What do you think people will call the next few years? This decade has been '01 - '09. Sometimes you probably said 2001 or 2009, but the short hand notation remained the same. The possibilities for the next decade are:
1) Two thousand and ten
2) Twenty ten
3) Oh ten
and simply
4) Ten.
'Remember back in ten when we were in that movie?', simply sounds silly.
Oh Ten. '010. First time i saw the year written this way, i laughed and then realized, it is just the short hand of 2010. Although it really isn't that much shorter than writing the whole year out, I think it will catch on. Personally, I have always been a fan of describing zero as 'aught'. 'Remember back in Aught Five in Gary Indiana?' (that's okay, very few do)
Twenty ten. Phonetically, this one has the most efficient sound. But it promotes segregation between the twenty and the other numbers. Therefore, this one does not get my vote, racist.
Two thousand and ten. i got tired just typing that out, i can't even imagine have to say that out loud, on purpose. 'Remember back in two thousand and ten when... HEY where did you go?' 'I'm in the kitchen. I decided to make a sandwich while you were attempting to announce what year that was.'
Happy New YEARS!!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Day 3 - Last day in Rochester
4 Hours of sleep and it is time to check out of the hotel, but since we didn't finish the scenes from yesterday, we had to go back to the gorge. We get there and Russell's stunt double is setting up the shot, on the edge of a cliff. Jonah's character is suppose to be standing out next to him, so the 1st A.D. says, without asking me, "That's ok, Alex will do it." Yeah, he is right, of course i'll do it. Why wouldn't i? Sounds fun. But they made a big deal about it and made me strap on a harness, for safety something something. It is so nice of them to be concerned. I can just hear the producers, "Yeah, if he dies then we can't screw him later." The 1st A.D. got a picture of me standing there and i will post it in 3 months when he uploads all his pictures. Finished the work day in 4 hours, but our plane tickets were pushed until 5:30pm. The crew's departure times were 2, 3:15, 5:25, and 7:30. Somehow Ricky and i were important enough to get the 5:25 flight and not the latest one. Sorry grips and electric, maybe next year. However, the vans to get us to the airport were scattered and we had to wait in the bug infested field until all the people on the first 2 time slots traveled. Luckily there was room for in one of the vans for us to leave the park by 12:15. As we were all ready to go, the same kid, from the day before says, "oops, i lost my retainer." Everyone got out of the van to help him look. I mean really kid, 2 days in a row you are making us wait for you... After 30 minutes, everyone decided, the kid and his mom had to stay and look, but we are leaving without them.
Got to the airport at 1:30 and checked in at the E ticket kiosk. While checking in, i noticed that it didn't offer me a seat on the earlier flight, so i asked the kiosk man if there was anything he could do. He told me to pay 50 bucks and i could get on it. I said no thanks and that i would come back in 30 minutes to see if the flight info had changed. With an attitude he said, "The flight is over booked, you won't be able to get on it." I kindly said thank you and told him i would come back. After 30 minutes i came back to a sarcastic kiosk worker, "OH, are you ready to checking NOW!!???" Nothing had changed so i got my ticket and went through security (only once this time) where they were trying to figure out what Russell Brand's name was. They knew he was famous because his assistant held all his paper work for him, but they couldn't remember why he was important. I arrived at my gate and ask the worker if i could get on the standby list for the 3:15 flight. She looks down at me and says, "Sir, the flight is over booked." I said, "I know, i would like to get on the standby list please. i figure it couldn't hurt right." The plane began to board and it was a little embarrassing having a good chunk of the crew board the plane while i sat on my computer waiting. After they all board, the worker calls me up and had a ticket for me. 3 times today people told me it was pointless to fly standby, but what they didn't know was i knew there was a little boy and his mom who weren't going to make it in time. So for the 2 times he held me up on set, he held himself up at the airport, Thanks precocious british boy, thanks.
