If My Family Made A Movie

I've been meaning to update this here site for a while...because it isn't like there isn't anything I couldn't talk about. I've worked as an assistant director on my first movie, I went on a Pacific Northwest trip my grandparents, I've been working as a day player on different shows for the past month; things have been happening. I realized though, that all of these things are things I tend to blog/talk about a lot, so why not switch it up a bit!

Sometimes my job can be boring, and while I was on a show last week our greensman got walkied to bring in some plants to place around the outside of the set, I said to myself, a handful of people in my family could do that job! Then it got me thinking, I have a huge family and we could do a lot more jobs than just that! So I took out my sides and wrote down everyones name on the back and tried to think if our family was crew for a movie, how would it all break down? Now, i'm not saying if everyone in the family started working on sets this should be their job, since obviously I had jobs that just needed to be filled, but it was kind of interesting trying to figure out where I should put everyone.

So a call sheet tells you what all you are shooting for the day. On the back of the call sheet is everyone's names listed that are working that day and what time their call time is. Here is a picture of a call sheet for a show I was working on a couple months ago, just so you can get a sense of what exactly we are working with here.

Now, I personally don't have any call sheet template on me at the moment, however I did have to do the production reports for my last movie and the back has pretty much the same concept, so I used that to kind of create our own little call sheet for this fake movie our family would crew up. So take a look at our call sheet! 

Now before I go, i'll give a little summery of the jobs everyone has in case anyone was curious and didn't know. 

Director: the person with the vision of what we are shooting. Directs the actors and decided on what all shots she/he wants. 

AD (Assistant Director): The 1st AD runs the set, the 2nd AD is in charge of everything that is happenings the next day...so making call sheets for the next day. On this set, the second would also be in charge of getting the actors through hair and makeup. The 2nd 2nd is the other AD on set assisting the first in getting the actors to set, getting wired for sound, and also placing background. PA's are also included under the ADs in assisting the second second. 

Script Supervisor: They are in charge of continuity. Writing down anything that happens in a scene (which hand an actress was holding her purse in, for example) and also noting which shots we are shooting, which the director likes the best, and giving those notes to the editor. 

DP (Director of Photography) They are pretty much the head of the camera, grip, and electric department. They are in charge of making sure everything in front of the camera looks good and getting the shots/angles the director wants. 

1st AC (assistant camera): The 1st AC is the focus puller...they make sure the subject matter is always in focus and not blurry. 

2nd AC: They assist camera doing the heavy lifting/lens transportation/cabling for camera...as well as being in charge of the slate to note which scene and take we are on. 

Still Photographer: The are the on set photographers to take pics of not only behind the scenes but what you may end up seeing on a movie poster. 

Gaffer: They are in charge of the lighting/electric department, making sure the set is lit properly. 

Best Boy/electric: Best boy is just a term for second in command. Everyone else in the lighting (also refereed to as electric department) is in charge of making sure there is power and setting up the lights needed to light the shot.

Key Grip: In charge of the grip department. The grips also help light scenes, but by manipulating the lights; canceling out light in some places with flags and other forms of shade. 

Prop Master: Any item that an actor uses in a scene is a prop. The property department is in charge of making sure all of those items are on set. 

Most of the rest of these are kinda self explanatory, but i'll mention them anyway. 

Sound: The sound mixer stays at his mixing station, recording all the dialogue, while the boom operator is on set capturing more sound with a boom mic. 

Costumes: This department is in charge of picking out and dressing the talent and background. 

Make-Up and Hair: Known as vanities, they are in charge of hair and make-up for talent. 

Production Designer: They are in charge of creating what the set will look like. 

Set Decorating: Set dec is the art department representative on set making sure that even though the set is already built, if anyone needs to move anything or add anything, they are there to do so. 

Construction: The coordinator is in charge of building the sets the designer has come up with. 

Craft Service: They are responsible for providing food throughout the day during filming. Craft service doesn't necessarily provide meals, (although they sometimes do) but they keep a constant food table available for crew to snack on all day.

