This Nomadic Life

Let me start off by saying that I did not take this picture. I a) do not have a small child and b) would never strap a suitcase strap across a baby's forehead. But I will acknowledge that it made me chuckle, so I thought I'd share.

So I made it to Pittsburgh and was greeted by snow flurries. One of my friends from home wrote that I had gotten out just before it got cold down there. I responded that it's like the cold version of out of the frying pan into the fire (out of the ice cream into the ice box? I don't know, I'll figure something out). But yes, at long last I've returned to my home away from home for the last four months: the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown. There is something very magical about this city, even when dipped in the hues of drab wintry grey. The trip from the airport into downtown (or "dahntahn" as the locals would have it) is for the most part pretty sparse; billboards, shipping depots, trees, lots and lots of trees. But then you go through the Fort Pitt Tunnel, through Mt. Washington, and the city just opens up - the Ohio to the left, the Monongahela to the right, the Allegheny streaking across, Heinz Field and PNC Park smack dab in front of you, bridges galore (apparently only second to Venice, I've been assured), and buildings that look like comic book bad guy hangouts. This past weekend I actually had a spirited conversation with a friend, who had visited Pittsburgh once, about how underrated it is. She said something to the effect of "if you can get past the name, it's actually a really cool city."

So here I am, perched in my urban asylum, contemplating the life I have begun to forge for myself - or at least the one that's being forged whether I like it or not.

There's something to be said for a nomadic lifestyle like this. For one, you come home to a made bed and clean towels daily. But at the same time, you're coming "home" to an antiseptic cave, devoid of any character or personality other than the cookie-cutter nautilus shell and flower vase still life that hangs above the toilet. So it got me thinking... really it's had me thinking for a while now. There are basically three jurisdictional zones in the Directors Guild - New York, Los Angeles, and Everywhere Else. As I get further into this industry (and as the industry gets increasingly less centralized around LA and NYC), I'm seeing the benefit of living in a more tolerable city - like Pittsburgh... Or Atlanta, New Orleans, New Mexico even (not a city, I know). Then from there, I could navigate the "Third Zone" and basically live my life out of a suitcase (like the baby pictured above, lest you thought I'd forget to somehow tie that in!) Is this a sustainable lifestyle? Suitable even? So I've started weighing the pros and cons of a nomadic life like that.

PROS

• A lot of exciting traveling to a lot of potentially really cool places.
• A steady stream of new friends coming into my life.
• No commitments.
• The hope of living in warmer climes.

CONS

• A lot of exhausting traveling to a lot of potentially really lame places.
• A steady stream of old friends exiting from my life.
• No commitments.
• The threat of living in colder climes.

So as you can see, my analysis needs to dig deeper. I suppose I need to get my priorities in order before I make any binding decisions. I always go back to the age-old parental advice to never close off any doors. My time in Pittsburgh over the last four months has been eye-opening. It's encouraging to see that there is life in this industry outside of New York and Los Angeles, and there are people within the industry - within my own department - who have chosen not to live in New York and Los Angeles and are still working on really awesome jobs!

I don't know what the future has in store, but boy am I psyched for it! And so we beat on, boats against the current, and if we're borne back ceaselessly into the past, as the quote continues, so be it. If my past has any bearing on my future, then I say bring it on.

No Resolutions Without Some Resolve

I'm sitting in the Baltimore Airport, going on hour two of my epic layover before my flight to Pittsburgh (explanation to follow). A flight to Portland just left from my gate, a couple hundred people clearing out to a city I've never seen. And as I continue to wait with my paltry Pittsburgh-bound "family" of fellow passengers, it has occurred to me that I never once updated my blog in 2011.

So as we set off on 2012, with a renewed sense of conviction and a self-awareness of my inability to communicate well, I'm back.

This past year has been, for lack of a better word, eventful. I'm now going into my "4th quarter" of the DGA program - basically all that signifies is that I get a slight uptick in my pay rate and I'm just moments away from being discharged to the fun-filled, fast-paced world of freelance. But before getting too bogged down in the prospects of the future, I suppose I should attempt to make some sense of the past. I'm in the homestretch of my fourth job since becoming a DGA trainee - a Tom Cruise movie, called "One Shot," which is filming in Pittsburgh (thus why I'm awaiting a flight to Pittsburgh). Since finishing "The Sitter," which apparently is my only frame of reference for this blog so far, I worked on Season 2 of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" and Sacha Baron Cohen's new soon-to-be-released shock-mock "The Dictator," which "tell[s] the heroic story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed." Every job has presented unique challenges and opportunities, and I've had the privilege of working with some of the best people in the film industry. As I delve deeper into this blog in the coming weeks and months, I'll elaborate more, provide fun anecdotes, and ruminate on the film industry and my place in it.

