“Quiet, Please” – Why PAs Don’t Win Popularity Contests
We want people to like us. It’s the human condition. The PA’s Primary Task: Keep everyone quiet while the camera’s rolling. We’re noisy Americans who blab on our iPhones while shopping for Greek yogurt and clogging up the aisle at Kroger. And even if we’re in the way, no one tells us to move, much less to shut up. Being told to “be quiet” when we’re in the middle of divulging may as well be an infringement on our constitutional rights. It’s hard enough to keep an entire crew quiet – that’s a lot of moving parts. You’ll get the occasional dirty look from someone, but they oblige, generally. But factor in egos, and the important people, and you can have a real problem. Do you do your job and shush ’em, or do you keep your job by letting them bust the take? …Really? Keep everyone quiet? You’re guarding the door that leads to a quiet, intimate sex scene. Only minimal crew – 4 or 5 people total – are allowed inside with the actors. Twenty feet away is craft service, which is being mulled over by a famous actor from that blockbuster hit you’ve seen 100 times since it came out 10 years ago. He strikes up an engaging conversation with BigWig Producer who’s wandered away from video village. The AD announces, “Rolling” in your earpiece – and you repeat in your friendliest and most official tone, maybe even staring at the HotShot actor- “Quiet please, we’re rolling!” But BigWig and HotShot keep yacking it up. You pray they’ll be quiet enough for the audio guy to not notice. (Impossible, they hear everything.) All seems to be going well, they’re maintaing beneath-the-radar volumes- until HotShot reaches the punchline to his non-exciting story, “…AND I’LL NEVER FLY THE RED EYE AGAIN!” You frantically make gestures like a captain losing a game of charades as his boat capsizes into the sea. You motion circles with your index finger over and over (to the rest of the world is You’re Crazy, but to us it means QUIET you idiot, we’re rolling), but you know its too late. The take is blown. The AD – your direct boss – screams “QUIET ALL AROUND” in your earpiece. This may seem like a very small dilemma when compared to the split-second decisions made by neurosurgeons and political leaders. But I assure you, it’s quite a pickle to be in, and can be very jarring. Do you tell the HotShot actor to be quiet, offend him, and get fired? Or do you not tell the HotShot actor to be quiet, and risk the wrath of...
Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires: 2 Week Itinerary
Beginning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and departing from Buenos Aires, Argentina is a common route tread by travelers, and it’s a fairly manageable itinerary if you have 14-16 days. Personally, I wish I’d had an extra week (at least) to explore Uruguay a little more, but if two weeks is all you can get, it’s better to take it than not…and I did! Rio de Janeiro: 4 days Four days in Rio will give you just enough time to take in the sights, and get a little bit of a feel for the city. You can check out Sugar Loaf Mountain, Ipanema Beach, Copacabana, Lapa (for nightlife), and, you must must eat Brazilian barbecue. (Carretão is a good, relatively inexpensive Brazilian barbecue chain). And then, of course, there’s the Cristo Redentor. Rio de Janeiro Tourist Tip: If you’re going to see Christ the Redeemer up close, especially in high tourist season, go as early as you can – which is 8AM. There are two reasons for doing this: 1. The line to take the train up to the Redeemer is a LOT shorter, if nonexistent. Since the statue is at the very top of Corcovado mountain, tourist access is only achieved by sending trolley cars up the mountain – a journey that takes about 20 minutes, and seating on these trains is limited. When you buy a ticket, you’re given a ticket for the train’s next departure time, which can be backed up for 2 hours or longer if you wait to go later in the day. 2. Jesus’ head is shrouded in clouds and smog by noon. If you wait too long, you won’t be able to get a good picture of/with Jesus, since his head will likely disappear into the afternoon clouds that roll through on a daily basis (in summertime, at least). Where We Stayed: We rented a flat two blocks off Copacabana Beach, which was a perfect central location to several of Rio’s neighborhoods and the perfect spot for New Year’s Eve. Try airbnb to find similar flats. Getting From Rio de Janeiro to Iguazu Falls: 1 day Flying directly from Rio de Janeiro to Puerto Iguazú, Argentina isn’t a cheap flight, as it’s an international flight. It’s less expensive to either take a bus or fly domestically from Rio to Foz do Iguaçu, and then crossing the land border into Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. A note about buying domestic flights in Brazil: Without a CPF ID number (Brazilian ID number), you’ll have a heck of a time trying to book a fairly priced domestic flight within Brazil. I ended up having to get my Brazilian friend to buy the ticket, and then pay her back – but internet research tells me...
