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I'll Run for Chocolate

1/25/2015

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Timing, Goodies and Chocolate

The main reason I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15K--Atlanta was because it was the right length and the right time. It was the perfect training run.

But then I saw the goodie bag and the medal.

And then of course there was the chocolate.



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Conventional Wisdom

With marathons and some of the larger race events they hold an expo with a bunch of merchandising as well as booths with running and various fitness gear. There are often great discounts and free give-away stuff.

The Hot Chocolate Expo did not disappoint.

I picked up some recovery compression socks as well as a nifty new running shirt both at a fifty percent discount. I also got some free samples of healthy sports snacks and then of course chocolate.

Such good deals and such that I came back with Cindy and Skye the next day.

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Sub-optimal Prep

I was concerned about how well my race day performance was going to be, given that I would be running the longest distance since I ran the 50K at Burning Man.

I also had a lot on my mind, trying to get stuff done before starting a new job on Monday.

And then there was the season premiere of the show Black Sails, which shouldn't have had any bearing except that it being a show about pirates, I ended up having a little more rum than I should have given that I had to wake up at 5 am the next morning.

I am usually pretty good about managing my food, sleep, gear management and hydration the day and morning before a race.

Such was not the case this time around.

I didn't hydrate well and got a horrible night's sleep. And I was going to be wearing some new attire that I picked up at the expo and I'd never trained in, something I never do.

But I was going in with the mindset that this was simply a training run. I wouldn't worry about the pace or even if I ended up walking a lot.

I was going to have a good time and however I finished I would be fine with.

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The Journey is Half the Adventure


I got going a little later than I had planned but the parking for the race was only 15 minutes from the house and I had pre-paid parking so I felt that giving myself 30 minutes to get to the event which would still put me there an hour before the race would be sufficient.

Nope.

The traffic was beyond insane.

The freeway was backed up for miles.

I decided to get off and make my way there on smaller side-streets. I had to go the wrong way down an on-ramp in order to manage that. I then went on to run 3 red-lights because I was running so late.

When I got close to parking, there was a closer private lot that was charging $5 dollars. So even though I had my pre-paid parking ticket, I decided it was worth the fiver in order to get parked and over to the starting corrals.

I was very glad I did.

I got in line for the porta-pots along with several hundred other people. A line I thought would take 10 minutes ended up more like 25 and I just barely got to the my assigned corral literally 3 minutes before the start.

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On Your Mark, Get Set, Go

The actual race ended up being remarkably well organized.

The start was staggered and even though there were several thousand runners, many more running the 5K than the 15K, there was not a slow, crowded start.

And even though I wasn't really pushing myself and had not trained as much as I would have liked and was rather silly the day before, I had a great race.

Around half-way through, I realized I was doing a little better than a 10 minute pace. I had thought I would be somewhere around 10:30.  I had imagined I would finish in an hour and 45 minutes.

I still had a 5K to finish and my right leg was beginning to act up a little. I had injured it in juijitsu a few days before and in the morning had a sharp pain in my knee. So I was concerned that it might seize up at some point, especially towards the end.

So I didn't push myself, in fact I slowed up a bit.

Or so I thought.

As I did the math in my head, I realized I was still keeping a faster pace than I had anticipated and I would be finishing closer to an hour and a half. As long a nothing went terribly wrong.

A mile within the finish line, I was still feeling good and decided to push the pace.

I finished strong and was feeling great.

And going for my chocolate reward.

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Success and Recovery

I ended up with a not so bad time and feeling pretty good physically, except for maybe eating too much chocolate.

As soon as I got home I started the recovery process with a nice warm bath with a lot of mineral salts and then I tried out the compression socks with ice inserts as well as some of the the self massage rollers.

And water, lots of water.

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Happy Trails

1/22/2015

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Running to Remember

With the Georgia Marathon coming up sooner than later, March 22, 56 days and counting, and my starting a job next week, I've remembered a few things.

  • I didn't give myself enough time to prep for a marathon.
  • Given the prep- time I did have and all the other things I have going on in my life; I didn't have enough hours in the week to properly prepare for a marathon.
  • I really don't love running.
  • I really, really, don't love running in urban scapes. (Unless its a new city, then I like exploring)

So why on Earth did I sign up for the Georgia Marathon?

Hitting the Trail

It took around thirty minutes to drive to Stone Mountain. When I got there I found out it cost $15 to park. I wasn't going to pay that in order to go for an hour long jog. So I found on the street parking some half-mile down the road. It was a particularly cold and dreary day and I didn't feel like going for a run, especially since I was supposed to be doing my "long" run of 8-10 miles.

I had decided to take the extra hour of driving so that I could run on trails, something I had always enjoyed and hadn't done in months. Maybe it could get me out of my current slump.

But it wasn't looking good.

I headed  towards a big sign that had a map of the park's trails, and found one that looped around Stone Mountain.

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Trail Blazing

It seemed easy enough, somewhere near the base on the hike up to the Stone Mountain Summit was the trail-head to the Cherokee Trail, which was a 5-mile loop. I could run it twice and have a real solid "long" day run.

Oops and More Oops


Somehow I missed the trail marker and ended up jog/hiking 3/4 of the way up to the summit. After finally realizing my mistake I started back down. And low and behold, I came upon the the trail and started slowly jogging.

I had to go slowly because the trail started across a granite face with sheets of ice as well as wide areas of melting ice which was even more slippery and hazardous. Add to this that the white blazes (white spray painted marks) that were on the rocks were in many place covered over by the ice making following the trail a challenge all unto it self.



PictureCherokee Trail minus the sheets of ice
A Bad Day on the Trail....

Is still better than some of my better runs in the city.

After finally finding the trail and getting of the rock-face portion, I was able to actually run for a bit. It's still at a much slower pace than on streets because you have all sorts of obstacles, such as roots and rocks, people and their dogs and children, stream crossings, mud and of course keeping on the designated trail.

