“Friends With Benefits” and “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” New York and Los Angeles Premiere’s

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

“Friends With Benefits” New York Premiere Ziegfeld Theatre Theater New York City – 7/18

Greetings everyone and welcome back to “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. My latest celebrity adventures took me back to the city where I was born. After doing Red Carpets in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, last month marked my return to New York City for the “Friends With Benefits” premiere.

New York City was one of the final stops on a cross country trip that started in san Francisco on July 3rd. After traveling over 4,000 miles in a car I was happy to get to a place where I knew where I was. As I tried to figure out how to walk to the Ziegfeld Theater. Finally I realized I needed to take a cab. Just my luck that the one cab I get into  the driver has no idea where the theater was. After getting the address from my phone, I was finally on my way. As the cab pulled up to the theater I saw a familiar site, across the street from the Ziegfeld Theatre.

There in a much smaller area compared to LA there were fans lined up with personal signs to the stars.Of course for this film, the major attraction for the ladies was Justin Timberlake. However I was really looking forward to photographing former “That 70”s star Mila Kunis. After checking out the fan area, I then looked for a carpet but didn’t see one. I found my way to a closed off area that was full of photographers and videographers. I then sat there waiting to be checked in. Finally as usual, I was one of the last ones called.

I finally started to head for the carpet which happened to be Black with a black background. I then noticed we were in a closed in tent (normally used in LA if it’s raining) which felt like it was 150 degrees. By the time I got inside all the spots on the floor and on a bench were taken. After searching for every inch I ended up having to put my step stool behind a second row of photographers. To make matters worse the only spot I could find was in front of a light. The carpet opened up with some New York society people. Then I noticed a tall skinny guy trying to walk through the press line with out stopping. I noticed it was former New York Mets and Yankees star Darryl Strawberry.

After about 45 minutes we got word that JT had arrived. I got ready and started to make the best out of my lighting problems. The photographers were yelling and screaming to get eye contact with Justin. I had to scream over the two rows of photographers to get his attention finally yelling “Bring Some of that Sexy back to the back row”. I Ended up getting an interesting shot out of it. About 15 minutes later Mila Kunis arrived and dazzled the carpet.

One of the biggest surprises for me was how great Jenna Elfman looked. Another actress who I was really looking forward to photographing was Emma Stone. She arrived late and walked through the carpet quickly. She was also wearing something that just didn’t suit her. In the end it was a great experience shooting a premiere in New York. I just saw the film this week and surprisingly liked it a lot and recommend it.

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Los Angeles Premiere – Fan Area – 7/28/2011

Originally I had high hopes for this premiere. I had just worked the “Mr. Poppers Penguins” premiere the previous month. I did get a save this date notice from 20th Century Fox but ended up finding out the day before that I would not have carpet access. I decided to hang out in the fan area with hundreds of other fans. I knew that James Franco was on Jimmy Kimmel Live that night. But what I didn’t know till the night before was Lady GaGa was having a live free performance Block Party on the next block. After waiting a couple hours I started to Tweet on Twitter. I ended up Tweeting with James Franco News and 20th Century Fox’s @apeswillrise Tweets.

Finally stars started to arrive at the premiere. However due to the fact that they were running behind only Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis, and Harry Potter co- star Tom Felton. My friend who was in line getting ready to go into the premiere so I had to make a decision to see the flick or hopefully get some pictures of James Franco.

In the end I decided to wait to see James. Like out of a scene in “The Wizard of Oz” Mr. Franco appeared on the carpet out of nowhere. A publicist came to the crowd area and took some homemade signs. I knew at that point he was not visiting the fan section. There were a lot of disappointed fans some who waited over 5 hours. But I’m sure if the premiere wasn’t running behind he would have stopped by. James has always been more than accommodating when it comes to his fans. I’m hoping that by the time “Oz” comes out that I’ll have official credentials for it.

The best part of this evening was seeing the look on the faces of the US Sailors, who got into the premiere. They were so excited bragging to other fellow Sailors about who they saw. They reminded me of little kids on a playground. Thumbs up to the studio for letting them in.

Thanks for joining me on this edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. For more celebrity photos and coverage follow me on Twitter: @Jonathanshensa or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.shensa

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“Mr. Popper’s Penguins” and the “Green Lantern” Los Angeles Premieres

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome back to “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”, June edition. June 12th, saw my return to the Red Carpet  (in this case white carpet), for Jim Carrey’s, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, at the historic Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. My LA trip also included a candid shoot, from the fan area at Warner Brother’s Green Lantern premiere.

