Seether Fever

Worked the last few days as a P.A. for Seether's new music video for "The Country Song." You can check it out at:  http://www.seether.com/.  It's a great song. So working on my first "professional" set I discovered a few important things. One:  I like being my own boss. Working on someone else's project lacks a certain satisfaction. If I'm not personally passionate about it, what's the mothaflippin' point? Evidently I still have a problem with authority. I don't like being told what to do and, of course, I think I know a better way to do just about everything. Can't help it, I'm a Leo. It was strange being on a set and not being the one in charge. Two:  As my DP, Sean Maxwell, says, Directors do the least of anyone else on set. At least in this case it seemed true. To be fair, perhaps the preparation, which I didn't see, made it unnecessary for much to be conveyed on set. Still, the producer, Michelle Adney (who was awesome) seemed to be directing everyone, including the actors and band, far more than the director. Just not what I expected. The DP was a douche but I liked his camera work. But I loved loved loved the Band! I particularly felt an affinity for Shaun, the lead singer. He's just a stellar guy... passionate, intelligent, kind and sweet. Three: Working on a quick shoot like that where virtually everyone is a stranger lacks a huge element of what I love best about filming. There's a lack of cohesion, of family, of connection, and therefore fun. It's like the first day of school where everyone's trying to figure out who's who and where they belong in the mix, but by the time you figure it out, it's all over. Pointless. I much prefer working with a team of cast and crew that I'm familiar with. Fortunately on this set I got to work with my dear friend and collegue, Richard. We had a blast taking photos of all the actors dressed up in everything from a clown costume to an alien to Ken Barbie. Also got to meet a few cool new people, like local Dave Novak, who's in his own band with a very talented audio editor I know, Art Guillermo Jr. If you want to see a quick clip of the shoot, check this out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_JyTgr7wFA

So what have I learned from this experience:  That I should have far more confidence in my skills as a director and producer. Sometimes it's hard for us to see ourselves as we really are, until we have examples of what we're not. Thanks Seether!