But I was still having a great time.

Except when I would step on a sharp rock, or hit my toes of a root or rock, or almost get tripped by a root or rock, or get tripped by a root and go stumbling to the ground trying not to get seriously hurt, which happened once, leaving me with a nicely scraped up knee and limping for a while.

In spite of all that, I was still enjoying myself and being out in nature and remembering how much I enjoyed trail running.



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Missteps and Mistakes

I realized I needed to make getting out on a trail run a priority, so earlier this week I headed out to Sweetwater Creek State Park on a Monday so I wouldn't run into the crowds of people that had made my run around Stone Mountain a bit more challenging/frustrating.

The traffic was horrible, so it took almost an hour to get to the trail and I had left latter than I wanted to so I wasn't going to have much time before the sun set. Good thing I brought a headlamp...

Except the park closes at sundown and they shut the gates to the parking lot. So now I didn't  had enough time for a long run.

And I realized it was MLK day, so the crowds I would be avoiding were out in full force because it was a beautiful sunny holiday.

Oh well, a bad day on the trail is still better than a good run in the city.

And it was, and I was determined to have a good day on the trail.

Third Times a Charm

A couple of days later, yesterday, I headed back to Sweetwater and had a great run.

I took my time and didn't care about the pace.

I even took stops to take pictures and enjoy the scenery.
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Reboot Rest and Recovery

Being out on trail reminded me of the reasons I did sign up for the Georgia Marathon

  • Running is a great cross-training workout that helps in my other athletic endeavors, helps out with my moods and is a vital part of my weight-loss strategy.
  • I get a lot of quality thinking done when I'm on run.
  • I like being able to finish a marathon and if I do go to Burning Man again, I want to do the 50k and not feel stressed out about not having enough time to train for it.
  • I don't really hate running.

I've been getting better at taking care of myself. I got myself these compression leggings, which aid in recovery. I've been doing a lot of self-massage and stretching as well as taking hot baths with loads of therapeutic salts tossed in.

Georgia Marathon here I come.

But first the Hot Chocolate 15k this Sunday.



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Whistle-blowers and Bad-asses; Mavericks and Morons

1/19/2015

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Safety, Social Media and the Film Business

This is another blog-entry inspired by conversations on Facebook's
Atlanta Art Department Group and the Set Dressing 102 Workshop.  The topic of safety came up in the workshop; particularly when it came to not being afraid to ask for instruction on the job-site when learning new skills or saying you weren't comfortable performing a certain task because you weren't proficient enough with that certain skill-set, ie operating a scissor-lift or a condor (Aerial Work Platform), using a more specialized tool that could be dangerous; blowtorch, chain-saw, chop saw, etc.

While this is certainly important in regards to workplace safety, if you are in constant need of instruction or continually are unable to perform various tasks you won't find yourself collecting a paycheck on a regular basis. But if you're new and don't have the experience what is one to do?

Be observant and fake it, to a point. Knowing when to ask questions and when to bluff your way through situations can be a key to making it in the set dressing department and I'm sure it holds true in other departments as well. Because the class was made up of a lot of beginners, we stressed safety and reassured them that the majority of time it is best to say you don't know and ask questions.

The following day, this was posted on the Facebook Atlanta Art Dept group:


"Carry Bolt Cutters Everywhere": Werner Herzog Has 24 Amazing Pieces Of Advice

There are directors, and there are artists, and then there is Werner Herzog. He stands alone, occupying his own Werner Herzog-ian place in the movie world.

On the back cover of the recent book "Werner Herzog--A Guide for the Perplexed" by Paul Cronin, are 24 maxims by German director.

1. Always take the initiative.
2. There is nothing wrong with spending a night in jail if it means getting the shot you need.
3. Send out all your dogs and one might return with prey.
4. Never wallow in your troubles; despair must be kept private and brief.
5. Learn to live with your mistakes.
6. Expand your knowledge and understanding of music and literature, old and modern.
7. That roll of unexposed celluloid you have in your hand might be the last in existence, so do something impressive with it.
8. There is never an excuse not to finish a film.
9. Carry bolt cutters everywhere.
10. Thwart institutional cowardice.
11. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.
12. Take your fate into your own hands.
13. Learn to read the inner essence of a landscape.
14. Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory.
15. Walk straight ahead, never detour.
16. Manoeuvre and mislead, but always deliver.
17. Don’t be fearful of rejection.
18. Develop your own voice.
19. Day one is the point of no return.
20. A badge of honor is to fail a film theory class.
21. Chance is the lifeblood of cinema.
22. Guerrilla tactics are best.
23. Take revenge if need be.
24. Get used to the bear behind you.
Georgia on My Mind

The responses were varied, but it did not take long for the Sarah Jones incident to come up. A lot of the local Atlanta crew new Sarah, a lot knew other people who were on that shoot.

A couple of crew members I had worked with were on the tracks at the time.


  • Dude is sort of my hero
  •  Yes, advice from a badass film maker. I mean , I like money and I'm a film industry whore ( sluts don't get paid) but, there has to be some level of why motion picture are a form of art. Possibly the ultimate form. Still, we all need to make a living even if we work on Vampire tv and other shit
  • Hahaha. Next time I see you, I've got a pretty terrific anecdote to share.
  •  #1 Initiate
  •  Hr makes some cool stuff, but he sounds dangerous. I don't like working for risk taking, dangerous people. Dumb things happen....Sarah Jones
  •  I liked several of the things on the list but there's some crazy ass shit, too. When I direct now, I am - if anything- overly paranoid about everyone's safety!
  • Have to be. "Its better to be dead and cool, than alive and uncool" sounds romantic, but it ain't.
  • I agree with you ......, especially since the lower down the food chain you go, the more often you tend to be put in the line of fire as it were and you certainly don't reap the rearwards. I've certainly changed my perspective of this over the years
  • Herzog is crazy brilliant!
  • It is just a testament to those foolish enough to take such risks in order to make a film. The danger in film is fun until somebody gets wasted and then we all remember why people like Werner Herzog were madmen
  • Yes. Brilliance become stupidity around Set Dec, PA level. It all depends on what level of the totem you work at.
  • I've seen little room for stupidity in the set dec department. If you're a maverick in set dec it's due to on the spot innovation and not foolishness.
    "Don't kill the actor" as Frank Raffa says.
  • I agree. Most set deccers i know are on it.
  • Asking questions , planning and cooperation are all part of the safety process. Happens every day.3 hrs · Like
  • Unless you were on Fast 7.
  •  I may have dodged a bullet there
  • Say *******who taught you all this? LOL!….. and no jumping off of lift gates
  • Thanks for whippin me into shape all those years ago Alba. I'm the "old- guy" that yells at people to never jump off the gate.
Young, Dumb and Full of ......Ambition