Mr. Poppers Penguins Premiere – Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – White Carpet

After unsuccessfully trying to get credentialed for a few other films, I finally booked my first premiere with 20th Century Fox Films. I was eager to get to the theatre and make sure the spots weren’t first come first serve. Luckily the studio seemed to have everything really organized. We checked in late but very quickly. I was relived to find out there would only be two rows of photographers. I set up my stepping stool and started to get ready. The studio had turned Hollywood Boulevard into a Winter Wonderland covering the White Carpet with fake snow piles. Just as I was getting ready to do a test shoot an older photographer approached me. He kindly asked me who I was shooting for. I told him I was independent and booked the job myself. I did tell him that some of my pictures would be on the PR Photos site. All of the sudden a woman with long black hair and thick glasses got in my face. She looked like a troll so we will just call her “ Angry Troll Woman”. She told me that someone else (wasn’t her) was shooting for PR Photos. Not wanting to get into a fight on the carpet, I just smiled and turned away.

As I start to take my test shots, I notice a white substance starting to fall from the sky. I look up and see snow blowing machines over the Chinese Theatre’s marque. This may have looked beautiful from a distance,  but to the photographers and videographers it caused a semi panic. The first stars set to arrive were kids from various shows and films. The talent could barley see. Luckily after a few minutes and guests the machine stopped All of the stars from the film were in attendance including: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, and Madeline Carroll. Also at the film and the co stars of this carpet were Anne Heche and Dirty Dancing and Dancing With The Stars Champion, Jennifer Grey. After the last guest arrived and all the other photographers left, I stuck around to take some candids, while the videographers interviewed the stars from the film. As I started to leave, my exit was blocked by Jennifer Grey in a heated discussion with Judd Apatow. Finally I made it back to my car and joined a friend to see the film. I was really surprised how much I liked it. I thought it seemed like a kids movie from the previews, but I must say I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.

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Green Lantern Premiere – Grauman’s Chinese Theatre – Fan Area – 6/15-2011

Being my second premiere of the week, I knew it was going to be a “Johnny Paparazzi” shoot. Warner Brothers is one of the studios that hasn’t granted me any of my photo requests. On a number of these credentialed premiere’s that I didn’t get, I end up by getting into the movie. After the film is done, I’d try and get some pictures in the lobby. I’ve used this method and it was successful a number of times. But this premiere was too big and I knew my only hope would be in the fan area across the street. As I got close  to Hollywood Boulevard I could see that it was shutdown by the premiere in both directions. I quickly found a spot on a residential street knowing that with my handicap pass (only perk to having mobility problems) I could park there. An officer on a horse approached me and said I couldn’t park there. Knowing I was right and he was wrong, I politely explained the rule to him. He responded by starting to write me a ticket. I told him I could produce a document stating this. He was starting to loose his patience but I was insisting. Finally, he read it and told me that the parking people told him handicapped parking wasn’t allowed on the street. He did apologize and all was forgiven. I was worried that this delay would cost me a good spot across from the drop off area.

I finally got to premiere area and got a spot to the left of the drop off area in front. Knowing I would have to deal with autograph seekers, collectors, and other photographers I wisely picked my spot. Now I had 2 hours to wait in the hot sun not even knowing if I’d get one clean picture of someone. The premiere started and the first person to arrive was Ryan Reynolds. Normally you’d never see a star this early but Ryan not only walked across the street, he walked the entire Boulevard signing autographs for fans. I got a few way too close shots when he was nearly on top of me. As he got to me he looked for me to hand him something to sign. I told him I just wanted one good picture. I wished him good luck on the film as he made it down the line. Angela Bassett was the next to hit the fan area. she looked absolutely gorgeous. Hard to believe that “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, was in 1993.  As car after car came I still was waiting for the female lead in the film “Gossip Girl” and now movie star Blake Lively to arrive. The carpet was getting empty but still no Blake. Instead I ended up getting one of my favorite actors, Tim Robbins. Finally Blake arrives and heads the opposite direction of me. I only got a few faraway shots. But in the end, I ended up with a few cool shots from a major movie premiere. I have to admit, sometimes the fan area shoots are more fun then the Red Carpet ones I always end up with some interesting candids instead of just having the same mundane poses as a number of other photographers.

