“Well, Rudolph, another year of deliveries and not a single mishap” Santa said, with a smile on his face as he was unhitching his team from the sleigh. “I sure hope Mrs. Clause has dinner ready. I could use some pizza and a good long soak in the Jacuzzi. These old bones just don’t take all the weather change while traveling around the world like they used to.” Santa turned to look at Rudolph. “What’s the matter old friend, your nose is lit up like something is wrong?… I said your nose is lit up like something is wrong?…Rudolph!”
“Cut!” yelled the director. ” You would think with a budget as large as we have that the special effects people could get a fake nose with a light bulb in it to light up on cue!” “Everybody take lunch and be back in an hour and we will re-shoot this scene once again, everyone except the effects person. I want that light issue fixed…pronto!”
Well great! My first real job as a special effects artist on a movie and I can’t even get the simplest task completed. Mashing the button that connected the battery to the bulb was simple enough, but the fact that my mind was on the drone, flying overhead shooting the scene, was about to fly into the sound boom had my mind elsewhere, or so I thought. Actually, it was the drone operator/camera-person that had my concentration all in a whirl. If only she would spend as much time with me as she did getting all the drone shots, I would be one happy man!
I had met Carol when I was hired as one of the special effects artist on this production of a “B” class Christmas movie being made for children. Rudolph’s Merry Christmas was to be a Public Broadcasting presentation for next years Christmas movie season and I was excited to be getting in on the ground floor of what could be a successful career in the movie business. I had always been interested and tinkered with special effects in high school and college but to actually be involved in a production was mid boggling. But not as mind boggling as having the opportunity to meet the effervescent and beautiful Carol Smithers!
Carol and I had hit it off from the very beginning of the first production meeting. We sat across the table from each other and became fast friends. But one of the two of us wanted to be a little bit more than fast friends.
“So Daniel, I hear this is your first break into the great world of movie making.” Carol had broken the ice after the meeting. My tongue and my mind did not want to work together to form a complete sentence so I just said…. “yep.”
“Great Daniel” I told myself. “Now she will think I am some big goof!” Which was correct as far as I was concerned. I had never been one to sweep a lady off her feet with small talk, much less to try and impress this vision that stood before me.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” Carol asked with a slight smile on her face. “That’s OK, I was the new kid once so I understand.” she said softly as if she understood my predicament. “Not that I think you are a kid, by any means, just a term I use…” Her face was turning a little red. Maybe she was the one that was now a little shaken. Dear Santa, let it be, because I wanted her to like me!
But back to the light, the battery, the drone and the boom. Lunch was over and the director was eyeing me to make sure I had made all the corrections. I pressed the button and Rudolph’s nose lit like a bonfire! I smiled as I looked at the director, but I smiled even bigger as I looked at Carol, who dropped her eyes to her drone control.
“Places” yelled the director, and we started the scene once again.
“Well, Rudolph, another year of deliveries and not a single mishap” Santa says, with a smile on his face as he was unhitching his team from the sleigh for the second time. “I sure hope Mrs. Clause has dinner ready. I could use some pizza and a good long soak in the Jacuzzi. These old bones just don’t take all the weather change while traveling around the world like they used to.” Santa turns to look at Rudolph. “What’s the matter old friend, your nose is lit up like something is wrong? Rudolph’s nose lit up on cue, and my confidence started to come back to me.
“Cut and scene! That’s a wrap everyone. Let’s call it a day.” The crew and actors were thinning out and I was in the process of packing up my effects equipment when I heard a slight whirring sound hover above my head. I looked up and saw a drone lower in front of me and land at my foot. Attached was a note.
“Now that we have the shot on film, how about you and I go and have some coffee. Maybe we both can get our nerves in check and actually have a conversation… about tomorrows shoot, or maybe just talk about ourselves.”
I grinned and looked over at Carol and gave her a wink. “Give me twenty minutes and I will meet you outside.” I turned back around and gave Rudolph a pat on his head. “Wish me luck my friend.” I turned and started to walk out the door but I could have sworn I saw his nose light up…
A View From Bogaville 