More on the Set

Walking to the studio set, my brother and I passed the wrapped and packaged former set pieces from the show "How I Met Your Mother" which has completed filming. These "rooms" will find a home somewhere on the Fox lot in case, I suppose, it ever comes back. Next is the living/dining room from "New Girl", a spacious and warm part of the cast's apartment. Third is the war room where the director, producers, writers, make-up artists, and cast can sit while the show is shot in the next room. Next up, the crew prepares to shoot in a small room made to look like a cruise cabin. And last, there's the Umami Burger truck ready to cater to the needs of a hungry cast and crew late into the night of the last day of shooting. Even hangers-on like myself could order one of their famous burgers with zero cash changing hands. Delicious!

Mr. Curtiss at Work on the Set

I know it says Mr. Curtiss at work, but as you can see, there's not much evidence of that happening. I took the opportunity to get some environmental photographs of my brother, a couple of them posing with his new folding bike given to all crew members as a thank you for all their hard work during the filming of season 3. Photograph 2 shows him with his crew of lamp operators, nice guys all. In the middle he is pictured with a couple of his lighting inventions but I don't remember what they're called. Cool stuff though. Thanks for a great day Mr. C! All photographs taken with the very unobtrusive Sony RX 100.

On the Set of New Girl

On Friday, I got the opportunity, thanks to my brother Curtiss, to spend a day and part of the early morning on the set of the Fox comedy "New Girl" starring Zooey Deschanel. My brother is the gaffer (lighting) on the show and his crew, along with other members of the supporting cast, were most welcoming and friendly. It was the last filming day of season three, and the wrap didn't take place until 2:30 yesterday morning. By that point, I was in the car in the Fox parking structure trying to get some sleep. This is not a job for the impatient! At bottom, Curtiss is sitting at far left next to the DP, with the director, assistant director, writers and producers, make-up artists, and actor Jeff Garlin crowding into the Shirley Temple room in front of them. Show creator and episode director Liz Meriwether could and did pop out of the door on the right to cajole, congratulate, and instruct the cast in the next room where the filming was taking place. Above the war room is yours truly on the left sitting next to Prince who just showed up to watch for some reason. I tried to talk to him but he just stared straight ahead, completely mute.

Paris on Film

Back in the 90's, my wife and I took a few trips to the City of Light during our Thanksgiving or Martin Luther King holidays. Obviously, these were whirlwind affairs, giving us only three full days before getting on a plane back to California. They had the advantage of being free boondoggles as a result of leading student groups in the summer to Europe. Most of our friends thought we were crazy to put ourselves through such rigorous travel, but I have never regretted going. Paris in the winter months is even more beautiful than in the summer, albeit with less daylight to do photography. Not having the luxury of using high ISOs that we have today in digital cameras made any photographs at night a dicey proposition. Good light was to be had only between about 10 am and 4 pm. We're heading back for a few days this summer, and I'm already starting to count the days.