Round Up the Usual Suspect – Please!

Van, who I talked about in my articles on "The Rook," is a serious, hard-working professional. I have to force him to take breaks. PAs nicknamed him 'Robo-AD' on one shoot because he never stopped.

Brian, who we call "Big Daddy', is as large as a defensive lineman, and as sweet as candy bar. Everybody loves Brian, who, while low-keyed, gets people to work hard because of their respect for him.

Directors of Photography? My first choice is Charles Houston. Also a "Rook" alumni, Charlie can work in any style, aiding a director without being confrontational. It goes without saying that his footage is flawless.

Then there is my sound goddess, Theresa. On "Man of the Century," we did an entire movie with music and did not have to ADR a line of dialogue. She knows just what ambient sound to pick-up. Almost as important, good karma exudes from this woman. You just feel better knowing she is around. She cares about her fellow workers, and she cares about the production team. She is special.

I don't always get to work with Vera, my first choice for make-up. She is in great demand on still shoots, and I can't match the money they offer. She is a Norse princess, who besides doing great make-up, knows exactly how to make my actors feel like a million bucks. She never lets me out of actors' holding without giving her a smile, no matter how difficult the shoot.

I certainly have other people who I prefer for other positions, but these folks above are my "A Team." When I can get them all together, we make the impossible wonderfully possible.

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