Catering: Catering is in charge of providing breakfast and lunch for the crew at the beginning and middle of the day. 

Post Production: Everything that happens to the movie after the crew is done actually filming it. This includes editing it, adding sound effects, etc.

Locations: The location department is in charge of finding filming locations to film at, getting the correct permits, and the liaison between where a crew in filming and the film crew. 

Transportation: The transpo department is in charge of any and all vehicles involved in production, including all of the trailers for the actors, trucks for all the crew, and pass vans when needed to transport crew if needed. 

Well that's all folks!! This is a small little call sheet I created for a would be family project and I have given the most sparknotes version of these jobs/how a set is kinda run, haha. So now you can kinda imagine what it's like for me everyday on a set and how many different people you interact with! 

Year number 2

I am sitting here on my bed responding to texts from ADs about my availability....as I came on here to update about how crazy and fortunate my life has been. Yesterday I got 2 phone calls and a text to work (2 for work for today and 1 for when I will be on my cruise) Earlier this week I already had to turn down 2 jobs for when I will be in Florida and it is kinda blowing my mind right now. As I am blogging I am just now being booked to day play tomorrow and Thursday before I head out to Florida on Friday. Right before that I got a text if I was available the 17th-21st to work on a pilot...I get back from Florida the 16th. I'm not sure why or when this happened, but for some reason it seems a little unexpected to me, although I don't think it should.

This week marks my 2 year anniversary of when I pulled out of Florida not knowing a soul in LA and seeing what I could do and make of myself here. Not to sound too dramatic, but it has been the best decision of my life i'm pretty sure. While coming on here I noticed I have only updated 2 times this year, which is a pretty solid measurement I guess for how busy i've been. I know my last update was because I was being background, but that was when I had a free week between PA jobs. I like to think of my success based on how often I do background work, and I think my last update was also the last time I was background. I've got to say, I haven't done much background work this year (only when I have a few days off between other jobs) and that makes me happy. I know this update might seem boring for the reader, mainly me just boasting about work, but it is for me too (mainly) It's good to acknowledge your accomplishments every now and again and to be proud of yourself. To be able to look back at this post and this time and be able to say 'yea, I was working hard and meeting new people and working on all these cool, fun, boring, stupid, hilarious projects, those were good times.'

Working in the film industry is such a weird and cool thing. Yesterday I was day playing on a show, and by the end of the day it seemed like i had been working on it with the crew the whole time (a week, haha) You are together with these people for 12+ hours a day...and when your on a movie at least 12+ hours 5, sometimes 6 days a week, that it becomes this weird closeness you get with people. Last night we had to be shuttled back to our cars, our pass van was completely full...4 people in my 3 man row, our sound girl on the floor in front of me (I never said we were the safest of folk) and this isn't anything out of the ordinary for me. Of course we are going to pack like sardines into a pass van with each other, it's what you do. Going on set yesterday I also got to work with one of my favorite scripty's I worked with over a year ago on another project...I have worked 4 movies with the make-up girl. The industry really is smaller than you think and sometimes even turn into your family (if only for the duration of the shoot, but sometimes it's better that way, haha)

I don't mean to bore, but I just wanted to take a minute to update again, to acknowledge what these 2 years have brought. I KNOW you've seen on Facebook, so sorry, but this weekend i was able to hang out with my roommates and friends, going to the Dodger game, watching A League of Their Own at the stadium, volunteering at a center that reaches out to the homeless, worshipping at Mosaic, biking to the community pool. This is what a full life is. What MY full life is. It is having friends around you that you enjoy, being able to go to a church every Sunday and feel full again, having a smile on your face when you are squeezed between 2 people in a pass van on your way back to your car after work because the people you work with make you laugh. Every time I see my family posting pictures on facebook together and hanging out, I miss them and wish I could be there more often, but the life i've been able to make here, I wouldn't change a thing. It's the life I had hoped for merely 2 years ago and for that I am proud.

That being said, I am so so excited and can't wait to see and hang out with the family in 4 days. i love you guys and miss you mucho.

