Beginnings

  This morning as I was taking a shower, I suddenly flashed back to my first day on a movie set. I was about nineteen and had somehow fumbled my way into being hired as a grip on a low budget movie being shot in Mobile, Alabama. I still remember the conversation on the phone with the Second AD (Anthony) where I asked him what I needed to bring. "Just the normal grip tools. You know, a knife and screwdriver," was his answer. That first day still sticks out as one of the highlights of my life. I was on a real movie set! There was a dolly!(Fisher 10). And track! (square). And real actors! (Martin Sheen's brother, Joe). I was making a flat rate of $300.00 a week. "Wow," I remember thinking,"I can actually make a living at this!" The fact that I also paid my own hotel room out of this princely sum didn't even phase me. I still remember wearily heading back to my hotel room to soak in a tub of hot water and the smile on my face and the feeling of satisfaction that I had made it as I lay in that water. Sometimes, not as often as back then, of course, but sometimes, just sometimes, when I look around and see the dollies and cranes and lights and real actors, I still get that feeling. It's not as pure, because it's been jaded a little by almost twenty-five years in this business. But it's still there. I wish it would come around more often.

  We're almost eight weeks into Huge Franchise With Cars and Pretty People, and it's going well. We have a great crew and laugh a lot. I have a lot of toys. We carry a 30', a 50', and a 35'-45' Moviebird as well as a 15' Techno. I'm staying pretty busy so I don't have much time to post but I'm still here.
Stay in touch, D