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THE
BULLETIN
Chartered
May 15, 1939
Local 728 studio electrical lighting technicians
the only iatse local dedicated to set lighting
Full color version available at www.iatse728.org
hollywood
CALIFORNIA
Vol. 23; No. 8
2013
NCIS
Behind the Scenes
America’s #1 Show Emphasizes Family
NCIS lead actor Mark Harmon (‘Jethro’ for all you fans), is flanked by Local 728 members
on the set of the hit television series. From left to right are: Joey Krattiger, John Fine,
Rigging Gaffer Paul Ary, Phil Marlett, Vincent Ary, Jared Orefice, ACLT Brian Bozile,
Director of Photography Bill Webb, Alex Szuch, CLT Jim Krattiger and Bill Krattiger.
Photo Courtesy of Alex Szuch
Bringing Work
Back to Hollywood
I.A.T.S.E.
Local 728
Hollywood, California
What We Must Do
by Pascal Guillemard,
President
C
ontinuing the discussion of runaway
jobs, it’s high time to direct our frustration and anger over the dwindling
amount of good paying film and television
work available in Southern California and aim
it at those that can bring real change; our State
and Local legislators.
Last month, Local 728 members decided to
invest in this fight and voted to allocate savings
money from our Treasury. This will be used,
along with funds from other area IA Locals,
in a public relations and lobbying campaign to
bring attention to our plight and bring about
meaningful change to California’s tax incentive
program.
Business Rep Patric Abaravich has been getting the ball rolling with other IA Locals. Their
efforts are gaining real results.
Together we are pushing the message on
stages, locations and on the Facebook forum
“2012 IATSE Contract Group” (re-purposed
to be a Hollywood Local’s discussion page)
that California must have a more competitive
incentive program.
Tax incentive programs in many other states
such as New York, Louisiana, New Mexico,
North Carolina, and Georgia have buried
California’s weak, un-competitive program.
California has the world’s 8th largest economy,
yet our state legislators have allowed other states
to steal our industry away.
We must make the public and our legislators
understand that this loss of production work
denies our state’s economy and the people of
California the benefits of billions of dollars in
revenue. New York again raised the stakes by
increasing their tax incentive to $438 million. It
includes money for production and post-production. California’s program is $100 million. It
pales in comparison to other states’ programs,
many of which have tiny economies compared
to ours.
State tax incentive programs take money
away from state spending programs and should
be banned. But that’s not about to happen
anytime soon. Meanwhile, there comes a point
where we either stand up for ourselves, or live
with the consequences of our silence.
It’s not that we haven’t done anything.
We’ve sent dozens of B.A.’s to Sacramento
for years to lobby for a more competitive
program. But our opponents within the state
are ill-informed public service industries
with powerful lobbyists working for them
and so far they have stymied our efforts.
These necessary public service industries
take money out of the state coffers.
Our industry creates high paying jobs
that feed a state economy. This is why so
many other states strain to offer incentive
programs? Last year, New York had a $300
million incentive and they estimated that
the direct payroll outlay to entertainment
industry workers was $3 billion. While you and I are arguing about why
there are fewer jobs, many paying far less
than scale, we’re also contributing fewer dollars to the state economy through the loss
of state income tax revenue on our earnings.
Entertainment-supported industries are
suffering as well. Many of these businesses
specialize in serving the unique needs of our
industry. IATSE locals in southern California have
a combined membership total of 42,000.
Now is the time to stand in solidarity and
aim our voices right at those who can make
a difference. 728’s 2,400 active and retired members
must join with each other in this fight and
talk about this with our friends, families and
fellow IA members on set.
There are two bills in the State Assembly
that were introduced by Van Nuys State
Assembly member Adrin Nazarian. AB 286
& AB 1189 that essentially extend our State’s
program from 2017 to 2022 and increase it
in the next couple of years to $200 million.
I wrote to Assemblyman Nazarian and explained that this is too little, too late and will
not compete with the New York incentive
program. Our dialog is ongoing.
The fight to bring Hollywood back to
Hollywood is now.
