Wrapped

Our last day of shooting was bittersweet. We could have filmed the scenes we needed in half the time, but nobody rushed. It was a rare day when a lack of time was not the driving force, when we had the opportunity to shoot some extras for the DVD and revel in the lingering sense of accomplishment. As good as it felt to be done with all of the hard work involved in making this movie, maybe nobody wanted it to end. Or maybe it was just me.

If I'm sounding particularly sentimental, it's probably because of the wrap party on Friday night. We met at the Crimson Moon in Little Italy for drinks, and I had a great time. Everybody seemed to have such a positive experience with this project. The way we gushed about each other and the results we achieved, you'd think we were being taped for one of those self-promoting, behind the scenes documentaries where everybody says "this is the best movie ever." It's easy to think that before you see the finished product (and when you have a few drinks in you). I can soberly say, however, that I am proud to have been a part of it. The cinematography, for one thing, should be outstanding for a low-budget, independent film.

I was a bit disappointed that a few of the crew members were not able to attend the party. They were already moving on to their next projects and didn't have time to take a break and look back at this one. Most everybody involved is freelance and going their separate ways. I guess the same could be said about me, at least the separate ways part. My new job with AdminServer starts tomorrow; I'm going to give it a fair chance.

Now that I'm going to be employed again, R and I felt justified to go out and spend some money on Saturday. We bought some things for the house, including a Dyson vacuum cleaner, which I will say has been most impressive so far. Our carpet sighed in relief after a much needed cleaning.

We also went out for a seafood dinner and a movie yesterday. We saw Lady in the Water, and for the first time, M. Night Shyamalan disappointed me. The movie was imaginative and had the potential to be a clever critique on story-telling, but the pieces just did not come together. It was dull and unemotional. I was left underwhelmed.

Behind a scene

A member of the cast, Joe Clipper, made this short video on the set of Jack of Clubs. Check it out for a quick look at what goes on behind the scenes. Oh, and you won't see me in it -- I was in Minnesota that day.

The future and things

AdminServer called me over a week ago and told me I could still have business analyst position that I earlier turned down due to the scheduling conflict with my filmmaking internship. It seems I had called their bluff on the "now or never" ultimatum they originally gave me because it turns out they are fine with a start date of July 31 after all.

Although I haven't signed any papers yet, I did verbally agree to take the job. I feel the need to justify this decision to you because as you all know the internship is going well. It's clear I enjoy working on movies, but just because someone enjoys golf doesn't mean they can realistically run off and join the PGA Tour. Here are my reasons for accepting the job:

1) AdminServer gave me an attractive offer: my own laptop, an on-site gym, profit-sharing bonuses, an annual company-wide cruise. I was even able to negotiate a slightly higher salary, making the offer just a little bit sweeter. If this was my only reason, then you could say I sold out, but there's more.

2) The work might not be that bad. This is not mainframe programming we are talking about anymore. I'm going to get some exposure to XML and Java, and some increased interaction with users will help improve my communication skills. Also appealing is the fact that the company has a very casual environment with a lot of people my own age employed. I'd like to try working at such a place.

3) I don't have anything else lined up. The D.P. did say he would like take me on for jobs with pay after the internship is over, but that would be only part-time work at best. When I do work, it would include nights and weekends, and it would involve a lot of travel. The crew is based out of Bel Air, Maryland and works mostly in Baltimore and D.C.. In the filmmaking business, they call starting with a crew "joining the circus." That doesn't sound right for me at this stage in life. Maybe I can help with some weekend shoots if they need me, but otherwise I'm looking forward to more stability and a regular schedule.

4) I can still add my internship / grip work to my resume. Who knows what will come up in the future. The biggest sacrifice I'll be making by working for AdminServer is just losing the time and energy that I could otherwise spend looking for alternate jobs. I probably won't continue trying to break into the world of independent filmmaking, but that was never my goal in the first place. I've been looking for a corporate desk job all along; the thing is I want one in a creative environment. I'd like to be on the end that develops the ideas, maybe writes a script, and hires out the freelance film crew. My internship might give me an edge in the running for a job like that. If I don't like my new job, there's no reason I can't continue looking for something more along those lines at ad agencies or whatever.

5) The Minnesota connection with AdminServer is nice. There's a good chance I will be assigned to some Securian projects, which means I would be working with some old friends from back home over the phone and taking business trips back there. Also, if R and I decide to move back to Minnesota in the future, I would be a shoe-in for a job at Securian since I will have helped develop the software that they are learning.

Let me debunk an assumption some of you might otherwise make. I am not accepting this job due to pressure from my wife. She is very supportive of me following my dreams, even if it means I never earn another dime. In fact I think she liked telling people she was married to a filmmaker or a starving artist. Accepting the offer was my decision. This very well might be the path to fulfilling my dreams.