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My Deadhead Experience 1993-2011

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

My First Grateful Dead Show – 6/3/1993 – Giants Stadium

It was a strange cold and rainy day June 5, 1993, on my way to what was supposed to be just another classic rock concert. The funny thing was, on this night I was actually going to see the opening act. Having see The Stones, The Who, and Eric Clapton, and many other Hall Of Fame rockers in the 80’s and early 90’s, but the band I never got to see was The Police. My sister and her friends were going to see The Grateful Dead, it just append to be the opener was Police singer Sting. I had just started listening to the Dead in college and was curious to see what the whole experience was like. Growing up a rock fan in Yonkers, New York besides a few obvious songs played on New York rock station 102.7 WNEW, they never got my attention.  I never knew what was so alluring about this band. I was about to find out.

After sitting in traffic at the Holland Tunnel and on the Jersey Turnpike, we finally got to Giant stadium. What I saw when we entered the parking lot was like nothing I have ever seen before. There was a community of people camped in the parking lot in various types of vehicles. Then what I could only describe as a Hippy Flea market, where everything from clothes, memorabilia, food, and drugs were sold. This area was referred to as Shakedown Street, the area in the parking lot where the vending takes place.  But the thing that was most interesting was just not how friendly everyone one was but how they all seemed connected by the music. Older Deadheads would talk with younger ones and share memories. It didn’t matter what political party or how you dressed everyone one had something in common. That feeling is why in 2011 even after 15 years after Jerry Garcia’s passing, I still always try to catch a Furthur, RatDog, or Phil and friends show when in town. It was actually at RatDog, show in 2008  near Palm Springs where the band had a new and surprising effect on me.

My Introduction to HeadCount

As many of you know who have known me in the last 15 years, I like to speak me mind. I also love to bitch and complain when it comes any kind of issues. I always lived by the saying, “If You Don’t Vote you can’t complain”. In 2003-2004, I wanted to do a voter registration show for Rock The Vote. I had already been working in music management and booked shows at legendary clubs in the Los Angeles area. I had contacted Rock The Vote in Santa Monica, about doing a show at a very popular club we had played a number of times. After talking to the club who would love to do it as long as we pay them guaranteed $. Knowing we needed to save our money for showcases, I knew it was not going to happen.

June 2008, I was at a Bob Weir Rat Dog show near Palm Springs at a Casino. Trying to escape the heat and the casino Gestapo like security guards, I was stopped by a person with a clipboard, who asked me if I was registered to vote. I said I was but was asked to sign a pledge that I would vote in the next election. I was informed that HeadCount (www.headcount.org), a grassroots non-partisan, not-for-profit voter registration organization. They register voters at concerts and make civic participation part of the live music experience. network of volunteers across the county, divided into local street teams.  HeadCount is affiliated  with over 80 artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, Kings of Leon, Phish, John Mayer, and more. Not only did I sign the pledge, I ended up becoming a volunteer and a Team Leader in Los Angeles right up until the registration deadline.

HeadCount at the Furthur Shoreline Shoreline Amphitheatre 6/3 & 4/ 2011

After almost 18 years to the day of my first Dead show, I was about to do something I could only have  dreamed of during my Grateful years. I was going to be seeing Furthur featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh at their homecoming shows at the historic Shoreline Amphitheatre, near San Francisco. I originally applied for media credentials, but was turned down by Furthur’s publicist. I then thought of volunteering for HeadCount night one night and buying a ticket in the orchestra the second night, so I could get some good pictures and blog about it. Due to the bad weather forecast, I decided to volunteer for both shows with HeadCount.

The weather forecast called for rain for both days. This quickly reminded me of my first Dead show. I started my journey from Marin over the Golden Gate Bridge and into the city to meet up with other HeadCount Volunteers, in the city. As soon as we got into my car one of the Volunteers quickly hooked up his phone to my speakers so he could play the most recent Phish what I use to call bootleg, which now is known as digital download. I’m not Phish hater, but also was a huge fan back in the day. In fact the reason, I’ve been on a personal Phish hiatus since 2004 was because of being open to all kinds of music. I’ve always found some Phish fans are closed minded to all music that isn’t Phish. It’s all they listen to or talk about. Don’t get me wrong it’s a totally cool scene and I had a blast especially from 93-95. But I am and always will be a Deadhead at heart. After sitting in Friday traffic on the 101, we finally got to the venue.

