View
Originally uploaded by Peggy Archer.
View from the roof of Hollywood Center's Stage 6.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Never Believe Anything I Say.
At the last minute, I got added on for one more day.
Since I've been the "up high guy" for the whole rig - running cable, dropping out power where they need it, etc., the gaffer insisted that they keep me on for the first shoot day, just in case they needed me. I didn't do too much work (well, setting up my hammock was work), but the day was kind of fun anyway. Three camera shows are new to me. I've rigged and wrapped them, but never been there on a shoot day.
They work much differently than single camera shows*.
The cast came in at call, rehearsed all day, and then, about 7 pm, the audience came in and were seated in the bleachers. A 'warm-up' act (some stand up comedian) kept the people laughing while we finished getting ready for the shoot. Then, they introduced the cast and started shooting.
What seemed so strange to me is that they shot it in sequence - like a play. They'd start the scene and run it to the end. When it was time for them to move into the next room (the sets are end to end with the open sides facing the bleachers), the director would yell "Reset!" and the camera operators would push the cameras (they're on these big wheeled platforms) to the front of the next set where they'd do the next piece. If there was any amount of down time between scenes (such as a big wardrobe change or a set redressing, the comedian would come out and 'work' the audience. He'd tell jokes, give away t-shirts, and generally distract the audience from whatever boring technical shit was happening. When they were ready again, the bell would ring, the AD's would call 'rolling', and they'd do the same weird thing all over again.
Freaky.
In movie world, you start on one set, shoot until you're done, and then move on - relighting every time the camera angle changes. To see something shot in sequence like that was odd..
Oh, the show's called "Lucky Louie" (airing who-knows-when on HBO), and the lead actress is also the voice of Bobby Hill.
TIP: should you ever be in the audience of a sitcom, bring a sweater. As soon as the cast walked onto the stage in the morning, the AC got cranked up to 'frozen tundra'. I had the heat rising off the lights to keep me warm, but I saw a few of the audience members shivering (the other crew members, being 'three camera' veterans, had all worn sweaters into work).
* Sitcoms are called "Three Camera Shows" (although this one has four), and are shot in front of a live audience.
"Single Camera Shows" (although most use two cameras) are shot more like a movie, and never, ever have an audience. One hour dramas are "Single Camera".
Since I've been the "up high guy" for the whole rig - running cable, dropping out power where they need it, etc., the gaffer insisted that they keep me on for the first shoot day, just in case they needed me. I didn't do too much work (well, setting up my hammock was work), but the day was kind of fun anyway. Three camera shows are new to me. I've rigged and wrapped them, but never been there on a shoot day.
They work much differently than single camera shows*.
The cast came in at call, rehearsed all day, and then, about 7 pm, the audience came in and were seated in the bleachers. A 'warm-up' act (some stand up comedian) kept the people laughing while we finished getting ready for the shoot. Then, they introduced the cast and started shooting.
What seemed so strange to me is that they shot it in sequence - like a play. They'd start the scene and run it to the end. When it was time for them to move into the next room (the sets are end to end with the open sides facing the bleachers), the director would yell "Reset!" and the camera operators would push the cameras (they're on these big wheeled platforms) to the front of the next set where they'd do the next piece. If there was any amount of down time between scenes (such as a big wardrobe change or a set redressing, the comedian would come out and 'work' the audience. He'd tell jokes, give away t-shirts, and generally distract the audience from whatever boring technical shit was happening. When they were ready again, the bell would ring, the AD's would call 'rolling', and they'd do the same weird thing all over again.
Freaky.
In movie world, you start on one set, shoot until you're done, and then move on - relighting every time the camera angle changes. To see something shot in sequence like that was odd..
Oh, the show's called "Lucky Louie" (airing who-knows-when on HBO), and the lead actress is also the voice of Bobby Hill.
