Rock Star!
It would be fun if I could sit my butt down, enjoy the scenery, and sing to the songs I want to sing to; probably even drift into sleep.
Mind you, IT WOULD be fun.
Way way back then, when things like the Sesame Street were on air and Dora the Explorer never actually existed, I couldn’t care less what filmmaking was. I would fuss over things like why did my brother get the Red Power Ranger shirt and I got the Pink one; now, things like shot angles, screaming at the top of my lungs, making me feel like a rock star on a world tour every single shoot, and straining every neuron I have left that is still functioning to the success of our independent but professor-dependent film entitled “SEKEND” written and directed by none other than our seemingly dashing, but nonetheless nice(?), Professor Bart Andrew Mendoza.
The film is basically about a kid, who loves to run around, running around the place; you know, kinda like Forest Gump; or Naruto, if by some chance you haven’t seen Forest Gump. And yes, I haven’t seen Forest Gump either. As the First Assistant Director, I’m in charge of most of the things happening on the set. Simply put, I call the shots.
I secretly hoped it was shots of tequila, though.
You know that fancy pants guy who says “Lights, Camera, Action!”? Well, that’s not me. It’s not my job either, since my job description doesn’t include a folding chair, a toupee, much to my dismay, and that cone-shaped thingy that all directors possess. I know what you’re thinking. The answer is no. I don’t have a megaphone either; just my throat and vocal chords. My job, quite similar to the Director, is to relay his whims to the cast, oftentimes by screaming. There are times that I feel like I’m already throwing a tantrum by the way I give the commands, just so my voice would be audible to everyone on the set. But hey, it’s fun.
Imagine, at the top of your lungs you scream “ACTORS READY”, look left and right or wherever the cameras are positioned then scream “CAMERAS”, they reply with “ROLLING”, and then I end the sequence with “ACTION!”. Easy peasy, right? Not when you have to do it 3/4ths of the day every 5-15 minutes it’s not.
Like I said, Rock Star on a world tour, although my fans don’t reply as I scream, because they’re practically inexistent.
But mind you, despite all the hardships every single member of the production crew has to face, be it a member of the Props Committee, whom are tasked to bring tons of things (No, not really. But you get the point), or the DOPs (Directors of Photography) who are in charge of transporting, maintaining, and protecting the cameras with their very souls; every single one of us has a task to do – and thanks to what seems like a good mix of cooperation and ranting, we manage to pull through every time we set out and shoot.
Film making, which is definitely harder than advanced algebra (the bane of my existence) or calculus, requires effort, skill, an enormous amount of patience, and creativity. Running out of brain-juice halfway through the shoot is a definite no no, and burning out is always an unwelcome event. But hey, nothing is easy; in the end, by some twisted hate-love relationship, I enjoy doing my part as the First Assistant Director, even if it means lending a hand to all the committees, being the official chauffer of the actors when I’m able to bring a car, or carrying things that I’m not even supposed to be handling.
So I implore you, dear reader / random bored person, check out our website at:
http://www.knightvisionproductions.net
you can also follow us on twitter: @SEKENDprod
and like us on facebook. just check out my snazzy widget on the right hand side of your screen.
~kitana
