There’s Lazy, And Then There’s This
It’s been a while since I complained about ADs, so how’s about I do that right now? We had a [glossary]tech scout[/glossary] on yesterday. When the party bus{{1}} returned, the 1st AD called the office and asked for a PA to come down and gather the stuff that people had left behind. Now, our production […]
When I grow up I wanna be…
When you first start working in the film industry you realize that it is, well, big. I mean crazy small REALLY big. It employs a lot of people (although never enough it seems…). The term “filmmaker” is kind of a misnomer; everyone who works here actually does something else that they happen to translate to the […]
Perfection
Following yesterday’s post, I had a few more thoughts on mistakes. I used to be a personal assistant to a producer. He asked me if I ever wanted to be a director, and I said I did. He told me I could never do that job until I could do this job perfectly. This statement […]
Ridiculous Names
Terminology is important.
The Most Important Person on Set
I’ve complained about the camera department before, but just last week, an operator managed to reach below my already low expectations of civil behavior. My set counterpart was passing out prelim call sheets to department heads. Since we were rolling at the time, the PA went around to the “soft crew” first– hair, make-up, costume. […]
Do Me a Favor
Hollywood is built on favors, but some people don’t seem to realize that. I’m making a short film. Just about the only way to make a decent short, without going broke, is to borrow equipment and get your friends to work for free. In exchange, you offer them free food, their name in the credits, […]
Perspective
Yesterday’s post produced some interesting comments. Capn Cookie said that, while Bale’s outburst was uncalled for, the DP was still kind of a dick. Which called to mind an incident that happened on set only a few weeks ago. As you probably know, it’s standard procedure to turn your cell phone to vibrate when on […]
Crackin’ Wise
One of our 2nd ADs just did one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. We’re shooting on location, and we have those “Filming in Progress” signs up all over the street. You know the ones, where they say, “If you’re in this area, we have the right to use your image and likeness.” I’m […]
Killing the Joke
Here’s a classic joke, told on film sets around the world, that I absolutely love. A producer, a director, and a DP are scouting locations. As they’re wandering around, one of them spots a lamp. Naturally, they decide to rub it, and, just as naturally, a genie pops out. The genie says, “Since there are […]