When I started in the film business in Los Angeles almost 30 years ago the industry was a very different place, I was very different, the world was very different.

The internet, social media, the 24-hour news cycle; none of these things existed. People died making movies, but unless it involved major actors or children, it very often didn't make the news and it was soon forgotten, except of course for the family and friends of the deceased and those involved in the accident. It changed their lives for ever.

It was hard to get into the Union when I started and there was enough non-union work that I wasn't so sure that I wanted to join any way. The Union represented to me the Establishment and I wanted no part of it. Plus it was an enormous financial commitment because of the high initiation fee. And I didn't know anyone in the union, so I knew it would be hard to get my foot in the door.  So since I wasn't convinced that set dressing was going to be my career, I was happy to continue doing non-Union projects. 

And it wasn't just a bunch of low-budget
straight-to-video projects. I worked on Twin Peaks for both seasons, the first thing I ever lead was a Ridley Scott commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, I worked on a massive Michael Jackson video. In fact, True Lies, one of the biggest shows started off non-Union.  My point is that it wasn't only small indie-type stuff where guerrilla film-making is a given that I was involved in.

The reason why I bring this all up is because when the discussion about Midnight Rider comes up, the size of project often gets mentioned, that it was being filmed in Georgia not California gets thrown in there, and more than one person I've talked to insists that they wouldn't have gone onto the tracks.

I'm not sure if I would have or not.

I can pretty much guarantee you that my 24-year old self would have been out there on those tracks.

Big Slow Moving Deadly Things

I've worked on rail-road cars and around the tracks on movie sets in the past. In Mexico, where safety violations happen constantly.

But my friend who happened to be in charge of a great deal of the safety matters during, before and after shooting was very vigilante about safety meetings, who was allowed on and around the trains, etc. After months working of shooting stunts involving horses, fight sequences, explosions everyone went home alive. As it most certainly should happen.

On a different show, my crew and myself as well as several other departments that were involved in pre-rigging, had to take a shuttle boat out to the container ship that the set was built upon. At which point we would board the much larger vessel by way of a rope ladder and then have to haul our tools up the side of the boat with a rope.

It was exciting and challenging. But it was also dangerous. When the weather was less than ideal, it was scary. I video-taped our boarding one day and brought it to production because I wanted my crew paid hazard pay. Plenty of other people on the show were getting it, not for this, but things covered under the union contract, like working in water deeper than four feet for more than a couple of hours.

He said no.

We continued to step off one moving boat and climb up a rope ladder as the captain did his best to keep the smaller boat close and steady. When the shooting crew were shuttled out to do the same thing, they refused and the larger container ship was brought into board to load everybody from shore, something that cost the company time and money.

Should I have been more adamant? If someone would have been hurt or killed the answer would be obvious, but since that didn't happen, I'll never know.

Just Say No

Immediately after something like what happened on Midnight Rider occurs, everybody is safety-aware and respectful about it.  As time passes, so do the concerns about safety, not completely of course, but to a certain extent.

I have said no in the past. I have refused to have my crew work under certain conditions. It doesn't go over well. I have never lost my job because of it, but I have sure pissed some people off.

It seems like we never have enough time to get our job done with rushing and often cutting corners. We were working on a stage set in a converted warehouse that didn't have adequate ventilation and the paint department was using some pretty toxic stuff. They were all wearing respirators, but none of the other departments working on the set were, including my crew.  I rented several large industrial fans in an attempt to exhaust the fumes. (By the way, it is in no way the duty of the set dressing department to provide off-camera fans for the paint department, but I was doing my part and my best to find a solution)

It wasn't enough and the place still was in my opinion and many on my crew unsafe.

I decided to wait until the painters finished and the fumes had dissipated to continue our work. There were other things we could be doing on the stage next door until that time.

The production designer was furious and ordered me and my crew back in. He wanted the set roughed in for when the director was to do his walk-through.

I assured him that we could get the job done after the painters were done and it was safe to go back in, but I refused to have my crew go in.

He was not very happy with me.

However when we did get the job done as I promised and in a safe working environment, he did come and apologize for his request.

It was not easy for me to say no, but I'm glad I did.
20/20 Hindsight

There are many things I've done over the years, particularly in my younger days, that I hopefully wouldn't do today.

There are also things that I did in the past that I probably wouldn't get away with these days, like using a tank to age and distress set dressing pieces. It was fun to watch and no one was in harm's way but in today's safety-conscious climate, it might have been frowned on.

I have used rope instead of the proper lifting slings because the previous crew had left them on the truck. That ended up with us being dressed down by the rigging grip and then having to sit through a long studio safety video.  We would have a grip assigned to us, which was awesome and the rigging grip who had given me grief, rightly so, would end up borrowing some of our rappelling gear, which was not deemed safe by the studio guidelines but was actually the better equipment to use and much safer for the situation we were in.

And physically there are things I just can't do that I used to be able to, like carrying an anvil on my shoulder across the stage instead of waiting for a dolly.


Beyond Our Control

There are times when all the safety rules are followed and things still go amiss. Accidents happen.