Along with registering people to vote HeadCount Team Leader Jonathan Perri, told us about the “Fan DNA Project,” a poll about music and politics that you’ll see us doing at the concert. We’ll then publish the results, comparing the “Fan DNA” from different festivals and tour. What was great about this show was that we had a Furthur Poster singed by Bob Weir that we were raffling off. The evening and weekend shows were big successes. Personally I felt my whole experience had come full circle. As I walked around Shoreline,  getting polls filled out I kept getting stopped by older fans, who asked me what shows I’d seen. There once again was that connection. Besides this being my 18th anniversary of seeing the Dead a thought occurred to me. I remembered all those pregnant women, I saw at shows. They were now 18 and going to shows with their friends.

The weekend came to a close and all we got was a dusting of rain. It made me feel like Jerry was smiling down upon us from above. Or maybe opening up with The Beatles “Here Comes The Sun ” Friday night helped push the clouds away.  To sum up my experience, I can only borrow a line that the Dead also borrowed, “You Know Our Love Will Not Fade Away!”

I’m honored to announce that I’ll be photographing a special screening of “The Cove”, along with a live performance by the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. This event benefits Save Japan Dolphins, a project of Earth Island Institute for the California Film Institute. Director Louie Psihoyos and marine mammal specialist Ric O’Barry will present and discuss a screening of their 2010 Academy Award-winning documentary. For tickets and more information on the film and the institute please visit:http://www.cafilm.org/rfc/films/1554.html

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My Personal Glee Experience

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everybody. I hope everyone had a Great Memorial Day weekend. After a brief hiatus “ The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood” is back in full swing. On May 24th I covered the Glee Live Tour at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. For people out there who don’t watch or are not familiar with the Fox TV show “Glee”, here is some Gleek  101 (names for fans of the show). There is also a funny story how I met “Glee “ star Matthew Morrison at a movie premiere.

Gleek 101

Glee is a musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox It focuses on the high school Glee club “New Directions” competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues of everyday high school life. The show has a strong young and female audience but has crossed over age barriers in a lot of cities including members of my family.

I have to admit being really upset when Glee started winning a number of awards. I also have to admit to never watching the show at that point. When the show first started,  I saw the premises and it made me think of a cross between “American Idol” and an 80’s show I use to watch as a kid called, “Kids Incorporated”.

Love & Other Drugs Premiere

For weeks I’d been eagerly waiting for the start of the 2010 AFI Film Festival. I was lucky enough to have a ticket to the opening night film “Love & Other Drugs world premiere, at the historic Chinese Theatre,  in Hollywood.  After waiting till the last minute possible before the film started to enter the theater,  I saw an actor on the carpet with short blond hair. At first I thought it might be Justin Timberlake but it turned out was “Glee” star and teacher Matthew Morrison. I saw a publicist give me the evil eye so I headed to the candy stand.

Unlike normal movie premieres where the popcorn and soda is free sadly, at festivals you have to pay for it. Lucky for me that meant a short but slow line. Next thing I know i turn around and Matthew Morrison is behind me. I also see that same publicist staring at me. Not wanting to get booted from a premiere of a film I really wanted to see, I asked Matthew to take a picture with me. He seemed happy to and was such a down to earth guy. A month later I bumped into him again at the Gwyneth Paltrow Hollywood Walk Of Fame Induction ceremony. Once again he was the ultimate nice guy. I decided to give the show a shot. I’m not a hardcore Gleek, but I do appreciate the superior acting, writing, and singing, and all around talent on that show. So after getting familiar with the show on DVD,  I applied and was granted media credentials for their live Tour show.

2011 Glee Live Tour at the HP Pavilion 

If anyone is familiar with my work as a photographer you might know I have a different style of shooting. What I like to do for concerts and book signings is shoot normal shots but also from a fans prospective. One of the reasons why I shoot for PR Photos is that they allow me to use atmosphere shots, which I always include fan pictures. So I got to the HP Pavilion early to take pictures of the fans entering the arena. You would never of known that the San Jose Sharks were fighting for their play off lives on the road. The Pavilion was filled with Gleeks and Glee Mania.

