03 January 2017

2017 New Quadrennial Newspamphletter Thingie

So, did anything... interesting happen for you in 2016? (delicate avoidance of politics - CHECK).

I had the fortune to work on two union features this year, a first for me. The first, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, was a debut for actor-turned-director Macon Blair, with Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood. I recently learned that it will screen in competition at Sundance this year, which is fantastic news.

"MOS. Haha, JK."


The second was Lean On Pete, with Charlie Plummer and Steve Buscemi, directed by Andrew Haigh. While the overall experience was wonderful, location shooting did present challenges. In this case, it was dust, dust, horseshit and dust. One piece of gear got dust so deep inside the chassis that it needed a trip back to the factory for cleaning.

Even though he lost a contact lens, the horse finished the take. Total pro.

Prior to IDFAHITWA, I upgraded my film kit, moving from a 788T/CL-9/Venue Field system to a 688/CL-12/Octopack with SR-Bs. For the most part, reception with the SRs was similar to the Venue with VRT modules. The 688 offers more channels with greater flexibility, and is still incredibly portable. This came in handy on numerous driving shots, for which I could simply pull the bag off the upright cart and jump into a van. Switching from cart to driving mode took about 5 minutes.

The cupholders are on backorder.

Currently I'm enjoying my couch, and find myself wishing on more than one occasion that pajamas were acceptable public attire. I know that anything's possible if I put my mind to it (and I stop caring about my visual impact on the public at large. If you have eyes and/or aesthetic principles, consider yourself warned).

Welp, that's it for this episode. Stay tuned for a forthcoming review of what should be required reading for anyone in the freelance world (and kids, ask your parents what "stay tuned" means).