Got to the airport at 1:30 and checked in at the E ticket kiosk. While checking in, i noticed that it didn't offer me a seat on the earlier flight, so i asked the kiosk man if there was anything he could do. He told me to pay 50 bucks and i could get on it. I said no thanks and that i would come back in 30 minutes to see if the flight info had changed. With an attitude he said, "The flight is over booked, you won't be able to get on it." I kindly said thank you and told him i would come back. After 30 minutes i came back to a sarcastic kiosk worker, "OH, are you ready to checking NOW!!???" Nothing had changed so i got my ticket and went through security (only once this time) where they were trying to figure out what Russell Brand's name was. They knew he was famous because his assistant held all his paper work for him, but they couldn't remember why he was important. I arrived at my gate and ask the worker if i could get on the standby list for the 3:15 flight. She looks down at me and says, "Sir, the flight is over booked." I said, "I know, i would like to get on the standby list please. i figure it couldn't hurt right." The plane began to board and it was a little embarrassing having a good chunk of the crew board the plane while i sat on my computer waiting. After they all board, the worker calls me up and had a ticket for me. 3 times today people told me it was pointless to fly standby, but what they didn't know was i knew there was a little boy and his mom who weren't going to make it in time. So for the 2 times he held me up on set, he held himself up at the airport, Thanks precocious british boy, thanks.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Day 2 - first day of work
I awake from my nap and go downstairs to grab some breakfast. There was only one other person in the restaurant and since I didn't have a call sheet, I wasn't sure if I was in the correct place. I asked the waitress, "Is this the get him to the greek food?" she clearly had no idea what I was talking about and after thinking about it, if you didn't know that Get Him To The Greek was a movie, you would think I was pretty 'special'. "Greek food, no this is breakfast sir." The only other person at the restaurant assured me I was in the right place. During my meal, I was received with many warm greetings from several people who didn't know I would be in rochester. I love giving other people surprises. now to sit on a bus for an hour to Inspiration Point (a beautiful gorge). Ricky and I played this fun game where we tried to figure out what job each person had, but not in the normal way of electric or gaffer, more of a that is John V. and that is Toby and that is Joey (from the LA crew). It gave us something to do while we were swarmed with gnats, the most pointless insects alive. Being from the south, I am used to bugs, but this was as if we had bathed in meat juice swarming.
Stand in work is incredibly boring and unrewarding but the job itself really puts me in incredible situations. We are getting paid to hang out in this wonderful setting, a place I wouldn't have ever found on my own. Honestly, the only time we worked was the only time I had to use the restroom (of course). At some point the 1st Assistant Director (or 1st Asssitant Director according to the LA call sheet) came up to me to ask if I was going to London too. "I will if production takes me. I brought my passport just in case." Then he proceeded to tell me I would have 2 days of stunt work while in New York. The 2nd A.D. had already told me to bring my pads, but I had no idea who had told the stunt coordinator that he had to use me and not HIS guy. I was very thankful, because it really helps make this trip worth wild. The wind picked up early so we weren't able to do the stunt all day (another character's stunt), so we had to come back the next day. Production was prepared for that so the only huge hassle was pushing everyone's flights back to the city.
It is not the second to last shot of the day and production didn't know if they were going to need Jonah tomorrow of if they wanted me to double him, so they had me go to Hair/make-up to get a haircut. 15 minutes later, as i am getting out of the chair, they decided they weren't going to use me and now hair has to stay longer because of the miscommunication. Even though it wasn't my fault, i felt bad. later, head hair lady found me to tell me it wasn't me she was mad at. It was a long day of un-organization and miscommunication. after traveling back and forth from base camp and set just to get paid for the day, we finally got on the 'people mover', but the little 9 year old british actor made the whole crew wait for him because he was signing his first autograph...
Next we had the longest and most nauseating trip on a bus ever. I fell asleep for an hour and awoke to see that we were still in the park. Once we made it back i wanted to use the amenities, so i went down to the gym to find Russell Brand and his entourage working out as well. I had made plans with Ricky and Brandon (Dvd guy) to grab a quick drink and a bite to eat at the Hotel Restaurant, but when i got down there, The producer had a tab open for the crew as sort of a fake wrap party for Rochester. Not only was it just a day of work, but we still had more to shoot the next day. Either way, free alcohol is still free. The three of us got our drinks and sat down to eat some real food. The waitress seemed into us, but none of us thought we were the one that she liked. At the end of the meal, we asked for the check and she gave us a wink, almost to say, it was free. But 5 minutes later she brought us a check, totally tricking us. I wanted to be social so i sat down at the bar to get to know some of the new crew guys. There one of the guys wanted to buy the bartenders some shots. There was a fat bartender and a kind of cute one. Talking about the kind of cute girl, the fat one said, "oh wait, she can't drink, she is on anti-biotics". When the crew guy asked what for, the fat one said, "She has The Clap!" Oh my god, what a cock block. i thought she was just fucking with her friend and so did everyone else, so the crew guy kept asking why. The cute girl responds, " i have an infection." The crew guy inquires, "Where? In your vagina area?" "MAYBE" she responds. man, how awkward and that was my cue to hit the sack, knowing that i was only going to get a few hours of sleep at this point.
