Natural vs. Unnatural

We spent the day shooting a video for Easter. We were in three locations with five people "on set." Location One was an all american subdivision in southern Dayton. Location Two was inside a Nissan. Location Three was CVG (Cincinati/Northern KY International Aiport). The five people were Isaac (producer, camera man, assistant director, guy who made everything happen), Ben (actor), Chris (actor), Chase (Chris' son on kindergarten spring break), and Me (ballbusting battleAX). I spent the day noticing the differences between "the natural" and "the unnatural."

The Unnatural:

It freaking snowed. We were shooting outside in a garage expecting a lovely spring day. It ain't natural to snow in April.

The amount of noise pollution in this SoDay neighborhood was epic this Tuesday morning. Chainsaws, dump trucks, cement trucks, giant drilling machines, circular saws all joined with the snow to really screw things up. Enormous holes were cut into the street one house down from where we were by construction crews to turn the neighborhood's water off. A man somehow made a geyser of water spray out of the neighbor's front yard for ten minutes. FedEx trucks drove by 30mph in second gear. Every neighbor who owned a car drove by. Even this weird vent thing across the street on someone's garage was making crazy clicking noises when the gale force winds hit it just right. And just when things quieted down a beagle named Charlie started barking. The number of things that made noise in that small time frame was uncanny and unnatural.

Guerilla filmmaking at airports feels unnatural. I was ready to get arrested the entire time. You don't realize how many airport police there are until you're trying to avoid them. I felt like we were hiding dirty bombs from Jack Bauer. Uneasy and unnatural.

Making sure you don't say things a kindergartner shouldn't hear. Not that I'm super profane. You just always have to have that filter on. That doesn't come natural.

The Natural:

Chris and Ben act/perform like they've been professionals for years. They're flat-out naturals. They get it. It comes easy. It's sweet to watch.

Isaac is always thinking four to twelve steps ahead. He was made to produce video. He makes things happen as naturally as Tiger swings a golf club. When security stopped us (one shot away from finishing) at CVG, Isaac told him that we got clearance from Barb in PR. Who knows what could've happened if Isaac didn't do the pre-work and then think on his feet when that chubby Jack Bauer rolled up. Instead of getting locked up we got the OK to finish because ole' Isaac is a natural.

Chris is an unbelievable dad. He's taking vacation time to be with his vacationing son. It's inspiring to watch these two interact. After a day that was probably pretty boring for Chase and pretty taxing for Chris, they both got out of the car and immediately started wrestling each other. I hope to be as naturally good at fatherhood as young Christopher.

Being a part of four adults doing something they enjoy and are naturally good at is just a heck of a good way to spend a day. Even a snowy, noisy day.