Director's Guild Awards in Los Angeles

Tonight (1/30/10) was the annual Director's Guild Awards, held at the Hyatt Regency in Century City. We did not did not come for the arrivals, hoping instead to catch the celebrities as they were leaving the event. Upon arriving at the event, it was obvious that security was tight and that it would be necessary to maintain a low-profile. I mentioned to my sister that it might be a "photo opportunity" evening as security would seemingly not frown upon taking pictures as much as approaching the celebrities for autographs. Other collectors seemed to be taking the same approach, trying their best to not attract any unwanted "attention" from hotel and event security.

As we were entering the front door, Christina Hendricks of HBO television's "Mad Men" was posing for photographs with fans. We used the opportunity to also get pictures with this up-and-coming actress. Once inside the event, Cheryl Hines was the first person we saw in the lobby but none of the collectors approached her. Knowing that this event had attracted several big name stars, none of the collectors wanted to be asked to leave the premises for approaching one of the lower tier stars.

Gabourey Sidibe who played the lead in the film "Precious" was the next to appear. She was reluctant to sign or pose for photographs but did eventually break down and sign two autographs, one being for me. She was equally difficult when asked to pose for a picture, once turning her back on a fan as the photograph was being snapped and putting her hand in front of her face just as the flash went off in another photo. As a side note, I did not realize until afterwards that she did not sign my index card with her given name but that of the character who she played in her film, Precious. If this evening's experience is any indication of how difficult it is to get this actress to sign an autograph, then I am appreciative and consider the autograph I received, a simply-scrawled "Precious" to be a major score.

Sam Worthington from "Avatar" not only signed autographs for collectors but also posed for pictures with anyone who asked. With "Avatar" recently becoming the all-time highest grossing film in history, it is refreshing to see this leading actor staying grounded and still remembering his fans. A class act throughout, I obtained two autographs and posed for a nice photograph with Worthington.

"Avatar" co-star Zoe Saldana aimed to please collectors as well, signing several autographs as she exited the awards ceremony. Saldana was gracious just as she was when I met her in 2009 when she was promoting the new "Star Trek" film. Her signature is typically reminiscent of a "Z-o-e-S" with sometimes a dot for an accent mark over the "e" in "Zoe". She often signs at an angle, drawing a line underneath her autograph.

Things were not as successful with "Avatar" director James Cameron as he rushed out the door, flanked by security, who kept all collectors away. One collector who was dressed in a tuxedo to better "fit-in" for the event was physically escorted off the hotel property and told not to return. Cameron is a very tough autograph with him obliging autograph requests only on rare occasions.

In an experience that completely contrasts those with James Cameron, it is always great to meet director Quentin Tarrantino. Having just met the director of "Pulp Fiction", "Reservoir Dogs" and "Jackie Brown" a week ago at the Producer's Guild Awards, Tarrantino was his typical fan-friendly self. It was awesome to see Tarrantino pose for photographs with fans on his way out of the awards.

Adult film legend Ron Jeremy was also an attendee and willingly snapped pictures with those who recognized him and asked. Dressed in a tuxedo, Jeremy was elegant and classy for the formal event.

Kathleen Kinmont was in the horror film "Halloween 4" and has made numerous appearances at fan conventions throughout the years. Always super-friendly, Kinmont was more than happy to stop, pose for a photograph and was quite chatty. She asked where we were from and seemed happy to stop and spend some time with a couple fans of her work.