A few weeks ago a fellow PA (production assistant) at DS (Discovery Studios) had set me up with an AP (associate producer) of a local production house. This particular production house does a lot of shoots with Natgeo (National Geographic Channel), the ASAA (American Sleep Apnea Association), nonprofit groups, and lots of corporate video. This shoot that I'd been solicited for was for the ASAA. The video we were to make was about a man who has sleep apnea and how it can affect him in different situations. Thus when I was summoned to be a PA for the first shoot, I figured the shoot would be rather mundane, seeing as how it involved sleep.
I conferred with my producer at DS, Wayne, about whether it was worth it or not to skip out a day of copying DVDs for my internship and go out on a field shoot in a million dollar art studio home in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Maryland and get actual hands on experience.
The decision was a tough one, but after an immediate decision on Wayne's part telling me to go, I decided, immediately, to pursuit this venture.
Thus on the tuesday before Thanksgiving I awoke at 6am, put on jeans and a black polo (standard attire for a PA) and shortly thereafter drove to the set. Now, I've PA'd before on certain gigs in Lansing, Detroit, Washington DC, and NYC, and I'd have to say that none of them have been less than a genuine learning experience. In Lansing I PA'd for a children's film festival training day attended by all of 5 eager kids. In Detroit I've shot (twice now!) an Indian dance show with an audience of thousands of NRI's (Non Resident Indians) and straight of the boat-ers donning turbans, eating massive amounts of curry, and being some of the most hospitable people I've ever encountered. In DC I've helped out on Puppy Bowl, which, if you're new to the world of Jeff Allen, is Animal Planet's spinoff of professional football (almost like the XFL, but not quite...). NYC PAing was the home to Doctor Oz, Bodies Exhibit's and NY Bagels.
The American Sleep Apnea Association, though a fairly large organization, did not strike me as being terribly exciting, but as always, I'm up for anything.
I arrive at the Maryland mansion (not to be confused with Maryln Manson), walk into the thick oak doors of the house, and enter an artists paradise.
Enter the part of the post where I should, for the sake of the viewer, post pictures of this so called artist's paradise. Unfortunately I did not have my camera that day. So just imagine a household that Picasso would have hung the paintings, Frank Lloyd Wright would have been the architect, Salvador Dali would have been the inspiration for the sculptures and color scheme, Liberace would have been proud to have called the musical insturments his own, and Babe Ruth would have hung out in the sports room with his and his 100 pro friends' rookie cards.