I finally found the media meeting place and we were escorted in underneath the area. The photographers were tapping the the San Jose hockey boards for good luck ( might have jinxed the Sharks) as we passed by them. We get to the floor where we find out instead of shooting from the front of the stage,  we would be shooting from the floor in the back by the soundboard. A number of the other photographers were upset but I knew that was probably going to happen and you just have to be professional and make the best of your situation.

Tickets to the show were about as expensive for a family of 4 as it would have been for a trip to Disneyland. As the lights hit the crowd went in to a frenzy almost like my “Twilight Experience in the past. They started the show with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” as part of the original members of Glee’s New directions. The concert heavily favored, Lea Michele (Rachel), Chris Colfer(Kurt) and Cory Monteth (Fin). They were then joined by fellow cast mates Mark Salling (Puck), Chord Overstreet (Sam) Kevin McHale (Artie), Harry Shum Jr. (Mike), and Darren Criss (Blaine) , Naya Rivera (Santana), Dianna Agron(Quinn), Amber Riley (Mercedes), and Heather Morris (Brittany) and others from the cast come together during the show to perform cover songs from season 1 & 2.

This by no means is a review since I was photographing it and only permitted to stay for the first 3 songs. It was only the 3rd show of the tour so I’m sure they were still working on things. After all the couldn’t have had much time to practice since the show just ended taping season 2. The third song the cast performed all together was  “Sing” a My Chemical Romance song. They did an excellent job of recreating a live atmosphere. I just wish it was in a smaller venue.  It felt like each person had their own personality and you could tell in the live performance. The thing that i liked about “Glee” Live was it was set up as part performance and part theatrical. Unlike American Idol they were able to make it a concert and a theatrical experience. I’m sure the show and the tours will go on for a number of years as long as the crowd continues to match the casts excitement.

Thanks for joining me on this week’s edition of “The Out Siders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood”.  This weekend we are going to be taking a tittle detour with my next Blog. I won’t have media credentials and there will be no red carpet.  As some of you may know I’m a huge Deadhead. I’m also a huge supporter and a volunteer for a non profit voter registration program called HeadCount since 2008.  http://www.headcount.org We are going to be registering voters at the Phil Lesh & Bob Weir Furthur shows at Shoreline Amphitheatre – CA  on Friday and Saturday June 3 & 4. If you won’t be at Shoreline and have recently moved or need to register to vote you can do it online here.  http://www.headcount.org/register-to-vote/

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Celebrity Karaoke and The 7th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert 

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

Celebrity Karaoke Hosted by Lorenzo Lamas and Shawna Craig at Pig N Whistle, Hollywood  5/5/2011

After battling traffic in Hollywood,  then finding a parking spot on Hollywood Blvd, I remembered it was May 5th, also known as Cinco De Mayo. Tonight’s event was a gamble for me. I was contacted by a PR company about a Celebrity karaoke Hosted By Donna D’Errico and the cast of Decisions (Corey Haims last movie). Normally I don’t cover events without A list stars because a lot of work  and time goes into pre and post shoots. I made an exception this time because I had seen that at the last moment Lorenzo Lamas was going to be making his first appearance with his new wife Shawna Craig. At the bottom of the list was an actress, who I was in love with as a kid. Sadly, Nicole Eggert didn’t show, neither did Donna D ‘Errico, who was not feeling well. The red carpet ran well with the actors being very accommodating. Lorenzo and Shawna looked amazing. The carpet had lots of kids, whom I figure were with the agency who co-sponsored the event. But with out anyone slating where the talent was from and what projects they did in the past made it hard to tag theses photos.

The evening was also co-hosted by cast members from Corey Haim’s last movie, Decisions. The cast had already debuted the movie at it’s premiere at the Directors Guild Of America in April. The movie is now opening up nationally, so this was  the last chance for the cast to help promote the film together. One of the films stars Anthony Vitale, was extremely emotional when giving out posters to the media at the end of the carpet.  It was actually a cast member of Decisions, Liana Mendoza  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2831164/  who was the brightest surprise for me of the night. Not only did Liana AKA “Roxxy shine on the red carpet she also did off. She has a great personality , and is amazingly charming, to go along with her beauty. I do expect to see more great things from her in the near future.