TIP: should you ever be in the audience of a sitcom, bring a sweater. As soon as the cast walked onto the stage in the morning, the AC got cranked up to 'frozen tundra'. I had the heat rising off the lights to keep me warm, but I saw a few of the audience members shivering (the other crew members, being 'three camera' veterans, had all worn sweaters into work).
* Sitcoms are called "Three Camera Shows" (although this one has four), and are shot in front of a live audience.
"Single Camera Shows" (although most use two cameras) are shot more like a movie, and never, ever have an audience. One hour dramas are "Single Camera".
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Look out world, here I come.
Today will be my last day on the sitcom - the rig's done, the prelight's finished, and they'll only keep a small crew on for the rest of the show.
About fucking time too. I'm so ready to move to something else.
The film industry creates adrenaline junkies - I've gotten used to a new place every day or so and after two weeks of staring at the same four walls and six people*, I'm going nuts.
The one thing I have been liking a lot has been the short days (although the long days do pay well). We've been working 10 hour days every day, meaning that I've been able to go out with friends, rent videos, brush the cat, etc.. All the things I normally can't do when I'm at work from early morning to midnight.
Best video rental of the week: Layer Cake. Damn, what a great movie. I think I'm going to have to buy it next time I'm at Sony.
*Don't get me wrong - I really like this group of guys. If I had to get cooped up on a stage for two weeks, this is the group I'd have chosen.
About fucking time too. I'm so ready to move to something else.
The film industry creates adrenaline junkies - I've gotten used to a new place every day or so and after two weeks of staring at the same four walls and six people*, I'm going nuts.
The one thing I have been liking a lot has been the short days (although the long days do pay well). We've been working 10 hour days every day, meaning that I've been able to go out with friends, rent videos, brush the cat, etc.. All the things I normally can't do when I'm at work from early morning to midnight.
Best video rental of the week: Layer Cake. Damn, what a great movie. I think I'm going to have to buy it next time I'm at Sony.
*Don't get me wrong - I really like this group of guys. If I had to get cooped up on a stage for two weeks, this is the group I'd have chosen.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
It's true.. We are all evil.
Yesterday was rehearsal day - three camera shows rehearse and light for the first part of the week, and shoot Fridays in front of a live audience.
One of the guys has his grandma in town from the midwest, and he brought her to the set yesterday - just so she could see what a TV set looks like.
The scene being rehearsed yesterday was one in which the lead actor repeatedly uses the word "cunt". I think he said it at least 30 times, as they kept running that scene over and over.
Did I mention that his grandma is the religious type?
He said he warned her that it was an HBO sitcom, so there might be some bad language, but still - of all the scenes they could have been running they chose the 'cunt' scene.
Grandma left pretty quickly.
One of the guys has his grandma in town from the midwest, and he brought her to the set yesterday - just so she could see what a TV set looks like.
The scene being rehearsed yesterday was one in which the lead actor repeatedly uses the word "cunt". I think he said it at least 30 times, as they kept running that scene over and over.
Did I mention that his grandma is the religious type?
He said he warned her that it was an HBO sitcom, so there might be some bad language, but still - of all the scenes they could have been running they chose the 'cunt' scene.
Grandma left pretty quickly.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Why is that damned sun so bright?
Out WAY too late at a post-Emmy party (where some bitch spilled an Appletini down the back of my dress, so I was sticky and smelled like that nasty apple pucker all night).
Good thing I don't have to be at work until 2 pm.
Friday, I had wondered why the DP wanted to come in to work so late, but now I'm glad.
Good thing I don't have to be at work until 2 pm.
Friday, I had wondered why the DP wanted to come in to work so late, but now I'm glad.
Friday, September 16, 2005
Friday Photo Sequence
Here's the rig day by day:
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:
Day 8:
Monday's a prelight day, which means we'll tweak the lighting all day.
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:
Day 8:
Monday's a prelight day, which means we'll tweak the lighting all day.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Tra La La.... Wheeee!
Day two of the paint fumes.
I'm pretty sure the set painters aren't supposed to be spraying lacquer while we're working.