Outside of work, I've had the chance to check off more world destinations from my bucket list - visiting Paris in late-May and Kaua'i, Hawai'i in late September. I climbed the Eiffel Tower at midnight and learned to surf (sort of) in the embrace of Puff the Magic Dragon, but I still get no greater contentment than when I fly home to Birmingham (my Alabama license expires this year, and I'll be damned if they make me switch over to New York!) In an industry with such uniformity of experience, my Alabama-ness is probably the most interesting thing about me.

Oh and I'm no longer waking up in Brooklyn! My roommates and I finally sold out (more like got kicked out) in June, making the big move from downtown BK to a much much much much smaller place in the East Village. My room, which I'm subletting while in Pittsburgh, isn't much larger than my bed and makes for fun times trying to get to the bathroom on the other side (depending on my mood, I do some kind of variant of a hood slide or somersault).

So I welcome 2012 and the prospects that come with it! Thank you 9 followers for sticking with me, I promise to keep things exciting and will hopefully attract new converts. I'm too lazy and uncreative right now to think of a new, more appropriate blog title, so WUIB it'll have to remain.

Fitting In

A lot has happened since last I updated this blog, mostly a lot of working and a lot sleeping. I joke that I really only have two speeds, work and sleep. I get home from work, collapse on my bed, wake up, repeat. But my dedication is paying off and I'm beginning to feel more comfortable both at home and at work. I've had several conversations with people on the crew, where they've asked me if we've worked together on something before. "I don't think so," I'll reply. "Did you work on 30 Rock?" They'll ask. "Nope." "Criminal Intent." "Nope, this is actually my first job." "Really?!?!" It's encouraging that I've got people fooled, but it's also now a bit nerve-wracking that I may now be called on to know more than I actually do.

Work is cruising right along, tomorrow is Day 35 of 50, the home stretch. The final couple of weeks are broken up nicely. This past week we had Veterans Day fall smack dab in the middle to split up the week. Now we've got a full slate, but then next week we're on two days and then off four for Thanksgiving. By then we'll only have nine days left. And as far as the actual movie itself, we've been doing some pretty awesome stuff lately, including explosions and green screens. Through it all, we've shot in Brooklyn and Queens and couple of days in Manhattan. I've traveled pretty much every train line the city has to offer, and I've walked hundreds of streets. So in a way, work has forced me to become a better New Yorker.

That was something I suppose I had taken for granted until I was walking around with my brother yesterday. We got off the subway at Union Square, in hopes of hitting up the farmers' market there. No luck. So we walked a little ways up Broadway till we got to the Flatiron District. I had passed the Flatiron building on one of my epic, pre-The Sitter walks from the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum to Union Square. But my brother made a comment about how he only knew the Flatiron building from the old Spiderman video game we used to play. He felt bad that he hadn't really been around New York much, granted he's working an office job and travels most weekends.

So I'm thankful that work has basically forced me to get out of my apartment and see the city. As far as the development of my specific job as the paperwork PA, like I said, I'm beginning to fit in. I've developed a pretty solid routine and I know what is expected of me, when and where I need to be. I'm accruing more downtime by being more efficient with my uptime. I've, of course, been reminded that not all jobs will be like this and I've been lucky to have really nice Best Boys (the second-in-commands for each department, who I have to get the manpower for each day). But as my dad reminded me, I am the maker of my own luck. As long as I bring a positive attitude and confidence to my job, they'll be more accommodating, because at the end of the day they'll know that my job is important to them getting paid and if they blow me off, there will be problems with their paychecks.

Inevitably, on my next project, this will all have to repeat itself, but for now, I have good friends, good work, and good sleep. Ok, so maybe three speeds.

Paperwork Manifesto (Part 2)

I was on the phone with mom today and she said, "People have been asking if you're still alive?" Strange that mortality is now determined by blog activity, but I suppose it is an honest question and there is certainly some validity to it. My job has become my life. From Tuesday to Saturday (or, as has been the case lately, Sunday), every waking moment is spent at work. I eat all my meals at work and the only people I socialize with are those people at work. I've even begun to decorate my room in the honeywagon. I've even resorted to leaving jackets in the honey because the chances of me going outside out of work are slim. That being said, work is going well. I'm feeling increasingly more comfortable in my role as paperwork PA, and people have begun entrusting me with responsibilities that extend beyond the M-O of my job. So in light of all my newfound knowledge, I'll continue with Paperwork Manifesto Part 2.