We were shooting once on top of a building in Miami. Lightning struck and 2 crew members holding onto the safety rail got quite a jolt. Now production has much stricter rules when it comes to working in areas where the danger of lightning exists.

I was working in a defunct copper-mine when someone cut a pipe that had residual chemicals in it and it mixed with something and created a bad chemical reaction with toxic smoke filling the corridor we were working in. Unfortunately we were evacuated in the wrong direction and went right through the cloud.

We we all checked out by the medics. Most of us were fine although a couple of people were taken to the hospital to be safe. Everyone was fine and after establishing a better defined escape route we were back in the mine working the next day.

I've worked in 122 degrees heat hauling dressing by hand up and down 100 foot plus sand dunes. As a team we were constantly reminding each other to take breaks and remain hydrated.

I can think of many, many more instances where I have been in unsafe situations. The film business and set dressing is not for everyone. It at times can be unsafe. And it can be hard to know when something that seems OK, takes a turn for the worst.

At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own safety as well as how your actions may endanger those around you.
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Set Dressing 102--Tools of the Trade

1/17/2015

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Set Decorating 102 " Building Off of The Basics"

This blog-entry was inspired by an event that I helped out at today. 

It was focused on the tools we use as set dressers, to which I offered up some of what I've learned over the years.

"This Saturday, January 17th, beginning at 9:00AM, Local 479 member and Warner Brothers Property Atlanta Manager, Nikki Giovacchini, will be hosting a workshop entitled, Set Decorating 102, "Building Off Of The Basics". 

This class will be building off of the 101 class, with a more focused approach to Set Decorating. Come ready to have fun while learning your craft. 

Who: Local 479 Members in good standing
What: Set Decorating 102 " Building Off of The Basics"
When: Saturday, December 17th, 2014 9:00AM
Where: 3645 Southside Industrial Pkwy., Atlanta, GA 30354
"

I also participated in an informal round-table discussion about set decorating. 

I am really impressed with these workshops and wished they had something like it when I was first starting out, so many years ago.

Like Riding a Bike...Sort of

It's been a while since I've worked regularly as a set dresser or for that matter a lead person. In order to prepare for the workshop at which I was going to be speaking, I needed to brush up and do some research. I hit the internet which was interesting, more on that...

I also decided to start off with the list that IATSE (
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 44 has written in there contract. I joined that local as a property person almost 25 years ago.

From the 44 contract:

"No employee shall furnish his own equipment (other than trade tools) or use such in furthering or assisting the Producer when compensated at minimum wage rates. All agreements to furnish equipment must be approved by the Business Representative of the Union.

Tool List for Property Person
12 oz. Claw Hammer
Side Cutter
Pliers
Screw Driver
6-8" Adjustable Wrench
Tape Measure
Cordless Screw Gun
"


The Bare Minimum and Beyond

While that's a good starting point, I don't know anyone who has been set dressing for very long that brings that little to the job.

I decided to see what local Atlantan Set Dressers and lead persons thought were important tools to do your job, got on Facebook, on the Atlanta Art Department page and quiered,

"Good morning and TGIF; I'm helping out at tomorrow's Set Dressing 102 over at Warner Bros Property; We're going to be talking about tools; So what are some of the top essential tools for a Set Dresser."

The responses ran the gamut....
I've removed the names to protect the innocent and not so innocent.

  • Pen
    Sharpie
  • Here is one NO ONE EVER HAS...A Point Driver...for framing...you know how many times we have to take the glass out of picture frames, and end up taping the back, then you go to return the piece with the glass out and tape on the back, then the show ge...See MoreFletcher-Terry 07-500 Fletcher Frame Master Point Driver Wood 5/8 in.Picture framing tool that fires the new wax free flat...amazon.com
  •  NO...It is not a staple gun......and here is another tip...when using ...Do Not press down hard, as the impact can crack the glass..Be gentle..
  • Good one  but that really should be part of a Leadman kit. IMHO
  •  Leartheman
    Hammer hatchet combo.
    ..
  •  Yeah, back in grad school it was a toss up between that and a mat cutter.
    I bought the mat cutter
  • I'm my experience, if you ain't got it. Your gonna need it.10 hrs · Like · 5
  • Jon Danniells That's funny  because I used to carry with me a brad pusher, which is the hand tool version of what you posted and I haven't seen one in ages, and since I have been mostly decorating I haven't bothered getting one. On that note I think its about ti...See MoreCRL Brad PusherBuy CRL SCREW EYES AND WIRE BRADS - Best Prices! DKHardware - Home & Industrial Hardware...dkhardware.com
  • blue tape, flashlight
  • Alarm clock. Be on time.
  • Jab saw/ Gomboy
    Drill bit set
    Screw bit set
    ..
  •  Small level w magnetic side, changeable screwdriver flat and philips, small flashlight or get app for phone, gloves, tape measure, small nail remover that is also a small hammer on one side, always keep a micro rag in pocket, blue tape and electrical tape should hang from dresser belt, power drIll, in set dresser tool bag should be various hanging material for pictures and different size screws, etc., sharpie, small pencil, small note book, small pushup razor, box cutter, pliers, needle nose plier,….just off the top of my head….oh yes, READ THE SCRIPT!
  • Good list  Side question is reading the script a "on duty task"? Or something the dresser is required to do at home on there own time?
  • it should be done at work…instead of being on fb 
  • Some dressers take the scripts on the trucks and read them there….but really dressers can quickly skim over script and get the jest of the story. Unless you are core, day players should not have to read script
  •  Handy dandy wire strippers. Also, there really is no set list
    I had a show where I used a chainsaw for 2 weeks. Set dressing is random. My advice, be Batman. Every payday, buy something new. Look at other dressers. Hell, I have a 5 foot tall job box loaded, a plastic cart, a wooden cart with full box attached...loaded with stuff. You can't go wrong with tools. At some point you will need it no matter what it is.
  •  pair of dikes
  • Something I wish people would hammer into others are the different screw types and the different sizes in the types, and the importance of using the correct driver.

