 Blog, Yellow Carpet | Leave a comment

My Experience Meeting Paul McCartney in 2003 and his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to the latest edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. This is the first blog taking place from Hollywood. Actually it’s the Valley or as I like it call it “The 818.” It’s been another busy and crazy “Shenza returns to Hollywood” trip. So this one is going to be in several parts.

This past week I’ve been on the red carpet photographing “The Vow” and “This Means War”. However this blog, is dedicated to Sir Paul McCartney, who was honored at two events in Hollywood this week and performed at “The Grammy’s last night. Unfortunately I was not able to get credentials for any of the events honoring the legendary artist this week. I was lucky enough to with a thousand fellow fans of all ages and races at his Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony last week. Before I talk about this event, I want to share with you my personal three minutes with Sir Paul.

Sun Set Gower Studios – Hollywood, CA, April – 2003

Back in April 2003, I was working two different kinds of entertainment jobs. I was co – managing an LA and Northern California band. I also working for an online talent agency which was like a pay to manage company.The only cool thing about that job was that it was located on the Sun Set Gower Studio lot in Hollywood. My office was directly across from HBO’s “Six Feet Under”, where I’d run into stars like Peter Krause (Parenthood) and Michael C. Hall (Dexter), and even Fred Savage who produced at show on the lot. Besides movies there was also recording studios on the lot.

Opening day, of the 2003 Baseball season, I was wearing my Derek Jeter New York Yankee Jersey. I started to walk down the lot with a couple of co – workers to go to lunch. Being on a studio lot people are always rushing to where there going. You don’t catch too many people hanging around do something not work related. As I started to head to the security booth and off the lot I noticesed a group of guys sitting on the steps of the building. Some were smoking cigarettes and others just enjoying the California sun. As I took a look I saw something that couldn’t be right about 100 yards away.

I turned to my co- worker, who used to work for Quincy Jones and knew everyone and said that guy looks like Paul McCartney. he turned back and took a glance and said “Yep That’s Him”. I froze for a moment and knew I had to at least get a look. I knew Paul was a Yankee fan, and hoped may be I could get a closer look without getting me kicked off the lot and having my ID badge taken away. I knew as long as I kept my distance, I’d be OK. I started to creep forward then heard a British voice say ” A Fellow Yankee Fan”. I froze. Ever since I was a toddler and saw the Album cover “Sgt. Peppers Hearts Club Band”, in my parents Vinyl collection. I’d been a fan. Then I had my “Wayne’s World” “were Not Worthy” moment. My response to Sir Paul, was “It’s a great honor for me to have you Acknowledge My Presence”. His response was “If It’s such a great honor, then come over and talk to me”. I went over and spent about two minutes talking to him and his band. After shaking his hand and saying good bye, I again, was starstruck and tried to thank him for taking his time, to talk to me saying “I mean your fucking royalty”. Paul responded “If I’m royalty then what can I get you? I said, “You Could Get me a Record Deal for two bands I mange “The Mansions” and “Nifty Tom Fifty”. Paul and his entire band burst out into laughter. I then knew it was time to end on a higher note. I then used my basic old school no internet or camera phone to call everyone I worked with and my dad. One of my clients said that “There’s no one left for you to Meet Now”. To this day it’s still top on my list. I couldn’t believe what a down to earth guy he was.

Paul McCartney Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony – 2/9/2012

When I first heard that Sir Paul McCartney, was getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, my first thought was how could he not have one already. Paul was granted one in 1993, but the comity was waiting for him to set the date. I got to Capital Records, where the ceremony was going to be held outside on Vine Street and saw a Disneyland like line wrapped around Capital Records. I had hoped to get some pictures of the ceremony but quickly knew due to how many people there was already four hours before the ceremony was to start. I looked around and saw not only all ages of fans but from all races. As the sidewalk on Vine got more crowded, the atmosphere was unlike any other event I’ve seen or covered. Capital Records employees were on roof tops with phone and small cameras. Fans stood on gates, photographers were on ladders and one photographer climbed a tree as was taking pictures through the branches.