What happens when I finish a book at work and have nothing else to do

I am currently working background right now on Bones, just finished the book I’ve been reading and have nothing left to do. I got here at 11:30...it is currently 6:30 and I have been on set for maaaybe 20 minutes of my day. Since I have already watched a movie (Her) and finished the book I brought, I figured I could write a blog post since I haven’t written in a while. Not quite sure what to say, since I always just end up on soapboxes, talking about my boring schedule, or topics that make people uncomfortable.

I guess I could say though, do you ever read a book and then are not quite sure how to feel when it’s over? That’s where I’m at. Like I want to talk about it but I don’t even know what to say. The book I just finished is entitled Ask The Passengers. It made me angry, it made me laugh, it made me sad, it made me happy. It made me wish the world was different and that I could comfort and yell at every high school student. My high school days were pretty good if I remember, but sometimes I don’t think society gives high school kids enough credit or sympathy….or sometimes maybe they do, too much.? Anyway, in the book the main character girl mainly has a rough time. I could sympathize with her a lot, but then again, her home life was a little saddening. It took me back to the small town where everyone needs to be perfect and reputation is everything. Where high school kids could be such jerks and people are so small minded and ignorant. She comes home to a home where her mom only sees perfection in her sister, so she is basically always ignored or thought down of by half of her family. She struggles with and is accused of things and doesn’t even feel like she can talk to her family about it, that they won’t listen...and it was partially true. Even when she spoke her truth they still wouldn’t listen or understand. That is painful to read and witness...even if only in a fictional world, because I know it happens. 

Although I was never really one to spill my guts to people, it was still good to know that I probably could and I had (have) people/family that will listen and love me. Although at the end of the book it does leave us on an optimistic note and all is (somewhat) good. But what made me frustrated was society. When because of society humans think we need to act, present, and label ourselves a certain way, it can invade our homes and schools and leave kids no place to escape the pressure. Pressure that is not even needed in the first place. 

The main character has to do a Socrates project, to choose a paradox, to explain it and challenge the rest of the school with it. Her first draft was equality is obvious. Which it is...which is should be, but it isn’t. We are no where near reaching human equality in the world. Why? Why do humans still feel the need to limit others worth, just because they are different. Dumb. Anyway, as life happened, our main character changed her project topic and paradox...nobody’s perfect. Everyone is obsessed with being perfect, but why? Is there anything in the world that is perfect? Or is just everything perfect? If so, why the need to strive for perfection. Can there even be a universal perfection? What is it then? Mentally, aesthetically, socially? Which of the 3 takes top billing? Perfection is just a word we made up...but for what? To make us feel worse or better about ourselves? To give us something to strive for? Whatever it is or whatever the reason, it’s dumb. 

I just write this post to say…..well, I already said it. I didn’t really know where I was headed when I started, but I guess I ended up here. Still trying not to get upset and aggravated that this book reminded me that society is annoying. How vague was this whole post? Haha. It may just make sense to me since I am referencing a book none of you have read, but oh well. I’ll be done now. Peace.  

Who is shaping your worldview?

So many topics, so little interest.

I haven't blogged in a while, and it's not because there haven't been things I wanted to say, but because they are just basic feelings that I have written about before, and i'm sure would be old news to anyone who has read my blog before. But since I am not working today and haven't blogged in a while, I thought I could tone down some topics i've wanted to write about, and write one blog centering around a handful of them. The common theme: role models.

I saw this post on a website a few months ago, I took a screen shot of it and wanted to write a blog post then, but I thought it could fit nicely here in this one. For those who wouldn't recognize, it is an excerpt from The Hunger Games Trilogy. No one would be surprised about my love for Katniss Everdeen. I think she is a great character and one that is needed for girls who are growing up now a days. Even at the age of 5, little kids are shown by Disney princess movies that the point of being born is to be eventually saved or loved by a prince charming...and I guess that is fine and well for some people, but it makes life unfair for about almost everyone in that representation of what life is about. Sure, there are some Disney movies that don't have this theme, and God bless Frozen (for which I ALMOST got real mad at there 3/4 of the way through, haha) but the point that the media more often than not gets across is, that no matter what females do there always need to be a prince charming that comes at the end of the day to make the story perfect, and why does that always need to be so? Here is Katniss Everdeen, strong, independent, looks out for herself and takes cares of others. What a great role model presented. That she doesn't need anyone to rescue her, that young woman are strong enough on our own to take care of ourselves. That it's ok to want to go out and run around in the woods instead of dress up and be put on display by the media. That nothing is wrong with us wanting our alone time. All of these things should be normal and accepted too.

