One More Day

Well here I sit amidst boxes of Set Dec tools writing my next-to-last post while on "The Hangover". Come next week I hope to be in a tower somewhere between Las Tunas and Marina del Rey.

The ride on this has been okay for the most part. No major injuries to speak of and only one person sent to the hospital.

What's next? I have no idea. The threat of a SAG strike is putting a damper on my thought of work but I'm not worried. As I've said before, having the beach to fall back on is fantastic.

I'm gonna go eat lunch.

Be well.

The Birthday Physical

Yes, today is the happy day! I have been shuffling across this mortal coil for many years now.

This morning I got to sleep-in in order to take my physical for the County's Fitness For Life, it really stinks to get old. I have a little hearing loss and a couple other things that bare looking into but I will get a 3% bonus and that'll be great for lifeguard work.

These are the last few days for me here on "The Hangover" and then I'm retiring until the next gig. This isn't the best time to be off work. First, most shows take about two weeks off for the holidays and second, the actors of SAG are threatening to strike.

I'm hoping that the weather here in Los Angeles remains warm through the next month so I can Lifeguard.

That's it for today.

Be well.

Santa Monica 20

I love days like this at the beach, the cool cloudy weather is
invigorating.

Gadgets

Check out the slideshow on the page and tell me what you think of it. The pictures may be too small.

I finished watching "The Aviator" today and tomorrow I will view something I've already seen, I didn't get to Hollywood Video tonight to get a new movie. Today was so quiet that I even went out to coffee with the Set Dressers.

Went swimming this evening with my younger son at Santa Monica College. The pool is really nice and he and I both like to swim outdoors. Saturday is our yard sale and we've been cleaning out our storage to get stuff to sell.

That's about it for now.

Be well.

The Last Days of "The Hangover"

I am in the Warehouse as the Special FX crew loads a truck and the Props guys dismantle their "Gold Room". I'm watching movies and editing a story my younger son is writing.

Very quiet times and a good way to wind down. Sorry to say not much of any note.

Be well.

Lifeguard Biz

Faded glory.
I'm here at SM tower 20 at Bay Street for a 10-5 shift.

Another Day

Putting in another quiet day in the Warehouse. No FX crew but there are a couple of Propmakers. The Set Dressers are coming and going and soon I'll put on "Magnolia". Yesterday I watched "Boogie Nights", it's a Paul Thomas Anderson week.

I worked a short five hour day at Navy Street in Venice on Sunday. The only drama was that I couldn't find my tower keys and had to ask the Permanent at Santa Monica South to let me in.

This is a three day week and Thursday I'm going to work at the beach. Before the boys were born I always worked on Thanksgiving. I like the beach on that day; not many people out and It gives me a chance to have a workout before the big dinner.

Be well.

Thanks

Thanksgiving is eight days away and thought today is a good time to express some thanks.

Last night I attended the retirement dinner for L. A. County Lifeguard Section Chief Jon Moryl in Santa Monica. I saw a lot of the old time 'guards who were on their way out when I started 31 years ago. One of the retirees worked for 55 years as a recurrent or seasonal lifeguard. I said to him, "I ask myself every year how long I'll lifeguard. How did you do it?"er His reply was, "I guess I wasn't very smart." Nothing could be further from the truth.

I realize that almost everything I have is due to lifeguarding and more basically because of swimming. In the summer of '72 I watched Mark Spitz win seven gold medals in swimming. Well, my Grandparents had a pool and I swam there all the time, how hard a sport could it be, I wondered. I had no idea. I joined the high school swim team convinced that I would soon be on my way to glory.

Our coach, Neal Newman, quickly corrected this notion. "Tony, you're swimming 30 yards for every 25 yard lap. You're swimming from side to side in the lane." Coach would move his hand in a snakelike motion to indicate what I was doing. Needless to say I was disheartened. I learned there was a swim club in Santa Monica where I could workout after the high school workouts. I put in a lot of yards and was named most improved swimmer at the year end awards banquet.

