Black holes and aliens in West LA

Came in as a hired gun on "Zathura" today..

I had to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), but what I can tell you is that shoot's a godawful cluster fuck.. three stages, four crews (all shooting at the same time), and principal photography has to be finished in two weeks. It's hillarious, actually. First and second unit are on the same stage, and they have to take turns rolling sound. It's impossible to sneak in any work or a conversation, but it's worth it to watch the A.D.'s go batty trying to co-ordinate.

The film industry in LA is really busy, which is unusual for December.. it's normally dead around the holidays, but it's beyond crazy now - whomever scheduled all this, I'd just like to say.....

Thanks. I need the dough.

Also ran into a guy that I used to, well.. not date.. we had a thing for each other, hung out some, slept together a few times, but he was so hostile and angry that I couldn't deal and bailed (he was doing way, way too much blow).

I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't deal with the crap he was flipping at me (this was several years ago), so I did what was best for me, walked, and that was that..

Anyways, he looks good, he's off blow and booze, and has a serious girlfriend. There's a part of me that's really happy for him, and a part of me that just wants to cry. I still have feelings for him.


After we wrapped, I went over to a porno shoot house in Bel Air (yes!) and shot some video of The Blonde doing makeup on a not porn shoot.

I got two hours of sleep last night, and I have to be on location in Long Beach tomorrow at 7 am, so I'm off to bed.

Drag Queen Chaos!

This is my first post - a bit about me before I start..

I'm an 'independent film maker' (there's not really any such thing any more, but it's a handy dandy label) here in Los Angeles, and I'm presently shooting a project with a friend of mine. I guess it's 'guerilla filmmaking', as we don't have permits, and most of the time it's just the two of us with a borrowed camera.

I pay my bills by working as a crew member on a lot of non independent (i.e. actual, with a budget) productions.

The Blonde, my friend with whom I'm shooting this thing, is a makeup artist and does a lot of theatrical and TV work.. last night, she was doing makeup at a drag revue, which her cosmetics company sponsored.

The Blonde happens to think that drag queens are endlessly fascinating subjects and that she can build a show around them.. I think they're kinda over, but I suppose what I think doesn't matter - it's what some 20 something development guy who didn't get "drag queened out" in the 80's thinks - so we spent last night backstage shooting her doing makeup touchups on a bunch of drag performers..

I was hoping for someone to be really bitchy, but most of them were just bored. Bored and nice. One of them slammed a dressing room door in my face, but immediately and profusely apologized.

Damn.

I got some good shots of Kathy Griffin's entourage, backstage chaos (we got thrown out of the 'good' dressing room because KG's people wanted it for her, there was a sound problem and the performers [some of whom weren't ready] had to go on in different order, no one seemed to be able to find anyone else), the show, and the audience before my batteries died.

The 'free' bar ran out of alcohol (but everyone was really polite about it. I was hoping for at least one screaming fit), the gift bags were totally weak, and The Blonde's boss got really drunk and started telling everyone about the time she had sex with a guy backstage at a fashion show while she was supposed to be working.

We got invited to shoot another drag queen's drag show next week.