    I.E. the most common Phillip's is a size 2, but you will run into size 1 and 3 which l
    ...
  • Security Frame wrench- for pulling art off the wall in hotel lobbies, hospitals, etc
  • Pipe cutter
  • Gloves
  • Glitter
  • Proper outerwear. That way you don't piss and moan when it rains and you weren't prepared
  •  Oh.....and a damn phone charger. Don't be that guy. Don't be a Juice Snake
  • I'm an on set dresser so my kit is a little different but the greatest gift I ever got was when a leadman gave me a full set of security & torque bits
  • Yep… ALL the security drivers. Even the proprietary ones- the five sided hex-key (pent key?) for pulling big flat screens off the wall
  • I also really like my folding pocket saw. I don't even use it every show but it sure has come in handy sometimes. I have an altodis tin that I keep in my belt pouch with just some emergency hardware items. A couple S-hooks, three or four screws, a clot
  • A bus ticket. Rubbers. An alibi
  • The ability to chew with your goddamn mouth closed
  • oh shit..lol
  •  THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY
  • .....'s a walking talking escalator.
  • My kinda dude
  •  It was only a matter of time ....
  • Chain splitters nobody ever has those,,and Joe's sticky
McGyver and the Right Tool for the Right Job

As you can see, a lot of opinions out there. And while it would be great for everyone to have the perfect bunch of tools to supplement the lead man's "tool for every purpose and occasion" kit, it's not realistic or even practical on many levels.

The producers typically only compensate leads and on-set dressers for their equipment. And because of the Jack-of-All trades nature of the job, no one and I mean no one has every tool for every possible situation and/or enough to have at every site we might be at.

As a lead, I have had to buy or rent specialty tools for one specific task. Generally the production company pays for that as it doesn't fall under what one would have in a standard kit, In many situations, we have needed to repurpose tools and equipment to become practical for a task that doesn't come up in "normal" situations.

For instance, I've had to have dollies custom made on many occasions, to make a heavy or awkward piece of dressing more "film-friendly".  We had to age and distress thousands of feet of hemp rope on one show. After many different attempts, we came up with several different techniques that sped up the process, using tools in ways they were never intended to be used.

That said what makes up a basic set dressing "kit"?  Keep in mind this post is Set Dressing 102, so by its very nature, I am addressing the basics and it is also only my opinion.

Also, when one is first starting money can be tight, so I'm keeping that in mind as well.

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  • Cheap and Easy

    I went down to Home Depot and picked up this little set of tools for 20 bucks,

    Not a bad start:
  • 1 tape measure: 12ft., 1 level: 9 in., 1 claw hammer: 8oz1 adjustable wrench: 8 in.
  • 4 nylon clamps 1 slip joint pliers: 6 in. , 1 long nose pliers: 6 in. , 1 diagonal pliers: 6 in. 1 Utility knife; 5 knife blades
  • 4 precision screwdrivers: slotted: 3/32 and 1/8 in.; Phillips: PH00 and PH0 1 pair of scissors 22 hex keys: .050, 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 7/64, 1/8, 9/64 5/32, 3/16, 7/32 and 1/4 in., 1.27, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6mm (SAE CRV and Metric CRV)
  • 29 1 in. CRV bits: Phillips: PH0, (2) PH1, (3) PH2 and PH3; Pozi: PZ1, PZ2 and PZ3; Slotted: 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32, 1/4 in.; Star: T10, T15, T20, T25 and T30; Hex: 1/16, 5/64, 3/32, 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32, 1/4 and 9/32 in.
  • 1/4 in. Hex x 1/4 in. square drive adapter; 1 blow mold case

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What I carried around for a while

I'm not going to make another list , but I will add several comments.

Tape Measure- I suggest 25 foot.

Screwdriver-A four-in-one will cover the majority of situations


An extra battery--Make sure they're both charged.

Safety Glasses and Gloves--Take care of yourself

Headlamp-Better than a flashlight, frees up your hands.







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It All Fits

It's important for your stuff be organized and mobile.

The pen, Sharpie, the notepad, tape measure, knife and multi-tool should be with a set dresser at all times.

I could go on and on and on in regards to "The Basic Set Dressing Tool Kit" , but I'll stop for now.

There will be additional posts on Set Dressing issues as well beggining to touch on the job of Set Decorator and Buyer.


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Good Morning Oscar

1/15/2015

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Pictureescaping from the jaws of the croc from Hook
Friends of the Golden Boy

The Academy Awards of The Oscars have a practically myth-like aura about them, particularly with people like myself who work in the moving pictures industry. I have been fortunate to have been able to actually go to the ceremony once thanks to my lovely partner in crime, Cindy Carr, as well as having worked on many nominated pictures with nominated co-workers.

In this particular blog-post I will keep my 6-degrees to Oscar limited to the category of my craft,  Best Production Design.
No, I am not a Production Designer, but the Set Decorator shares the nomination with the production designer. The name of the category was changed in 2012 from Best Art Direction, interestingly through the 1920's to 1940's it was the award for Best Interior Decoration, how times have changed.


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In My Beginning

My first Union job as a set dresser was on Bugsy which went on to be nominated for Best Art Direction, Dennis Gassner-PD and Nancy Haigh-SD in 1991. They would also be given the nod that year for their work on Barton Fink. At the time of the announcement I was working with Cindy Carr who was nominated that year for her work on Fisher King with PD, Mel Bourne. I had also worked on another nominated picture Hook; PD Norman Garwood, SD Garrett Lewis. The only film nominated that year that I didn't have some sort of connection with was The Prince of Tides.  It was very exciting for this 24 yr. old to be associated with all these projects and people so early in my career.