- Pascal Guillemard
PAGE 2
President
Pascal M. Guillemard
Vice President
Greg Reeves
Business Rep-Secretary
Patric J. Abaravich
Treasurer-Call Steward
R. Bruce Prochal
Executive Board
James Bradfield
Branch Brunson
Larry K. Freeman
Darryl Herzon
Gina Isaacs
Greg Langham
Roger L. Lattin
Iain O’Higgins
Steve Mathis
David Watson
Karen Weilacher
Sergeant-At-Arms
Richard McConihay
Parliamentarians
Alan M. Rowe
Raymond J. Poblick
Safety & Training
Alan M. Rowe, Director
Shop Stewards
CBS - John L. Murray
Fox - Gina M. Isaacs
Paramount - Frank Valdez
Sony - John Jacobs
Universal - John Kennedy
Warner Bros. Gary M. Andersen
CLC Delegates
Patric J. Abaravich
Dennis k. Grow
Pascal M. Guillemard
Rick Kelley
Iain O’Higgins
S. Cricket Peters
Greg Reeves
Alan M. Rowe
Office Staff
Sean Harkess
Julianna Bessey
Claudia Smith
The Bulletin
Publisher
Margie Stites
Editor
Pascal Guillemard
Upgrading the Local’s
Software Will Give Members
Optimal Online Services
Union
Spotlight
Deceased
Brother Jef Conrad, 51
years old, a member since
October 10, 2012, passed
away on August 18, 2013.
First Notice
Christopher Anderson,
Craig Caserta, Casey
DeSmet, Zachariah W.
Ettlinger, Dana Hill, Axel
Lanzenberg, Greg LeFevre,
Lorne MacDougall,Robert
Roy Miller, Tyler Sanderson, Eric T. Tolzmann and
Christopher M. Zorc
Second Notice
Cole DePerna, Matthew
Garber, Harrison Lippman,
Daniel Low, Jason Predock,
Jason Seagrove and Jeffrey J. Webster.
New members
Congratulations to the
following new members who
were sworn in on: Septemer
10, 2013, Wadsworth peters and Bryan Mazur; on
Sept. 14, Garo hernandez;
and marc-Antoine Serou;
and on October 1, Thomas
Arizmendi.
MEETING NOTICE
ATTENTION
ALL MEMBERS
The next
General Membership
Meeting will be held
at 9:00 a.m. (sharp) on
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013
IATSE Local 728
1001 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank
PLEASE BRING YOUR
UNION CARD
IATSE LOCAL 728
1-800-551-2158
1-818-954-0728
Fax: 1-818-954-0732
www.iatse728.org
[email protected]
by Patric J. Abaravich, Business Representative, Secretary
W
ith the move to Magnolia
Boulevard a couple years
ago, the Local took a huge
step in upgrading member services and
the way we conduct the business of the
members. The reality is though, the
technology we are using on the sets is
light years ahead of the technology we
use to keep all of the members’ data
on.
making the switch will enable us to have
real-time integration between members
and the new database. Upgrading to this
more sophisticated, yet intuitive, system
will allow members to login to a secure
portal on the website, view and edit your
work history, make dues payments securely
online, and the ability for members to add
or remove themselves from the availability
list.
One of the issues we have run into
is that while we are trying to move
quickly into creating more online services that put you in control, we have
discovered that we are running our systems on outdated software. Although it
serves a purpose, it’s not user-friendly
both ways – from the Local to the
members and from the members back
to the Local. While we are ahead
of other locals, we are missing some
critical software tools in order for us
to have an upgraded system that will
allow us to completely interact with our
members online.
The Executive Board is taking the time
to go over the RFP’s we are receiving and a
decision will be made soon. While this important upgrade has to happen, there is no
fast track … we could do that but there’s
no guarantee that it won’t fall apart in a
week. We’ve looked at five or six software
engineering companies and building all of
this for us – no matter who we are using –
all costs about the same amount of money.
The great news is that once we build the
platform we can add to it. What we have
now works, but it’s clearly not sophisticated
enough to build upon all of the 21st Century interactive, time-saving communication
tools our members want. We also have a
couple of committees trying to work on
applications to make us integrated with
smart phones, tablets and other devices,
and another committee investigating what
it will take to have a virtual call board.
I’m happy to report that we have
been investigating and getting quotes
on making the software upgrade
happen. Making an interactive website
– having members update their information directly, paying your dues online
and the eventuality of a virtual call
board – all hinge on the platform we
have here at the Local.
I have sent many RFP’s (Request for
Proposals) for a total interactive website
integration. Not only will this streamline the processes in the office, but
PAGE 3
The technology is moving fast and
these upgrades to our membership-wide
system will provide you with real-time
access to the Local and give us a completely updated platform in order to serve
you best. We are really excited about these
changes and will keep you informed as
decisions are made.
