Call Time: Crack of Dawn!
November has been busy! After filming gigs indoors for most of the previous week, it was great to be outside to experience cool mornings and warm afternoons. I had the pleasure of working B-cam on a shoot with Sushi Grade Media down at the golf courses in Pinehurst, NC. With a call time of 6:15am, I unfortunately had to leave my house at 5:00am, but it was quite the peaceful drive. Documenting the dedicated grounds crew of multiple world-class golf courses, we shot on two Canon C70s (one on a shoulder rig, one on a Ronin RS2) as well as a DJI Mavic Pro. We captured some incredible b-roll in the early morning light before having fun with different interview set-ups. Some were shot on the green, some were filmed as walk-and-talks and others involved more set-dressing and crafting like repurposing a bench from another area and using two camera cases stacked on each other as a make-shift tripod for the gimbal camera. Ingenuity at it’s finest! It was great working with a new, laidback crew, and I’m excited to see what the final product will look like!
What I’ve Been Watching
Tampopo (1986): In case you haven’t heard, we’re watching a lot of food and beverage movies for the month of November over in The Nut House Discord server. Last Movie Monday, we took a look at Tampopo, a Japanese comedic ramen-western (like “spaghetti-western,” get it?) about a struggling noodle shop, and how an unlikely community rallies around the shop owner to help her make the best noodle spot in the area. It’s hilarious, sweet and often-times bonkers in its showcasing of how much of a love language food can be. It also made me incredibly hungry. The film is currently streaming on Max.
The Last of the Sea Women (2024): Y’all know I’m a sucker for a marine documentary. This story highlights the women of an aging occupation: free diving for shellfish in South Korea. It’s a fascinating tale of resilience and a love for the ocean. Throw in a little drama around Japan releasing radioactive water, and the film is an overall testament to how we should treat the waters that keep the planet healthy. The movie is currently streaming on AppleTV+.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024): This movie had me in tears late last week. The good kind! The Remarkable Life of Ibelin showcases how the secret life of a young World of Warcraft gamer is vividly reimagined when his online friends contact his family after his death. A truly moving documentary, it’s a testament to the fact that simply being there for people is enough to make a difference in this world. In such an emotional doc, it’s refreshing to not be manipulated with surprise twists and turns; you know from the start how things will end, so the entire film is a celebration of life. One of the best mixed-media docs I’ve seen in recently memory! The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
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Editing, editing and more editing awaits me this week; some personal projects and some business-related. I hope y’all have a fantastic week ahead!
