This is a bit of a reversal of the usual "AskBug".. this is.. BugAsks.. I asked a friend if I could post this great story:
JPKeats: hah.. no one found my lone hidden budweiser including me, for a minute
JPKeats: so I was on this shoot once, it was kind of an interesting night.. an all-nighter..
JPKeats: I was working out of my bailiwick.. as the gaffer.. but as it turned out.. all I did all night was fire up a little Honda putt putt generator, and hand hold a Kino Flo. I spent a lot of time not even doing that.. just hanging out in the crew van, or our prop taxi.. or whatever.. waiting for the camera crew to get back.
JPKeats: I was a bit nervous before the job started.. as I wasn't familiar with this particular little genny.. but as the night went on, I grew confident that this Honda was a game day player.
JPKeats: so anyway.. we were hopping around.. shooting notable exteriors of NYC.. this video, actually.. was for the '04 Republican national convention, but most people who saw us assumed we were shooting taxicab confessions.. so we just kinda went with that as our cover story.
JPKeats: so.. after Times Square, and sandwiches.. we went down to chelsea.. to the flatiron building which.. strangely enough.. we never ended up pointing the camera at.
JPKeats: the breakaway unit was shooting something across the avenue from where the van was and decided they needed my genny and light.. I was a bit peeved, as I wanted to have the van move over to this side maybe 25 minutes before this but trudged off to get it.
JPKeats: when we came back from that shot, the PA's told us that the battery in the van was dead.. and that the van had no jumper cables, turns out.. neither did our prop cab.. so we're just kinda standing around on 5th Ave. at this point.. the neighborhood is deserted..we're trying to figure out what to do.
JPKeats: the director makes a list of people that could go in the cab to newark airport.. which is our next destination.. where we have to be by 4 am, supposedly.. which is rapidly approaching.
JPKeats: I shrug, hearing my name not in that list and ask the DP if he wants the genny, and the light
JPKeats: he says.. dunno.. not if you're not coming.
JPKeats: and I light a cigarette, and just decide to wait this one out.. the other PA.. right then.. shows up with coffees from Dunkin Donuts which.. somehow.. he found one that was open. I continue with my cigarette, and take a few sips of much needed iced coffee.
JPKeats: I don't know what to do.. so I just hover around the equipment, which is on the sidewalk.. I'm not sure whether I should load it into the van, or the trunk of the cab.
JPKeats: I'm just kinda looking around.. waiting.. when I see two guys kinda holding each other up.. walking down 5th Ave., south
JPKeats: one of these guys is obviously extremely drunk.. and the Other.. is even more drunk than That!
JPKeats: so.. they rest for a bit, leaning up against the exterior of
some bank.. and start to argue a bit.. the gist of which seems to be.. if the more drunk of the two
doesn't start acting more cool, the less drunk guy is going to leave him there.. which in fact he does.
JPKeats: that's when More Drunk spots us, and focuses.
JPKeats: he ambles over towards me, and our stuff.
JPKeats: at this point.. we have.. exactly four things on the sidewalk..
JPKeats: my genny.. my light.. my iced coffee, and the camera.
JPKeats: More Drunk.. points at the Kino Flo.. and says "what's that?
JPKeats: I say "it's a light".
JPKeats: he's totally not buying it.. "a fucking light? what do you mean a fucking light"
JPKeats: I say.. "it's a light"
JPKeats: so then, he starts to bend over, and now I see he's actually focusing on the generator.. mumbling.. fuckin honda.. what the fuck.. but halfway down.. he spots my precious iced coffee.. and picks it up.
JPKeats: now.. I change tone a bit
JPKeats: say "hey"
JPKeats: maybe "give that back"
JPKeats: but he backs off then swaggers a bit, as if to say fuck you.. and pops open the top, and sips it
JPKeats: I'm pissed now so I actually say "enjoy it motherfucker, I got the Herpes."
JPKeats: I actually said "the herpes".
JPKeats: he heard this, thought about it for a second, then Throws the open iced coffee at me getting it all over my shirt, and spilling a bit on the light, genny, and maybe the camera.
JPKeats: that's when the DP picks up the camera, and slinks off.. so .. a couple of guys from the crew
JPKeats: start to approach this guy.. saying.. hey man.. why'd you do that.. that's not cool.. stuff like that..
JPKeats: but More Drunk, bursts through them, runs up to me, and kicks the generator.. Hard.. knocking it over.
JPKeats: right after that, it seemed, the cops showed up.. they were driving by, and someone flagged them down.. so the cops are asking questions.. and More Drunk is muttering mostly incoherently..
JPKeats: and all I can really pick out is "honda".. he's pointing at the genny.. and acting really pissed off.. "these guys.. wa wa wa. with the fucking.. wa wa wa.. and "fucking Honda"
JPKeats: like honda is clear as a bell
JPKeats: Funny thing is.. it wasnt even On!
JPKeats: it was just a red plastic box on the sidewalk with other odd things.
JPKeats: but Man.. he Hated that generator!
JPKeats: I have no clue why.. but he hated our trusty Honda
JPKeats: .. which fired up just fine after, by the way..I knew that genny was a game day player.
JPKeats: and there it is....
(notes: gaffer = electrical person/lighting DP = director of photography)
Recent Comments