Stand in work is incredibly boring and unrewarding but the job itself really puts me in incredible situations. We are getting paid to hang out in this wonderful setting, a place I wouldn't have ever found on my own. Honestly, the only time we worked was the only time I had to use the restroom (of course). At some point the 1st Assistant Director (or 1st Asssitant Director according to the LA call sheet) came up to me to ask if I was going to London too. "I will if production takes me. I brought my passport just in case." Then he proceeded to tell me I would have 2 days of stunt work while in New York. The 2nd A.D. had already told me to bring my pads, but I had no idea who had told the stunt coordinator that he had to use me and not HIS guy. I was very thankful, because it really helps make this trip worth wild. The wind picked up early so we weren't able to do the stunt all day (another character's stunt), so we had to come back the next day. Production was prepared for that so the only huge hassle was pushing everyone's flights back to the city.
It is not the second to last shot of the day and production didn't know if they were going to need Jonah tomorrow of if they wanted me to double him, so they had me go to Hair/make-up to get a haircut. 15 minutes later, as i am getting out of the chair, they decided they weren't going to use me and now hair has to stay longer because of the miscommunication. Even though it wasn't my fault, i felt bad. later, head hair lady found me to tell me it wasn't me she was mad at. It was a long day of un-organization and miscommunication. after traveling back and forth from base camp and set just to get paid for the day, we finally got on the 'people mover', but the little 9 year old british actor made the whole crew wait for him because he was signing his first autograph...
Next we had the longest and most nauseating trip on a bus ever. I fell asleep for an hour and awoke to see that we were still in the park. Once we made it back i wanted to use the amenities, so i went down to the gym to find Russell Brand and his entourage working out as well. I had made plans with Ricky and Brandon (Dvd guy) to grab a quick drink and a bite to eat at the Hotel Restaurant, but when i got down there, The producer had a tab open for the crew as sort of a fake wrap party for Rochester. Not only was it just a day of work, but we still had more to shoot the next day. Either way, free alcohol is still free. The three of us got our drinks and sat down to eat some real food. The waitress seemed into us, but none of us thought we were the one that she liked. At the end of the meal, we asked for the check and she gave us a wink, almost to say, it was free. But 5 minutes later she brought us a check, totally tricking us. I wanted to be social so i sat down at the bar to get to know some of the new crew guys. There one of the guys wanted to buy the bartenders some shots. There was a fat bartender and a kind of cute one. Talking about the kind of cute girl, the fat one said, "oh wait, she can't drink, she is on anti-biotics". When the crew guy asked what for, the fat one said, "She has The Clap!" Oh my god, what a cock block. i thought she was just fucking with her friend and so did everyone else, so the crew guy kept asking why. The cute girl responds, " i have an infection." The crew guy inquires, "Where? In your vagina area?" "MAYBE" she responds. man, how awkward and that was my cue to hit the sack, knowing that i was only going to get a few hours of sleep at this point.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Day 2 - arrival
Arrive into Rochester without a ride to the hotel. my itinerary said, "reimburse for cab fare", but i am stubborn and thought for sure i could find a way to the hotel without having to pay for it. i noticed on my itinerary that it had the hotel's number on it, so i called and asked if they had a free shuttle. it arrived in no time and was actually really helpful because the driver informed me that there was 1 place to eat and 1 place to see naked girls and that's it. i checked in, took a shower and met Ricky (Russell Brand's Stand In) in the lobby to get some food at the dinosaur bar b q bar. There we met up with some new crew people and shared some much needed laughs. after a few drinks, we both got a call saying that we should come back to the lobby to pick up our per diem. WHAT? and we get money? I was so excited that i told Ricky to chug the rest of his ale so we could feed our wallets. there we met with a warm greeting from some of the familiar faces from the LA crew. after that i went back to my king size single room and passed out. i woke up at 10pm ready to rock and roll but everyone was on there way to sleep. i pretty much laid in bed trying to go back to sleep until 4 am. my alarm was set for 5am...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Day 1 - travel day
arrived at LAX with my boarding pass already printed out from the night before. Though i swear by this method, they don't put your gate number on the ticket when you check-in 24 hours before your flight takes off. security line was long so i jumped in quickly to prepare for the long hall. in front of me there is a group of 3 and behind me there is a group of 3. the guys behind me were calling the guys in front of me gays and saying how they don't like the gays and how they don't even know, etc. i couldn't figure out why they were saying this because no one (according to my gaydar) was flaming. i never once turned around to see what there problem was, but i was carrying a hot pink carry on bag (kind of my style). at the heat of their self inflected anger, a security guard said they could use the elevator to skip through the line, thank god.
