NY Film

I have worked with LA crews and people from LA that are great. But let me tell you why I love filmmakers that work and live in NYC. 

Yesterday I was getting off the subway and about to run up the steps, when the women near the top dropped a bag of children’s playing cards.  She was carrying a stroller and clearly did not have enough hands.  As the cards fluttered all over the place, what happened next was classic NYC.  The 8 people between me and this women all bent down in perfect unison to pick up the cards.  There were no exchanged words and the cards were quickly compiled and handed back to the woman.  Within 30 seconds, everyone scattered – places to go and people to be. 

This drop and the following cleanup compares to so many rolling through my head from past film sets.  One of the main reasons I’m in this silly industry is because it can be the pinnacle of collaboration.  A well run film set is people bending down and picking up the slack.  Without being told, without having a meeting to talk about it, without a grumble, eye-roll, or complaining remark.  Get it done.   Moving on, next take, next scene, onward, forward, up the subway steps.  

Everyone says “what can go wrong, will” and they’re right.  With the right crew, talented and calm department heads, and a clear goal these hurdles are what is fun about filmmaking.  Rain, dropped locations, diva actors, insurance red tape, equipment malfunctions, you name it.  Filmmakers should be problem solvers, hard workers, and more than anything else – collaborators.  

NY is a breeding ground for this attitude.  Nobody has the time to approach problems any other way.  There’s no need for a million meetings where you talk about getting things done or a ton of meaningless pleasantries just to accomplish one step.  Your work will speak for you if it’s good enough. 

I’ve watched countless friends move away from this stinkhole of a city (I myself have tried to escape and still might).  For now though I’m here, shuffling the tripod I’m lugging through the subway in ninety degree weather to my other arm so that I can reach down and pick up a 4x5” cardboard laminated card with Elmo’s face on it. 

Seeing humanity in action is a treat.  Keep it up, New York.


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