NCIS
A m e r i c a’s # 1 S h o w E m p h a s i z e s
Family
Photos
courtesy of
member
Alex Szuch
N
Alex Szuch, Jon Marshall, Steve Tyson, Rigging Gaffer Paul Ary, CLT Jim Krattiger,
ACLT Brian Bozile, Jared Orefice, Joey Krattiger Phil Marlett, and John Fine
ow in its 11th season, NCIS is
the proud spinoff of JAG and
holds the distinction of being
the most-watched entertainment
TV series in America. According to
Nielsen ratings and an article recently published in the New York Times,
“NCIS has become bigger than its
parent ever was: new episodes of the
series had an average of 21 millionviewers last season…”
Like the multi-generational series
(Jag, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, and the
talk of even another spin-off (more on
that later), many of the lighting crew
on this CBS gem are a generational
spin-off. “Most of my crew is second,
third, or fourth generation and I really
take pride in that,” CLT Jim Krattiger
noted, whose father, Bill, is a retired
Local 728 member. “I was born and
raised here and I’m a proud second-generation member, but fourth
generation in the business. Both of my
grandfathers worked at the studios.”
His big brother Bob is also a member.
Filmed at Valencia Studios in Santa
Clarita on six stages and an exterior
back lot used to replicate Washington,
D.C., NCIS rotates the same directors
every year and has become a well-oiled
machine. In the early seasons, long
hours and script delays plagued the
show. Now, the crew can look forward
to 50-hour weeks, and ready scripts
leaving time for scouting and rigging.
In the nine-day/episode schedule, the
group is out on location roughly three
days.
The core crew consists of seven
members with day players added as
needed. “It’s a great group of guys.
Everybody pitches in, everyone knows
what to do, and they get the job done,”
ACLT Brian Bozile said.
“One of our great challenges is 360
degree shots,” explained Krattiger.
“Our DP Billy Webb is a very talented steady cam operator. We’ve had to
design lights to invert the power to a
battery pack to do 360 degree handheld shots. And every light we use
PAGE 4
close to the camera we have designed
or fabricated. One of the things we
emphasize is a lot of hand held lights
that have multiple globes to eliminate
gel use.”
Fabricating practically every light
is headed up by fixture’s man Bruce
Rake. “Whether fluorescent, tungsten
or LED, Bruce does all of the experiments, then the circuitry, soldering
and finite electrical work to make it
happen. He’s very talented,” Krattiger
said. “Our UPM Mark Shields noticed
… he doesn’t second-guess the money
used on fabricating.”
“Bruce is our McGyver,” Bozile
emphasized. “He can make anything
out of nothing. And a lot of times,
it’s at the spur of the moment. He’s
incredible. He’s one of the best fixture
guys around.”
When new day players come onboard, they quickly get a tour of the
vast lighting shop and a show-and-tell
of all of the unique lights used on the
production. “We have a phenome-
nal crew that explains what we have
and why we use them,” Krattiger said.
“Early on we started designing the
lights – turning a fax machine or a copy
machine into a light. We progressed
with the technology and now we’re using LED’s. Our designs keep changing
with the technology.” That included the
show going from tape to Genesis HD in
season seven, then the switch to Alexa
in season nine.
Family First
Rigging Gaffer Paul Ary says that
among many things, one of the best
aspects of the show is working with his
best boy, Vince, who also happens to be
his brother. “You know where you’ll be
working tomorrow, and with whom,”
he says.
For Ary, he’s had the pleasure of
working with the same production
company and at the same studio for
21 years. “I’ve been on NCIS since the
beginning and before that I was on JAG
… I have four children, when I started
on JAG my son was one; he’s now 20
and moving out.”
After graduating from college, Ary
Rigging Gaffer Paul Ary
said it was his brother-in-law Curt
Foster, the chief at Fox Set Lighting,
who talked to him about the benefits
of working in the entertainment industry. “I found I could work with my
hands and my brain and it worked for
me.” While he started out doing mainly
television, a stint at the Fox lamp dock
led to several years of feature film work
CLT Jim Krattiger
that found Ary away from home – and
many times out of the country – for
long stretches.
“My family didn’t see me for
months,” he recalled. “My wife made
the difference. She said, ‘the kids have
to have a dad.’ So, I went back to the
basics … back to my roots … back to
television.”