It got really bad today - there was a haze of paint all through the stage, and production are dragging ass about buying us respirators, so at lunch I walked over to a nearby paint store and bought my own (hey, my lungs are so worth thirty bucks).
One of the other guys told me I should have made production buy it for me, but god knows when they're going to do that. They certainly didn't have them by the end of the day, and I wouldn't have made it the rest of today without one - one of our guys had to go home early, as did one of the grips.
The really scary thing is that not one of the painters were wearing masks. Not even the shitty paper ones.
I don't know how they do it. After about 15 minutes of breathing those fumes, I see Care Bears (TM) dance the can-can on the tops of the set walls while they sing the theme song from Moulin Rouge.
I'm pretty sure the set painters aren't supposed to be spraying lacquer while we're working.
It got really bad today - there was a haze of paint all through the stage, and production are dragging ass about buying us respirators, so at lunch I walked over to a nearby paint store and bought my own (hey, my lungs are so worth thirty bucks).
One of the other guys told me I should have made production buy it for me, but god knows when they're going to do that. They certainly didn't have them by the end of the day, and I wouldn't have made it the rest of today without one - one of our guys had to go home early, as did one of the grips.
The really scary thing is that not one of the painters were wearing masks. Not even the shitty paper ones.
I don't know how they do it. After about 15 minutes of breathing those fumes, I see Care Bears (TM) dance the can-can on the tops of the set walls while they sing the theme song from Moulin Rouge.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Look at all the pretty colors!
Today was the day the painters started spraying the sets.
The fumes wafted up to the top of the stage, and even though the exhaust fans were running, we all got a contact high.
I hope I didn't kill too many brain cells.
Dammit, I scrubbed myself raw in the shower and I can still smell paint fumes.
The fumes wafted up to the top of the stage, and even though the exhaust fans were running, we all got a contact high.
I hope I didn't kill too many brain cells.
Dammit, I scrubbed myself raw in the shower and I can still smell paint fumes.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
That's Inches, not Centimeters.
Somewhere along the line, someone mismeasured something.
Three camera shows have an audience, who watch the show from bleachers erected in front of the sets.
On this show, the top two rows of the bleachers have a great view - of the back of the lights.
Oops.
Keep in mind that there will be a drape of black fabric behind the lights (a 'teaser') which will hang about a foot below the bottom of the lights.
There was a big discussion about it at lunch. They're either going to have to rebuild the bleachers (not an easy task), or the grips are going to have to raise the greenbeds - that suspended walkway the lights are attached to (also not an easy task).
Either way, someone's going to be pissed off in the morning.
Three camera shows have an audience, who watch the show from bleachers erected in front of the sets.
On this show, the top two rows of the bleachers have a great view - of the back of the lights.
Oops.
Keep in mind that there will be a drape of black fabric behind the lights (a 'teaser') which will hang about a foot below the bottom of the lights.
There was a big discussion about it at lunch. They're either going to have to rebuild the bleachers (not an easy task), or the grips are going to have to raise the greenbeds - that suspended walkway the lights are attached to (also not an easy task).
Either way, someone's going to be pissed off in the morning.
Monday, September 12, 2005
So that's what we were supposed to learn today.
One of our crew got injured on the way into work. He staggered in (right at call time - that's dedication) post accident - with two black eyes and a broken nose - so, less than five minutes into the day, he was off to the hospital and the remaining crew were frantically making calls to everyone we knew in an attempt to find another body for the day.
Everyone any of us knew was working (it's really busy right now), so we got permission from our call steward to 'pull a permit'.
In busy times, non-union workers are allowed to work union shows as 'permits'. Thirty permit days in one year makes one eligible for union membership. Needless to say, there's no shortage of folks who are willing and eager to get permit days. Also needless to say, we found a permit very quickly.
Our permit showed up just before lunch - and within 10 minutes of climbing the ladder into the perms was in an ambulance on his way to the hospital.
