Sunday, April 03, 2005

Another all-nighter

So this morning there was a mandatory caddie meeting. And of course, to prepare for such an event, I go without sleep the night before.

Truth be told, I was actually working on something, so it wasn't all for naught. But it's amazing how sensitive you are when you haven't gotten sleep. Sights, sounds, and feelings are all heightened. Your body also feels sore and cramped. Or maybe I'm just P.M.S.-ing. I don't know. But standing on my feet for 2 hours this morning wasn't my idea of a good time. Fortunately, I found my boss to be incredibly well spoken and highly observant.

The points he had to make about caddying this year were rapid fire, and any dissension in the ranks was quickly eliminated. This man will call you out on anything, anywhere, at any time. Yesterday I left after he dismissed everyone I snuck out without saying goodbye. Yeah, he noticed. When he came back in today he smiled at me and said, "Oh yeah, and don't forget to check in with us before you leave." Wink wink. Hey, at least he was tactful about it. Lesson learned.

But I feel like I could learn a lot from him this summer. He's seen everything, and instead of becoming hardened and introverted, he has become more confident and jovial than anyone else I know. Going through some hard times myself, I feel he would be a good source of advice. But anyway, that's neither here nor there.

So what was I doing all night last night?

I was acting in a movie.

Now, normally, if someone were to tell you, "hey, a friend of mine is making a movie," you would probably assume something to the tune of a movie around wedding-video quality. Unless of course your friend is George Lucas or something.

But this friend of mine is serious. And talented: he wrote the script himself. To be honest, it's very very good. There's a great story and some great conflicts. True, the writing style is younger, meaning my generation would probably appreciate it more. But hey, you only acquire an intellectual voice in your writing after you work on your style for a while. And get older, of course.

Anyway, he had gotten permission to shoot a couple of the scenes from his movie in this restaurant downtown. He had two incredibly advanced cameras, lighting equipment, sound equipment, playback capability, and a crapload of extension cords. Oh yeah, and about 10 extras in addition to his 5 actors. Including me. His production is the antithesis of a home movie.

The scene I was in took place in one of the restaurants' bathrooms. My friend decided to kill two birds with one stone and shoot a dinner scene and this bathroom scene in one night. But there was a catch. He'd have to start shooting at 2 am, when the restaurant closed. This meant that after all the make-up, all the lighting adjustments, camera angles, and scene work, we packed up and left around 4:45 am. My meeting at the golf course was at 7:30, and it takes about an hour to get from my friends' house to the golf course. So last night, sleep wasn't really an option. But the whole process was exhilarating. I loved every minute of it. The teamwork and excitement you feel getting ready to film on site is so addicting. No wonder people do this for a living. I have a minor role in the film, but if my friend ever decides to sell this movie on eBay, I'll let you guys know about it.

So for now, that's it. But I'll hit you guys up again soon.

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