sHOuLd I sTaY Or sHoULd I gO NoW?

iF I gO tHeRE wiLL bE tRoUBLe, iF I sTaY tHErE wiLL bE dOuBLe, sO c’MoN AnD LeT ME kNoW —->  sHoULd I sTaY or sHOuLd I sTaY Or sHoULd I gO?

Shiloh and I beat each other up in the grass yesterday as the crew prepared to film his scenes at the park.  I thought I could pull some sailor moves on his landlubber legs, but the wiry bugger proved to be stronger then I thought.

When you work very close with people, you get to know them very well.  Sometimes working long hours with people can be a real pain in the arse, but there are other times when you work with a group of people that you really grow to enjoy, love and respect.

The crew working on this independent film has really come together as a family in just over a week and it is obvious we are all enjoying each other, even though at times the days can be long.  Although they may be long because of our frequent, late-night shenanigans out on the town in Ponsonby, Auckland after work.

We probably stayed out too late on Saturday night at this fun lounge bar in Ponsonby called Golden Dawn.  There were two wildly-dressed, flamboyant, dance-performing DJs that were playing energetic, dance pop-songs that kept the crowd moving and kept me laughing.

Graham Candy was there in full-effect and was the life of the party as usual.  Another regular spot of his is a small pub called Grand Central where he usually hits up late-night for free pints after he performs a few tunes to an awe-struck crowd.  I just returned from the pub, Grand Central, with Graham to Shiloh’s apartment.

We found Shiloh resting and watching a movie after a long day of work.  Shiloh is very dedicated to his craft and he impresses me with his understanding of how to keep a proper balance in life and not party all the time.  That is definitely one of the reasons he has had success in his industry.  Unfortunately, Graham and I have too much in common and don’t quite know when to quit.  I am a merchant seaman by trade so I can’t quite help it, but Graham, you’ve got no excuse, buddy.

He just played me and Shiloh a new song that he wrote last night and he never ceases to amaze us with his talent.  I just feel lucky to have a front row seat to the show before his audience gets too big.  I am usually the one to pick up my guitar and perform to friends all the time, but when Graham is around I really love just sitting back and watching him play as much as possible.  It brings me satisfaction to know that he brings his guitar with him everywhere he goes just like me.  He woke up worried in the morning and said that he left his “gat in his boot”.  His “gat” is what they nickname a guitar here in New Zealand.  He was talking about how he was thankful nobody stole his precious “gat” out of the “boot” of his car last night as it was left unlocked.  Americans say “trunk”, not “boot, it’s funny to hear the different words being used in the same language.

Last night we shot scenes around a bonfire at the beach. Graham’s car didn’t fail to fail us once again, as we had to change his flat tire in the morning before we left for the beach.  However, we had an intimate moment listening to him sing his heartfelt song around the campfire with the entire crew quietly hovered around him at the water’s edge.  He just nailed it and his talent is probably the reason everyone let’s him get away with being so wild.

When we returned from the beach after filming the bonfire scenes, the six-foot-seven inch tall editor, Scott, had pieced together footage of some of our previous film days.  It was incredible to see the footage that was pieced together in just over a week of filming.  We are all very excited about what we are seeing!  The footage from the SS Toroa and Hot Water Beach are incredibly beautiful.  When Shiloh and Mardana watch the footage, they always thank aloud Jake Bryant, the director of photographer, even when he is not around.

I never really have any exact plans when I travel and I usually just take opportunities on the whim.  When I booked my plane ticket to New Zealand, I didn’t expect to spend this much time working behind the scenes on this independent film.  I never really stay in one city that long as there is so much to see in this world.   I have to make the decision soon as to when I will leave this movie set as I want to travel to the beautiful South Island of New Zealand.  It will be hard for me to say goodbye in the middle of the production of the film.  I have been wanting to see the devastation in Christ Church, as the terrible earthquakes there have destroyed much of the town.  I also want to drive along the scenic coast, snowboard, and experience the crazy nightlife of Queenstown.

If I say goodbye this week then I am going to feel like I missed out on a big chunk of the production of this cool independent film.  But if I stay, I will miss out on new adventures in a very beautiful country. I’ll keep you posted soon on how this week unfolds. The crew will be filming around Auckland, New Zealand until the wrap party on July 9th.  I will definitely return for the wrap party as I fly out of Auckland the next day!  Stay tuned!