I know, I know... I have been very lackadaisical about staying up to date on this. I've been so overextended in the past few weeks that I simply don't have the energy to write. I usually drop into bed at the end of the day and barely have the gumption to brush my teeth.
I finally got a job as Production Manager of five new HDTV shows that will be on satellite TV (not mainstream networks). We are producing all five at once, and to tell the truth, it's a nightmare. I am responsible for HD camera rentals, shipping the cameras all over the world, hiring camera crews all over the world, managing the purchase orders and budgets (including rentals, shipping costs and crew labor), maintaining the call sheets and schedules.... there is no Production Coordinator, nor a Production Accountant. And the pay is crap. But it beats fighting the unemployment people and it will help me stay solvent until I can find something permanent with benefits. Which will be soon, I hope. I really hope.
I went to a memorial for Francis (see August 11 entry). Most of his friends were musicians. In fact, his father was a trumpet player and his mom was a singer and they met while playing together in a big band. So we had a proper party with a bandstand and we all took turns going up and saying a few words and jamming our hearts out. If there is a heaven, Fran probably heard us up there. Godspeed, my friend.
Back to the job... I was hired on August 18, and by the fourth day I was already having to find a camera operator in Wales, plus ship a camera there at the very last possible moment so he could go shoot the event. It's been six weeks of nothing but panic-at-the-last-minute stuff. So far we've shot 15 different events in fifteen different places. In addition to Wales, we have shot in Bangkok, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hawaii, France, Ohio, Washington State, Alaska and Canada. They told me the job was until September 29th, but the Executive Producer has changed his story several times. He's also a screamer, and has a very limited memory to boot, so he's always yelling at someone. I have agreed to stay on until October 3rd, but I don't think I can take any more after that. If the shows get picked up, it will be for 53 episodes, and they just don't pay enough for me to stay. Working over 80 hours a week for $750? Sometimes I'm there until 2 or 3 am trying to get the cameras ready for shipping, and I am getting too old for that.
Can't I just get a normal studio job with benefits and a nice commissary for lunch?
I guess I should be grateful I'm working, but I have never worked this hard and gotten paid so poorly for my efforts.