Because of JAG and NCIS Ary says
he’s had the ability to be there for
his family and watch all four of his
children grow up. He hit the double
jackpot working with Krattiger and a
production that puts a huge emphasis
on family. “It’s worked out great for
me. Jim’s focus is whatever the family
needs to be stable is the most important thing, and Mark Harmon sees it
that way, too. I know I’ve been blessed. This show has been successful and
it’s family oriented, and it’s worked out
great for me and my family.”
And with two decades of time on
the tight-knit productions, he’s seen
the full circle of life. “I’ve watched
everyone’s kids grow and I’ve watched
people die. From children being born
to family and friends passing away,
I’ve seen the whole scope of life from
beginning to end.”
How Times Have Changed
Before retiring, third-generation
member Bill Krattiger enjoyed several
occasions later in his career where he
had the chance to work with his boys
on different productions. And although
his sons, and now his grandson, Joey,
are all in the business, he does point out
one fact: “I was working 14 and 16 hour
days. My kids never saw me … I missed
out on a lot of stuff with them.” (Editor’s note: To learn about the sage advice
Bill gave his sons when they got into the
business, go to the expanded, full-color
version of The Bulletin online at
www.iatse728.org.)
NCIS is the dichotomy. The set has a
huge emphasis on family. “Our slogan
is ‘family first.’ That’s No. 1 no matter
what – doctor’s appointments, baseball
games – we cover for each other so that
your family comes first,” Krattiger said.
“My dad wasn’t there for those things,
but in our generation, your family
comes before the job. As long as we are
in town and doing a TV show that’s the
case. We have a big crew and it’s something that keeps our guys really happy.”
With many seasons under their belts
and little crew turnover, Bozile said
the production hums like clockwork.
“We get the job done and everyone has
a good time.” But more importantly,
“when family things do come up, everyone pitches in 110 percent” to cover for
the absent crew member.
“The benefits of the show are endContinued on Page 8
PAGE 5
Smooth Sailing!
by R. Bruce Prochal, Call Steward-Treasurer
“ ... Heartbreak searing, always fearing
Never caring, persevering
Sail on, sail on, sailor ...”
From the Beach Boys “Sail on Sailor”
G
reetings everybody! As always, I
hope this article finds all of you in
good health!
Let us get right into this month’s theme
… “Smooth Sailing!”
I chose this title primarily because the
town is in the midst of the current 2013
- 2014 Television Production Season and
everything from my perspective seems to
be operating smoothly.
Keep in mind that unless a member
calls me to report a problem, I do not
know of anything troublesome that may
be occurring on any specific show. However, if there were a problem on a show,
more than likely, our Business Agent
would be the first one called.
Getting back to the 2013 - 2014 Television Production Season, just because this
is a busy time for television production, it
does not mean it is a time for our members working on motion picture features
or television productions to stop reporting
your shows and/or your work.\
Reporting your shows and/or where
you are working to the Local is important
because in the event a member on that
show needs the Local to intervene or assist
in a situation on that show, the Local will
not be walking into the situation without
any information on the show.
This time of year is when it is busiest.
The Local has attempted to make it as easy
as possible to report your show to the Local. Let me review what you need to do.
Here is what I need from you (generally
the Best Boy or Rigging Gaffer) to report
a show to the Local:
1). At least, call the Local to report the
show.
2). Send an email to the following:
[email protected] or fax (818)
954-0732 with:
a). The name of the Show
b). The name of the Production Company with contact information (address and
phone number)
c.) The name of the Payroll Company
d). The Filming Location
e). The Lighting Technician Rate ($xx.xx)
f). The Contract (BA-Basic Agreement,
National Low Budget (NLB Tier 1, Tier 2,
Tier 3) and so on.
Even if you do not have all this information, the most important thing is to at
Call Steward
Information
Any Local 728 member representing
the producer in filling calls or needing assistance, should contact the
Local office during normal business
hours. The Local’s normal operating hours are 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
If you need to hire prior to 8:00
a.m., after 6:00 p.m. or over the
weekend, please phone the Call
Steward at 818-438-0728.
Members seeking weekend work
should call the Steward at the Local
on Friday to put your name on the
Weekend Availability List.
Anyone who hires off roster or
hires any member who is not current with their dues without first
calling the Call Steward, shall have
charges filed against them and shall
be subject to the assessments levied
by the Trial Board if found guilty.
Our present contract work week
consists of any five (5) consecutive
days out of seven (7) consecutive
days.
least report the show to the Local.
Well, I think I have said enough for this
month. With your continued help and the
reporting of your shows and where you
are working, we can all keep everything
“Smooth Sailing!”
