Summer Camp Film Style

You remember how summer camp you went away for weeks at a time, going home only sometimes on weekends? You struggled to make friends at first, but by the end of the time you were all best friends who swore to keep in touch forever? You always have that one inevitable hook up between the two people who every one says should hook up? You live in a world of isolation for long enough that with out realizing it you've formed a community, a family.

Yeah, that's kind of what filming a movie on location is like.

The filming of Ice Grill, USA was an experience like none other... or perhaps just like every other movie on location (as its my first one, I'm not really sure)

My story begins on a Thursday in New York where I get a call from the production manager (after a long line of recommendations). She doesn't hire me on the spot, but she does end up hiring me, and three days later I am on a bus to Atlantic City. It's a very interesting first day and i end up doing mostly busy work so that she can see what I am capable of, which is more than she had originally bargained for.

The small beach town we stayed in was Brigantine. It was kind of incredible the way you could drive down the main road of the island and to one side see the bay and the other the ocean. I'm not going to lie, being back by the beach was quite pleasant. I love the ocean and the salty air did wonders for my spirit.


I would say the one down fall to my story is that the house I was staying in was on the other side of the island from all the other crew houses... oh phooey... AND no transportation down there. This story will not be nearly as interesting as it could be, as I need to spare some details. Yes, I was effectively that kid who had to use kids on the other end of the island to rescue her from her cabin...


I was told once the shoot was over and done with, that some of the crew thought I didn't like the because I never hung out with them. That was most certainly not the case, I would have hung out with them every night if I could have. Just, the nature of my job was such that I had to go back to the office every night and since I didn't have a car I couldn't easily get home or to their place for that matter. By the third week in, when I finally managed to get out, they realized just the opposite... that I actually did like them. What can I say, they are all sweet hearts. I honestly just needed them to come and rescue me like the princess I was. Seriously, whats not to love.


My house wasn't so bad, I mean after all it was a house full of girls (haha...hahahaha). Every evening the first week of shoot was spent discussing the day. Every day I would have to play the devil's advocate for the majority of the crew, as the people in my house took to the classic stereotypes for crew members and the roles each person played on set. Of course it wasn't all true, I could see that... but then I am the one who often tries to fight against such stereotypes.

Once we got past those stereotypes, we of course discussed the particular charming qualities of the gorgeous gentlemen we were so privileged to work with (not kidding on that point). You can't tell me that you've never done that amongst peers; it doesn't matter whether you're girl or guy, gay or straight, pink or green everyone talks about everyone else they work with. Now some might have shorter discussions like,"I'd do her," and leave it at that. And then there are others who are long winded.

When I wasn't sticking up for the crew, I was arguing my case as to why there was nothing going on between me and the DP. Yes, he and I were friends before the shoot, but NO there had never been anything between us. I'm not really sure why, but I seriously kept getting that question from people the entire shoot... well about half the shoot. Do I honestly seem like the type that would have a running thing with one of her coworkers? (this is a rhetorical question not expected to actually be answered, I'm not sure I really want to know what you think on that issue). In the end I was finally able to convince everyone that there was nothing going on between us.

My production manager was still not convinced.

Our day to day routine was nothing like summer camp... well not a beach based summer camp. It was more like that intensive project based summer camp. Each person had their roles and we all played our parts. Had lunch at specific times, and ended our days when work was finished. Okay so maybe it was a little more like boot camp, but each new day brought new challenges that we all rose to, and in the end we made our movie.

All in all, we all work together, play together, drink together, talk together, fight together and have fun together. We form a community, and as much as you're glad to leave some people; after everything its still a little hard to say goodbye. When you think about it, we all haven't grown up much from those summer camp days. Most of the time you leave with these big plans of keeping in touch forever, but you don't. You make plans to see that summer crush again, but you don't. You leave with hopes of reunions, but they don't happen. Its not that we don't want these things, but its more that they took place in that moment, these people were part of that moment, these activities were part of that moment, and perhaps they can't exist beyond. For that moment, for that time they are part of us, but like all good things they too must end. So, we say goodbye, we close the door on our brief stay, hop on a bus and bid farewell to Atlantic City...


or perhaps we merely leave it at "soon."

Strike Outs and Curve Balls

What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, or so they say. No mater what it is though, hurts to the point that you wonder if it wouldn't have been better had you never known. Life throws some crazy curve balls at you sometimes, generally it seems to be nothing you cant handle. These moments always leave me wondering, "why me?"

At the end of March, I went to a club with a couple of my friends. That night I happened to meet a guy who was nice, cute, and interesting. He walked me to the train at the end of the night and texted me to make sure I made it home safely; he actually seemed like a decent human being.

He was not my type at all, I tend to prefer pub boys to club boys. I figured though, if he actually called me up, I'd give him a chance. Every once in a while you need to step outside your comfort zone and let life happen. He called. He called and we talked back and forth for about a week until we could finally set a time to meet up again.

We made plans, was supposed to be the Sunday before I started my job in Atlantic City. The night before we texted back and forth to solidify everything, and I never hear from him again. The next day, I get to the Brooklyn Art Museum where we were supposed to meet and wait.

I wait and wait and wait. No guy, in fact no text message, call or anything. I wait for an hour and a half before I decide to leave. In all honesty I put my sunglasses on as I tried to fight back tears. I felt embarrassed, insulted and jaded. All I wanted to do was break down and cry.

After ALOT of venting to friends, I got over it, moved on and started my gig in Atlantic city.

Four weeks later (May 4th) I get a call, from an investigator. The kid got hit by a train sometime between the hours of 4:30am and 6am the morning we were supposed to meet, after he left the club. Appearantly I was the last one who talked to him.

What? What! What?!

Who does something like this happen to? Who actually gets news like this? Is this even absurdly possible? I suppose it is because it did actually happen, but still... its quite a shock.

I don't even know how to begin processing this. I mean everything I thought about that incident is false. He didn't actually stand me up, and I had the nerve to say a lot of really mean things about the kid after he didn't show. No I shouldn't hold it against myself, but at the same time what good do those thoughts and comments really do?

I don't even know if I really liked the kid, and I was going to take a chance and just see what was going to happen. Then I am thrown this huge curve ball that looks like its going one place and goes some place entirely different.

An incident like this changes you, even if you're just some third party observer, makes you reassess all you thought was important and logical. That's what the world is supposed to do, I suppose, throw things in your way that will change the course of your existence entirely.

What will this mean for me? I don't know... but it will, it will