No Time 4 Downtime

And the most successful and busy month of my young career comes to an end. I just went through a 3 week period traveling New England jumping show to show. For an individual based in Portland, ME working freelance, that's a triumph. This area is no where near as hungry for film & TV opportunities as NY/LA, so you really have to market yourself to get these jobs. But the worst part is, I was getting so many calls that I actually had to say no to a few of them. Some pilot for Bravo and a reschedule for A&E's "Hoarders" were tossed to friends of mine due to this hectic and varying schedule.

But let's quickly run through my small voyage. Things started picking up at the end of June right here in Portland when I joined a crew I previously worked with for an upcoming Food Network special. Then July hit and I jumped on with the Travel Channel's "Food Paradise" series as they explored some of the best restaurants in New England. I jumped between Southern Maine, Boston, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island as I worked with a small crew and got to try some of the most amazing food I've ever had.

I wrapped with that awesome crew just to merge with another professional crew working on Leftfield Pictures' "Bid & Destroy" around southern New Hampshire. If you're one of the 3 1/2 individuals who read my blog regularly, you might remember this as that National Geographic Channel shoot from the creators of Pawn Stars that was going to take up 2+ months of my life. I ended up saying no to it but luckily they needed some extra help so I was able to get in there and gain the experience.

Of course, there was minimal downtime. I shot right back up to Portland, ME to work camera on the first episode of Casa Club TV & Canal Ella's "La Chispa de Chef Carmen Gonzalez". It was a reality television show that followed Top Chef participant Carmen Gonzalez as she ran her new restaurant in Portland, ME and explored her life. It was a primarily Spanish speaking set so it was definitely an interesting experience. But once the local crew became use to the style of the crew imported from Miami, FL, it became an extremely beneficial learning experience.

Every time I'm forced to adapt to a new production crew, I leave with a better mindset. There's so many different styles of crews, which makes it a lot of fun to work with individuals from all over the globe and to adjust your own methods to fit theirs.

And now I'm here. Back at my day job and finishing up this blog. Yet still I'm always looking for that next opportunity. Especially anything with travel. But for now I'm going to fit some music back into my life. I have the Mumford & Sons' "Gentlemen of the Road" festival coming up, which has the potential to be the highlight of my already stacked summer. And since I'm still fresh from a 311 & Slightly Stoopid concert I went to this past Sunday, I'm going to leave you with this...


TODAY'S TASTY TRACK
 
Slightly Stoopid
"2am"
4 in the mornin, police knockin' at my door, what for?
Bet I know the reasons he comin' back and
And then they comin through, I tell them "He just kicked down my door"
Even though I'm on the floor with a gun to my head

The Way We Get By

Let me summarize freelance filmmaking in one word...

Unpredictable.

Yup, that will do it. Because it feels as if every time I start putting my fingers to the keyboard for another rant about how work has become dryer than a cat's tongue (yeah I went there), things pick up faster than ever before.

Alright, so let's bring everyone up to speed. It all started with a downer. I got a recommendation for that George H.W. Bush HBO documentary being shot in Kennebunkport but we couldn't make it happen. That was a big letdown because that sounded like such a great experience. Who wouldn't want to kick it with Barbara and the gang? Even though I'm sure it was nothing like I expected.

Would have been a grand ol' time.

Then while I'm kicking rocks around in personal anguish, I get a call from a production company coming to Portland for a Food Network show. I spend 75% of my day thinking about what I'm going to eat... so of course I said yes. By the way, the other 25% is spent actually eating.

Then like 2 days after that, I get an even more exciting call. Turns out A&E's Hoarders is coming to Manchester, NH and could use some help the following weekend. That was a big HELL yes.

A dream come true?

I would have been completely content right there. But then today I get an e-mail from a production company coming to Portland for the Cooking Channel. And the best part is that everything actually fits into my schedule. Does that ever happen???

Oh, and remember that blog post about the Best Documentaries on Netflix? I actually received an e-mail from the producer of an award winning documentary called The Way We Get By. It was shot in Bangor, ME and focuses on a group of senior citizens who greet U.S. troops going through the Bangor International Airport. She recommended her movie after reviewing the list. So I clicked on the Netflix and gave it a watch... and of course she was COMPLETELY right. Such a touching documentary that without a doubt deserves a spot on that list. She told me about her next project and how she could use some help but it's way up near the Canadian border so the logistics aren't looking good. But either way I wish her crew the best of luck.

So yeah, looks like I'm about to get real busy again. I love it.

Despite the hectic schedule, I'm definitely going to have to make some time for a Fourth of July celebraish. And by "celebraish" I mean call up a bunch of hooligans, fill a cooler with the first stereotypical 30 rack of beer I see that has the colors red, white, & blue on it, grab a chair (preferably a recliner with optional footrest), find a body of water to place said chair and/or optional footrest, and watch things explode into magical pixie dust. Perfect way to recoup during a period like this. If I don't accomplish this plan, then the "terrorists" have won.

Not on my watch.


TODAY'S TASTY TRACK
 
Spoon
"The Way We Get By"
We go out in stormy weather
We rarely practice discern
We make love to some weird sin
We seek out the taciturn
And that's the way we get by