Having been terribly remiss in blogging world, a post to catch up!
In 2021, film work found me going out on location for two projects. As per the usual protocol these days, non-disclosure paperwork has made it impossible to give any full reports, much less the juicy gossip which we generally cannot disclose regardless- (That is to say: if there really is any juicy gossip!)
Things in the industry I've noticed this year are that it seems to have become routine for productions to come up with ever-changing names for their projects.
It can be tricky when vendors, rental houses, credit card companies and payroll houses no longer recognize what your project is because the name has changed repeatedly.
It's a whole new world above and beyond the impact of Covid. There is a history of having a disguised name for a project to throw people off the scent, but in the past, they might choose one false name or call it an "Untitled" film, then come around to using the real title after filming is done. Now, I've had to admit to not knowing the current name of projects I'd recently worked on as I recall several versions of "the name of the week".
Another thing is that with the impact of Covid, you'll notice now in movie and television credits that there are "Health and Safety" Supervisors, Managers and Coordinators.
In order to have the safest possible work environment, many productions have you do a health check in before reporting to work. Some will take your temperature before you enter the workplace. Those of us who may be on set and near the cast have Covid testing done 3x a week. We line up to have our noses swabbed either at a tent by the office, set or even drive through sites. The folks who swab our snouts gently are greatly appreciated!
The first job I was on in 2021 was shooting in Atlanta, to establish the North American end of a streaming television series that would shoot primarily in Colombia. It is now being called "Echo 3", though it was "Longboard" for a while with another moniker in between.
I worked with the wonderful, talented costume designer Katina LeKerr, whom I'd assisted on "Homeland Season 6". In addition to the north American gang, Katina hired a crew to work at the South American end from the trusted folks she'd had on Homeland Season 4, hailing from South Africa. The job gets far more complicated when dealing with different countries, languages, political issues and warnings about international travel to accomplishing the usual tasks. It was so helpful that Katina knew the right folks to call to handle the specific needs that were sure to come up on the South American location.
Should you find yourself in Atlanta, might I recommend a couple of dining choices? For folks who are not vegan or vegetarian, Fat Matt's has just about the best BBQ I've ever had. Having fallen in love with their food years ago, I was so delighted to find they were still up and running years later. Their website: https://fatmattsribshack.net/
Another place I adored that had really delicious breakfast all day was: www.Flyingbiscuit.com. I wish we had one here in NYC, their food was so good!
The second job in 2021 also had a top secret protocol about letting anyone know what you were working on. We prepped in Los Angeles, then shot in Providence and Newport, RI.
The funny thing about all the secrecy involved is that as we started shooting, every morning on the early morning local news, the anchors would mention that we were in town and going to be shooting. They would include the real, not fake name for the project and regularly told their listeners where we'd be shooting and showed footage of our sets, shot by a drone.
My first glimpses of a couple of the sets were courtesy of the morning news! I think that since everyone in the greater Providence area and probably New England in general is aware that this was shot here, I might say the real name of the project was "Hocus Pocus 2". I will give nothing away but say that they've brought back the stars of the original along with some fresh young additional talent to boot!
The costumes were designed by Mr. Salvador Pérez, the president of the Costume Designers Guild local 892. He's a fellow who knows what he's doing in terms of construction having built the costumes for "Titanic" as well as having a keen eye for design. It is a rare thing to find people who can combine the skill of designing something and knowing the yardage needed in a snap!
Providence has some of the most beautiful homes and buildings for those who like those things. It was a pleasure to drive though some of the tonier neighborhoods.
An event that they hold every year in Providence is "Waterfire". It involves lighting torches up and down the river, music and art. It is an event that happens once the sun goes down. Should you be interested: here's a link where they will post their 2022 schedule:
https://waterfire.org/schedule/2022-waterfire-providence-event-schedule/
Wishing all a healthy and happy 2022!
Cheers, Liz.
The first was the U.S. end of a television series
