So, after dropping out of graduate school last December, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with my life. I had just left a job at the local TV station because I had intended to focus on school, but when that fell apart I was left with no job, no graduate degree, and absolutely no equipment of my own... unless you count an old Nikon D70 SLR camera, which I don't.
I was stuck. I didn't want a job outside of my profession, but the local TV station had filled my position and wasn't hiring. I couldn't afford to move to a bigger city without a guaranteed job offer, so it seemed I was destined for a fast food job or something else just to pay the bills. Luckily for me, the fates had another plan.
I had been registered on many of the industry job sites only a week or so, but to my surprise, the phone rang one afternoon and on the other end was a New York production company looking to hire me as a PA for a new Travel Channel show called Food Wars.
Even though my PA position was more like being a Key Grip, I still had a great time and learned more over three days than I ever did in school. The crew from New York were amazing and I hope our paths cross again in the future.
The next job I worked in 2010 was actually one I already knew was coming. At the end of January I got my second opportunity to work with the boys from Fargo, ND when the Heartland Poker Tour rolled back into Downstream Casino. The HPT is by far one of my biggest jobs of the year as it is a syndicated poker show that airs nationwide. This is also one of my favorite jobs because the only reason I got it was because I did something crazy to get it... I asked. They weren't hiring, I just heard they were coming into town. So I sent one of the co-owners an email asking if they needed any help and he gave me a shot. Now they ask me back every time they visit.
(I'm running the cam that follows the guy in the green jacket)
Skipping ahead to August (Yes, August. I shoot a lot of weddings the spring and summer), my next important gig was a big one. My buddy Tony and I set off for the bustling metropolis that is Pauls Valley, OK to spend a week working as Grips on a USC Film student's thesis project. The film, titled Noodling, was our first chance to work for an actual Hollywood-style production. It was pretty much everything I dreamed it to be, I just wish it could have lasted longer. We spent the week unloading the grip truck, running power, setting the lights, repositioning the lights, waiting..............., tearing everything down, loading the grip truck, and going to the next location. We were constantly on the move and some days had multiple sets, so we had to do that whole process more than once a day... And I loved every minute of it.
Although, I didn't enjoy the bugs...
Wow, this has been a long post. Props for making it this far!
Whether I was shooting MMA fights, wrangling auditions for Americas Got Talent, or making movies in the back-country, 2010 was a great first year. I can only hope that 2011 can be just as great, and I hope you'll tag along for the ride...
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