Yesterday and Today!

Let's start with today since that's what's happening right now.  I have been running errands and trying to calculate just how I was going to make the following videos by the end of August:

• Audition video for a radio station in Akron
• M promo video for the halfway point of A to Z
• Video for Kickstarter.com to talk about A to Z and get investors
• M scene
• N scene

Well, I was able to do the audition and then after gathering more information, realized that the contest was for amateurs and by amateurs I mean people who have never had a microphone in front of their face for any reason, in their lives.  I have already shot the footage necessary for the Promo video but have yet to do the edits although it's all scripted and set up for the edit.  THEN JIMMY came up with a brilliant idea.  Oh my, it's awesome.  Although I cannot reveal the huge news that I have for the M halfway point, Jimmy thought I was using that news/ video as the actual M scene and then suggested that I do that instead of an M scene.  Do you get it?  Instead of shooting another scene, coordinating schedules, casting, finding a location, and making it all happen in time that I don't personally have, I would just use what I've already shot as the M SCENE!  OMG, can you believe it?  It's utter brilliance, shear perfection.  It promises to entertain and if I cannot take a departure at the halfway point from my schedule, well, who can?  When is a better time?  There isn't a better time.

I already have a shooter for the N scene and I've got it narrowed down to three dates.  Just have to secure the location so I can take it from there.  That's sort of a break although if you look at my above list, I won't be using the time to "break" per se.

Now onto Yesterday or back to yesterday, however you want to put it.  I did a shoot for a Kent State commercial.  I was an extra.  For those of you who don't know what that is, basically, I'm one of the fuzzy faces in the background making the environment look real.  In fact, extras are often referred to as environment.  Well, my job yesterday was to be a nurse and she shot it in a real hospital.  I got to wear scrubs and have a name tag and push a wheel chair.  Sounds fun, huh?  I got to be a nurse that but Neil, who "got to" be my patient, wasn't so lucky!  First of all let me just say this, he's 6'2" and no lightweight.  Me, and my 110 pounds were trying to push him around, but I was grunting like Monica Seles to get enough torque to move the chair.  Usually if I got it rolling, it was all good except ... when I ran into a wall or a laundry bin here or there.  I kept thinking doesn't the sound of scraping chair along the wall, ruin the take for the shoot?  lolol.. Or what about the sounds of our laughter?  Does that kill the take?  Then there was the moment when all of us extras are in the background repeating walking patterns.  My pattern was to take Neil in the wheelchair across the hall, turn him around and come back.  Sounds simple enough but there were two huge cords I had to steer over and at one point I came to a complete stop so as not to run into another "nurse".  So here we were stopped in the background, and right in front of a chord. There was no grunt loud enough to get me to get that wheelchair over that hump!  I caused an environment traffic jam!  As if Neil wasn't in enough trouble with me during the u-turns where he literally would guard his face and legs to self protect, poor guy had to do a mini wheelie to get himself over the cord!  lololololol  It was hysterically funny or at least we all thought so.  Thank goodness, so did Neil.  Best news yet is that although I pushed him around for the better part of the day, when it was all said and done Neil was NOT admitted into the hospital and was able to walk away injury free. It was one of the most fun shoots I've been on in years. I got to catch up with Jennifer Enskat, the star of the J scene and Greg Violand, the star of the L scene.  Sometimes blending into the background can be really fun!