Tuesday, February 23, 2010

MU & Miscellaneous

Did my third Miami Univ. basketball game of the year for Classic Teleproductions. Early call time of 7am Saturday, which meant being on the road by 6am. The main crew didn’t get there until 7:30 and we were done setting up by 9am. We had two hours before we had to be on camera for the first of two games at noon. An extra hour of sleep would have been nice, but I had a client that said once, “Somebody’s gonna pay for getting me out of bed today.” That’s the way I look at 7am calls.

We told to be on camera at 11am to get star shots, the ten seconds of video for the one star player played back during the show open. It never fails though that they will get distracted in the truck and when they’re ready to roll tape they players will have left the floor. And there we sit, waiting for them to come back on the floor. Always make sure you go the the bathroom before you go to your camera. You never know if you’re going to get a break before the game or eat for that matter. I packed a small, cooked microwave pizza and ate that in the crows nest high atop Millett Hall. At halftime of the women’s game I got a break and found some calzones, for me and the other top camera op., in the media room. Between games another calzone.

Hey it’s a long day! After the game a college kid asked if we wanted
any leftover pizza. A college kid that gave up a pizza. You ever heard the like? I got to thinking, Sunday, while visiting mom, we ate pizza at Hometown and I had a Red Barron’s in the middle of the week. I got so much greasy in my blood that it would float on top of water. But I worked most of it off going back a forth to my camera.(right click video to watch on youtube)

Jan 23rd.

IMG_2055 Ran camera at the EKU vs Morehead basketball game for Wazoosports. It was fun to be in the coliseum and not in the truck. The place was rockin’ with over 5600 fans. I hadn’t seen that many people in Alumni since the Waylon Jennings concert back in the early 80’s. I made a trip to the campus bookstore to get a t-shirt and just walk across campus. There were quite a few kids on campus and I couldn’t stop thinking to myself, “I was never this young.”

Monday, February 22, 2010

Pikeville College Feb 5, 2010

Am I just bored or do I really need the money that much?
That was the questioned I ask myself when Larry, Wazoosports.com,  asked if I wanted to direct a basketball game at Pikeville College.
“No, I think I'll pass.” I told him
“Well, I gonna have to cancel that game. I just can't get a crew to go to Pikeville College.”
Hum, I wonder why? View Larger Map'>Pikeville is not bad town, it's just so far away.
Larry tried to change the game to Georgetown, but the higher ups refused. He called back and asked what it would take to get me to do the game. The general rule is never be the first to name a price. You will always lose. But I gave him a price that was 30% higher than the normal pay for the gig and he accepted. DAMN! Shoulda asked for more money. He might have turned me down, but I wouldn't have to go the Pikeville either.
I met the crew in at the Winchester exit, after a 90 minute drive. Then it was another two hour drive to Pikeville. You'd think that a huge Chevy SUV would have plenty of leg room, but not when the person in the front passenger seat is close to 300 lbs. It's a pretty drive, winding roads with snow on the ground, but I've seen it before. When I drove it back in the summer. I had only been to Pikeville once in my life, in the past six months I've been there twice.monster on a mission2
The Eastern Kentucky Expo Center is a very nice multipurpose facility. Used for ballgames, concerts and religious services. (photo)We had a hard time setting up; cabling problems, intercom problems, which meant not-getting -dinner problem. I've freelanced enough to always pack a snack, so I dined on an apple and a granola bar. Not enough to last through two games. Between the games one of the camera guys said there was some free food in a break room. The only person in the truck was some poor girl Wazoo had dragged from their office to the game. They were that hard-up for crew. When we asked to go get us some food, she said
“I'm not hungry.”
“Well, I am! Go get me some food!”
Way to be a part of the team. She was not happy. She grudgingly went to find the free food. After only five minutes she came back and told me she couldn't find it. Camera 3 got us a shot of one of the camera people with free food. Way to be a part of the team.
“Well then, go get me a hot dog.”
“Not unless you ask nice.”
“I'm hungry. Go get me a hot dog woman!” I was laughing when I said it. She wasn't.   
I did get my hot dog though.
After the games it was a looong trip home. I decided to take the the very backseat. It was a little more cramped, but I thought I could do a time warp nap and be back at my car in the blink of sandman's eye. I didn't work. By the time I got back to my car and then the trip home, it was late. On the road at 10am, home at 3am. Nope, the next time I will not be the first to name a price. (double click to play in youtube)

I say Rio, You say Rye O

Rio IMG_2021Around the first of January I made the three hours trip, to work for wazoosports.com, at The University of Rio Grande in Rio Grande Ohio. They pronounce it 'Rye O' Grand, so it will rhyme with Ohio. Clever. The college is the only thing for miles around, unless you count the Bob Evans Farm Homestead Museum. The Buckeye version of Harlan Sanders. rio bevo IMG_2017

There's some more history at Rio, The University of Rio Grande is where Bevo Francis played basketball. Yep, THAT Bevo Francis. I hadn't heard of him either. He holds quite a few NCAA records and some other not rio bevo stats IMG_2018recognized. 150 points in one game, 3964 points in one season. His jersey is proudly displayed in the lobby of the gymnasium. Hung on cork board with thumbtacks. Classy.


rio hopewell 1 IMG_2029 I spent the night to take a side trip to see some of the Indian ceremonial and burial mounds around Chillicothe at the Hopewell Culture National Park. rio hopewell 1 IMG_2030 I've been here a couple of times, but am always amazed how these people built something so huge, without the use of the wheel or shovels, and 2000 years ago! These mounds, the ones not destroyed by generations of us white people, exist all over Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois.

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