Accomplishments Diminished by Cable Providers

Well, I reached another professional milestone last night. It's nothing close to the pinnacle but hey, it's a start.

I wrote previously about helping out with a shoot back in October about the inspirational Taryn Davis for the awards ceremony CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. She started the American Widow Project, which is a network of wives who have lost their husbands during times of war. I only spent a day on set but it was one of my favorite experiences I've had so far due to the optimism of these ladies. And overall, I had an amazing time and learned more than I could have asked for.

But let's get to the milestone. CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute 2011 aired for the first time last night. This marks the first shoot that I've assisted that has reached the entire nation as well as other countries all over the world. I wasn't the one behind the camera but it still felt great to mark that off the long checklist that builds more than it completes.

Yet there is a negative aspect to this accomplished goal... I wasn't even able to watch the ceremony. Because Eddie is still living in the stone age without cable. A little embarrassing but anything to save a buck, right? Plus Netflix is just so much cheaper. But saving that buck has cost me that excellent moment where I would have been able watch the show and say to myself "Hell yeah! I remember that shot! I was hiding behind that sand dune while they were lighting those lanterns!" or "I remember that woman! I gave her a piggy back ride to a hammock because she didn't want to dirty her feet but accidentally dropped her on her ass because I didn't realize how shallow the hammock actually was!" Yeah that actually happened. I'm a man of many nicknames but Piggy-Back will always be one of my most cherished just thanks to the memory.

Taryn Davis didn't win the "CNN Hero of the Year", but she as well as the whole group of widows I met are all still an inspiration to me. And I've never been more unprepared for a shoot than that one. I just showed up to a beach in Kennebunkport, found a guy holding a camera, and started running after these talented crew members with all types of equipment. I had no idea I'd be in the cold ocean waters with my jeans rolled up as the widows learned to surf and we captured it.

I wish I could find the footage of everything we captured, but CNN hasn't uploaded the individual videos. But I did find a great interview with photographer David Holloway who I worked with on the shoot. It includes a bunch of pictures that he took during the experience, which came out beyond great:

As a young peasant in the business, I can't reiterate enough how much I enjoyed this shoot. There's always ups and downs during any production day, but the time spent with this small crew and these ladies was smooth and professional. Couldn't have asked for anything more. But now it's time to reach that next goal: To be the actual one behind that camera.

If you want to learn more about the American Widow Project, you can find a link to their website on this page under the "Eddie Supports" column.


TODAY'S TASTY TRACK

Modest Mouse
"The World At Large"
The days get shorter and the nights get cold.
I like the autumn but this place is getting old.
I pack up my belongings and I head for the coast.
It might not be a lot but I feel like I'm making the most.
The days get longer and the nights smell green.
I guess it's not surprising but it's spring and I should leave.