BE A TEAM PLAYER

When I first started on this job, it was clear that there was already a system in effect. Most of the staff PAs had worked together before and had worked with the ADs before. It was almost like a family, with the 1st AD as the father and the 2nd AD as the mother. As one PA told me, "The [2nd 2nd AD] is like their first child and then all of us [the other staff PAs] are like their other children." And from what I've gathered, that's a lot of what this whole industry is about...allegiances. Especially when your job is an all-consuming one, it's good to have people at work that you like and that you trust.

At first, though, I felt like I had no place in the family. I felt like the system in place was too well established to make room for another. But I just buckled down, worked my butt off, and tried to make a good impression. And that's the best advice I can give. Be a team player. Even when it feels like you're out of the joke - because the joke was long ago established - don't worry, new jokes are bound to crop up. The Key PA, an additional PA, and I have set in motion plans to celebrate "Mo"-vember, rocking moustaches for the entire month of November. The 2nd 2nd AD promised me a $200 gift certificate to a nice steakhouse in Brooklyn should I carry out the deed. I'm still just trying to decide on the right look.

DON'T COUNT YOURSELF OUT

There have been plenty of times on this job where I've thought to myself, there's literally no conceivable way I can do this. Usually, in the morning when my alarm goes off is one of those moments. But also there's the occasional time when I feel like cloning technology would seriously come in handy.

Last night was one such moment. So union rules dictate that we break cast and crew six hours after crew call for "lunch" or else every Local 52 union member (basically any crew person not in the AD department) accrues a meal penalty every 30 minutes after six hours. Crew call yesterday was 4:30pm. But we are also contractually obligated to wrap out the children in the movie by 12:30am on weekends (I think 10:30pm on weeknights). So the rumor was going around set last night that we were just going to work through the six hours, break for lunch at 12:30, but also wrap out for the night.

Right as 12:30 was approaching, a delivery from the office arrived with revised one-line shooting schedules. I called up the 2nd AD, "Hey, so new one-liners came out. But we're about to wrap, so I kind of need to be here to get out times and such, right?" "No," she replied. "Take them up to set." Ok...

Now to give you an idea of what we were dealing with last night, we were shooting a night exterior driving scene, so we were on a stretch of road in Queens, right on the East River, underneath the Triboro and Hell Gate Bridges. Basecamp, where the honeywagon is, was probably a mile away from set. Catering, where "lunch" would be served as about a half-mile in the other direction from basecamp. Luckily, we had shuttle service, but there were no shuttles in basecamp. So I hiked up from basecamp with a thick stack of shooting schedules weighing me down. As I finally rolled into set to distribute them, wrap/lunch was called. Uh oh. I dumped stacks of schedules in each equipment truck for each department, hopped on the first shuttle back down to basecamp to call the wrap report into the office, and then hitched a ride with the unit publicist to catering. I gave them they're instructions and then sprinted back to basecamp to finish collecting out times and finish my production report. I've never felt and hopefully I never will again feel so stretched.

The whole time I thought it was physically impossible, that my presence was required in three different places at the exact same time. But somehow, it all came together.

Paperwork Manifesto (Part 1)

So I realize that one of my primary goals with this blog was to shed some light on the nature of the DGA training program. And well, to date, I've done a pretty lousy job of doing that. But I'm now a week into my first DGA assignment and this is what I've learned so far.

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES

Yes, yes. This one seems like a no brainer. It was one of the first things I was told in my training seminar and it was said over and over again on my additional days on Premium Rush. My shoes are pretty comfortably broken in and I like to think that I walk a lot. But I think the best way to describe the amount of walking you do on the job is to liken it to the dilemma the NFL is currently dealing with. Like with concussions, it's not the big walks I've had to take, but all the little walking that occurs. All day long, it's stand up, sit down, file this, file that, get me this, don't stand there. As a result, I'm constantly shifting. And when I'm doing that five days out of the week, it eventually takes its toll. My back aches, my knees are sore, I think my feet are now flat, and I have a perpetual crick in my neck. So yes, wear comfortable shoes, but also stretch frequently.

As a side note, wear comfortable pants, too. Wearing a heavy pair of jeans on a rainy day or a pair of shorts that constantly rides up can be mighty uncomfortable around hour 7 or 8.

