First Day on One Roll.

As I've mentioned on last post, it's been long since I was involved with a film production. However, I was confident that I could DO the job as a PA. Yup. Somehow I'm starting from the very bottom, paying my due, more or less. As I've mentioned, I was impresse by the technical proficencies of the crew and the gears that I didn't have to do much except help out here and there. Since the production crew was experienced in various commercials and music videos, the short looked like another job to them with little challenges posed by cramped a NY flea hotel. Regardless, I somehow became a "grip" PA to Ron, who was renting his g & e truck for $1000 for 3 days. The truck was running tight ship with all the gears having their own places. He liked me enough to offer me a job as his apprentice on the spot, yet he couldn't for I didn't have the licence to drive the commercial truck. Because Ken from CDtM advised me not to pursue Electric/Grip jobs if I didn't aspire to become a DP/Gaffer, I wasn't inclinced to take this path. But, as a PA, I was back in the game, trying to soak up the experience as much as I can by being observant around everything. I'm hoping I would be moving up the ladder as Script Sup, AD, or a Line Producer, before I break out with my debut film. It will be sometime as people get to know me, work with me on few projects, offer me opportunities, and finally back me as a reliable person to execute and lead a film project as a writer-director.

I got to know many people, which is the best part or the deal of working as a lowly PA. The first thing I tried was to remember everyone's name and I succeed. Everyone was pleasant and introduced themselves before I did. Actor-Writer-Director Barry was gracious of everyone who was working on his film for almost nothing till the end. Richie, the DP, kept me on toe to pay respect for the seniority of the crew. In tight-knited community like film biz, you need to follow the unwritten, unspecified rules of the game before they accept you.

Despite the accident with the camera in the morning, the shooting went smoothly. I was glad I wasn't outside in the freezing weather that hit NYC. The shooting wrapped around 2 AM, but I left with other PA, Jim, who recently moved from Tampa Bay, away from his cushy video production jobs, around 4 AM after all the cleanup. The PAs are the first to arrive and the last to leave on the set.