Growing up in White County, Susan Schlegel, 25, always wanted to move to New York City and direct movies.

"I wanted to be a director, and I would sign my name ‘FFE': future film extraordinairre," Schlegel said.

But later, Schlegel shifted her dream to another part of the film industry - writing and production - which led her to Los Angeles instead.

"If I wanted to write TV and movies, I had to come to Los Angeles," Schlegel said. "It's just where that happens."

Schlegel said she changed her focus because she loved the creative aspects of writing and production. There's the production assistants, who are people who, she said, are told "Susan, I need 500 yellow and green golf balls by 3 o'clock," she said. "You run and do crazy stuff and it's fun."

Then there's executive producers, who are basically set managers. They are responsible for "organizing and coordinating every part and every aspect of the film or television show."

"Everything from getting guests or actors or making sure that all of those people are happy, making sure that everything runs smoothly," she said.

Last year, Schlegel worked as the production assistant on a series of webisodes that were posted on YouTube.

The mystery teenage drama series was called "Who Killed Summer?" and was a story about three high schoolers, she said.

"The prom queen dies, and every one of her friends in this clique has a clue as to why she was killed, so every episode was a clue as to who killed Summer," she said.

Before her big move, Schlegel attended Georgia State University and got a dual degree in journalism and film, working at Northeast Georgia Medical Center to pay her way through school. She started working at the hospital before she even started college.

"That was just to pay my way through college, to make money, whatever," she said. "And I fell in love with it and really, really liked it."

When she moved to LA, Schlegel said her experience at the medical center gave her the opportunity to work for a well-known orthopedic surgeon, Bert Mandelbaum, at Santa Monica Orthopedic Group.

"I worked in orthopedics at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and so when I came out here I did a few production jobs and ended up applying for a job just randomly at an orthopedics office," Schlegel said.

Schlegel said working at Mandelbaum's office has given her connections that are prized in the film industry. She's also had the chance to serve as an extra on some TV shows, including the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy," where she wrapped an actor's arm in a cast in an episode from last season.

"I call him (Mandelbaum) the doctor to the stars, because he basically treats anyone who is anyone in Hollywood," Schlegel said. "Being able to align myself with him was an amazing blessing.

"I was meeting high-powered executives," said Schlegel, who is the clinical coordinator to the orthopedic surgeon. "I was meeting directors, producers, writers, actors, people that I looked up to or people that I thought were people that I should know, and it's really hard to get anywhere in this business when you don't know anything and you don't know anybody."

Schlegel even had the opportunity to meet Marta Kauffman, co-creator, executive producer and head writer for "Friends," who she said she has long admired.

"I kind of talked to her about writing a little bit and she just kind of encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing and to keep at it and basically, determination is the driving force in what you need to succeed," Schlegel said. "Just her being there and me meeting her was just so inspiring."

Schlegel also got to meet her favorite actor, Tom Hanks.

"He had this, like, cool jacket on and was wearing Buddy Holly glasses and was trim and fit and just looked really cool."

She said her conversation with Hanks was very simple, but what he said was full of his usual on-screen charm.

"He came up to me and he's like, ‘Hey.' He was like, ‘Can you tell me where the bathroom is?'" Schlegel said. "And I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it's right over there. Just turn left right over there,' and he was like, ‘Oh, oh, there's a sign right there in front of me.'"

Afterward, the encounter continued.

"He came out of the bathroom and was like, ‘Hey, thanks. I'll see you later,'" she said. "I was thinking in my head, ‘Will you?' Like, ‘Will we see each other later?'

"And so, that was my Tom Hanks meeting, which was incredibly dull, I'm sure, to someone else because nothing really happened. He just asked me where the bathroom was, basically. But that is probably, like, the biggest thing that has ever happened to me."

Now Schlegel said she's concentrating on writing while she continues to work at Mandelbaum's office. She's finished two screenplays and just got a literary agent.

Schlegel also is co-writing a book with Mandelbaum, due out next year.

Schlegel said Mandelbaum treats many Olympic and professional athletes, like soccer player David Beckham, and he cited their perspectives in the book.

"It's just about finding your inner Olympic spirit to help you be successful," Schlegel said.

Despite the people she's met, Schlegel said Los Angeles is different than she expected.

"I came here expecting to walk into glamour town and see George Clooney at the grocery store," she said. "That kind of stuff happens, but it certainly isn't everywhere. The city is huge and it's full of people, and celebrities are a rare sighting."

And even though she's living in Los Angeles, Schlegel said she still has certain Georgia loyalties.

"My favorite thing to do is go to Dodger-Braves games, and be amongst all the Dodger fans and do, like, the Tomahawk Chop every time the Braves score," Schlegel said. "All these Dodger fans are screaming at me."