As much as i'm glad for the character of Katniss, i'm glad that Jennifer Lawrence was chosen to bring her to life, because not only does she do that, but as a person she also, I feel, challenges the media on what they put out and present to young girls as how they should be and grow up. For that reason, I in some way look up to or respect Katniss and also my BFF JLaw.

Another person that I have recently come to love is Kacey Musgraves. In a world where so many expectations are placed on people, she calls the world out and basically says BS. Good for her. In her song, Merry Go Round, the opening line is: "If you ain't got 2 kids by 21, you're probably gonna die alone, at least that's what tradition told you." The whole song is about how we were told life should go: grow up, get married, have 2.5 kids, live in cookie cutter houses in a subdivision just like everybody else. I'm not saying this isn't a good life and you can't grow up this way (if you want to, more power to ya), but I appreciate that it is being acknowledged that that is how tradition tells you to make a life, and maybe it isn't all it's cracked up to be. And kind of to push that whole theme along she has her song Follow Your Arrow, basically saying, there are people that still think that is how you make a life ^, but if that is how you DO make your life, people will still judge you, so just do your thing and not worry about what other people think of you. If you're fat, people will judge you, if you're skinny, people will judge you; if you drink, people will judge you, if you don't drink, people will judge you; if you go to church, people will judge you, if you don't go to church, people will judge you, you get where she is going with this? (Our society sucks) BUT, we don't have to care about people judging us, YOU JUST DO YOU, GIRL. Whatever makes you happy, do that, because life is to short to be anything but happy. (I maybe could have read that quote somewhere and am possibly plagiarizing, but still a good point) Anyway, yet another person I think our society needs and I wouldn't hesitate recommending as a good role model for girls.

Someone that I really look up to is a blogger and author that goes by the name of Jen Hatmaker. I have blogged about her before, so I will make this one shorter, but if there are any adults out there that are still looking for some more good role models in their life, I would direct you to her. She seeks God and love so unapologetically (and is so hilarious also) that the world would change if there were a few more of her. She is how I strive to be when I grow up. Just recklessly loving the world and every human in it, not caring who is telling her to stop, and I find that the most inspiring thing of all, because when your heart is alined with Gods and you can't stop loving and showing love, everything else I have mentioned in this blog falls into place. I have never felt more free than I do in Christ, and that is kind of what it all is about. Screw what society says, how they think you should grow up, who they think needs to save you and how you need to act- the fullest and freest life i've known is when I accept and give it up to Jesus, because in the end that all that really matters.

I should have just ended this blog on that paragraph, but i wanted to add another little closing paragraph. I'm not gonna call myself a great a role model, because i'm not a perfect person and I'm nearly certain if I ever was a role model and the 'One Million Moms' brigade heard about it they would throw an uproar, but if I can't be (and mainly because I don't know many girls younger than me) I would at least hope that they could look up to these woman and know that they don't have to settle in this life. That they can go out there and do whatever they want, follow any dream they had. If they want to be a doctor I surely hope they won't let anyone stop them. Or a lawyer. Or a vet. Or a social worker. Or a singer. Or an activist. Or the President of the United States of America. I heard a song recently that was pretty much made for me at my point in life a few years ago. It got me thinking on the topic of giving advise to people and then who we look up to and possibly get advise or a life queue from. This entry has already been too long and taken a certain theme so I won't go into the song and experiences and advise I remembered from it (maybe next time) but all goes to say, we all have influences and people that help shape the way we view life...make sure you are aware of those people in your life and how they are influencing you to live your life, because they are influencing you and your worldview.