So… for those of you who haven’t read part 1, here’s a recap: I’m abroad for the first time, meeting amazing people, getting batted round the face by low hanging palm trees and fooled by locals that Coca Cola is a good substitute for Sunscreen… I’m burnt, as are the rest of the crew, and the production schedule looks like it’ll be thrown out the window… so let’s continue!…
When I first joined the film and TV industry I was 19 years old and had never traveled abroad.
I hadn’t once been away on holiday, not even to Bognor Regis! (for those of you who don’t know, Bognor Regis is a seaside resort in West Sussex, on the south coast of England. Typical weather; always raining! Well it is in the UK what do you expect?!).
Little did I know that when I finally managed to wedge my foot into the iron clad industry door how things would change.
Within less than 12 months of joining the industry as an assistant cameraman, I was assigned to a BBC documentary that was to be shot in the Gulf of Mexico. Before I knew it I was jabbed in the butt with every inoculation under the sun and found myself on a Boeing 747 drinking Margaritas in First Class with the rest of the film crew bound for Miami, USA. Not bad for my first trip abroad!…
If you have read any of my other posts you will know that I’m constantly badgering the sound department. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against sound, it’s obviously a vital part of producing films and TV shows. I secretly have the upmost respect for all in the sound department, and people who know me in the industry know this already… but generally I try to keep that one under wraps – after all we don’t want these chaps to get above their station now do we!
Anyway having said that here’s a true story that I hope you enjoy. As you might expect it involves poking fun at a soundman so I guess it’s got to be good! (Sorry old habits die hard). I will change the poor chap’s identity to preserve his dignity so if you are the soundman in question reading this blog, don’t worry your secret’s safe with me… but you know who you are!!!
Let’s call him Monty – the perfect English Gentleman (picture C3pO with headphones and a boom mic). A good friend of mine and one heck of a soundman…
Hi I’m Chris Weaver, welcome to ‘Through The Lens’.
I’ve been doing talks all round the country and it’s become apparent that it can be very hard for people to get good solid advice from industry professionals who have experience in film & tv.
So, in this blog I will present how-to information, tips and tricks on the Film and TV industry along with stories from ‘Behind the Scenes’.
I hope the information will help you, provide practical advice, hints and tips that you can use immediately in your own work. I also hope along the way you’ll find it entertaining, after all there’s no point in being too serious about this stuff – it’s not exactly brain surgery.
"Point and look serious!"..."Uh... Ok"
The thing is, I’ve got lots of experience and knowledge and I’m keen to share it with you – I’ve been working in the film and TV industry for over 30 years, first as a film cameraman, then a director, then director of photography and more recently as a producer running the UK based production company Free Spirit Film & TV.
So, as you can imagine, I’ve been around the block a bit! Despite that I hope you will follow my posts and take advantage of the all the stuff on offer before I lose my memory altogether! I hope you enjoy this stuff, if not then so be it, but at least give me some credit for making the effort. After all I could be out filming, drinking tea or when I’m not working watching some mundane daytime TV show like ‘Cash in the Attic’, (for those of you fortunate enough to live outside of the UK please let me briefly explain. ‘Cash in the Attic’ is a TV show which is basically designed to keep the criminally insane occupied. It consists of crusty old antiques dealers rummaging around some poor unfortunates attic in the hope of finding a long lost Picasso. Sadly in reality all they ever seem to ever find is junk like a broken food blender circa 1963 and sometimes, if they’re really lucky they might dig up something from the Victorian era like a rusty moustache trimmer- not that I watch it of course..I only know because I’ve had the unfortunate experience of working on the show!)
Anyway enough said. The bottom line is, if nothing else just drop by when you’ve got nothing better to do and have fun!
Chris.
p.s. I also run a selection of training courses – check out the menu for more info.
And now… Here are some photos of me “in action” over the years haha.
Free Spirit Film & TV
Film, TV & Online Video Production.
I make no money from this blog. If you feel like I've helped you in anyway that is worth some money, I would greatly appreciate a donation of any kind. It really would mean a huge amount.
Through The Lens Film School 