After hours of waiting the people who waited on the long line were escorted in. The organizers did a great job not only getting those s people in but the crowd across the street was let in. A number of people like myself decided to stay on the sidewalk and watch the ceremony. About five minutes after the ceremony was supposed to start the crowd started to chant “We want Paul”! A few minutes later the ceremony stated I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get anything with all the fans holding up signs and camera phones and point and shoot cameras. I took just a few candids with my point and shoot. Then watched as just another lifelong fan in the crowd, To my pleasant surprise after a few short speeches by normal people from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Neil Young gave a brief speech. Then after an introduction from the Chamber, Paul took to the podium and gave a brief speech thanking all his fans. Paul was doing an Itunes show upstairs before being honored by the Grammy’s as the “MusiCares Person of the Yea”r, on friday and performing at The Grammy’s Sunday. It may have been short but I’m sure everyone had a day they will always remember. It’s not often you get to share a moment with rock and roll royalty.

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Liana Mendoza at the Paul McCartney “Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony”

Normally I’d be in a bad mood after waiting for serval hours and not having any pictures to submit to my agency. As I said earlier, I was a lifelong fan and was happy just to be apart of a piece of musical history. Just as I stared to leave, I ran into a beautiful and familiar face. Miss Liana Mendoza, who I hadn’t seen since right before last Christmas at her charity red carpet event in Reno Nevada. I quickly took some candids after she met with some fans. After a few pictures I spoke with her and she told me briefly what she was working on. She also spoke about her singing career and the talented producers she has been working with that we all should be hearing soon.Liana looked amazing dressed like she was a at a rock show, it was a different but very cool look for her. The lady can really pull off many different and interesting looks. Can’t wait to see and photograph Miss Mendoza again soon.

Thanks for joining me for another edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. I’m a little behind in my events so I will be posting part two of my trip tomorrow. I’ll be sharing my experiences as I made my 2012, return to the Chinese Theatre, for the Los Angeles premieres of “The Vow”, and “This Means War”.

Posted in Celebrity Photos, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged blogger, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, Entertainment Blog, Entertainment Blogger, Entertainment Blogs, Independent Photographers, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, Liana Mendoza, Liana Mendoza at the Paul McCartney “Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony”, Liana Mendoza at Walk of Fame, Liana Mendoza Photo by: Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Liana Mendoza photos, Meeting Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney blog, Paul McCartney photos, Paul McCartney Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony - 2/9/2012, Paul McCartney star photo, Paul McCartney Walk of Fame, Paul McCartney Walk of Fame Star, picture of Paul McCartney's Walk of Fame Star by: Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood | 1 Comment

My Favorite and Most Embarrassing Celebrity Encounters Part -1

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to my first ever best and not so best moments of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. Almost exactly Three years ago, I started my celebrity photo collection, in that time I’ve had a number of encounters, with celebrities. Some on the red carpet and some in fan areas across the street.

Meeting Sammy Hagar at Stinson Beach

Last Friday, after unsuccessfully trying to attend and cover the opening of the reopening of the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, that featured a performance by Bob Weir’s (Grateful Dead) band Ratdog, I decided to head to Stinson Beach (40 minutes North of San Francisco) to photograph some landscapes. After parking my car in the parking lot, I noticed a long red haired guy putting on his red and white sneakers. As I got closer I realized it was Sammy Hagar http://www.redrocker.com/, who had just performed with Ratdog the night before. I happened to be wearing my Furthur (Bob weir and Phil Lesh’s band) sweatshirt with dancing Grateful dead bears on it. After talking for a few seconds I asked if it was OK to photograph him. Not only did he allow me to photograph him but his wife took a picture of us. He was a really cool and down to earth guy. I was stoked to be able to add Sammy to the list of celebrities that I have pictures with. That list includes James Franco, James Hetfield, Matthew Morrison, Jennifer Morrison, and more.