Here's what did it:
In order to lift - two at a time - coils of cable that weigh about 90 lbs each 40 feet in the air, we use an electric hoist and a pulley (in this case, a hoist and pulley which clearly saw some action prior to WW2). The pulley is hung from the roof on a reinforced beam called a 'high hang'. The hoist operator pulls the cable up to the perms, where whomever's 'catching' grabs the coiled cable, pulls it onto the walkway, unties the rope and then sends the rope back down for the next coil of cable (or cable cart, distro boxes, case of bottled water, boombox, whatever).
Our permit - while attempting to catch a load of cable - got his hand caught in between the pulley and the rope.
The edges on the pulley are sharp (I'm not sure how well it shows in the photo), and combined with the fact that the rope was holding almost 200 lbs of cable as it squished his hand against the hardened steel, gave him an inch-long gash on the knuckle of his index finger.
He should have a) been wearing leather gloves and b) grabbed for the coiled cable in the center of the coil and not at the rope directly under the pulley.
I understand the desire not to loop one's arm through center of the coiled cable. When you're 40 feet up in the air with the safety rail removed (so the cable can easily be swung over to the walkway), the last thing you want to do is grab onto the very thing that might pull you off the catwalk to your death, but that rope/pulley/hand combination is bad news.
It really is true that you learn something new every day.
Our permit learned how not to catch cable.
We learned not to let a permit catch cable.
The good news is that the cut's not bad. There's no nerve or tendon damage. He's going to hurt tonight, and the guys are now calling him 'Stumpy', but he'll be fine.
He'll also be much, much more cautious in the future.
Everyone any of us knew was working (it's really busy right now), so we got permission from our call steward to 'pull a permit'.
In busy times, non-union workers are allowed to work union shows as 'permits'. Thirty permit days in one year makes one eligible for union membership. Needless to say, there's no shortage of folks who are willing and eager to get permit days. Also needless to say, we found a permit very quickly.
Our permit showed up just before lunch - and within 10 minutes of climbing the ladder into the perms was in an ambulance on his way to the hospital.
Here's what did it:
In order to lift - two at a time - coils of cable that weigh about 90 lbs each 40 feet in the air, we use an electric hoist and a pulley (in this case, a hoist and pulley which clearly saw some action prior to WW2). The pulley is hung from the roof on a reinforced beam called a 'high hang'. The hoist operator pulls the cable up to the perms, where whomever's 'catching' grabs the coiled cable, pulls it onto the walkway, unties the rope and then sends the rope back down for the next coil of cable (or cable cart, distro boxes, case of bottled water, boombox, whatever).
Our permit - while attempting to catch a load of cable - got his hand caught in between the pulley and the rope.
The edges on the pulley are sharp (I'm not sure how well it shows in the photo), and combined with the fact that the rope was holding almost 200 lbs of cable as it squished his hand against the hardened steel, gave him an inch-long gash on the knuckle of his index finger.
He should have a) been wearing leather gloves and b) grabbed for the coiled cable in the center of the coil and not at the rope directly under the pulley.
I understand the desire not to loop one's arm through center of the coiled cable. When you're 40 feet up in the air with the safety rail removed (so the cable can easily be swung over to the walkway), the last thing you want to do is grab onto the very thing that might pull you off the catwalk to your death, but that rope/pulley/hand combination is bad news.
It really is true that you learn something new every day.
Our permit learned how not to catch cable.
We learned not to let a permit catch cable.
The good news is that the cut's not bad. There's no nerve or tendon damage. He's going to hurt tonight, and the guys are now calling him 'Stumpy', but he'll be fine.
He'll also be much, much more cautious in the future.
Friday, September 09, 2005
Friday Photo
Dr. Evil
The lot manager at Hollywood Center is a fat, ill-tempered bald guy with a dent in his head who rides around on a Segway.
The grips have nicknamed him Dr. Evil.