If you have more questions and/or
want to talk to me, please call me at the
office.
Until next time … RBP
Local 728 Holiday Party
December 7, 2013
Montrose Bowl tt 7 p.m. until ?? tt Food tt Drink tt Family tt Friends
Details coming soon!
Save the DateSave
the Date!Save the Date
PAGE 6
Technical Ability
One of the most important aspects
of having a Successful Career
by Alan M. Rowe, Safety & Training Director
I
was pleased to see so many of us at the
recent membership meeting. Before
the meeting, many of us were (and still
are) upset that so much work has left Los
Angeles and overcome by the feeling of
helplessness that is being felt in many parts
of our industry. What was really inspiring
about the meeting was that the members
who attended decided that listening to the
complaints about the problem was pointless and instead took action and voted
to be proactive to commit Local 728 to
changing this situation. This is big. All
around us we see people who sit back and
complain and wait for other people to do
the work. On September 15, 2013, Local
728 said no more and voted to proactively
go after the people who are responsible for
productions fleeing California - our state
politicians.
This is really heartening and being
proactive benefits us in so many ways. This
is especially true in both safety and training.
Take a look at someone that you work with
and admire. Chances are that they weren’t
born being a great gaffer, best boy, rigger,
or programmer, they had to work hard to
earn it.
Ron Dahlquist recently gave me a copy
of our very first training manual from
1966. This quote is from the introduction
and still rings true almost 50 years later:
“If a word of advice may be included,
please consider that, as in any endeavor,
your continued employment and possible
promotion will depend on your technical
ability, your personal conduct, and your
appearance. The latter two, though frequently minimized, reflect your attitude
towards yourself and your job. You will
be working closely with groups of people
whose assessment of you and decisions
favoring you will be made principally on
these factors.”
Fifty years ago, Local 728 stressed to
new members that their technical ability
was one of the most important aspects of
having a successful career in the motion
picture/television industry. It was true
then and with recent innovations, it is
even more important now. Today, the set
lighting technician has a whole new set of
skills to master and the future holds even
more technical advances for us. Electronic
dimmers, DMX and newer control protocols, LEDs, moving lights, application of
electrical theory, and 480V power are just a
few of the common skills that we have to
know to be successful.
Some of these skills we can learn
through on-the-job training, but that
is only part of the picture. Many of us
received on-the-job training before getting
into the local and picked up some really
bad habits and don’t know it. While I was
working on a non-union show in Denver,
our Best Boy tied into a 480V panel and
while he wondered why the colors on the
conductors were not the usual colors, he
never stopped to ask anyone or for that
matter meter the circuit. Fortunately, the
crew caught the error before anyone was
injured. In that world where so many of us
began our careers, there are no resources
like we have with Local 728. There were no
“old timers” to show us how things were
done and there was no training program.
We figured it out and right or wrong,
taught the next guy.
Most of the people who are successful
in any endeavor act proactively and seek
out and take advantage of the resources
and opportunities that are available to
them. Being a member of Local 728, you
have lots of resources to sharpen your
skills and improve your career. First, there
is a wealth of knowledge among the membership. Our members pioneered electrical
distribution for the entertainment industry
and a great deal of the products we use
were influenced by our members. Most of
them are very happy to share their knowledge and experience. All you have to do is
ask. Local 728 also has a very active Train-
PAGE 7
ing Program that offers classes in everything from Basic Electricity to Underwater
Lighting. You name it and chances are we
have resources to help you improve your
skills with it. You just have to be proactive
and do it.
The benefits of being proactive apply to
safety as well. Accidents very rarely happen
as the result of one thing going wrong
and almost never happen without warning.
Usually, a “near miss” will occur before
an accident and if we are paying attention
and being proactive towards the safety of
ourselves and our co-workers, an accident
can be avoided. Everyone who goes to
work needs to be able to go home in the
same or better condition than they were
when they went to work. No job is worth
an injury and nothing is worth the risk of
an accident.
I cannot over-stress how important it
is that we do all we can to avoid accidents,
both in and outside of California. The
IATSE has entered into an Alliance with
USITT (United States Institute of Theater
Technology) and OSHA. While this is
primarily focused on the theatrical side of
the entertainment industry, the IATSE is
forming a close relationship with OSHA.
This can be a great advantage for us but we
must also be aware that we will not escape
their scrutiny if anything goes wrong. If
this happens, then we run the risk of losing
our ability to do the job as we have safely
defined it.