Each year saw improvement and as a senior I applied to UCLA but wasn't accepted. I was off to SMCC (now Santa Monica College). Our coach was the legendary John Joseph. JJ was a great inspiration to me. His quiet demeanor and firm leadership made me want to work harder than I had before. He had a great saying when we were dead dog tired in the middle of a grueling set, "Don't let anything hold you back but fear itself." Well, we weren't afraid of anything so nothing held us back.

A lot of the guys who were a year ahead of me were lifeguards and in April of '77 Art Verge, Eddy Love and others convinced the new guys to try out for the lifeguards. I had no idea what lifeguarding was. As a kid I went to the beach once in awhile but I didn't like the sand or wearing a wet swimsuit. In fact, I used to change out a wet suit into a dry one after coming out of the water.

The test at Santa Monica south was a mass swim, as it is today, from tower 24 to tower 16. It's April and the water was cold, there were a few hundred people trying out, it was mayhem. Some how I finished in 32nd place. I was in the second Rookie School.

I worked on the beach during the summers while I went to UCSB and taught Junior Lifeguards for three years. In 1985 my wife and I moved to the San Joaquin Valley where I coached water polo and swimming and I came back to the beach for the summer vacations. In '89 Eddy Love called me and asked if I wanted to teach sailing for this new program he helped create. It's called the W.A.T.E.R. (Water, Awareness, Training, Education, and Recreation) Program. I said, "Eddy, I don't know how to sail." He said he'd teach me. I didn't hesitate to say "Yes!"

We moved back to Los Angeles and so began eight years of full time work in the youth programs. Eddy taught me how to sail, he put me in a Sabot with his wife Sally and spent about half an hour in a chase boat yelling instructions. Somehow I learned and went on to be one of the sailing instructors along side George Hale. We had a blast most of the time.

In 1992, our first son Hunter was born and in 1993 I decided I wanted to work on the Baywatch which meant I needed to have an EMT certificate. Becoming an EMT not only allowed me to work on Baywatch and qualify for a bonus with the Lifeguards, it enabled me to become a Set Medic.

I am so grateful to swimming and the coaches and to Lifeguarding and the mentors I've had that lead me to a job where I can provide for my family and have a chance to work at the beach and be a positive example for the beach patron. My skills as an EMT are a comfort to me and my family because of the assistance I can provide to people in need.

Be well,

Tony

Warehouse Life

Another movie day at the warehouse.

Video

John T. our Video Assist maestro waiting for the cry of, "Action",
from the Director.

Just The Facts.

This is the former Rampart police station in Los Angeles. We are
shooting here today and tomorrow.

Monday Morning

In the backyard of a home in Hollywood/West Hollywood.

Bisquit Rig

This is the rig that drives the picture car Mercedes.

Bear & Me

No Photo

Sorry I couldn't take any pictures of Mike Tyson.

St. Vincent Hospital

Lee Orloff, Sound Mixer extrordinaire in his private room.

Glamour

This isn't the sort of locations one imagines when you think about
Hollywood.

Sunrise at Warner Bros.

Here I am at WB on Halloween. I hope the weather doesn't change.

Fwd: Palmdale Sunrise

>

> Looking east from Base Camp here in Palmdale.
>

Desert Driving

More insert car work, this time we're in Palmdale. It's hot and dusty
here. The good news is that three days work will be completed in two.

BG Food

This is some of what the extras have to eat.

Background Holding

The Auditorium at Daniel Webster Elementary School. This is where the
extras spend their time out of the sun.

Saturday is my Thursday.

Last day at the Pasadena house and the summer weather continues.

Sticks

These are sticks, or more commonly known as a tri-pod. You don't see
them used very often in this day.

More Wedding

Summer Should Be Over

Another hot day in Pasadena. Today is our Monday and it's 92 degrees
right now. Tomorrow the forecast is hotter.

The Biscuit

This is a vehicle built to carry a car while being driven by a stunt
driver.

"Ultimate Arm"

This is a camera rig built on a Mercedes Benz SUV. I've seen a
similar rig on a Porshe Cayanne (sp?).

Exterior House

Our Director, Todd Phillips standing, looks at the framing on the
monitors.