I myself have never been nominated, but I am only half-way through my career, so there's still hope. And since that banner year, I have only worked on one other film that has been nominated, Dracula; PD Thomas Sanders and Garrett Lewis.  Although I have worked with many nominated production designers and decorators in a variety of capacities.

Dracula
When I was still non-union and just beginning my career in the film business, I would always have my eye out for hold tags at the various studio prop houses to see who was doing what. Garrett Lewis had tags everywhere. I figured I should try to work on his crew, they had to be top-notch. One thing led to another and I found myself on the tail-end of shooting and then wrapping Hook knowing that I would be going onto work on his next project Dracula.

I had never worked on sets as impressive and amazing as these before. Garrett was an amazing decorator and I later had the honor to take over a show he started as a decorator and share a credit with him on the Panic Room.

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The Maestro

I have had the great fortune as you can see to have worked with many brilliant and creative people, but in regards to Production Design none have inspired me and touched my creative senses in the way Eugenio Zanetti did.

Cindy and I first worked with him on Last Action Hero. We would collaborate with him again on the Haunting and he would later steal Cindy away from me to do What Dreams May Come.

Meeting the Man

The first and only time I have actually held an Oscar was at one of Eugenio's amazing parties. It was awarded to him for Restoration in 1995.

I worked as Cindy's lead person on many shows which can be a trial by fire for a relationship. So after several years, we decided to work apart. I predicted that I would get on a Hell show in Los Angeles and that she would get a fabulous show on location and get nominated for her second Academy Award.

I was dead on right, on both counts. I won't bother to mention my project, but What Dreams May Come earned Eugenio and Cindy a trip down the red carpet. At least I got to share that experience, well sort of ....but that's a tale for another day.

Picturewith Cindy and Mr. Lamont when he received the Cinematic Imagery Award at the Art Director Guild's Excellence in Production Design Awards

King of the World

Cindy and I would go from one Arnold Schwarzenegger project to another, True Lies. And from designers that were polar opposites in a lot of ways, although both incredibly talent and multiple Oscar nominees.

Where Eugenio was a larger-than-life personality who's designs were very uniquely his vision, Peter was incredibly reserved and soft spoken and his design was very rooted and based on the needs of the production, which is how he was able to work so well with James Cameron.

Peter Lamont had already been nominated 3 times before his fourth time when he won for his work on Titanic. Cindy and I took a trip down to Mexico to visit him while he was working on it. The magnitude and engineering of the sets were breath-taking. Ironically we were also working on a "boat" movie at the time, the not nearly as successful, Speed 2.

Arthur and Me

I worked with Ridley Scott on the very first thing I ever lead on; a Super Bowl commercial that his son Jake Scott production designed.

I would end up working with him again on GI Jane, a show that I lead with Cindy decorating and Arthur Max as the production designer. Arthur later hired me to take over decorating on the Panic Room when Garrett Lewis left.

Arthur got nominated twice, Gladiator, a film Ridley directed and also American Gangster.
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Multi-faceted; Multi-Nominated


.Cindy and I have worked with Jeannine Oppewall on three different projects; Primal Fear, Rich Man's Wife, and Sum of All Fears. While none of those were nominated, she has been nominated four times; L.A. Confidential, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit and The Good Shepherd.
While it was wonderful working with her, it has been amazing to get to know her outside of work, she is a truly unique and special individual.


As of 2000, she is a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is also a world-traveled amateur lepidopterist. Her eyes really light up when she speaks of butterflies.  As of 2009, she also serves on the Art Directors Guild's education and workplace issues committees. In 2000, Oppewall tore down the bungalow and built a larger modern house in the style Charles and Ray Eames because she "did not want my house to conflict with my (Eames-designed) furniture," which she bought while working for the Eameses

I Would Like to Thank

Like in many Academy-award winners' speech, I'm sure there are several that I have forgotten to mention but we are minutes from the announcement of this years nominees.


And the Nominees Are...

The Grand Budapest Hotel
PD
Adam Stockhausen
SD Anna Pinnock

Imitation Game
PD Maria Djurkovic
SD Tatiana Macdonald

Mr. Turner

PD Suzie Davies
SD Charlotte Watts

Into the Woods
PD Dennis Gassner
SD Anna Pinnock

Interstellar
PD
Nathan Crowley
SD Gary Fettis

Congratulations to All

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Doubling Down & Flippity Flop

1/14/2015

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Evolving Resolutions

I decided to not make any resolutions this year. I can't remember one that I have actually kept, which isn't saying I have or haven't, I just don't recall.

And this year there were just too many things unresolved for me to get too resolute about any thing that might make sense to change course once the chips land and the shoe falls.

My workout routine is a perfect example.

Real Estating Our Situation

After not qualifying for a loan and therefore thankfully not buying a condo here in Atlanta, we shortly thereafter decided to stop looking to move at least for the next 6 months.

Initially we were all relieved.
There's a resolution I can get behind and make happen, sort of, to a point.

I hereby resolve to consolidate and deal with our Atlanta storage situations.That's a bit vague and doesn't include our Los Angeles unit for a reason.
 
We will be avoiding that elephant for the near future.

Although, with the on-going, never ending drought, my dream of buying in Mammoth Lakes, California is become just that a California Dream.  It doesn't make sense to buy there for us now on more grander scale reason.  Global warming and climate change have made investing in North American ski resorts a less than wise investment.

Sure Mammoth has its summer, fall, and spring recreations; and for me quite honestly they hold as much pull on me as the winter wonderland of prior years. But as far as an investment goes, well, it's a bit dicey to say the least. 


Not a steadfast resolution, but certainly looking like we'll be considering other areas to buy besides Mammoth and Atlanta.

Hmmmm?

Gardens of Obsession

Actually there's a rather tremendous resolution that I have made in the last 36 hours.

That is to put aside my gardening/urban farming obsession.

I will certainly continue to support the local food, urban farm, "organic", know-your-farmer movement. I just won't be trying to be that farmer, be it in my tiny apartment or by spearheading a local community garden.  I am setting aside my dream of some day having my own little hobby farm and instead attempting to narrow down my pursuits and passions in order to more fully realize some of them.

