!@ PS I <3 U day 1
So . .
Today was Day 1 of filming in New York for the film PS I Love You. I was a bit nervous because it has the biggest budget I've ever worked on. My assistant manager wanted me there super early, the manager-manager let me take the train in later, what if I wasn't good enough, what if some problem exposed some kind of weakness... ...it gave me butterflies. Pre-first-day jitters. Happens to everyone, even my assistant manager, who is a kook.
Let me tell you, viewers, readers, and all who have yet to work on a $20 million dollar film: it is like a well-greased PIGBOT. Jeff explained it like this: "On all the movies you've worked on up until now, all the desicions have been budget-based. They try to figure out the best way to do everything - while keeping in consideration the bottom line. You can't make any decision without consulting the UPM or a Producer and having somebody run the numbers. On big budget flicks, there's no need to worry about that. The cushion is always there. No need to worry about if it's possible to spend the money, everyone just ASSUMES that you WILL spend the money, someone just has to figure out if it is absolutely necessarry to spend the money." - to paraphrase.
The one catch is that overtime is a big deal - big enough that I worked a 13 hour day today. THIRTEEN HOURS. Getting a better rate with potential overtime / double days, working with better people that get it done more efficiently. Ladies and gentlemen, this is indeed the Big Time. Most people on this film worked on Spiderman 3. I am officially the youngest person on set - everyone is old, married with kids and does big budgets in a union, forever - and now I see how that is possible.
With my free time tonight, I'm going to spend my time just like I did when I stayed home sick from school . . . I'm gonna watch a movie.
Today was Day 1 of filming in New York for the film PS I Love You. I was a bit nervous because it has the biggest budget I've ever worked on. My assistant manager wanted me there super early, the manager-manager let me take the train in later, what if I wasn't good enough, what if some problem exposed some kind of weakness... ...it gave me butterflies. Pre-first-day jitters. Happens to everyone, even my assistant manager, who is a kook.
Let me tell you, viewers, readers, and all who have yet to work on a $20 million dollar film: it is like a well-greased PIGBOT. Jeff explained it like this: "On all the movies you've worked on up until now, all the desicions have been budget-based. They try to figure out the best way to do everything - while keeping in consideration the bottom line. You can't make any decision without consulting the UPM or a Producer and having somebody run the numbers. On big budget flicks, there's no need to worry about that. The cushion is always there. No need to worry about if it's possible to spend the money, everyone just ASSUMES that you WILL spend the money, someone just has to figure out if it is absolutely necessarry to spend the money." - to paraphrase.
The one catch is that overtime is a big deal - big enough that I worked a 13 hour day today. THIRTEEN HOURS. Getting a better rate with potential overtime / double days, working with better people that get it done more efficiently. Ladies and gentlemen, this is indeed the Big Time. Most people on this film worked on Spiderman 3. I am officially the youngest person on set - everyone is old, married with kids and does big budgets in a union, forever - and now I see how that is possible.
With my free time tonight, I'm going to spend my time just like I did when I stayed home sick from school . . . I'm gonna watch a movie.
posted by Jumpmen Podcast at 5:21 PM
2 Comments:
Holy shit we may actually come in contact with some of the same people! I almost hired a guy who worked on Spiderman 3! Twice! I so love the idea of Mr. Big Budget Movie dude gaffing my $30K MSFT video! However I chose somebody else when he couldn't comprehend the fact that I wanted him to drive the grip truck. Ahh, well, he probably makes the 10-hr day rate I was offering him in 3 hrs on your set.
Yup. I wouldn't approach anyone over 30 for movies lower than $3 mil.
Caste system = learned
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