First Day's Supplies

This is some of my stuff for "The Hangover".

Welding

This is a screen, so to speak, behind which a welder will work. It
protects the eyes of those who don't wear welding glasses.

"Slacker Uprising"

I just finished watching Michael Moore's new doc. "Slacker Uprising"
and I encourage you to download the movie. I think it's still free on
iTunes.

All is quiet here at the Warehouse. Tomorrow I plan to work day two
of the new "Rating Period".

Be well.

Warehouse

There aren't many folks left to minister to at this facility. I won't
say the exact # but it's low.

I have to fly under the radar for a few more before filming starts here.

I'm watching a lot of movies and reading the paper throughly.

That's about it for now.

Be well,

Tony

Finished

Here's the finished Ceasar.

More FX

This truck is going to be a camera platform for a crash.

SFX

Foam

Theses folks are the sculptors of Ceasar that's going to sit atop
Ceasar's Palace with a mattress on his arm.

Movies

This morning I'm watching "Pulp Fiction". This is a great film, I
think it is my favorite Tarantino movie.

No Vegas

I received the news that I am not traveling to Las Vegas with the
shooting company.

I'm going to keep showing up at this warehouse til someone tells me
not to or the company returns to LA. I hope it's the later.

That's all I know for now.

Have a good weekend.

Be well.

Check out this cool Kyte show 'Product Placement'

Watch it now!
http://www.kyte.tv/ch/94003/218959

Be well.

Set Dec Takes Over

The once empty space has been filled and then some by the stuff that
will be in the movie.

Lunch

When I'm on Const. This is the type of meal I have. My wife made some
chili and I heated it and that's it.

Watching Movies

"Are you a available ...?

"Yes", is how I reply when theUPM asked me if I can go to Las Vegas.
The Studio may want the producers to hire a local medic to save the
housing and per diem. The "Company" (this refers to the production
crew) moves to Vegas on Sept. 17.

The last time someone asked about my availability and I answered in
the affirmative it was for naught.

I'm prepared to seek other employment beginning next week. Why so
soon, you ask? The Construction crew moves to stage at Warner Bros.
and the studio has their own medics.

A movie on which I worked late last year is rumored to be preparing
for reshoots. That may work out for me.

This year is less busy than most and that has presented challenges and
opportunities. The days of Lifeguarding are welcome breaks.

We'll see what happens. Stay tuned.

Be well.

Tiger

There's a tiger in the office.

Warehouse

Looking into the Construction warehouse.

Day 1

This is the view from where I'm set up in "The Hangover" warehouse.

The New "Kit"

GT 500 KR. WOW!

Portuguese Bend Club Tower

More KR

Another shot from The Portuguese Bend Club playing the part of
somewhere in Mexico.

Kit

The car swims out of the water.

On The Set of "Knight Rider"

This is an office set at Santa Clarita Studios.

Yesterday on "24"

Mo Cap

Motion capture stage where they are "shooting" stuntmen for "G. I. Joe".

CSI: Miami in Long Beach

Be well.

Not Lifeguarding

It looks like the view from the tower but this tent is for CSI: Miami.

More Under The Set

Today is my Thursday. We shot three shows yesterday and the audience
for the last show was small!

Under The Set

This is part of the view where my gear is stowed.

OMG!

This is intolerable. The schedule is so fubar. The audience came in
an hour late and the Producers are making changes while tapping goes.

Badges

Back on the game show after the set was rearranged. It's a lot
jazzier with lights everywhere.

"Hole In The Wall"

I'm working on a game show with the above title. Check out "Human Tetris" on youtube.com
to see the concept. The show is in rehearsals at CBS in Studio City, this is my first time to work on the lot.

I'll have a picture for you soon. There really isn't too much to report. I will be on this gig for about 11 or 12 days not consecutive.

I plan to supplement the time with days on the beach.

Oh my youngest and I took a nice bike ride yesterday along Ballona Creek, if you get a chance, check it out.

Be well.

VN (Venice North) cont.

I'm back on VN at Westminster, a tower north of the Venice Breakwater
and Muscle Beach.