“The Cove” Documentary

It was one event with Bob Weir, that would open my eyes to a horrific continuous event that takes place in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. Last June, I found out that the California Film Institute in San Rafael (a non profit I had been doing staff photography with) was having a Benefit Screening of the 2010 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature “The Cove”. I remember watching the Oscars and thinking what’s that about? I was able to cover the screening for the Institute and for the wire service I freelance for. As you might know from my previous blogs on “My Grateful Dead Experience “ part 1: http://wp.me/p1tOW9-2V and part: 2 http://tinyurl.com/7hudhh7, I’m a huge Deadhead. After seeing Bob perform from everywhere from stadiums to arenas and even on a mountain in Vermont, I couldn’t wait to see him perform in a small and intimate theatre. I decided that I should check out information online about “The Cove”.

What I saw horrified but educated me. The film is a call to action, to halt mass dolphin kills, from Japanese fishing practices. Dolphin meat has been found to increasing hazard levels of mercury poisoning. The Dolphins are lured into The Cove where the ones who are not deemed trainable (Dolphin Shows) are butchered in a scene that looks like it came out of a Eli Roth film (“Hostel” film series). The film shows and proves that dolphin hunting as currently practiced in Japan is unnecessary and cruel.

Benefit Screening of “The Cove” Jun. 21. 2011 California Film Institute

When I got to the theatre I walked in to find my contact person from the Institute sitting down and watching Bob do a soundcheck for the Live performance part of the evening. My contact person motioned for me to come over. I was told to take photos as long as the flash was off. I felt uncomfortable at first because having managed bands and been through many sounds checks I didn’t want to intrude on those moments. I decided to stay towards the back and use a 200 lens. I’ve done many celebrity events but I must say that this was one of the harder ones not to be a super fan.

The evening started with the introduction of “The Cove”, by former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry and “The National Geographic photographer and Filmmaker Louie Psihoyos. We also got to meet the person who put the event together by an eco activist and race car driver Leilani Münter http://www.leilanimunter.com/index_f.html who after seeing the film became one of the strongest advocators for Save Japan Dolphins http://SaveJapanDolphins.org/ Leilani is trying to raise awareness of dolphin slaughters and captivity by driving a Cove themed race car at the famous Daytona International Speedway. The ARCA race at Daytona will be held on February 18 to help her reach this goal go to OPS: Make a donation to The Cove Daytona Car www.opsociety.org

The film was magnificent and will change the way you look at Dolphin shows. As humans in society today we tend to dissociate or pretend not to see things that bother us. The film only has about three minutes of footage from the dolphins slaughter. I feel that it is important for everyone out there to see this film. http://www.thecovemovie.com/Some things in the world can be prevented if enough people voice their concerns. I’m not sure how anyone and see “The Cove” and not be moved by it. http://www2.netflix.com/Movie/The-Cove/70112741

After the film and Q &A with Louie, Ric, Leilani and Bob Leilani introduced her brother in law Bob Weir, who played an acoustic set of songs from The Grateful Dead’s songbook which included Saint of Circumstance, Ripple and other favorites.

After the end of Bob’s set instead of exiting through the back door he went into the lobby, where he was greeted by friends and fans. Some fans had Vinyl Records they brought from the 60’s and 70’s with them to sign. I ended up asking for someone to take a picture of the two of us. I was wearing an T-shirt for a non parisian voter registration organization http://www.headcount.org/ that Bob is on the Board of Directors. Unfortunately the person taking the picture zoomed in and cut off the shirt. I guess there’s always next time. Thanks for sticking with this blog. I know the subject mater, is different than any other I’ve done before. It might have been hard to deal with, but it’s an important one. People can change the world if they make enough noise.

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Most Embracing Celebrity Encounter – Drew Barrymore and The Butter Machine Incident – “Everybody’s Fine” Premiere – 2009-11-03 – Grauman’s Chinese Theater

My next experience I’m going to share with you today falls into the Most Embracing Moments with Celebrities category. For over 15 years I’ve been in love with Drew Barrymore http://www.drewbarrymore.org/.

One of the things that I love about Drew, is like myself she always speaks her mind and is not influenced by what others think. I’ve had a few meetings with her in the past. Her movie that she stared in and produced “He’s Just Not That Into You” Los Angeles premiere, was the first celebrity photos I ever did too. That day I was in the fan section. I was really disappointed that they didn’t have an LA premiere, for her latest film “Big Miracle”. I was hoping to finally photograph Drew officially on a carpet. When I do, I hope she doesn’t remember this.