Everything we use has to be safety rated - electrical equipment has to be UL-rated, and grip equipment has to be OSHA approved and given a weight rating (if the chain holds 1100 lbs, but the bolt holding the chain is rated at 300 lbs, then the ENTIRE rig must be weight-rated at 300 lbs. This is to minimize the risk of deaths/injuries from preventable equipment failure. Items which do not have a weight rating may not be used on sets to hang equipment over the heads of innocent people).
When hanging pipe grids, the chains holding up the grids are hung from these things that look like square hooks. They're hardened steel, and they are specially designed to hook over the wooden beams of the perms.
Dr. Evil wanted the grips to just use chain - wrapped around the beam and secured with an "S hook". The grips refused (rightly so, as this is horribly unsafe), and there was a huge fight.
S-hooks aren't OSHA approved, nor are they weight-rated (wrapping chain around the beams isn't really all that safe, either). Dr. Evil wouldn't back down, so the grips had to get their union rep out, who apparently had quite the dust-up with Dr. Evil in the office.
Dr. Evil, in the end, gave in but made the production company buy the proper equipment - which Hollywood Center should have had on hand in the first place.
Today, at lunch, one of the grips told us how Dr. Evil got the dent in his head.
The grip told us that once upon a time, Dr. Evil climbed onto the roof of a stage to turn off a light because he was afraid that if he left it on, it would start a fire.*
Because he was unable to turn the light off by conventional means, he decided to break the light bulb**
Since he broke the light bulb, he had to climb down off the roof in the dark, fell, and dented his head when he landed.
I don't know how true it is, but it's a damn good story.
* Lights generally do not start fires. Most electrical fires are wiring related. In our case, we overamp cable and the connectors burn. While alarming to bystanders, even this is really more funny than dangerous.
Okay, it's dangerous. But still very, very funny.
**I refuse to believe that anyone is that stupid. Even Dr. Evil.
The grips have nicknamed him Dr. Evil.
Everything we use has to be safety rated - electrical equipment has to be UL-rated, and grip equipment has to be OSHA approved and given a weight rating (if the chain holds 1100 lbs, but the bolt holding the chain is rated at 300 lbs, then the ENTIRE rig must be weight-rated at 300 lbs. This is to minimize the risk of deaths/injuries from preventable equipment failure. Items which do not have a weight rating may not be used on sets to hang equipment over the heads of innocent people).
When hanging pipe grids, the chains holding up the grids are hung from these things that look like square hooks. They're hardened steel, and they are specially designed to hook over the wooden beams of the perms.
Dr. Evil wanted the grips to just use chain - wrapped around the beam and secured with an "S hook". The grips refused (rightly so, as this is horribly unsafe), and there was a huge fight.
S-hooks aren't OSHA approved, nor are they weight-rated (wrapping chain around the beams isn't really all that safe, either). Dr. Evil wouldn't back down, so the grips had to get their union rep out, who apparently had quite the dust-up with Dr. Evil in the office.
Dr. Evil, in the end, gave in but made the production company buy the proper equipment - which Hollywood Center should have had on hand in the first place.
Today, at lunch, one of the grips told us how Dr. Evil got the dent in his head.
The grip told us that once upon a time, Dr. Evil climbed onto the roof of a stage to turn off a light because he was afraid that if he left it on, it would start a fire.*
Because he was unable to turn the light off by conventional means, he decided to break the light bulb**
Since he broke the light bulb, he had to climb down off the roof in the dark, fell, and dented his head when he landed.
I don't know how true it is, but it's a damn good story.
* Lights generally do not start fires. Most electrical fires are wiring related. In our case, we overamp cable and the connectors burn. While alarming to bystanders, even this is really more funny than dangerous.
Okay, it's dangerous. But still very, very funny.
**I refuse to believe that anyone is that stupid. Even Dr. Evil.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Rigging
After the 16 hour days of the last two shows, it's nice to get off first unit and put a rig in.
