Be Nice to Human Beings

Before I say anything at all, let me throw everyone this offer. You guys should really send me any questions you have because I have access to all these amazingly knowledgeable people who are always answering my questions and teaching me things. Plus, if I dont know something, they definitely know someone else who does. So, send em to iamsuds@gmail.com and I will try to answer them. I might learn something I didnt know either.

So, I was with the post-production department at Bernie Mac today (and will be for this week). Something really cool happened. Well, any Post-Production department is usually organized like this: There is the Editor, the Assistant Editor, and a Post-PA. Depending on the size of the production, there are more personnel. For example, JFK (Oliver Stone) had 4 Editors, each with assistants, and prolly one person to liason between them four, manage the department, etc. Bernie Mac has 2 Editors and no assistants because they like it like that.

So today, at the office, Paul, the main editor, was not there and I was able to split actual work with Tom, the other Editor. It was really exciting because I'm not actually supposed to come close to the edit console before I've paid my dues as a runner and PA for a while. Tomorrow, I go back and hopefully do more exciting stuff.

While I am at it, let me try and clear this misconception about what being a PA means. People seem to think very poorly of what a PA does in this industry. Well, here goes: most PAs make sure that the production never has to interact with the outside world, or reality - in a sense. You are on the ground, dealing with problems and trouble shooting on the go. A Post-PA for example will run tapes between the Lab and the Edit stations, the Edit stations adn the colorists, or the sound design guys, etc. So they are making sure the Editors never have to step out of their consoles. This gives them a solid understanding of how every part of Post works, they make excellent contacts, and prove to their seniors that they are reliable. So when the Asst. Editor gets a job and he needs an Asst. Editor, who does he or she pull? The PA. Another interesting piece of trivia: The Assistant Editor assembles the first cut, well almost. This person imports, digitizes, puts together the basic cuts of the scene. The editor then still has access to the dailies and can change the edits but it is entirely possible that all of the Asst. Ed's cuts go through to become the final edit. So, its a deceptive industry.

I have an interview with this Production company that got my contact from Strand Releasing's Marcus. See, this is a perfect example of something my friend Michelle who is also here says. She says: Something crazy about this place is you never know when you're speacking to a producer or a PA, because everyone dresses so indiscriminately: shorts, t-shirt and sneakers." This is another way of saying, you have to be nice to everybody here because you never know who has your next job. This is a good thing. It just means, stop judging people by where they are in life right now. I just met an electrician on the set of hte Surreal Life, who actually has directed 4 shorts that got into Sundance and have been in fests all around the world. She is an electrician so she can gather enough money to make her next film. Pretty cool huh? So I was nice to Marcus and Marcus recommended me to this Production Company that is doing a film with SANTOSH SIVAN, an awesome cool cinematographer/director who made films like THE TERRORIST. Teh film is being shot in Kerala, INDIA and might be the perfect gig for me. Well, that was me, but it will happen to everyone, Your next gigs will come from the wierdest places so everyone you meet is a contact - in other words, a nice, interesting human being who is worth your time. So be nice. ... ;)

Rest is great, remember my comments about the questions bit. Send em to iamsuds@gmail.com