Before I shot premiere’s and entertainment events with credentials, I use to hang out in the fan sections and wait to see if the stars signed autographs for the fans. My first two blogs goes into more details about it here: http://tinyurl.com/77dusmy and http://tinyurl.com/72ztq2o

The “Everybody’s Fine” premiere was part of AFI Fest 2009. I had waited on the side of the street but none of the stars came in my area. we were told that drew would not be attending. After 20 minutes of nothing going on I started to walk towards Hooters to eat something. After waiting for a few hours and not getting any pictures I thought the evening was over. Someone asked if I’d like to see the movie. I was overjoyed and thanked them. As I started to walk into the theatre a car pulled up and out popped Drew who headed quickly to the carpet for some pictures. Completely starstruck and in a gaze I went to the refreshment stand. Not thinking I’d get in and not having anything to eat i felt lightheaded. It was the night before the Yankees last World Series victory, so I was wearing my Yankee hat and jacket. A fellow New Yorker started talking to me. After a brief conversation I ordered my popcorn and soda. Normally for premiere’s the food is free but since it was a festival it wasn’t. I walked over to the butter machine and found it to be leaking like a faucet. The historic theater butter machine was directly across from a ladies or single person bathroom. As I pounded on the machine for the butter to come out like I was Rocky Balboa , the door opens and who walks out and has a front row seat for this was of course Drew. She gave me a look and a quick smile. Feeling embraced I headed to try and find my seat. As I walk by I’m almost elbow to elbow with the film star and fellow New Yorker Robert De Niro. As an usher starts to show me to my seat who is escorted in-front of me again but Drew. The movie was a very serious one but at that point all I could think about was that I was in a theater with Drew Barrymore only a few rows away and my only thought was let me get out of here before I embarrass myself again. You can catch Drew Barrymore’s latest movie “Big Miracle” http://www.everybodyloveswhales.com/ on Friday when it opens.

Thanks for joining me for this edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the inside of Hollywood. Next week, I’ll be returning to the scene of the crime Grauman’s Chinese Theater for “The Vow” and “This Means War” premiere’s. For everyone in Twitterland , on Monday I’ll be tweeting from the red carpet at “The Vow” premiere @Jonathanshensa.

Posted in Celebrity Photos, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead Blog, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, movie blogs, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged Benefit Screening of "The Cove". Jun. 21. 2011 Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center San Rafael, Big Miracle, blogger, Bob Weir, Bob Weir live photos, CA, California Film Institute, celebrity blogs, celebrity encounters, celebrity event photography, Deadheads, Dolphins, Drew Barrymore, Entertainment Blog, Entertainment Blogger, HeadCount, HeadCount.org, http://SaveJapanDolphins.org/, http://www.everybodyloveswhales.com/, Independent Photographers, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Leilani Munter, meeting Bob Weir, meeting celebrities, most embarrassing celebrity moments, Most Embracing Celebrity Encounter - Drew Barrymore and The Butter Machine Incident - "Everybody's Fine" Premiere, Most Embracing Celebrity Encounters, movie premiere, Sammy Hagar, Save Japan Dolphins, The Cove, The Cove Daytona Car, the cove documentary, www.opsociety.org | Leave a comment

The Limousines Show Indie Music is Far from Dead

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to another edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. As some of you know besides being a film lover I am also a huge music fan. I have spent a number of years managing and promoting unsigned bands in California. After moving from Los Angeles to the Bay Area in 2010, I was searching for a new favorite local band. It’s alway’s amazing when you can discover a new artist and get to watch them rise from local recognition to national. I’ll never forget seeing The Killers at the Hard Rock in 2005, in a small and intimate setting.