finally get to security and i have to take out/off my belt, my shoes, my jacket, my toiletries, and my laptop. needless to say it was not an easy task. after 8 minutes of taking out my stuff and the putting it all back, i wandered throughout the terminal looking for any Airtran gates. i walked the entire terminal and couldn't find a single one. finally i see 2 helpful airport workers and ask where Airtran was. they were so kind in leading me over this magically invisible. one step over the line and she corrects herself, "oh, you wanted the gate, not baggage! oops, you have to go back through security now." very frustrated and very sweaty, i went back through taking my clothes off. this time i stopped at a continental worker that told me where the single terminal was, gate 69 (fitting).
so far, no one has been too helpful and everyone seems to be mad at something. the Airtran flight attendants were no different. very loud and very mean. reminds me of how Production Assistants treat background artists. preparing for arrival into Atlanta, the captain says, "You are probably wondering why we are circling." frankly i couldn't tell the difference until you told me but why? apparently the landing gear was having trouble and we were going to be met with emergency vehicles to assist us. JOY! after 30 minutes of circling and a very scary landing, we touched down safely. 3 hours and a chicken biscuit later, i set sail for NY. there is more annoying Airtran employee stories but it doesn't add to the story so i digress.
I arrived in Rochester early and safely and sweaty.
finally get to security and i have to take out/off my belt, my shoes, my jacket, my toiletries, and my laptop. needless to say it was not an easy task. after 8 minutes of taking out my stuff and the putting it all back, i wandered throughout the terminal looking for any Airtran gates. i walked the entire terminal and couldn't find a single one. finally i see 2 helpful airport workers and ask where Airtran was. they were so kind in leading me over this magically invisible. one step over the line and she corrects herself, "oh, you wanted the gate, not baggage! oops, you have to go back through security now." very frustrated and very sweaty, i went back through taking my clothes off. this time i stopped at a continental worker that told me where the single terminal was, gate 69 (fitting).
so far, no one has been too helpful and everyone seems to be mad at something. the Airtran flight attendants were no different. very loud and very mean. reminds me of how Production Assistants treat background artists. preparing for arrival into Atlanta, the captain says, "You are probably wondering why we are circling." frankly i couldn't tell the difference until you told me but why? apparently the landing gear was having trouble and we were going to be met with emergency vehicles to assist us. JOY! after 30 minutes of circling and a very scary landing, we touched down safely. 3 hours and a chicken biscuit later, i set sail for NY. there is more annoying Airtran employee stories but it doesn't add to the story so i digress.
I arrived in Rochester early and safely and sweaty.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Rushing perfection only breeds mediocrity.
I had to change my departure date and now, I am leaving for New York in 4 days. To make it more fun, i am only taking 2 carry on items in order to ease my portability. i will be in NY for almost 3 weeks. What should i bring? What do i need to bring? What do i want to bring? I still haven't really finalized where i am sleeping from night to night, but i kind of game for that adventure. It reminds me of locker pro (i'll stay in a hotel if i have to put i would rather sleep on a friends couch).
To top it off, i still have 2 shorts in post production. I have been busy and will complete them soon. I know the actors are still waiting for me and i apologize for that. I refuse to start any new projects until those 2 are finalized.
"Rushing perfection only breeds mediocrity."
-Saul
To top it off, i still have 2 shorts in post production. I have been busy and will complete them soon. I know the actors are still waiting for me and i apologize for that. I refuse to start any new projects until those 2 are finalized.
"Rushing perfection only breeds mediocrity."
-Saul
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
GHTTG
LA WRAP FOR GET HIM TO THE GREEK
Monday was a wonderful last day on this movie. Absolutely, my favorite stand in gig so far. It brought forth so many opportunities and really helped me fit into my own skin. I got to be a hand double, body double, stunt double, and even do a music video with Russell Brand and an Elizabeth Moss stand in. I can't wait for more fun in NY mid july - aug. They aren't paying for my ticket and i am working as a local for 2 weeks, but either way, it should be a lot of fun. I will miss a few people, but i am ready for more adventure.
Monday was a wonderful last day on this movie. Absolutely, my favorite stand in gig so far. It brought forth so many opportunities and really helped me fit into my own skin. I got to be a hand double, body double, stunt double, and even do a music video with Russell Brand and an Elizabeth Moss stand in. I can't wait for more fun in NY mid july - aug. They aren't paying for my ticket and i am working as a local for 2 weeks, but either way, it should be a lot of fun. I will miss a few people, but i am ready for more adventure.
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