Mike Browne’s Blog

Day 3 of 150…

I started another show today called Family in Hiding. I got an upgrade to AD PA right away as the one scheduled had a toothache and had to leave for the day. It was fun to AD again for a day. Tomorrow I’m back to the floating Key PA position. I’m getting multiple phone calls and emails for work every day. It sure is nice to be in demand. I feel sad that I can’t take some of them. Especially the job as a 3rd AD on the movie Numb starring Matthew Perry (yes that one) and Kevin Pollak who does the best darned Captain Kirk and Chirstopher Walken impressions ever.

I had to turn that gig down because DGC rules are that now that I’m a permittee, the minute I take an AD job, namelt TAD 3rd AD or higher I lose my days and am removed from the program. Lame! Anyway, I’ll keep plugging away. If people are noticing me after working only these few shows then I’m sure the trend will continue if I keep showing up with a positive attitude, a sense of humour and do what’s in front of me to be done.

Nice to have arrived home with the sun still up. However, that makes for an early call time tomorrow – 0630. Who cares? I still like what what I’m doing. It’s just so glamourous… (he lied).

The place I’m working tonight with Masters of Horror is called Overlynn or Fairacres Mansion, just 8 minutes away from here. I worked there once before with the TV show The 4400 (who also called me to work today).

The place felt creepy when I was there and I had to be in the house, specifically the attic, alone whilst wrapping out in the evening with no illumination but my little flashlight. My creative head was telling me that perhaps the place was haunted as something just felt off moments of weird drafts and gooseflesh. I disregarded it as my wanting to see something that wasn’t there and tried to put it out of my mind. When I heard last night that I’d be going back there I thought about doing some research.

I found some interesting stories.
[continue reading…]

I haven’t posted a thing since May 19th so I’m long overdue for an update of some sort. My creative energy (and every other kind of energy one has) is going elsewhere lately. Where has it gone? Into getting work in the film industry.

Aside from growing out this mop of hair DGC membership has been the priority. Why? Job stability. Even though I’ve worked as an AD I can’t continue to do so on Guilded shows until I’m a member. The old union thing rears it’s socialist head. Once on the other side of it I’m sure my view will change (or maybe not). There are a ton of hoops to jump through to get there, but many are covered already. I had four courses to take before I could get my DGC Permittee logbook (for those interested here’s the info on the DGC permittee program). I’m now a qualified traffic control person for example. So, if all this movie stuff tanks, I can go stand on a highway with a stop/slow sign and piss drivers off.

Now I have 150 days to get as a permittee to obtain associate membership in the Guild. As of this evening it will be down to 148. LOL! I’ve added a progress bar to the left nav as well so y’all can follow along.

Yesterday I worked on another Insight show called, “Her Fatal Flaw” where I was actually prompted to update my blog. The Locations Manager, Mick Rochon mentioned that he reads this blog once in a while and knows I’ve been busy as to the frequency of posting.

Tonight it’s off to, yes, Masters of Horror season 2! It’s only a day call but I am excited about getting to work on the show at all. Maybe they’ll like me and give me more work. Doesn’t really matter though. I have work lined up throughout June and into July, but if Masters of Horror were to offer me full-time work I’d sure as hell take it.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
– Albert Einstein

Who knew? I guess he really was a smart feller… or fart smeller.

We wondered if pepsi can be exploded by adding mentos or just “urban legend”, We gave it a go with a twist, drink the pepsi then add the mentos, what a result!

whoops!

Check out Full Throttle with the Blue Angels. A reporter goes for a ride with the Blue Angels, US Navy Flight Demonstration Team. Poor Steve. He doesn’t do so well… Me? I’d scream my freakin’ ass off. I don’t even do a ferris wheel well.

I’m not sure I have much interesting to say at all right now as all of my energy’s been going into these 16 hour days I’ve been working on the latest movie. Not exactly as glamorous as one would think. However, upgrades are coming fast and furious. In fact I’ve been working as 3rd Assistant Director on the latest MoW. I’m learning tons and making all kinds of contacts and gaining tons of experience.

The energy for blogging just isn’t there when I’m working this much. In fact after 2 years of lunch scanning and 4 years of blogging I’m a little worn out. That said, I’m going to try to be a little more vigilant about updates. If you want to check in our lives more regularly feel free to hop on over to Carol’s blog. She’s on kind of a roll.

Lastly, it is Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to my three mothers: First to the one who raised me and straightened my collar for all those years. Thanks Mom! Second to Dianne, for giving me life and unselfishly giving me the life I’ve had after making that hard decision all those years ago. Third, to Audrey, Carol’s mom, we hope you and Cathy had a great day and we’ll see you in June!

Off to bed, 6:00am is closer than I’d like it to be. G’night!

Not only is May 4 celebrated rather punnily as Star Wars Day and is International Firefighter’s Day as well it also happens to be the birthday of on Crumb the Barbarian a.k.a. Brother Phil. Happy birthday youngest brother of three. May the 4th be with you!

I just got home from a cast meet and greet and script reading for the next film I’m working on as an AD PA called Mind Games. It stars Alexandra Holden, best known for her role in Drop Dead Gorgeous as an outgoing anorexic beauty queen and is directed by Terry Ingram who was second unit director on the buddy flick Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Also, I’m looking forward to wroking with 1st AD, Greg Rousseaux. He seems like a fairly cool guy.

Principal photography for the 13 day shoot begins tomorrow at Riverview Hospital (a real mental institution) in Coquitlam. My day starts at 6:06 am. Early but who cares. I’m having fun.