The 7th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert – honoring Depeche Mode lead singer Dave Gahan

This was the final event of my LA trip. It was also the one I was looking forward to. My credentials for tonight were red carpet only. Having been an avid music fan and having worked with musicians, it was an honor to be at this Grammy sponsored event. It was refreshing to finally be on a red carpet, where the other photographers were asking me to identify the musicians. MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert raises money for MusiCares an addiction recovery resource for music people in need.

The concert was honoring Depeche Mode lead singer Dave Gahan and Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. The red carpet had members from Jane’s Addiction, Paramore,  and Billy Corgan. However the only downer of the evening was former fellow Roosevelt high School student, Steven Tyler, did not walk the carpet. Neither did Jane’s guitarist Dave Navarro, who fled the scene after signing a few autographs for fans. It was a lovely event and I hope to have the privilege of attending the show next year. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org.

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My Playboy Mansion Debut and the Something Borrowed Premiere

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

55th Annual Thalians Gala Honoring Hugh Hefner – PlayBoy Mansion 4/30 

My first credentialed LA event of this trip was the 55th Annual Thalians Gala, honoring Hugh Hefner at the PlayBoy Mansion. As the shuttle pulled up to the gate slowly the gated fence opens and we start up a long winding driveway. The first thing I see is a beautiful grass area. I turn my head to take a look and see it’s a peacock garden. One of the little guys wondered into the middle of the road where he was attended to before we arrived at the house. I could now cross off visiting the Playboy mansion off my bucket list that I made when I was a kid. I had that scene in “Beverly Hills Cop 2”,  where Eddie Murphy enters the grounds and we see playmates playing (there is a sign for Watch Out For Playmates playing before reaching the house). However doing my research and knowing it was a black tie event, I knew this would be a serious affair. The Thalians (www.thalians.org), the entertainment industry’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the treatment of mental health, honored Hugh M. Hefner for a lifetime of philanthropy with the annual “Mr. Wonderful” award at their 55th Anniversary Gala at the Playboy Mansion.

As I got out of the car, I saw the Red carpet set up outside on the lawn where the reception and silent Auction were held.  I set up in my spot which was the last space in the second of three rows.  I’m always outgunned at these events with people with cameras worth more than my car. Being in the middle of the pack, meant I had to get my shots quickly and be prepared to edit shots of other photographers that obstructed my view. The carpet was filled with an older generation of actors mixed in with a number of 90’S rockers. In all everyone was really nice and looked great on the carpet. There also were a number of wounded war Veterans there. It was great to see them so happy taking pictures with the Playmates and stars.

Something Borrowed Los Angeles Premiere –  Grauman’s Chinese Theatre 

For this premiere, like every other Warner Brothers Film Film I’ve try to photograph( the studio has not yet showed any love for this Independent photographer yet) I do the Super Fan thing. I got to my spot on Hollywood Blvd and hung out across the street from the drop off area. There wasn’t too many people there at 5, so I felt like I had a good shot at getting some good pictures. However, sadly they had to move up the premiere time to accommodate a Jennifer Lopez CD Release party next door at the Hard Rock Cafe. That meant less of a chance of the stars walking across the street. At 6:30  the carpet was filled but nobody had yet made that walk. After almost losing hope there was a tap on my back. Thinking it was security tell me to get off my stepping stool I turned around. It was a PR girl from Warner Brothers asking if I wanted to get into see the premiere. I knew that that met they had a large number of no shows. I asked the girl if she thought anyone could cross the street, she replied no. I decided to take a chance and wait and see.

Finally The Office’s John Krasinski arrived and signed autographs for some fans. Once again as in the past my problem was I was too close and directly in front of him. I managed to get a few shots off. I’m sure he would have spent more time with his fans but time was limited that night. I then saw I another SUV pull up. A  familiar face got out of the opposite door. I knew it was  Matt Bellamy from Muse and Kate Hudson’s baby daddy. I saw Kate get out of the car while Matt hung in the back as she and her baby bump hit the red carpet. She wore a long Beautiful yellow Oscar-like dress.  She walked straight to the carpet not even glaring once at the screaming fans calling her name. At this point I knew I wasn’t getting anything else.