IT IS LEARNING ON THE JOB

I'm not going to lie, I felt pretty confident going into my first day. Man, all I've got to do is a PR, I thought. After that training seminar, those things are a breeze. Then, "Hey Dixon, can you grab me a one-liner?" "Have any day-out-of days?" "You gonna eat your corn bread?" Ok, so that last one was never asked of me, but the first two...hunh?? Needless to say, I was constantly kept on my toes for week one. Fortunately, the other staff PAs were super helpful and cued me in when I was messing up. No matter how prepared you think you may be in the theoretical sense, you'll never know what you've gotten yourself into until you're knee deep in it. By the end of day one, I was a wet rag, and not just because it was raining (something that makes a job that deals with paper very difficult to carry out).

Okay, there's still a ton more that I wish I could share, but I'm totally beat. So I'll leave it at Part 1. Aside from providing me with the above life lessons, work has been going well. I'm beginning to settle in and I'm finding that I actually have some down time during the day. I've befriended some of the other PAs, as well as a bunch of the Grips and the Special Effects guys. Everyone on our crew is really genial and all of them are generous with their assistance whenever I'm at a loss.

But yeah I'll post a Part 2, maybe more, when I'm better rested and can think more clearly. To be continued...

Whoa! or The Importance of Being on Time

Note: I started this post last night after I got home from work. I promptly fell asleep (as you will soon understand why). So for chronological accuracy pretend like this post actually went up last night.

There are only a handful of paths to attaining immortality. Maybe conquering a Holy Empire. Saving a nation from Civil War, perhaps. Walking on water often does the trick. But one knows he or she has really reached the upper echelon of immortality when he or she has landed his or her (man, I should have just picked a hypothetical gender for "one") name within the comfy confines of computer screen, splashed across IMDb in all its pixelated splendor. Well I finally made it. And it's glorious!

In other news, I got back to NYC, from my restful and relaxing 10-day trip home, about 48 hours ago and what a crazy 48 hours it has been. I got an email from the production office on Wednesday about a "kick off party" that night. I arrived right at 8 (when the party was supposed to start) and I was the first one there. A guy from the props department showed up shortly thereafter and we started talking. A couple then arrived and the guy of the couple turned to me and said, "I don't think we've met yet, I'm David." I turned from my conversation with the prop guy and realized the extended hand was that of the director! I shook his hand, introduced myself, and managed to get in a conversation with him before the place filled up with people. He was a very nice guy, interested in my involvement with the DGA program and that I came to New York from Alabama.

Yesterday was my first day on the job. I was the only set staff PA called in, so I took on a kind of hybrid responsibility that combined all those of each of the individual PAs. I began my day by discussing the production report (PR) with the production accountant. Straightforward enough. But then the 2nd 2nd AD asked me to wait outside for the kids (the movie has kids in it, if I hadn't already made that clear), their parents, and the set teacher (SAG mandates that children have 3hrs of school on schooldays when they're working) to arrive. So I was temporarily switching over to the 1st team PA.

Their van arrived and I took them upstairs to the rehearsal space on the 3rd floor (the production office is on the 4th floor, this detail will be become important soon). I got the kids and the teacher settled into their classroom and made sure the parents were comfortable in the adjacent rooms to the rehearsal space. Jonah, his assistant, and the 2nd 2nd entered the room soon after and Jonah came over to me. "Hey dude, I'm Jonah." Also a very nice guy. Just about 5 hours into my first day on the job, I could tell that this film is going to be a very enjoyable experience. The 2nd 2nd had me hang out on the 3rd floor and be available should anyone need anything from the production office. I set up shop in one of the other empty adjacent rooms and began reading the shooting script that I had picked up earlier in the morning. Through the wall I could hear the rehearsals and hear how they all work and improvise. It was a great learning experience for me and great hilarity could be heard. In the afternoon, I temporarily switched over to walkie PA, took the walkie delivery inventory, and labeled all 100 walkie talkies so they matched up with the inventory.

Though I was split among the work of three different set PAs yesterday, at least they were one after another. Today, I felt like I was balancing four (add background PA) at the same time. We were doing a photo shoot, involving background, so I had to get them started on all their paperwork, take them to wardrobe, and basically make sure they were ready to go when we needed them. After the photo shoot, I continued to prepare the walkies (walkie PA) and the AD kit (paperwork PA), but had to be ready to wrap out background whenever they were wrapped.

Needless to say, I really hit the ground running with this job. But it's what I signed up for. The DGA training program is not going to teach you to do your job, your job is going to teach you your job. It's all on-the-job training, as it has become all too abundantly clear. And I love it. I come home with tired feet, a tired back, and a tired mind, but in the end it's worth it. My brother gave me some great advice tonight. He reminded me that, while I may be getting carried away by the little jobs I have to do, I can't lose sight of the bigger picture. I recall one of the great tenets laid out in the seminar week...GET THE SHOT. As long as the movie is being made, everyone's happy. I will screw up, but as long as filming continues to move forward, everything will be okay.