I'm working on an eight day rig and prelight for a three camera show (featuring some guy I've never heard of).
We're working 10 hour days - it's nice to be home while the sun's still out.
I'm on the "up high" team, which means that I'm spending the entire day up in the 'perms' of the stage, running cable.
One of the fun things about Hollywood Center (where we're rigging) is that they don't have a graffiti eradication policy, so there's some cool stuff written up in the perms - where only grip and electric go.
A lot of it's just names and dates, but there are also editorial comments:
Which can extend into conversations:
And last, but not least, the one that actually made me laugh out loud:
I'm working on an eight day rig and prelight for a three camera show (featuring some guy I've never heard of).
We're working 10 hour days - it's nice to be home while the sun's still out.
I'm on the "up high" team, which means that I'm spending the entire day up in the 'perms' of the stage, running cable.
One of the fun things about Hollywood Center (where we're rigging) is that they don't have a graffiti eradication policy, so there's some cool stuff written up in the perms - where only grip and electric go.
A lot of it's just names and dates, but there are also editorial comments:
Which can extend into conversations:
And last, but not least, the one that actually made me laugh out loud:
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Buy A Used Shirt for Hurricane Victims!
UPDATE: No bids. C'mon, folks. It's not really about the shirt, is it?
Due to my intense (and totally justified, thanks) hatred of eBay, I'm going to hold an informal 'auction' here..
This is a promotional T-Shirt with an Arri Lighting logo. The only way to get one of these is to rent (or buy) a shitload of lights from Arri.
It's a black, adult size L (men's size, not 'baby tee' size) Haynes "beefy T".
Despite my joke about a used shirt, it's actually not ever been worn (An adult size L is WAY too big for me).
The logo on the front's been embroidered. Here's a close up:
Here's the back:
Here's how I'm going to work this.
You email (randomblogmail [at] yahoo dot com) me your 'bid' and tell me which charity it'll be going to (I'm suggesting the Red Cross, but if there's one out there that I haven't heard of, tell me about it), and the highest 'bid' between now and 8pm tomorrow night (which is about when I'll be getting home from work) wins the shirt.
You email me proof of your donation, and I'll send ya the shirt.
If I get a decent response from this, I'll do another one.
Due to my intense (and totally justified, thanks) hatred of eBay, I'm going to hold an informal 'auction' here..
This is a promotional T-Shirt with an Arri Lighting logo. The only way to get one of these is to rent (or buy) a shitload of lights from Arri.
It's a black, adult size L (men's size, not 'baby tee' size) Haynes "beefy T".
Despite my joke about a used shirt, it's actually not ever been worn (An adult size L is WAY too big for me).
The logo on the front's been embroidered. Here's a close up:
Here's the back:
Here's how I'm going to work this.
You email (randomblogmail [at] yahoo dot com) me your 'bid' and tell me which charity it'll be going to (I'm suggesting the Red Cross, but if there's one out there that I haven't heard of, tell me about it), and the highest 'bid' between now and 8pm tomorrow night (which is about when I'll be getting home from work) wins the shirt.
You email me proof of your donation, and I'll send ya the shirt.
If I get a decent response from this, I'll do another one.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Well, That's That.
The short film that became a TV pitch-but-is-still-a-short-film-because-I-said-so, dammit has been cut and sent to Slamdance (I skipped Sundance because I don't think they'll 'get it' - they're not known for their sense of satire) for consideration.
I hope we get in.
If you know anyone on the selection committee, let me know if they need clothing (I'm broke, so it's got to be off the sale rack at Target), booze (again, broke - so fortified wine is a good buy for me), or blowjobs...
Just kidding.
No one wants clothing from the sale rack at Target.
I hope we get in.
If you know anyone on the selection committee, let me know if they need clothing (I'm broke, so it's got to be off the sale rack at Target), booze (again, broke - so fortified wine is a good buy for me), or blowjobs...
Just kidding.
No one wants clothing from the sale rack at Target.
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