Now what? I didn’t want my few pictures of John Krasinski to get lost with over 500 of pictures from the arrival of the event that would be on PR Photos with in hours, I knew I needed more. I ran to my car that was parked in my Handicapped spot (one of the only perks to having mobility issues) around the corner and got rid of my Nikon. I grabbed by point and shoot and headed back to the same area. This time I jumped on the fan Rush Line to get in. With just minutes before the movie starting I got a really good single. I actually had hoped to attend the premiere with a friend, so when we couldn’t get tickets before I saw it just as a shoot. With the weather being in the 90’s and not knowing how long I was going to be on Hollywood Blvd in the sun, I wore a T-shirt and shorts. At this point I’m wishing I had a spot in the back because everyone around me was in black tie. Another person came over towards me to what I thought was to change my seat, but she just spoke to one of the people next to me. I then realized it was the director and the no show who’s seat I was filling probably was with he studio. As the lights dimmed the movie started with out any introduction from the director or of the stars of the film. I knew that was a bad sign. What they really needed to borrow in Something Borrowed was a new Screenplay.

As the film ended I headed straight for the lobby and waited to see what stars stayed for the movie. The cool thing about premieres at the Chinese Theatre is they allow point and shoot cameras in as along as you don’t use them till after the screening. As I make it look like I’m waiting for a friend, my eyes search the lobby looking for the most popular person I can see. A lot of times if the after party is not next door stars will leave the film after the first 15 minutes. Finally I see some flashes and get pictures of film stars Steve Howey, Colin Egglesfield, Quinton Aaron (Blindside Star) and exclusive pictures with Novelist Emily Giffin. Not bad for a night with no credentials.   My next blog post will be about Celebrity Karaoke Hosted by Lorenzo Lamas and Shawna Craig, where I will also introduce you to Liana Mendoza one of the stars of Corey Haim’s last movie Decisions, and will end this LA trip at music Cares Benefit with Dave Gahan ( Depeche Mode Lead singer), Paramore, Jane’s addiction and more.

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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 | Leave a comment

Credentialed, Super Fan, or Johnny Paparazzi

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone one and welcome to my second Outsiders Guide To Hollywood Blog. It’s been a real busy couple of weeks starting with the San Francisco Film Festival and another crazy “Shenza Goes To Hollywood” trip.

On my last Blog, I explained how I started getting into Celebrity Photography. Today I’m going to explain the different ways I cover events. I will be using examples from the events I just covered on my LA trip last week. On a good day, I have Red Carpet credentials from the event I’m working, but being an Independent Photographer and represented by a Wires Service doesn’t always get me credentials. I’ve freelanced for a couple of wire services in the past but my current one, PR Photos is the service I’m using now. The only problem is that PR Photos is very popular and has many photographers, so I don’t always get credentialed from them for the bigger events. I usually book about 50% of the movie premieres I apply for. So what happens when I don’t have credentials?

The first thing to know if you’ve never attended or watched a premiere live or Online is that besides Media covering the event there is a lot more going on. As I discussed in my last Blog, there is always a fan area to watch the event. However not everyone is there is see and meet a star. There are at least 6 different types of people there.

The True / Super Fans – these people are truly devoted fans that support their favorite stars no mater how big or small they are. Their goal is to get an autograph and possibly  a picture with the celebrity. They never try to sell what they get and mainly post their pictures on Facebook to share with their friends.

Autograph Addicts & Collectors – These people may be fans of a certain artist but their main goal is to get an autograph on some kind of merchandise, so they can sell it. Most of these people are cool but some of them can get very aggressive doing whatever they can to get close enough to an artist to get their signature.

Paparazzi/ Videographers/ Independent Photographers –  This is where yours truly fits in. On the Red carpet are Photographers who have been credentialed by the studio. But that leaves many others literally on the outside looking in. They are camped out across the street with their long lenses standing on everything from ladders, signs, to the steps of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” . What I do is get there a few hours earlier and scope out a spot across from the drop off area. Then I  hangout in the fan section and try and get pictures as they come across the street.

Photographer/ Screenwriter Jonathan Scott Shensa "Never Say Never Premiere. Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Now that I described the different methods my next Blog will show how I had to use these different methods in shoots at the Playboy Mansion, Something Borrowed Premiere, Celebrity Karaoke with Lorenzo Lamas and the cast from Corey Haim’s last movie Decisions, and the MusicCares event honoring Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode.

