I’m writing this in the backseat of Sonja’s parents’ Audi as we make the drive home to Mineapolis after a quick trip to Alcester, South Dakota, for a family reunion. (We’re actually quite a ways past Hull and have just driven through Sheldon, Iowa, but “Highway to Sheldon” didn’t make as catchy a title.)
I’ve now got one full week of the new job under my belt, and I’m happy to say that I still like it. The four days I spent there in mid-July were, in fact, a fine representation of the company and I wasn’t just being shown the “shiny bits” to make it seem nice.
Everyone I’ve met so far has been really cool and I’ve yet to meet anyone not suited for the position they’re in, which is a relief.
The funny thing that I’ve noticed is that, since this company is new to producing their own commercials, each shoot is still something of a novelty to them. On Friday, for example, there was a shoot at a local house. At previous jobs, the crew might have consisted of the producer, director, and copywriter (often all the same person), a shooter and maybe a grip. Add the talent and maybe you’d have four or five people on set.
Here, each one of those positions was an individual person, but add to that a couple sound guys, makeup, gaffer, another grip, lighting, and so on. Plus, the account manager was present. Then, throughout the day, various others would leave the building to “go see the shoot.” This included a couple other copywriters, a VP or two, the creative director, random executives, and another audio guy or two. I, on the other hand, was in the office all day working with the other editor but I think we were a couple of the only people from the creative department who did not visit the shoot.
I’m sure that once the “newness” of producing video in-house wears off, there will be fewer gawkers on location. But as someone who has been on countless shoots and knows how monotonous they can become over the course of a few hours, I can’t imagine wanting to hang around one all day if I didn’t have a legitimate reason to be there.
Maybe that’s why I prefer to work in post, and only occasionally go out on shoots. I’m fine with being there if I’m needed or if I have a reason to be, but I’ve never been one to hang around shoots for too long otherwise, especially if the director has already established a “rhythm,” or lack of a better term, on the set. New people showing up mid-shoot only distracts the talent and crew that is already in place.
So that’s my week. Sonja and I are still trying to decide where we’re going to live. A house may not be out of the question, and right now is probably the best time to buy one since the sellers’ market is in shambles. We still have to find the right house (though we already found the “perfect” house just outside our price range), and we still need to unload the house in Kansas City (see previous statement about sellers’ market). The good thing is that we don’t have to be in any rush, since Sonja’s parents are generously letting us live in their home until we make up our minds. Still, I miss my cats (who have taken temporary residence with my parents in Iowa), and it would be nice to have a place to call a home of our own again.
It’s an exciting (and a little bit scary) time in my life right now, but all the changes have been positive so far (when did this turn into a motivational blog?).
