My "Station 9"

Station 9 is the busiest fire station in the US. They are responsible for the area called skid row. This is their story.
We are currently working very hard to produce this as a series. This blog is dedicated to that struggle.

Watch the Trailer

10.15.2009

Another Meeting Another Chance

So I had another meeting with my "agent" and his company.  Don't get me wrong he's not that typical Hollywood type.  I mean he's not necessarily Ari from Entourage, is what I am trying to say.  He is aggressive when he needs to be and he really knows his sh*t.  But there we were in his office.  We have to make a final presentation to the company that is interested in us.


He sat there and started to make a flow chart on a notepad.  It was raining and I couldn't stop staring outside while this acid rain fell on the Wilshire district.  He asked (well told ) me how he felt we needed to attract this situation.  The production company is looking to include the homeless portion to a greater position in the show than what I had really intended.  Although there is a strong presence that the homeless do have in the work lives of the firefighters I never really wanted that to be a big part of the story.  Although he (agent) we will call him J, said that the company mainly produces scripted shows (movies) they are now looking to branch off to non-scripted or reality docu-series projects.  Station 9 for example. 

10.02.2009

San Julian - New Video Edit

Well not exactly newly shot but this is newly edited.  As part of working with the possible production company I decided to edit a new piece that had some story to it.  I hope that you like it. Please leave comments with what you think.


Skid Row

Once upon a time the fire trucks of Station 9 actually had "Skid Row" printed directly on them. Recently they were made to remove this.  I suppose that it is understandable in that if you are one of these people that purchase a million dollar loft in that area the last thing the real estate needs is that public expression.  However if they are concerned about the image of the area, there is much more to be concerned about then two words on a fire truck.

9.30.2009

A Sudden Renaissance

  After quite a long while, there seems to be a new life to this little show we call Station 9.  If you have been reading all about this show and how it started then you will be happy to know that there are new developments.

As you can guess I cannot really name names but there is now a strong interest in this show by a  prominent philanthropist and entertainer.  I'm happy about this lead because it could just be that extra leverage that we need.

9.29.2009

PART II: Well, now what?

    So there we were.  Finally finished with the edit.  We had been set up in a temporary location at the time for a big client.  We (and by we I mean the editor) were editing in an airplane hanger that at night was pretty creepy.  But he stayed there all night just to finish up this amazing trailer.
    The following day I arrived back to the edit bay and watched what he had accomplished.  It was magic.  I couldn't stop watching it.  Over and over I would play it.  I would stand across the room with the speakers at full blast just immersed in it. After a while I realized OK well now what?

PART I: How it all began.

    My interest in the world of firefighters began rather late in my life, as opposed to other young men.  Most guys started with their toy firetrucks.  For myself it happened later, not too much later mind you, when I was a cameraman for the local NBC affiliate.
    One Sunday morning we received an assignment to join the local fire dept in a training exercise.  The firefighters were holding a final session for the new recruits. At the time, I was only about 26 years old.  Not too much different in age then the trainees themselves. 
    We arrived and immediately the PIO ( Public Information Officer ) pulled me aside.
    "Are you claustrophobic?" He asked me rather matter-of-factly.
    "Ah, no..." I responded almost as a question. What a weird way to start a conversation, I thought.