Disclosure: I’ve joined the Netflix #StreamTeam and have been compensated for writing this post.
Netflix invited me to visit the DreamWorks campus in Burbank, CA and I was happy to accept the invitation earlier month. I flew out of Chicago on Monday, May 2 and almost missed my flight. The normal security line wait that I expected, a mere 10-15 minutes, was an almost two-hour ordeal. I was lucky enough to make it to my gate about 5 minutes before the doors closed. Cue sigh of relief.
My flight was uneventful and actually a bit productive. I was able to get through several hundred emails and read some of Jim Koch’s new book on the start of Sam Adams. Some of the views out my window were also amazing (see above). This midwesterner is always fascinated by mountains. Any non-flat geography captures my attention actually. The hotel was a decent drive from the airport during rush hour in LA, but it wasn’t bad. I had a driver to worry about it.
I was introduced to blogger life in a new way at dinner. Sure we chatted about who we are and what we do like anyone would over a group dinner. Then the food came out and so did the cameras and portable lights. I Instagram my food, but am not nearly as prepared for covering my meals out as they were. I need to up my game:
The studio visit was on Tuesday. We got to see some footage of the yet to be released on Netflix series “Voltron: Legendary Defender” and “Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh.” We also got to have some great conversations with the people behind the scenes on these projects. I’ll post more about those later this summer after the embargos have lifted. You won’t be disappointed in either project. That’s all I can say for now. Can’t wait to share more about them soon!
The DreamWorks campus in Burbank, CA is gorgeous. I would love to work at a place like that. The courtyard is full of green grass, trees, places to eat, a fountain and, of course, benched to sit on and recharge. Those are my Converse sneakers kicked up at DreamWorks Studios.
Beyond the sneak peaks we were able to meet some of the studio’s beloved characters in real life. Mr. Dude was beyond thrilled to see that I got to meet Toothless in person.
Abigail and Mr. Dude did a couple FaceTime conversations with me back at the hotel. It was different though because she is usually the one traveling away from home with Mr. Dude and I talking on the same screen:
The send off dinner at the end of the day was a lot of fun. The group of us took up two large tables and included representatives from Netflix, DreamWorks and various entertainment and parenting blogs. I, of course, enjoyed a burger and a local brew:
I had an absolute blast seeing the recording studios, animation rooms, conference tables and theater that make up DreamWorks. Don’t worry, I’ve got more photos and even a couple behind the scenes videos from my trip associated with “Voltron: Legendary Defender” and “Home: Adventures With Tip & Oh” to share later. California is very much my kind of place. I hope to make it back there for a visit soon.