Streckfus Entertainment: Behind the Scenes, Part 2
July 21st, 2004. Burnsville, MN. Chad and I acquire the following film equipment, all for FREE: 2 16mm cameras, a jib arm, a dolly & track, a microphone, misc flags, gels & stands, a clapboard (slate), a bull horn and enough lighting to make Gordon Willis moonwalk.
The agreement is as follows: The owner of the gear has absolutely no use for it. She moves to Florida and we make arrangements for us to use the equipment for our film, as long as we store it. The owner has the right to sell the equipment if she finds a suitable buyer (except for the dolly, dolly track, microphone and jib arm which the owner granted us). Fine. We didn't even really have any use for the 16mm cams, and the lighting gear was a little excessive for our needs and beat up.
We move the equipment from Burnsville to my garage in Faribault, about 50 miles away. The temp is near 95 degrees. Giddy like a couple of school girls, Chad and I agree to meet in the near future to drink Grain Belt and fix/clean all of the equipment. Super.
Well, a few days later the owner gives me a call. She has agreed to sell al of the equipment to another party from LA. Fudge! I inquire about the jib arm and dolly, and she informs me that they have been included in on the sale. Double fudge! She gives us the mic as compensation for storing/lugging the equipment.
A week or so goes by and Super Dick from LA shows up with a U-haul that he drove from LA. You can just imagine what kind of mood this guy is in after sweating his balls off in a U-haul for some 48 odd hours. I figure, what the hell, I'll be nice and help him load the shit into the truck, hell the guy is from LA, maybe he can hook us up some day. Normally, when someone agrees to help me move heavy shit in 90 degree weather, I am grateful. Not this prick. He actually yelled at me and accused me of hiding a "finger dot kit" whatever the hell that is. Well, I thought to myself, "F this guy", and I went inside until he was done. He left and so did the equipment, except for the following: the microphone, 2 rusted c-stands, the bull horn, the slate and a single piece of shitty lighting diffusion (valued at about $0.02) that this LA bred moron gave me for helping him out. Well thanks man, We'll be sure to give you credit in the movie.
This entry could be titled, "people who help you then shit all over you, part 1". Oh yeah, the mic doesn't even work. Triple Fudge.
posted by Nick Evert at 4:58 PM
2 Comments:
Oh, but there's more. Before any of the events that Nick has explained took place, the following occurred:
The original owner of the equipment actually presented Nick with a list of all of her equipment, and said to him, "Pick one item from this list and consider it a birthday gift." So Nick picks the jib arm. Good choice, buddy.
Then she presents me with a challenge. If I'm able to guess her high school team name without using any outside resources, then I may also pick one item from the list. After several attempts, I somehow manage to guess the team name: "Muckers." (Who woulda thunk?)
But no. Now I must also learn a cheerleading routine, and demonstrate it correctly before I'm able to pick my free item. So there I stand, looking like an idiot, trying as best I can to faithfully recreate the cheerleading maneuver that had been shown to me. I succeeded, and finally got to pick my free item: the dolly & track. Another good choice, if I do say so myself. And I do say so. Myself.
So in the end, Nick gets Jack Squat for his birthday, and for my intellectual and cheerleading prowess, I receive the same.
Jack Squat.
She played us like a pair of fiddles, even though that would require four arms...but you get the point.
Ah yes, the "Muckers" incident. I almost forgot about that...
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