Reflecting on a 'Shit Sandwich' Job

I remember when I first started gripping, an older, more experienced and much more jaded grip saying to me that he had just finished a job and that it was a total ‘shit sandwich’. I kind of figured at the time that this was most likely a bad thing. The saying stuck with me through the years as sticky things have a tendency to do. I have finally got the opportunity to declare that I have experienced my own version of a ‘shit sandwich’ kind of a job (lower rates, lower per diems, travel in own time, etc). Needless to say, I am in no hurry to chase this style of work. I enjoyed the crew and some of the story, it was fun to be in a new city and be part of a New Zealand project, but it has also given me a new appreciation for the jobs with a budget that allows for sustainable crew conditions. It was a great job and a new experience, but never to be repeated or forgotten.

Meanwhile, my wife ended up living in her luxury apartment in Wanaka so she could be Bear Grylls’ personal makeup artist. He did not need much making up, so she had a lovely time as did the other local techos that worked on the reality show.

Back in Queenstown while I was away, there was a month-long rush of international TVC work. From memory, there was Holden, Danone Activia (yoghurt), The Red Face from Korea and a few very small jobs thrown in the mix. Upon my return to Queenstown, there was a job for Vodafone UK, directed by Frederic Planchon – a very talented and focused French director.

We shot some hair strands with macro lenses for over an hour on a fake wharf positioned in the lake in complete silence until he got exactly what he was after. And then the next day of a three-day shoot, we shot some more hair strands at a higher frame rate! I then keyed a one-day shoot for James Cowley, shooting eye-shaped natural features for Acuvue, a perfect autumn day in the sun.

April was finished off with a two-day Korean shoot for Posco. I am unsure exactly what we were advertising, but I was mightily impressed with the Korean talent bungee jumping backwards off Skippers Bridge in full wedding outfits with perfect unfaltering smiles as they fell away from Ian McCarroll’s remote camera setup on the crane.

There was a one-day shoot for Chinese milk brought in by Big Pictures, a nice day out with some great crew, China and New Zealand working well together. The only other project of note was the Red Bull drift challenge up the Crown Range. Ben Ruffell was DoP and Pete Bradshaw gripped. I am amazed that they got permission to close the road, but they did, and it looked awesome.

Then came May – what can I say? Nothing booked, not a day. Nothing! Time to batten down the hatches; here comes winter!

Joshua Dunn, Queenstown branch member