What follows is a not so little slide show and homage to my Farmer Jon stage of my life. As well as a link to a post from my previous blog site; Where in the World is Jon?
   A More than $64 Tomato

Not Such Greenish Thumbs

Apartment gardening is harder than I imagined and not nearly productive enough, particularly in these colder months.


Worming My Way Out

Included in my pairing down and parting of ways is that of me and my vermiculture endeavors. 
The Main Trade

I have had a love/hate relationship with the film business, specifically in regards to the Set Decoration niche of things

I've had one foot out the door for a long time know.

But now I'm jumping back in with both feet.

More to come,

much, much, more.....
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Running Times

1/11/2015

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A Change of Plans; A Change of Pace

So this e-mail confirming my signing it up for the Georgia Marathon pretty much helped changed the immediate scope of my physical fitness practice. 


Dear Jon Danniells,
This email confirms your registration for the 2015 Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon submitted on Dec 20, 2014 at 3:44:25PM EST.
JON DANNIELLS
2015 Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon / Publix Georgia Marathon
03/22/2015 7:00 AM EDT | Atlanta, GA



Running has now become the primary focus. I'll still be doing sand bag training as well as juijitsu and misc. cross-training and such.

And so, with that here's what I've been up to and how things are coming along.


Jon Danniells ran 7.18 miles with MapMyRun
.
December 30, 2014 at 4:11pm ·
Miles 7.18; Hours1:21:01; Pace mins/mi11:16

Jon Danniells ran 4.36 miles with MapMyRun.January 3 at 5:33pm ·
miles4.36; minutes44:09; mins/mi10:07


Jon Danniells ran 8.11 miles with MapMyRun.
January 6 at 7:37am ·
hours1:27:28;mins/mi10:46


Jon Danniells ran 3.45 miles with MapMyRun.January 9  Too cold didn't layer properly
miles3.45; minutes33:13; mins/mi9:37

Jon Danniells ran 7.25 miles with MapMyRun.January 11 · First trail run in a very long time
miles7.25; hours1:34:19; mins/mi13:00

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Signing Up for a Fun Training Run

I saw this race and couldn't resist. The Hot Chocolate 15k/5k
The right distance, a great goodie bag, a very cool medal and what looks to be a fun little after party and of course, chocolate.


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Hat Trick or Tree

1/10/2015

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Not a Hat Person

I've never been much of a hat person. I have several baseball caps that I've never worn and even though my dermatologists insist that I make wearing a hat part of my personal health regime, I still am remiss on shielding my skin from the sun by means of a wide-brimmed sombrero.

And yet I have found that I have acquired several of these head adornments and in the attempt to organize our stuff in our relatively limited living space I realized I needed some means to properly keep these oddities.

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A Hat for All Seasons and Reasons

After sorting through hats and my history of hats, I realize that while I am not a "hat person", I do indeed wear them regularly enough, for both practical and whimsical reasons.

I have never run a marathon or an ultra marathon without my floppy "foreign-legion" style hat which I picked up while working on Tank Girl forever and a day ago. It protected me on the snow white dunes of White Sands, New Mexico where the temps went up to 122F in the shade.

I have several beanies and caps I don when the weather dips down.

And then I have a little collection of hats that go with various costumes.

It's been fun tripping down memory lane and taking a look at my history with hats.

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What a Wonderfull Year

1/1/2015

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What a Difference a Year Makes...Or Does It

Time will tell.

In going back and reviewing my blog, several of January '13's entries seem like they could be written in January 2014.
from a post exactly a year ago today;

"This is LA, Not L.A.
We really thought we'd end up working in Atlanta again.
But fate had other things in mind.
I got a job that put me in Baton Rouge for 4 months and Cindy's job landed her in New Orleans."

And that was just the beginning...

" now that we've settled down, we've decided again to get into a routine, which we've all been missing.....back to classes at X-3 Sports; Brazilian Jiujitsu for me; kickboxing for Skye and yoga for the both of us.
It's been in the air.
Since the dawning of the New Year, I have resolved myself to several levels of "re-education".
Besides all of the re-learning I need to do in order to be a decent home-school teacher/co-ordinator for Skye, there is a plethora of endeavors that I am taking on that require my becoming a student again.
We can start with the personal trainer certification, that I'm on the cusp of receiving.
ISSA here I come.
A good friend has some
vacant earth that I will be planting in. So I'm back in my eco-world. I'm endeavoring on several levels on composting and permaculture.
I'm also looking into starting a business in the good state of Georgia. I haven't owned a small business for awhile and I look forward to its challenges and rewards.
Oh my, Oh my..
"

Another entry dated, 01-13-2014, Jumping in with Clown Shoes  I could have written yesterday. I had completely forgotten that I had signed up to run the Georgia Marathon last year, although looking back I can see why I did and then why I didn't end up running.

Oh please my heart, to take a Southern term/stance.

Here's the year, in a flawed format to be sure, however...
January

We had
Snowpocalypse which pretty much shut down Atlanta
Picture
Picture
February

I was still in the hunkering down homestead-mode here in Atlanta.

I finished a seedling/worm farm tower and helped move a fire-breathing dragon as well as finally being able to complete
The 5 U's of My Unicorn Quest.


March Madness...April, May and June

And then I got an offer I couldn't refuse.

Well of course I could have, but....

I ended up back in New Orleans decorating a movie yet to be released titled, American Ultra.

It kicked my butt.

Along the way I got to experience Mardi Gras and the Jazzfest, really get to know New Orleans, gain weight, get in the worst shape in my recent memory as well as make some dear new friends and finally get myself a road bike.


November-Newvember

Skye and I went an amazing foraging adventure with the Georgia Mushroom Society, which by the way we are members. I started decorating a TV show mid-stream and it turned out well.