If you remember, I almost passed up my internship all-together to work at AdminServer back when I received their original offer. Now I'm getting the chance to do both. I would be feeling a lot of regret if I hadn't worked on the movie, but I did, and it was great. There are five days of filming left, and after that it will be a lot easier moving on.

Foreshadow

I just got back from a radio station where we were shooting a couple of scenes from the movie. It was a fun night. Those of us involved with the project are developing strong sense of camaraderie for the simple reason that we are spending a lot of time together if not also because we all share a common bond -- the aspiration to make a movie. I've struggled to find people with that interest in common with me in the past, but now I'm surrounded by them. That's so awesome.

There's been something going on in my career situation that I've been keeping on the down low for the last week. I'm going to continue to avoid discussing it tonight because it requires more explanation than I care to get into now. Later on this morning R and I will be traveling up to Piscataway, New Jersery for a family reunion and spending the day there. On Sunday I'll be helping shoot the climactic BBQ scenes for the movie. Let's make a date for early next week to discuss why and how my hiatus from work is ending. Okay, it won't be much of a discussion. Rather, I will write and you can read, as usual.

Latest from the life of a grip

For those readers of mine living in the Baltimore area (yeah, right), keep a look out for me on your television. I'm being prominently featured in two commercials to be aired on Baltimore cable. They needed somebody to play the clerk at a pharmacy while a customer places some products on the counter. I didn't have any speaking lines, but I did have to give a good smile and look friendly. We were advertising for a company called Caregivers Marketplace. Part of the process involved aging one of the actresses by 40 years with make-up and unflattering lighting. That was pretty cool to witness. The producer of the commercials was a big-time perfectionist, and it meant for a really long day. We had a 7:00am call time and worked until 10:00pm, followed by a 3-hour drive home. That was my Sunday.

We had another 7:00am call time this morning in Claymont, DE where we shot a couple of scenes in a moving city bus. It was a really fun shoot. We strapped a generator to the bike rack on the front of the bus to power our lights. I felt like I was on the set of the movie Speed. We also had to take some exteriors of the bus and the actors inside through the windows. Of course the bus had to be moving in these shots, so we had to close down a street and have the D.P. stand through a sunroof in a vehicle driving next to the bus. I can't wait to see these results. I keep hearing that the DVD will be available in Blockbuster, so you'll have the chance to see them too... in Spring 2007.

North Country

We encountered many lakes during our sojourn to the north, which I guess is pretty typical when you visit the land of 10,000 of them in mid-summer. Minnesotans love their lakes, and they love to share them. Lost Lake, pictured above, is found on my father-in-law's property. It is probably the most natural-looking one of the bunch we visited, which is charming in its own right, but not as welcoming for a swim. We did, however, take a dip in Pleasant Lake, Ely Lake, and Lake Itasca over the course of our vacation. We also pontooned, jet skied, and tubed thanks to the hospitality of our parents and some excellent weather.

The weather was great in Winnipeg as well. Highlights from the Folk Festival include watching Neko Case bring on a rising (and then passing) storm at sunset, napping in the prairie breeze, walking across a moon shadowed campground to the perpetual cadence of multiple drum circles, and just generally soaking up the free-spirited Folk Fest atmosphere with some good company.

Aside from the perfect Neko Case performance in the perfect concert conditions, a favorite act of R's and mine was Crooked Still, a contemporary, "alternative" bluegrass band that brought the house down. Their CDs sold out before they even played their main concert, but R and I were able to order one online. I'll be happy if it's half as good as their live performance.

As nice as it was to visit family and old friends and to listen to some outdoor music, by the end of our trip, I was more than ready to come home. Ten days is a long time when you are away from your bed, your computer, and a shower (for the second half). The travel really wore us down too. On Monday, we woke up at 5:10 am, packed up our campsite, drove for eight and a half hours, and were still only in Minneapolis. By the time our flight brought us to Philly and we drove home from there, it was 12:30 am. Subtracting an hour for the time-zone change, that's 18+ hours one way! Ah, but it was worth it.

Speaking of being worn out, I'm signing off for the night. Have a good one.

Commercial

And we're back from our trip. I'll give you a longer write-up about it soon. Things are still a little crazy around here; I haven't even had the chance to unpack yet. For now, I just wanted to share the news that I received my first paying gig in the filmmaking business. I'll be helping shoot a television commercial down in Chesapeake, Viriginia this weekend. Our main movie shoot continues in Wilmington for another two and a half weeks; the commercial is just a side project. The pay still isn't great, but it should be another good experience and, hey, getting paid anything at all is nice. If you're curious as to what we'll be advertising... I don't even know yet. I guess we find out when we get there.