Courtesy of Debra Love
Dylan Love has interned with the "Late Show with David Letterman" and is headed to New York again for a fall internship with "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
By Sydney Wilmer
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Dylan Love says he will go on unemployment in June 2009, a month after he graduates from James Madison University.
But the 21-year-old’s resume suggests otherwise - that he might instead make it big in the highly competitive field of entertainment media. Or at least that is the second-generation Broad Run Farms resident and Broad Run High School graduate’s hope.
After internships in New York City at Time Warner and the "Late Show with David Letterman," Love heads back to New York on Aug. 25 for a fall internship with the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Recently, LoudounExtra.com asked the blogger, producer and student a few questions via e-mail about how he got to the Big Apple, his passions and his favorite joke from elementary school. Below are his answers. (Take them with a grain of salt, folks. Remember, he’s a comedy writer.)
Courtesy of Debra Love
Dylan Love has interned with the "Late Show with David Letterman" and is headed to New York again for a fall internship with "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."
Q: How long have you been interested in comedy?
A: Since the first time I laughed.
Q: When did you realize you were interested in pursuing it professionally?
A: I'm interested in writing professionally, and comedy is simply a part of writing. My interest in writing was first piqued in high school when I wrote an article for the school newspaper called, "Why Star Wars Is Better Than Star Trek."
I had to fend the ladies off with a stick once it was published. In college, I kept signing up for scriptwriting and playwriting classes and started writing jokes for my radio show. I was loving it more and more.
Q: What field do you feel closer to - comedy, journalism or production?
A: Production, only because that's what I'm formally trained in.
Q: What have your internships entailed so far? Have you had much interaction with the hosts of the shows?
A: I'm there, quite literally, as another pair of hands to do whatever needs to be done that day. When these hands weren't alphabetizing the "Late Show’s" liquor cabinet, they were making copies, getting coffee and running things backstage at showtime.
Q: What has been the most valuable thing you have learned thus far in your internships?
A: To try as hard as you can, because there are 50 people ready to take your spot at the drop of a hat. I also learned how to unjam a Xerox WorkCentre 7345.
Up Close features Loudoun County residents and their jobs, their interests and their experiences in their communities. Suggest someone for our weekly Up Close feature by emailing us at loudounextra@wpni.com with their name and why you think they stand out.
Q: Did you have trouble adjusting to the Big Apple, coming from Loudoun County, which is both suburban and rural in parts? In other words, did you experience any "city-shock"?
A: I'd already spent a pretty significant amount of time in New York City for CMJ, a college radio conference that I've attended many times. So I already knew the layout of the city, how to use the subway and where to buy all the good drugs.
Q: Tell us a bit about your blog thedylanlove.com and why you started it?
A: I started it as an Internet presence for my radio show at school. Over time, I started putting stories about the day's events on it, and one day I bit the bullet and completely redid it as a personal Web site.
Q: What advice would you offer to other Loudoun County residents and students interested in your field?
A: Develop an interest in a different field. I'm already competing with too many people. If that doesn't work, then pursue every opportunity you can.
Q: Why?
A: Because experience is king, and Queen is a rock band.
Q: Are your former high school peers surprised at the direction your career is headed?
A: I'd like to think not.
Q: How has Loudoun County affected your comedic understanding of the world?
A: It hasn't. There's not a joke I'd laugh at that someone from Fairfax wouldn't laugh at.
Q: Were you considered the class clown in grade school?
A: I'm not sure I was even considered in grade school.
Q: Did you have a favorite joke in elementary school? Do you have a favorite joke today? Please share.
A: Same favorite joke from elementary school to this day: Two muffins are in an oven. One says to the other, "Boy, it's getting hot it here." The second one says, "Oh, my God! A talking muffin!"
Q: What is your favorite thing about Loudoun County?
A: Dominion root beer for $1.49 at Partlow's [General Store] on the [W & OD] bike trail.
Q: Do you watch late night television at home? Which show is your favorite?
A: I like "Saturday Night Live,", “The Daily Show [with Jon Stewart]” and “The Colbert Report.”
Q: Tell us something that might surprise your Loudoun County friends and former high school peers.
A: The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher. But if you're asking about me, then I'll share this: I was paid to meow like a cat on national television and continue to receive residuals from it.
Copyright 2009 The Washington Post Company