But the biggest thing that happened was the rescue /adoption of Prince.

What a wonderful little dude.
June Plus

A Couple of Fundraisers, Father's Day and a Sweet-Sixteen Birthday

What I really needed weekend before last was to get some R & R. Sleeping in and a massage would have been just what the doctor ordered.

However, it was Father's Day and Skye's birthday.

I flew back to Atlanta on Friday. The girls were flying back from Los Angeles on Saturday night, so I had the  next day to shop for Skye's birthday presents.




Interesting Foreshadowing
Sneak Preview 6/29/2014

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  Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

Now that I'm finally feeling a little more like my old self, after taking the last week to tie up loose ends on the job, recover physically and mentally, reconnect with the family and that some time to reflect and regroup, I can get back to my life before American Ultra.

Except that I can't.

As Heraclitus stated, "you can never step in the same river twice," so it is with where I'm at.

I was prepping a community garden still several weeks before the last frost; now it the beginning of summer and we're less than a week from heading out across the country for one of two transcontinental drives, I'll be embarking on.

Skye was just starting classes at the home-school co-operative. She finished up her classes the week before I got back.

We were all in Atlanta.

Now Cindy will be in New Orleans until November and I have at least 3 trips out west planned in that same time. Where Skye will be is still being worked out. Thank goodness she's as flexible and resilient as she is.

July

Birthdays, Road Trip and the Bard


What's becoming a regular routine is a cross-country jaunt to Mammoth Lakes after getting just enough of Louisiana summer to want to head west.

I finished up a show in NOLA, we road-tripped across the country, Skye did her Shakespeare camp, we put Cindy on a plane to start a show in NOLA, Skye and I drove on back with just enough time for me to start prepping for Burning Man and another drive across the country.

You know, the norm us.
Augustus Upon Us, the Man Will Burn

I've had a love/hate relationship with Burning Man from the outset.

I wish I could get polarized one way or the other, but I'm like dang meth addict with this arts/carnival/party/sexploitation/extraganza week long ho-down.

This one was inlaid with guilt and selfishness and not wanting to be there, while having sacrificed a lot to be there...wait wha.....
September; Trying Not to be a Red-Headed Step-Child, but Seriously..


Blogger Blues 9/24/2014

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  No Rest for .....the
Weary...Wicked....

The quote has always left me scratching my head.
It's often been almost interchangeable, but the history, meaning, origin, implication, etc.

"No rest for the wicked" (or "No peace to the wicked") is a phrase originating from the Book of Isaiah verses 48:22 and 57:20-21.

There is no rest for the weary.

Prov. Even people who are worn-out must continue to work. (Describes a situation in which a tired person has to do more work.)

The relevancy of this is that when I returned from Burning Man, I was exhausted, but I had to immediately jump into Dad-mode as well as home-school parent-mode all while Cindy is away working on a job in New Orleans.

But I was already exhausted.

I was exhausted before I even left for my 3 week BM excursion.

I've no
w been back for a little over two weeks and I have felt energized for the first time today.

I had a whole bunch of blog posts in mind.

But then reality kicked in.

And all the duties and chores and just every-day life stuff that needs taking care of. 

I went for my first jog since the Burning Man 50k. It was a frustrating 3 mile jaunt, but I'm still glad I did it.

By the time I got around to beginning this post; last night it was around 10 o'clock.  I managed to get some scribbling in but nothing coherent enough to put up, even by my reckless standards.


Decompression

In the Burner community, decompressing after a burn is a very real thing. I think it happens to non-burners as well. For instance after a vacation, or for kids it happens when they go back to school after a summer of freedom.

Because of my experience this year, I didn't think I would have much problem readjusting to the "default" world because I never really allowed myself to be present at Burning Man, however here we are several weeks after the man burned and I am still recovering, decompressing.


I'm Back!!!!!


Cindy came home for a whirlwind weekend reunion.

We needed to see each other again. It had been way too long.

But we had our own "decompression" issues.
Being apart from each other for as long as we'd been and then trying to catch up, be in the moment and look forward in less than 48 hours. It's a fool errand at best and yet we do a good job at making it harder on ourselves.
October-Rocktober as in Rocking the AT

The allure of the Appalachian Trail has never been a question to me. When I was in my teens, in my mind it was a foregone conclusion that I would end up through-hiking the PCT(Pacific Coast Trail), the AT(Appalachian Trial), the John Muir trail, as well as at some point summiting Kilimanjaro and Everest. I would also put my foot on Antarctica and every other continent.

Life sometimes doesn't go the way one plans...

When Skye was readying to hook into her second section of the AT with her home-school group, I jumped right in.

Had an amazing experience; can't wait to get back on the trail.

November-Newvember

Skye and I went to seminar on mushrooms and then went out foraging a few days later with the Georgia Mushroom Society which we are members FYI; an amazing guest speaker and Skye became the unofficial photographer of the outing.

I started working on a TV show which I took over midstream and it worked out.

Cooked a couple of turkeys.

Biggest event of the month though, and it might qualify for the year was the rescue/adoption of the wonderful little pup known as Prince.

Deciembre, Almost Done and with a Ton of Fun

I worked. And enjoyed it.

I spoke at Set Decorating 101 and moved forward with helping establish a Southern chapter of the Set Decorator Society of America.

We did Santa Con.

We did Christmas.

We tried to buy a house and couldn't.

And then made some decisions that we all felt better about.

Had an amazing NYE dinner with the family at our familiar haunt down the block at Barcelona and then continued the festivities with my "Burner" friends at an appropriate end-of-year event Fire in the Sky: NYE with Incendia and Friends
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    Jon Danniells is an adventurer and traveler, a teacher and student, a husband and a father, a cook and a farmer, a "week-end warrior" (very amateur athlete) and has not earned any money on these labors of love.When I googled myself what showed up first was my IMDB listing, which is basically a resume for my 20 and then some year career in film, for which  I fortunately do get paid.

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