TV Party: 'On The Lot'

By Michael Korb, Zap2it, Zap2It.com | May 27, 2007

Steven Spielberg

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Some folks dreamed about becoming veterinarians; others dreamed of becoming firemen or nurses or cowboys. But we, well, we dreamed of sitting on the couch watching reality television about people competing for the chance to make movies on a television show so they could move from television to feature films. Sure it seemed like a pipe dream, but now that Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg have joined forces on the unscripted Fox series "On the Lot," airing Mondays and Tuesdays, our dreams are finally coming true! So if your dreams of becoming a veterinarian are pretty much dead, hop on our backs and party with us as we celebrate big dreams on small screens.

Setting the scene: Lights, camera, action! Every aspect of this party should be filmed - from the sending of the invitations (which should include a script of that guest's part) to the rolling out of the red carpet. Contact a local college or high school to see if it has students willing to shoot your party. Make sure someone has a boom mic - the film crew will look stupid if no one is carrying a boom mic. Like "On the Lot," have guests film different genres of film for the production crew - noir, silent, Western, etc. - that can later be digitally edited and sent to all partygoers the next week. Have props, lighting and costumes at the ready. If you have a staircase, consider having everyone shoot the final scene from "Gone With the Wind."

Attire: Tell guests to come dressed as their favorite movie character - Rhett Butler, Princess Leia, or maybe the guy standing next to the kid playing Tom Cruise's son on the ferry in "War of the Worlds."

On the menu: Goobers, Fried Green Tomatoes, Chocolat, Soylent Green, lamb, American Pie, popcorn, Jujyfruits, Milk Duds and Raisinets, all sold at approximately four times market value.

On the hi-fi: "That's Entertainment" by Fred Astaire, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland, "Moon River" by Audrey Hepburn, "As Time Goes By" by Dooley Wilson and "Singin' in the Rain" by Gene Kelly.

The showstopper: Before you come to the conclusion that you can make better movies than anyone from "On the Lot," you might want to confirm Hollywood is all it's cracked up to be. Visit the very swanky Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood and share a minibar with rockers and movie stars.