Surviving Edged Weapons via YouTube
Part of directing a documentary on Christian cinema in the 1970’s involves digging through weird stuff…. I just had to post this descriptor from 5 Minutes to Live:
SURVIVING EDGED WEAPONS
Surviving Edged Weapons is a police training tape, produced in Wisconsin, designed to prepare police officers for dealing with the growing threat of “knife culture” in the United States.
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I pretty much snorted my dinner out my nose after sentence one. I might relocate one state north just so I can have the stamp of “Produced in Wisconsin.” Edged weapons may or may not be related to the documentary, but here’s a nifty blog from the Coventry Telegraph on novelty knives, from one year ago.
“…for just 60 pence.” I need to rethink my budget.
Daft Punk is playing at my house, my house…
I’ll show you the ropes kid, I’ll show you the ropes…
Daft Punk - Andrew Suprenant
I just spent the evening literally, not figuratively cutting the cheese for Andrew’s showing in the 39th Annual Pilsen East Artists’ Open House. Both a documentary producer and still photographer, Andrew’s lens has taken him from Fermilab to Lollapalooza and it’s that diversity that makes him an intriguing guy to know and bounce ideas off of.
I prepped plates of food for his first showing, and ran around with a tape dispenser when large format photos began to slide down the loft walls from the change in humidity. The studio filled up with speech therapists drinking red wine, a documentarian named Maggie who made Election Day with Arts Engine, a fellah named Kevin who was curious about mountaintop removal, modern dancers and a lovely visit with Anita from the Chicago Community Trust. Mr. Andy Swindler Board President to The Stars lounged in a corner with cashews and consultant speak, cracking me up as always. The kind of awesome crowd you would expect from Andrew.
If you’re interested in making a visit, the event goes on for two more days with the loft space as attraction number 29 on the open house map:
1915 S Halsted St. #3F
Saturday, September 26th 12-7 pm
Sunday, September 27th 12-7 pm
Ben Turpin, left, and Charlie Chaplin in "His New Job", made in 1915. It was the only Essanay film that Chaplin shot in Chicago. Essanay Studios gave the city a studio that was the Walt Disney or Warner Brothers of the its day. (Via Chicago Tribune Online -- Photo courtesy Kobal Collection)
What did I do this week in film land? Well remember my last post about working three jobs under three job titles? Well add job number 4 to last week and title number 4. I did my first ever PA job on a commercial shoot at Essanay Studios. I never work with actors, makeup, costumes, unions, ad agencies– so it was all new to me. And completely fascinating. I was nervous of course, having visions of being fired by the line producer for getting the wrong salad order or something, but it didn’t happen. I found my stride about an hour in, and awesome PAs Joanna and Spencer took me under their wing and showed me the ropes.
PAing is essentially problem solving and being ready for anything from pretending your SUV is a cab to painting a sound stage at 9 pm. The shoot was for a Zaxby’s Chicken commercial featuring of course, Ditka. Lots of cheerleaders on location. Food prep was amazing for the commercial, I watched the artists prepare gallons of french fries and chicken slices to Hollywood perfection. It was a long day, and by 10 pm I was brain dead, no doubt from paint fumes.
Much like being in a war zone, you bond pretty quickly with complete strangers, so to welcome PA Joanna to Chicago, we’re headed to Second City this week for initiation complete with CTA transfers, beer and comedy. For as much as I bemoan this city, it takes this sort of thing to strike it back up for me again. This week– I like it here.