The Greek Island of Aegina (Photo Essay)
During our 4 days in Europe in 2009, we hopped over to the Greek island of Aegina. The weather was downright spectacular, and Aegina blew us away. Is anything better than Europe in May? If you visit Athens, you must make the ferry trip to Aegina. Ferries depart from Piraeus, and get your tickets as soon you can – they sell out...
The Time an Actor Picked a Fight With Me (Over Breakfast)
* Names and details have been changed to protect the guilty. The Setting I was working on a pilot, and we were filming on location. I was managing basecamp, making sure actors were getting ready, giving them their sides, getting any breakfast orders before the caterer stopped serving breakfast, and giving them estimations on how long until camera would be ready for them. The Story “Laryssa, please tell Jimmy that we don’t need him first off anymore, and that he can go get breakfast and hang out for a bit,” the 1st AD told me over walkie. “Copy that,” I chirped. No problem. I walked over to the trailer where Jimmy was, and knocked on his door. He swung it open hastily, looking down at me expectantly. I explained the situation to him briefly, but cordially: “Hiya Jimmy, a few things changed, and they won’t need you right away – so feel free to get breakfast if you’d like, the caterer’s still serving for another twenty minutes.” One of the mistakes I made in my delivery, apparently, was that I assumed both Jimmy and I were human beings. “Are YOU telling ME to get my own breakfast?” he scoffed, looking down from his lofty three-banger trailer as if he were Pharaoh. I was taken aback. I’d dealt with method actors before, but all-out drama was something new. “Well, no, I’m just letting you know you have the time, if you want to hang out, get some coffee-” This sent him out of the trailer, down to my level. “NO ONE has EVER told ME to get my own breakfast!” he retorted, the screen door slamming shut behind him. I feel it necessary to explain here that Jimmy wasn’t the main character. He wasn’t even really a minor character. He played the boyfriend of a minor character who might’ve had two lines in the whole script. However, he had contributed to a cult classic film of the 1990’s, but has failed to ever fully attain stardom. I wasn’t sure what to do as I stood there, with him staring at me expectantly. I knew he wasn’t my main priority. I needed to make sure the main actors were getting ready for their scenes, and that they had everything they needed. But, it’s never good to be the one responsible for sending an actor into a spiraling mood prior to 9am. “Um…well, I can get it, but I need to stay here, so it may take awhile-” “I’m trying to get ready for my scene.” He huffed, folding his arms across his chest, bothered that babying him wasn’t my main concern. “I know, and...
A Tale of Two New Year’s Eves
It was a low-key New Year’s Eve this year. Gunner was in town, my roommate made some awesome shrimp, we drank a little bit of Fireball, and stayed home. When my phone alarm finally went off at midnight, I think we all breathed a sigh of relief, like a bunch of old folks – we could go to sleep. What a contrast from how I’d rang in the New Year in 2012, in Rio de Janeiro. Since I never did a proper post…here are the highlights! The Brazilian New Year’s Eve Traditions Brazilians wear white on New Year’s Eve (oops). This was problematic for me, as I’d only brought 5 shirts with me (curse my minimalistic approach to packing!). Fortunately, Raquel came prepared, and had a few extra white shirts in her arsenal. While I get that white represents purity, peace, and a fresh start for the New Year – it did rain for the first part of the evening. Yikes! Lentils bring good luck. Lentils is one the several dishes prepared for a traditional Brazilian New Year’s Eve, and it is believed that the eating of the lentils will bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year. Caipirinhas are the drink of choice. In the hours preceding midnight, my glass was refilled numerous times… it’s a stiff drink, too. Watching the Fireworks – From an AMAZING Condo Right at midnight, from several barges off the shore of Copacabana beach, an amazing 20-minute show of fireworks takes place. Raquel’s friend’s family own a prestigious condo, with the best possible view of the fireworks you could want (especially when it’s raining!). It was like watching the ball drop from a penthouse in Times Square – simply surreal. And, the fireworks were incredible. This crummy little video doesn’t do it justice: Getting Squashed for David Guetta The Rio De Janeiro NYE festivities include a free concert on Copacabana beach, and David Guetta was performing. 500,000 people were trying to get to the stage, and as we forced our way through the densest crowd, more than once I felt my internal organs being crushed. As an American where police and security are always in supply at any kind of public gathering, I was amazed at the lack of any kind of legal presence and the high morale of everyone in the crowd. Raquel said it was a testament to the Brazilian spirit. Stickers on Strangers + Taking Photos… = Stickerbombing? One of Jim’s travel gags is to bring a slew of stickers, and leave them on random objects. Usually, those objects are stationary. While we enjoyed the music of David Guetta, we were...
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I'm Laryssa, and when I'm not working in film or television, I'm attempting to travel -- or I'm here, providing resources for working in film or travel. Read more Elsewhere on the internets
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