Did I mention that the days in production are long? I mean really long. When the alarm rang at 0530 this morning I wondered whatever possessed me to take on this assignment.
It’s now closing in on 2200…that’s 10pm for all you regular folks. Did I mention that days in production are long?
Today was a return to one of the first gigs I really had in this industry other than music and sound design. That would be the wonderful world of the grip. In case you wondered what a grip is just think leather gloves, hard toe shoes, sweat drenched clothes, and carrying anything heavy to everywhere it is needed and hopefully having it ready before anyone realizes they need it. I remember that world well. Dragging 1,000 ft. lengths of triax cable up and down golf courses for shoots with ESPN. I also remember my first days teaching. Having spent time in the industry I was working with a group of students on an early production and yelled for a grip and everyone looked at me like I was crazy and suggested that I should get one. (A grip that is.)
Today it was camera dolly, party packs, generators, stands, flags, sandbags, tracks, apple boxes and wedges just to name a few up and down gang planks, flights of stairs and down two holds in the belly of a ship.
The guys on this shoot are great and all of them have been gaffers, AD’s, and DP’s at one time or another. Being versatile in this business is what keeps food on the table. They helped remind me of why I really enjoyed this business back in the day. When you connect with a good crew of professionals, it’s a great experience. Everyone is a pro and watches each other’s back and nobody is a slacker or they aren’t around long. I was also reminded of the detail that goes on in a quality production. Get used to 3-4 scenes per day, 2-5 pages of dialogue and then shooting it again the next day for the reverse perspective.
Guess that’s about it for now. Tomorrow is another day. Did I mention that the days in production are long?
-Dave Cornelius