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The Outsiders Guide To The Inside Of Hollywood – The Beginning

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Jonathanshensa

Christina Aguilera Photo By Jonathan Shensa

November 14, 2010- Burlesque Premiere

As the elevator door opens, I walk into the courtyard, that is packed with people ranging from tourists to locals. As I walk to the theatre, the crowd grows larger and larger.  I’ve now entered an area that is hard to describe unless you’ve been there.  I’m blinded by flashing lights. As I finally make my way to a closed off area with a security guard. I then walk over to media checking in. As I walk in, I get stared at by everyone around. As the names start being called, I see one spot after the other being taken. By the time they call me there are no spots anywhere on the Red Carpet. Thankfully the Sony PR person lets me stand in front of the entrance to the carpet. Instead of being in an area with hundreds of photographers, I’m in a area with only a few. My biggest problem would be that I was too close and directly on top of some of the stars on the carpet. The carpet was so packed that it created a traffic jam of celebrities and PR people directly in front of me.  One of the PR people comes over to me and introduces her client Diane Warren (publicist Ronni Chased sadly was shot to death later that night in Beverly Hills). So you ask how did this guy from Yonkers New York, with no photography experience,  no professional equipment, representation, or industry connections get here? The answer is, it was all an accident.

February 2,  2009 – “He’s just Not That Into You” Premiere

As many of you know besides being a lifelong music fantatic, I also worked with a number of musicians from promoting to managing. One of our promotional tools we used was to pass out song sampler CDs with flyers for our shows. After passing out 100’s of CDs at a Depeche Mode show on Hollywood Blvd, I was eager to find another public event where there would be large numbers of people confined to one area.

As I was thinking about this while being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, I saw that there were mobs of people on the Blvd. in front of the Chinese Theatre. I parked my car and took out my bag of CDs and walked towards the crowd. I approached a closed off area where I could see a red carpet and tons of press. I looked up to see that it was the World Premiere for the film “He’s Just Not That Into You”.

As some of you know, I’m a huge Drew Barrymore fan and meeting her was on my things to do in life list. I asked the guard why there were more people across the street where they wouldn’t be able to see the premiere instead of being on the same side of the street. He told me that the fans were hoping for the stars to go across the street and sign autographs. I asked him if that ever really happens. He told me it depends on the actor. Thinking it would be a long shot I decided to run back to my car and grab my point and shoot and an old press looking pass I had in my car.

As I make my way to an area near where the stars are being dropped off, I see a black SUV pull up. The door opens to hundreds of screams. Out walks a beautiful red-head in a gorgeous pink flowered dress. The crowd screams “Scarlett” (Johansson). All of the sudden I feel like I’m in a dream. She starts to walk across the street and ends up directly in front of me. The only thing I can think of at this point is telling her “That’s such a beautiful dress. She then reaches out her hand and touches my Police concert t-shirt telling me how much she loves my shirt. As she walks off to sign autographs the next car comes followed by another. By then end of the evening, I had photographed and met most of the stars. Finally the last car pulls up and out walks Drew Barrymore. She smiles and waves to the fans but does not go across the street. Knowing that she was there as a producer and actress, I didn’t have high hopes of meeting her. However this would change on future photo shoots.

March 2011- My Red Carpet Debt

After my close encounter with the cast of “He’s Just Not That Into You”, I started to think. I was so shocked that a random person could get so close to a celebrity. It made me think of several idea for possible films. I decided to take this new hobby and turn it into something that I could write about. I started posting pictures on social networking sites and was contacted by an online wire service agency. I started shooting Red Carpets for small events and ended up working my way on the Red Carpet for the G.I. Joe premiere. What made this even crazier is the entire time, I was using my point and shoot.

Finally just before covering the “How To train Your Dragon” premiere I got a Nikon D- 5000. Though I’m still severely out gunned it has helped even the playing field. In the past month, I made my official concert photography debt covering the Lady GaGa concert in Oakland and Britney Spears’s Good morning America concert in San Francisco. Next month I’ll be covering an event at the Playboy mansion along with anything else that comes my way. Welcome to “ The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood”.  I’ll be Blogging about everything from my past experiences to my current and future ones, as well some current events. Follow me on Twitter for tweets live from some of Hollywoods coolest events. https://twitter.com/#!/Jonathanshensa


Scarlett Johansson Photo By Jonathan Shensa

Posted in Burlesque Premiere, Celebrity Photos, Christina Aguilera, Entertainment, Entertainment Blogs, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Jonathan Shensa, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment