So, pre-production officially began on Monday. We have hired production staff, started location scouting, begun casting sessions for the non-principals, finished contracts, started contracts, and put the production offices together. 

And again, I keep coming back to what is the most important thing to do. Hire a good line producer. A good line producer knows everything about the place you’re going to shoot in, when you know nothing. they know the people to bring in, and the people to keep out. They know where, in that city, are the places you need to spend your budget, and where you can NOT spend budget. 

Now, this can be a tricky situation. We hired our line producer before ever meeting her. And often, this is the case. You hire your line producer after a series of phone conversations, a ton of calls to the last people they worked with, some recommendations, and your gut feeling. That gut feeling can never be dismissed. Get in tune with your gut. 

Because of our line producer, we have been able to bring on an amazing AD. Now, I know what you’re thinking…if you know all the agents…it should be easy to find an AD. But, this guy wasn’t represented, so no one was pitching him to us, and the only reason he came on our radar as available for a non-studio movie was because of our line producer. She brought us a viable option for a key location (outside of also bringing us a fantastic locations manager)

 In short, this is not the place to try to save a couple pennies, because a good line producer will save you hundreds of thousands over the course of a shoot. 

And now, let’s see what Week 2 brings.

Something you have to be aware of when traveling to a city to work in film is how to drink in that city. Not that anyone actually has to drink while working on a film, but the fact is relationships are formed, deals are done, and schemes are hatched over a couple vodka martinis or a few glasses of syrah. As all of you that already work in this business know, “work drinks” happen at least 2-3 times a week, often with people you’ve never met before. 

So, when you travel to a city to work, one of the things to know is the quirks of having drinks in that city, so you don’t look like a total fool when meeting business contacts. I mean, you’re already going to get lost on the way to your drinks meeting…so when you get there, you should really know that in Salt Lake City you have to “buy a one night pass to a private club” instead of paying a cover charge…or that the local place for business drinks in Toronto may well be a strip club.  

Now, heading to NY, I didn’t figure there was anything I needed to know. After all, we’re talking about a place where you can stumble into bars practically at dawn and still get served one last drink. And yet, one of the quirks here tripped me up. Thankfully, I was headed to a social situation, and not a work one.

The other night, I headed up to Park Ave to see a college friend, and wanted to grab a bottle of wine for us to enjoy on the way. As I got off the subway about 4 blocks from his place, I thought for sure I would be able to pop into a storefront, grab a nice pinot noir, and be on my way. 

Imagine my surprise when storefront after storefront had none. I walked into small grocers, delis, and pretty much all storefronts along my walk thinking that perhaps…just perhaps….the last store simply didn’t have the space for wine. I mean, real estate is at a premium here, right? Overriding my knowledge of the industry, I convinced myself that perhaps the markup on wine didn’t justify the shelf space, and the next store would have made space for a couple bottles.

Now, to reveal one of my neurosis, having spent so much time traveling, living, and working in different places…I hate admitting to any local that I don’t know something that should be common knowledge. So it took me 4 storefronts before I finally shoved my ego out of the way. “Do you have any wine?” “Beer, even cold!” 

This was information I already knew, having scoured the store for a good 5 minutes before asking (sidenote: stores here are tiny. 5 minutes is plenty of time to scour) 

“do you have any wine?” I asked again, thinking maybe I just looked like the beer drinking type, and he was trying to help. “We have food!” Now, having gotten the previous answer, I assumed that the cashier was just, once again not answering my question. Little did I know that this time, he was ACTUALLY answering my question. Apparently, in NY, you can not buy wine or hard liquor in any place that sells any sort of food. 

That’s right people. No cheese with your wine. No olives with your martini. No pretzels with your beer. 

Unless you go to a bar…where you can get shitfaced, snacks, and play pool until 4 in the morning.

Makes total sense to me.