At the end of the day yesterday, Jonah was walking through the hallway saying his goodbyes to everybody and he saw me at my makeshift desk. "Hey Dixon, have a great weekend! See you next week." Whoa.

A Long Time Coming

The title of this entry has less to do with what's going on in my life and more to do with the fact that this entry has been a long time coming. I'm getting to that first wall in blog-writing. The initial luster of writing a blog about a new chapter in one's life is starting to wear because, to be honest, this chapter doesn't feel so new anymore. There haven't been too many new improvements on the apartment—though I did have a house warming party. That was actually very fun, because a) I learned how to cook a bunch of things, 2) I've conquered the fear of having people over, and d) having people over reminded me how awesome our apartment is. The wow factor was back!

Job-wise, I've still been putting in days on "Premium Rush," though this week marked the end of their shooting action scenes so they don't really need additional PAs anymore. I had a bit of a close call on Thursday. At the end of the day, the Key PA asked if I wanted to work Friday. I'm pretty sure I have something to do tomorrow, I thought. But I can't remember what it is and I've been living and breathing Premium Rush all week, so...

"Sure," I said.

As soon as I got home, I suddenly realized that I had made arrangements to go into the production office for "The Sitter" on Friday. I texted the Key, "Hey I feel really terrible about this but I just realized I had made an arrangement to visit the production office of my first DGA assignment. I can help find a replacement if you want." I was kind of expecting him to say, "I'll just hire someone I know and trust." Instead, nothing. So I figured I better deliver on a replacement. Only problem is, I don't know anyone who's been a PA before. But I called up a friend, who I had recently met up with for coffee to discuss the film industry. She had a genuine interest in film, but no real gateway to the biz. I texted the Key, "I found someone. She's never worked on Premium Rush before, but she's a go-getter." "Book her," was his response. Phew. As it turned out, she had a great time working on the movie. Of course, how could you not have a great time when you're shooting in Central Park. It's like touristing and working, wrapped into one.

With my "day off," I went into the office for "The Sitter." It was in a very inconspicuous building, in an even more inconspicuous office. But when I got there, everyone was very nice and welcoming. They knew who I was and got me some crew information paperwork to start filling out. I was then led into the office of the 2nd AD, who couldn't have been nicer. There was still a lot to be done, so she didn't give me too many specifics, but it was definitely comforting to put a face with a name and get a better idea of who I'll be working with. She said the 1st AD was in a scheduling meeting with the producers and that I probably wouldn't get to meet him, but sure enough, the meeting let out and I met the 1st AD, the Line Producer, and one of the Producers. The 1st AD actually introduced me to the Line Producer, saying, "Harvard meet Cornell." "Oh, when'd you get out of there?" the Big Red LP asked. "May," I replied. "Oh! Well, welcome!" Then he introduced me to the producer, "Harvard meet Dartmouth." It felt a little awkward, but it was cool to see other Ivy Leaguers with obviously very successful careers in the film industry—outside of the typical writer/agent mold.

I met up with a couple of friends, one of whom was the girl who I "booked" for Premium Rush, and we strolled along Madison Avenue for the kick-off to Fashion Week. All the ritzy stores were open late, serving complimentary champagne (and one place had bourbon-filled chocolate truffles, very fancy). Even looked very, for lack of a better word, fashionable. I actually texted my friend who orchestrated the whole thing, "What's the attire?" "It's a mix, but safe bet would be no jeans or sneakers." I looked down; jeans and sneakers. So I made a quick change, scraping together the only decent clothes I have. It's tough when you work in an industry where you can wear shorts and a t-shirt to work. The high point of the evening was seeing Serena Williams at the David Yurman store.

Saturday, I went to a PA/AD party—ended up being more production assistants than actual assistant directors, but still very fun. There were a lot of Premium Rush people. I started to talking to a group of them and they said, "Oh, you're [name redacted]'s friend." Wait, what? She's my friend! Only one day on the job and she already had more friends than I did. But it pleased me to feel like I had helped someone "break in."

From that party, I went to the Ainsworth, a bar in Chelsea, to watch the Alabama-Penn State game with probably two- or three-hundred other Alabama fans. Apparently the Alabama alumni in New York (UANY) group organizes watch parties every Saturday, so I figured this was as good a game as any to check it out. The game ended up being a wash, but the crowd was great and I met a lot of nice people, including the guy who I sat next to at the National Championship Game last year.

I'm heading home tomorrow to get one last good dose of R&R and quality lake time before I start working ridiculous hours nonstop till December.