I had only seen a handful of bands play but nobody that caught my attention. That was until the fall of 2010. While listing to Bay Area station Live 105, I heard a band called The Limousines http://thelimousines.com/ and a song called “Internet Killed the Video Star”. As soon as I got home I Googled the band. One of the things that made me love this band so much, besides the lyrics and music, was it reminded me of bands I use to work with. One of those bands was called “The Mansions” a band that took their musical inspiration from bands like Depeche Mode, Pulp, and Blur. http://www.reverbnation.com/themansions

The Limousines are an Indie electronic duo from the Bay Area made up of multi-instrumentalist / producer Giovanni Giusti and songwriter/ vocalist Eric Victorino. After listening to the bands debut CD “Get Sharp” I was overjoyed to see them open for Weezer at Nob Hill Masonic Center in San Francisco in November 2010. I was absolutely blown away by their performance and was looking forward to seeing them as a headliner. The band was signed a month later by Dangerbird Records.

Since that show I had seen the band at the Popscene for their signing party , The Independent, and Live 105’s BFD 2011. Each show was different and fantastic. The great thing about The Limousines shows are that the crowd always seems to match the bands energy. They always mix up the sets each time I’ve seen them. In a time where concert goers spend as much time at shows texting, taking pictures, tweeting, and doing status updates, The Limousines fans are dancing and singing along with the band. For me personally that is what makes a live concert and shows like that so special.

Limos Death March show at The Independent – San Francisco – 1/19/2012

After touring in support of The Sounds in October, 2011 The Limousines will now be heading Overseas opening for “The Sounds” on their European tour at the end of the month. The band headlined a sold out send off show at the Independent last Thursday. I was eager to see Eric and Gio play before heading off to Europe. I sent a request and was allowed to photograph the show for my press wire service PR Photos that I freelance for.

After three very different but interesting sets by opening acts The Hundred Days, AB & the Sea, Doe Eye, The Limousines hit the stage around 11. The guys came on stage dressed for a zombie funeral that reminded me of a cross between “The Walking Dead”and My Chemical Romances “Black Parade”. The guys were in suits and with make up and fake blood covering them. The stage was dark and lit by only a few black lights in the background to go along with fog. The atmosphere created was a really cool vibe and feeling for watching the show, but caused a problem for shooting photography. As the band continued on with their set the crowd by the front of the stage got larger and turned into a dance party with fans hands getting in my shot. I ended up taking a number of steps back and shot pictures with another lens waiting and watching the lighting.

The band and the crowd were amazing. The show really had the feel of a celebration with the fans and the band experiencing it together one last time before the guys head Overseas. The band played many crowd favorites like “Very Busy People” and “Internet Killed the Video Star” and more tunes from “Get Sharp”. The Limos showed their crowd their diversity by closing with their recently recorded cover of the Paul Simon classic “You Can Call Me Al” as the final serenade to their fans. For any of you in Europe or on your way there, here is there European Tour Dates with “The Sounds” starting on 1/26 in Sweden till 3/12 in Finland: http://tinyurl.com/7fg8vx7 Trust me when I say this band must be experienced live!

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Support Local Music In Your City

If you love and want to support Indie and local music check out bands and shows in your city. It’s wonderful to use the social media to help promote these bands but where they really need you their shows, and buying not burning or downloading for free their material. So many bands have to pay to play or just end up having shows cost them than they make. I can’t tell you how many great local artist I’ve seen in my day not make it out of their city. My challenge to you is to find your personal Limousines in your city.

One of my favorite new bands is from LA with a singer/ songwriter I’ve worked with Eddie O (The Mansions/ Closer To Venus (CTV) http://www.facebook.com/closertovenus?sk=app_2405167945 , who has teamed up with and James Goddard (Darlings Of The Day) to form “Death Of A Star”: http://www.facebook.com/DeathOfAStar?sk=app_178091127385

Thanks for joining me on this edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. I’ve got a little down time before my next LA Adventure. So on my next blog, I’m going to take a look back at some of my favorite encounters with celebrities staring James Franco, James Hetfield, Bob Weir and Paul McCartney. After that I’ll share my most embracing celebrity moments, staring Drew Barrymore and Anne Heche. Till then follow me on Twitter @Jonathanshensa.

