When I shot my 1st jungle footages about a week and a half ago, much to my horror I discovered that the steadicam was missing a bronze screw in the bottom plate. It controls the stabilization pole. I searched far and wide but… it was like looking for a needle in a savannah.
Wrote the company about my missing screw and in three days they replied and said that they were going to send me 3 spare ones. I thanked them and pretty much went shooting.
I was in the command center when a package arrived. I was totally shocked to discover that it was my spare screws. AMAZING! That’s American efficiency for you. I have been so accustomed to Filipino service that I expected nothing else.
Imagine after a week and a half the screws were in my grasp. I could think of a dozen local companies who can’t even replace a part after a month. LOCAL COMPANIES, within spitting distance!
AMERICANS should conquer the world! With their service they deserve it. FORGET FUCKING NATIONALISM! What do we get? New ways of corrupting and being robbed blind by those duly elected thieves.
Case in point the AUTOMATED ballot counting machines! How can a sum that big get stolen? Easy, everyone down the pipeline got a cut! What other explanation can there be.
Why would I even waste my time to fall in line and sweat tons of buckets so I can elect into office a new crook who’ll rob us blind? There is no choice. It’s not a matter of electing this idiot or that idiot. THEY ARE ALL IDIOTS! SOME ARE BIGGER THAN THE OTHERS while others are more crooked than the next but still they are from the same tribe.
Ever since MARCOS fucked up the system, his evil specter never really left the Building. Anyone who comes in clean never gets out clean.
AMERICA should just make us a colony. WHAT? BE A 2ND CLASS CITIZEN IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY? SO FUCKING WHAT? YOU’D RATHER BE SCREWED BY YOUR COUNTRYMEN THAN BY FOREIGNERS? Well there are fringe benefits Too numerous to even enumerate.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Just returned from an on location shoot outside of manila. My entire back and upper arms hurts like hell. Used the steadicam and even though I got the shots to slide perfectly to a tee without a bump or a jar, it was such a fucker on the right and left forearms. Something that the manual and steadicam instructor FAILED TO INFORM ME!
They tout it as the next best thing since the crane and the jib! But they failed to mention that the weight of the cam and the harness would eventually fall on some part of the operator’s anatomy.
I should have known when I read that GARRET BROWN the inventor and the most experienced user of the STEADICAM developed some major anatomical injuries when he was using it. THAT SHOULD HAVE TIPPED ME OFF…BUT NOOOOOOOOO!
Anyway I got up at 4 in the morning and checked the equipment. Call time was at 5 AM. The utility vehicle arrived at 6:20.
Along the way we got lost three times trying to find the exit route. By the time we got to the location it was already quarter to ten.
The location was great, ABSOLUTE JUNGLE. Foliage and everything. I can do sweeping panoramic shoots without worrying about getting some television antennae or some sheet iron rooftop. Nothing! NOTHING FOR MILES!
Halfway thru the shoot my actor broke three spears. I was lucky that the production assistant decided to bring all three spears!
The heat and humidity finally got to us three hours into the shoot.
FLIM: “ Now I want you to run for your life. But I want a lot of failing hand gestures! “
DEE: “ OK!”
He runs!
FLIM: “ You run like CHARIOTS OF FIRE style. I DON’T WANT GLAMOUR! I want panic run for your life, sweat storming run.”
DEE: “ Ok! “
He runs
FLIM: “ YOU’RE SMILING! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSE TO SMILE! You’re being chased and when they get you they’ll tear you to shreds! “
DEE: “ Ok! “
He runs again.
FLIM: “ Do it again! “
He runs again.
FLIM: “ Another take! “
HE RUNS AGAIN
DEE: “ How many times must I do this run?
FLIM: “ Until we get you running like no one has seen before.”
DEE: “ But it’s just running! “
FLIM: “ Nope! It’s running for your life! “
DEE: “ Im ready.”
FLIM: “ OK! “
I took twenty-five takes of him running across the frame. 30 takes of him battling his attackers. Fifteen takes of him falling into a ground littered with king sized carabao manure and 5 hours of non-stop shooting.
By the end of the day we smelled like newly cut grass, sweat and …a smell that I don’t even want to think about.
Last Friday I shot inside a sound studio. There was a battery of air conditions and the two sets were constructed side by side. That was such a pleasant shoot. No walking around the sun and carrying heavy equipment for thirty minutes, no sweat. Refreshments and southern style chicken just within arm’s length.
Such a far cry from today’s shoot. Now here I’m writing today’s entry while today’s shots are catalogued and written down. In an hour I will take a much-needed bath. Get a few bites in between viewing the dallies and then I’m off to editing.
There were so many interesting conversations I had with DEE the actor. But Im too exhausted to recount them today. Maybe tomorrow.
They tout it as the next best thing since the crane and the jib! But they failed to mention that the weight of the cam and the harness would eventually fall on some part of the operator’s anatomy.
I should have known when I read that GARRET BROWN the inventor and the most experienced user of the STEADICAM developed some major anatomical injuries when he was using it. THAT SHOULD HAVE TIPPED ME OFF…BUT NOOOOOOOOO!
Anyway I got up at 4 in the morning and checked the equipment. Call time was at 5 AM. The utility vehicle arrived at 6:20.
Along the way we got lost three times trying to find the exit route. By the time we got to the location it was already quarter to ten.
The location was great, ABSOLUTE JUNGLE. Foliage and everything. I can do sweeping panoramic shoots without worrying about getting some television antennae or some sheet iron rooftop. Nothing! NOTHING FOR MILES!
Halfway thru the shoot my actor broke three spears. I was lucky that the production assistant decided to bring all three spears!
The heat and humidity finally got to us three hours into the shoot.
FLIM: “ Now I want you to run for your life. But I want a lot of failing hand gestures! “
DEE: “ OK!”
He runs!
FLIM: “ You run like CHARIOTS OF FIRE style. I DON’T WANT GLAMOUR! I want panic run for your life, sweat storming run.”
DEE: “ Ok! “
He runs
FLIM: “ YOU’RE SMILING! YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSE TO SMILE! You’re being chased and when they get you they’ll tear you to shreds! “
DEE: “ Ok! “
He runs again.
FLIM: “ Do it again! “
He runs again.
FLIM: “ Another take! “
HE RUNS AGAIN
DEE: “ How many times must I do this run?
FLIM: “ Until we get you running like no one has seen before.”
DEE: “ But it’s just running! “
FLIM: “ Nope! It’s running for your life! “
DEE: “ Im ready.”
FLIM: “ OK! “
I took twenty-five takes of him running across the frame. 30 takes of him battling his attackers. Fifteen takes of him falling into a ground littered with king sized carabao manure and 5 hours of non-stop shooting.
By the end of the day we smelled like newly cut grass, sweat and …a smell that I don’t even want to think about.
Last Friday I shot inside a sound studio. There was a battery of air conditions and the two sets were constructed side by side. That was such a pleasant shoot. No walking around the sun and carrying heavy equipment for thirty minutes, no sweat. Refreshments and southern style chicken just within arm’s length.
Such a far cry from today’s shoot. Now here I’m writing today’s entry while today’s shots are catalogued and written down. In an hour I will take a much-needed bath. Get a few bites in between viewing the dallies and then I’m off to editing.
There were so many interesting conversations I had with DEE the actor. But Im too exhausted to recount them today. Maybe tomorrow.
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