Teens on film

Suzie Harrison

What teenager hasn’t wished, at least on a small level and for a

limited time, to have someone filming their life?

Eight Laguna students took that thought a step further when they

signed up for MTV’s latest reality venture. Now their words and

actions have been recorded for all to see as they set off to finish

high school or jump into college life.

MTV’s reality drama “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” has

changed all that for at least one group of teens. The show, which

will premier at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, follows a group of eight Laguna

Beach High School students from February 2004 through the summer,

documenting their experiences.

The cast includes two juniors, Kristin Cavalleri and Talan

Torriero. The other six were seniors and are now attending college --

Lauren Bosworth or Lo, Stephen Coletti, Trey Phillips, Christina

Schuller, Morgan Olsen and Lauren Conrad, or LC.

In interviews this week, Kristin and Morgan opened up and talked

candidly about their MTV experience with cameras in front of them and

friends and family by their side.

Morgan is now a freshman at Brigham Young University and Kristin

is a senior at Laguna Beach High School.

Both of them were elated when they found out MTV was looking to do

a reality drama series about a group of high school students in

Laguna Beach.

“I was really excited and really wanted it,” Kristin said. “The

second I knew it was coming I wanted to be on it.”

For Morgan it seemed unbelievable, including the idea that they

would be interested in Laguna Beach High School.

“I’d hear rumors flying, everyone was running around,” Morgan

said. “I thought it would be fun, but no way did I think I’d get

picked. I just kind of signed up. I thought this is a

once-in-a-lifetime opportunity -- MTV wants to do a show about you

and your friends -- I knew if I passed it up I’d regret it.”

Then came the auditioning process, which was quite different for

each of the girls.

“Actually all I did was fill out an application,” Kristin said. “I

was out of town when they were doing interviews so I didn’t go

through the normal process.”

MTV had narrowed it down to a group of people and linked her to

the series through that group of friends who wanted her to be on it

with them. Her boyfriend Stephen was a part of that contingent.

“It was very low key actually,” Morgan said. “They walked up to a

group of us girls at break and asked us to meet with them after

school to see [our] dynamics. It was really casual they asked about

our friendship, the city, how you grew up and got an idea if you’d

fit.”

Morgan made the call back, which included a one-on-one interview.

“It felt natural,” Morgan said. “The next weekend they told me

they wanted me to do the part -- I was so excited and my parents were

thrilled. It all happened boom, boom, boom within a week.”

When the prospect became a reality, Kristin and Morgan said the

cameras brought out a new side of the cast. They said on the first

day of shooting the students weren’t being themselves, but as filming

went on they became more comfortable with the lights and crew.”We

would catch onto the lingo and go with it,” Morgan said. “We even got

comments from some of the producers, conversation starters we would

throw into it.”

At group events and parties, more than 40 crew members were

present.

“One time at a bonfire there were three trailers and a whole

lighting crew,” Morgan said. “Everywhere we would go cameras would

follow us and people would stare.”

Morgan said strangers would try and get in the shots sometimes to

get their own 15 seconds of fame. But for the cast it had become

natural after being in front of the cameras for seven months.

There were plenty of enjoyable times for the two girls during the

year, but they said nothing compared to the cast attending the MTV

Video Music Awards in Miami on Aug. 29.

“The whole thing ... when I woke up the next morning, I thought,

‘was that a dream?’” Morgan said. “It was so overwhelming walking

down the red carpet. It was shocking people yelling our names and

snapping our pictures. No matter what people tell you, you couldn’t

prepare for that.”

Morgan said the whole experience was beyond surreal and went by so

quickly -- everything from being on the red carpet with celebrities

to P. Diddy’s after-party.

“The experience in Miami made you feel special,” Morgan said.

“Here I was, some senior kid in high school having an experience like

no other, living life like people only dream.”

It’s those kinds of experiences that prompted Morgan to make a

conscious effort to stay humble.

“People’s heads grow,” Morgan said. “It was always important to

remember this is a TV show and we have real things to keep in check

and to always keep it in perspective.”

Back to semi-reality -- questions have been swirling around town

about how Laguna Beach will be seen to the world.

“As far as I’ve heard, the show portrays it really well,” Kristin

said. “If anything, it looks incredibly beautiful. I don’t know why

anyone would be mad about that.”

Morgan agreed that it will make Laguna Beach look like the

beautiful paradise that it is.

“People see how fortunate they are to live in such a beautiful

place and not to take it for granted,” Morgan said. “The main key is

I hope they see us as fortunate, not spoiled, just fortunate.”

One benefit of doing the show for Kristin has been her ability to

take some life lessons with her.

“I learned after doing the show to not let myself get dragged down

by other people and care what other people are doing,” Kristin said.

“Some of the students at Laguna Beach High School certainly didn’t

get it, and have a negative attitude about the show. I think it’s

just jealousy.”

Moving far from Laguna and living in Utah, Morgan has been able to

be a little more discreet.

“I haven’t told a lot of people,” Morgan said. “I’m not the type

to boast. I’m more on the down low. I just want people to know me

here in college, not as a character on TV. I want to be able to make

a first impression before they make one for themselves.”

As for the airing of the first show of “Laguna Beach: The Real

Orange County,” Morgan isn’t planning anything big.

“All my friends want to throw a big premiere party,” Morgan said.

“I just want to watch it in a room by myself.”