there aren't many jobs that give one the opportunity of being in a graveyard at 5:45 in morning. i'm pretty sure that "gravedigger" isn't even one of them.however, "camera assistant" certainly is.
and there's something pretty awesome about that. i sent a text out to my friends, for them to have something to wake up to. and i got a reply a few minutes later. the awesomeness just kept going up.
i'm starting work on an 11-day feature, where i'm the A-camera 1st assistant; this is the biggest crew i've been in charge of before. we went over everything on friday, checked all of the equipment as best we could, and i know my crew, but i was still more anxious last night than i have been in years. when i was first starting on professional shoots, i wouldn't sleep well the night before the first day, hearing in my mind the crew calling, "jeff! jeff!" and me never being where i was needed. then, by the second day, i would be so exhausted, i could sleep fine.
last night i was unsettled to say the least, afraid we wouldn't have some vital part, that some configuration would be requested that i wasn't prepared for, that i would drive the truck off the road, whatever.
i got up at 4:17 this morning, and drove the camera truck out to cedar fort, quite a ways past lehi. i've never been a fan of driving big things, but i've been forced to grow into it, and it's kind of fun. and the $13.97 i spent on itunes for david sedaris's "me talk pretty one day" has already been some of the best money i've ever spent.
today went great. in fact, it was one of the best days i've ever had. first, there's a fun thrill of being in charge and doing it well, and that happened today. it's nice being in the middle of things, instead of on the fringes. everyone is pulling together to make everything work, so even in the cold and the rain, we made it.
one of the greatest secrets i've learned in the business is to use the same people again and again as much as possible. most of the crew knows each other from years, and i happen to also know the other half of the crew, too. the only person i don't know is the director. he called for everyone to be quiet today so we could get ready for the shot, then proceeded to "moo" to the cows in the pasture on the other side of the fence. i can't blame him, though; he sounded a lot like cow.
2 comments:
I ran across your blog again, your work sounds intense, although I do like rain and graveyards, the caves sound a bit frightening. Seems like things are going well for you. I read through some of your posts and enjoy your site.
i imagine there would be something entrancing being in a rainy graveyard that early, especially shooting a horror movie. the word that comes to mind is 'sublime' as Edmund Burke defines it: "When danger or pain press too nearly, they are incapable of giving any delight, and are simply terrible; but at certain distances, and with certain modifications, they may be, and they are, delightful."
way to be. i'm glad you got the experience.
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