Week 4

Just when you thought it was safe to make a movie sensibly. We started week 4 with a 16 hour day and then followed it up with an 18 hour day. All this an hour and half from the city meaning people were in hotels and away from family and tired and cranky. I really admire the men that work in this business (and it's a majority) they work the hours and then drive home anyway somewhere in Suburbia, they see their children in the morning and drive back out to work and do 18 hour days. It's a rough life and I guess I am privy to the flip side of the American family I used to see on tv - the housewife/mother and 3 kids and the ever tired bacon-bringer father.

I stayed at the hotel. Much as I love my husband and apartment, I only have a 10 hour turnaround and I wasn't going to waste 3 hours of that on the road.

The union VP called me yesterday asking what happened. At first I was a little upset thinking one of the crewmemembers had called him directly to complain instead of coming to me first but it turns out the camera department union (not the same as Lighting & Props & Special FX) had received complaints from the camera department and the union rep called our rep (because our union is infinitely the bigger brother) and asked him. He was infuriated, after all he had come down only last week to issue a warning.

He called the Producer and they 'chatted' and we worked 11.5 hours last night (wrap at 430am) It was a rough haul for me. I wanted to come back to NYC after work Tuesday night/Wed morning but we had to tech scout Friday's location so I couldn't. I checked into the hotel at 5am and at 12 noon the hotel kept trying to call me to check me out. It was really too much.

After the poor directions to the hotel on Monday, the horrible logistics of the location (Camperland was 2 miles from set - walkies had no range and phones had no signal) and poor signage caused everyone to be late, it was really the last straw. I was too tired to be angry, but when the union rep called I told him about the debacle.

It's hard to explain to civilians how a set must be run and how much legwork goes into it for it to run smoothly. This Production is just simply too understaffed, I think. They have 3 Producers and yet no Line Producer (budgeting) and no Production Manager (logistics). It's top heavy and I'm sure they are all getting paid well no matter what happens.

On another note, I realised after 4 weeks our leading lady (well, girl) is that chick from 'Hustle & Flow' the skinny white prostitute. I really liked her in that, it took me this long to figure it out.