http://jonathan-scott-shensa-photography.net/

Posted in Celebrity Photos, concert, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, live concert review, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged Anne Heche, Bob Weir, celebrity blogs, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, concert review, Dangerbird Records artist, Death Of A Star the band, Drew Barrymore, Eddie O, Eddie O singer, Entertainment Blog, Entertainment Blogs, event photographer for hire, favorite encounters with celebrities, http://jonathan-scott-shensa-photography.net/, http://thelimousines.com/, http://www.facebook.com/DeathOfAStar?sk=app_178091127385, Independent Photographers, Indie music blog, James Franco, James Hetfield, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Limos Death March show at The Independent, most embracing celebrity moments, Paul McCartney, Support Local Music In Your City, The Independent San Francisco, The Limousines, The Limousines Blog, The Limousines Death March show at The Independent, The Limousines live, The Limousines photos by Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, The Mansions, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood, The Sounds with The Limousines Euro/UK Tour 2012 | 3 Comments

Alcatraz Premiere Party and Screening at Alcatraz Prison – Alcatraz Island, CA 1/11/2012

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. My journey into the inside of Hollywood last week took me to Alcatraz Prison, for Fox and Warner Brothers T.V “Alcatraz” Series premiere party and screening.

Alcatraz is a new series that premiered, on Fox T.V. last night, it’s the latest Television creation from “Lost” Producer “J. J.” Abrams. “Alcatraz “. The series stars Sarah Jones, Sam Neill, and former “Lost” star Jorge Garcia.

I first heard of this event thanks to a radio station contest. There are not many entertainment events in the Bay Area, so when they are I always try and cover them. This premiere, would be unlike any other I’ve ever covered. The premiere was not on a Hollywood lot or at any theatre in Los Angeles, it was held on Alcatraz Island at the world famous prison. Even though I’ve lived in the Bay Area for two years and have been visiting since 97, this was going to be my first trip to “The Rock”.

Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin, I could see the rock from faraway. The press release was also very original, it had us taking a ferry to Alcatraz Island, followed by a carpet for pictures and video interviews, in the shower room, party and dinner in the mess hall, and ending with a screening of the Pilot Episode in the D Block part of the prison.

As the sun started to set as we left Pier 33 on the Alcatraz Ferry, heading for the mile and a half ride to Alcatraz. When we arrived we headed downstairs to the shower room which had been converted into a media area for photographers and videographers. I couldn’t help but think what it must have been like before the prison closed in 1963.. The cells were small and cramped, and had a area for a cot and a small toilet.

The stars all came downstairs and posed for pictures together and by themselves. It was great to see and photograph all the stars, however Sarah Jones was my personal favorite. Everyone looked great and seemed excited to bring the show to the place that was the inspiration.

After being photographed and interviewed the stars headed upstairs to the mess hall to join the crowd that was filled with people who worked in the movie and some contest winners. People drank out of silver cups that resembled ones the prisoners drank out of. The stars of the show sat at tables and mingled with the guests.

Now it was off to the solitary confided area of the prison called the D Block. The cast and producers introduced the show which was shown on a large screen, as the audience filled the Block. Some of the stars were still on hand after the screening was over talking and taking pictures with fans.

Being a “Lost” fan I didn’t expect all or even half of my questions answered in the first two episodes. I really was impressed with the show’s acting and writing. Sarah Jones played a different kind of detective than we’ve seen on most shows. Jorge Garcia humor is followed along with a great performance from veteran actors like Sam Neill, and Robert Forster. I look forward to seeing how all the pieces of the puzzle fall in place. The show will be on Monday’s at 9 p.m. If you missed the two hour premiere you can see it here: http://www.fox.com/alcatraz/full-episodes/7268973/

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Posted in Celebrity Photos, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, T.V. Premiere, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood, Uncategorized | Tagged "J.J." Abrams, : http://www.fox.com/alcatraz/full-episodes/7268973/, Alcatraz, Alcatraz Island, Alcatraz Prison, Alcatraz T.V. series, “The Rock”, celebrity blogs, celebrity event photography, celebrity pictures, Entertainment Blog, Entertainment Blogger, Entertainment Blogs, episodes, Fox, Fox and Warner Brothers T.V, Fox T.V. Blog, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jorge Garcia, Lost, Sam Neill, Sarah Jones, T.V. series premiere | Leave a comment

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