It pays to be proactive. By taking the
initiative, Local 728 has started the ball
rolling towards getting our politicians to
listen to what we have to say and make California a production-friendly state. You can
take the initiative and sharpen your skills
to become a better and more valuable set
lighting technician; and by being proactive
about safety, you can protect yourself, your
crew, and our industry.
Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians
I.A.T.S.E. Local 728
1001 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, California 91506
Return Service Requested
Visit Your Local at
www.iatse728.org
NCIS: America’s #1 Show Emphasizes Family First
Continued from Page 5
less. The cast and crew are phenomenal,”
Krattiger pointed out. “Mark Harmon
is a wonderful person. He’s part of the
crew and acts like it, and the other
actors have all followed suit. The other
thing is we are on a private lot and actually have the AD and Mark’s dog running around the set. It’s pretty unreal.
The dog thing started a couple years ago
and really opened up my eyes to how
good we have it.”
Like Jim, the next generation of Krattigers have been exposed to the wonders of TV and movie making. “That’s
another awesome thing about this set.
Kids from cast and crew come on the
show. It’s a real family atmosphere. My
son wants to be a gaffer.”
Another Spinoff?
In late September, deadline.com
reported that CBS is developing another
possible NCIS spin-off. According to
an article in the New York Times, the
potential show would be set in New Orleans “with its rich setting of music, fun
and debauchery, is a magnet for military
personnel on leave. And with fun comes
trouble. It is a natural backdrop for a
unique character-driven spinoff.”
The article
points out that
this would be
the third version
of NCIS which
could overload
its audience.
However, there
were three very
successful C.S.I.
shows on CBS for
years. A two-part
New Orleans is
scheduled to be
produced after
the first of the
year and should air in the spring. The article adds that if CBS execs like what they
see, it could order NCIS: New Orleans, or
a similarly named show, for the 2014-15
season.
Another generation just may be added
to the bloodline.
ACLT Brian Bozile
Bill Krattiger
A Retiree’s View on Family
Bonus
Article
and the Business
“I
got into the union through a friend I
went to elementary school with. He
was on hiatus and came to work at
the service station I owned in North
Hollywood. Come to find out, I was selling the
station and the studios were hiring. My friend,
Bob, was in lighting and his dad, Ed Bernam, did
lighting … guess it was kind of a family thing …
but because I knew him I could get in.
I thought it would give me something to do for
a year and it ended up being 36 years. Actually,
I’m third generation in the business – my grandfather was a painter and my father was a machinist.
I didn’t follow them into the business right away.
When I got out of high school I joined the Air
Force. I was a bomber mechanic in the Strategic
Air Command. I served for seven years and when
I got out there wasn’t any work so I went to work
at the service station.
Back in the 60s pretty much all the family
members got in if they wanted to work. Over the
years there’s been many times on a production
that I’ve recognized a last name and found out
that I had worked with that person’s dad.
This business is very interesting. Once you get
on a set and see how things are going, it’s mind
boggling. You’re there creating with producers,
directors and actors … it’s not like going into an
office or a factory; it’s always something different.
I really didn’t care for gaffing. I’d just as soon be
in the back of the camera. The job I usually did
and enjoyed was fixtures and specialty lighting
effects.
I was working on the film The Cowboys with
John Wayne and we got back from New Mexico
and I took my boys on the set and they got to meet
John Wayne. That was kind of exciting for both of
them. I could see then how easy it was for young
kids to get mesmerized by movie making. But I
don’t think my boys realized how much work there
was until they started in the business. I was working 14 and 16-hour days. They never saw me … I
missed out on a lot of stuff with the kids.
When my boys started in the business I gave
them some sage advice. I said, “Look, if you’re
going to be an electrician, you have to stick your
finger in the socket and see if there is juice. Instead
of running to the truck and getting a meter, just
stick your finger in it.” And they did it!
Over the years I’ve worked for my older son,
Bob, quite a few times on commercials and features, and all three of us – me, Bob and Jim –
worked on the feature film Havana together. And
of course, I’ve worked with Jim as a day player on
different shows throughout the years. I think it was
all good working with family members because
we all got along great. Now, my granddaughter
is trying to get into the makeup union and my
grandson, Joey, is in the business. Joey’s thing was
he wanted to work with his dad, uncle and me. He
thought it would be pretty neat if the four of us
could work together.
”
It’s kind of neat how it’s all gone full circle …