The Prelim Podcast | Episode 5 — Andy Macat

This week on The Prelim Podcast, we bring the laughs with our good friend, 1st AC Andy Macat, who quite literally grew up inside a Hollywood camera department dynasty!   
With legendary Director of Photography Julio Macat, ASC as a dad, an operator for an older brother, and his twin brother pulling focus as a 2nd AC, the film industry doesn't just run in Andy's blood—it IS the family business.  Andy takes us on a hilarious, high-energy trip behind the scenes, sharing what it was like meeting Jennifer Aniston as a kid on the set of Ace Ventura: Pet Dectective, and what happened when they unexpectedly reconnected decades later on the hit series The Morning Show.  From the unique chaos of working major professional sets alongside his dad to striking out on his own high-profile projects, Andy drops endless hilarious, heartwarming and classic crew stories with our hosts that you won't hear anywhere else!   

Tune in for this wildly entertaining episode that will leave you wanting more!

🎬 Subscribe so you never miss an episode
🎙️ New episodes every Tuesday
📲 Follow us @ThePrelimPodcast on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok & Twitter

#filmindustry, #crewsetstories, #theprelimpodcast, #hollywoodsetstories, #behindthescenes, #moviecrews, #setlife 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:05

Hey guys, welcome to the prelim today. Today's guest is our really good friend, Andy McCott. What's up?

SPEAKER_06 0:14

Andy McCott. Famous last name is her.

SPEAKER_04 0:17

Yes, sir. Yeah, it's an honor. It's an honor to be here with you guys. Thank you, man. We got a lot of history.

SPEAKER_06 0:24

We sure do. History in this business, man. Yeah, we do. We did, I don't know how many shows together. One, five or six. A lot of stories. Well, we're gonna get to. Yeah. Some we can't tell. Yeah. But we're gonna try to tell. Try to tell many. Definitely not tell your show. We got no rent party stories. Yeah, no other uh extracurricular activity stories. Maybe a few, maybe a few. But uh, you have uh a big family in this business. Yeah, yeah. You are a twin. Yep. And tell us about your family.

SPEAKER_04 0:58

So he's uh my twin brother is a second AC. My older brother is a camera operator. Um, I'm seconding too. So uh my dad's a DP. That's kind of how we all got into the business. Um for me in particular, like taking it way back growing up with my dad, um, visiting him on set every other weekend. If it was like a Friday, um, I knew I was gonna be probably visiting him on set. So for me, automatically the first thought in my head was, I'm gonna get some candy from crafty. Some gum. Didn't matter if it was from Crafty or if it was like on the set, you know, I just grab it.

SPEAKER_06 1:35

No, that was kind of the uh Do you remember your first one that you were or a memorable one?

SPEAKER_04 1:40

I think exactly the first one was Ace Ventura. We all flew to uh Miami and we were sitting in like a hotel the whole time. And uh legendary movie. I know.

SPEAKER_06 1:50

Were you introduced to Ace or no? I think I was, I don't remember that, but I would imagine the DP's kid. Yeah, everybody saying hi.

SPEAKER_04 1:59

There's a camera, yeah, right? Yeah, this yeah when like moments like that, there's pictures that I can remember things by. Like I remember there's a picture of us with Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox because she was in the movie, so I guess Jennifer Aniston came to visit. And like, you know, fast forward to working with her on the morning show much later on. Did you mention you? Yeah. Oh, she it was crazy because she recognized me and after I told her who I was. And initially, I didn't I was too scared to go up to her and be like, hey, you know, like you're friends with my small talk with the lead actress.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

Yeah, and I was just gonna say, I saw something with your dad recently talking about how Jennifer Aniston requests him sometimes as a DP. Is that true? I saw I saw an interview, so yeah, that makes sense. You know, obviously they did that movie and yeah and whatnot.

SPEAKER_04 2:47

So yeah, they have a relationship. She was at uh their wedding, my my dad and Sebmo's wedding. Brad and Jen were there, you know. So it was like a a cool relationship that they've had for a while. And of course, my dad, you know, he tells me all the time, oh, I'm friends with this person, that person. So I, you know, because he's a popular guy. So I don't know how true it is sometimes because he kind of sells it. He makes his best friends with everybody, you know, it's a business. So that's why I was hesitant to go out to Jen at first on morning show. But then when I did, she was like, Oh my god, you know, so good to see you, money. It was like a really cool vibe, but at the same time, I was kind of looking around like I don't want everybody in camera to see that yeah. Well, did you do one season, a few seasons? I did two seasons of morning show. I guess um I day played on the second season I did, but all season three and then a lot of season four. So it's a cool experience. But yeah, going back to like growing up on set, I know there's there's cool video of my older brother in Home Alone, like when he's in the in Duncan's toy trust, he's like one of the kids. Oh, running around you extras. Uh-huh. And my mom, like my uh biological mom, is the elf in Home Alone. So she's like, you know, Santa's in his car. And then in the second movie, she's the the flight attendant. So little uh little things like that. Did you ever get a spa? Um, not really, actually. I you know, there most of my stuff was off camera, which is fine. But I remember like there would be weeks during the summer break where my dad would be like, he was shooting wedding crashers, you know. So like the dinner scene, I was the stand-in for Vince Bond, you know, like in in the little uh at the table. So like that dinner scene where they put the the eye drops and the glasses and stuff like that. Um, so like memories like that, you know, just oh that's pretty cool. It's pretty unique. Yeah, that is unique. Yeah. Yeah. So good times now.

unknown 4:39

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 4:40

It was uh unique growing up, and then getting into it, like, you know, I was always into music growing up, so I thought I was gonna be in a band. I was like pretty dead set on that. My twin brother was too singer, singer, guitar, piano, stuff like that. We were in an emo band, like you know, like you do in 2005.

SPEAKER_03 5:01

Hey, we mean you are, you know, we were late a lot because you know, music was what we were looking to get into, and now we fell into this. Yeah, man. You know?

SPEAKER_04 5:10

So it's cool because like coming from that world, like not really having the full appreciation for the art of filmmaking and being a camera assistant until I got into it was unique because I started to like grow to really respect it more and more, like as time went on. Like it was different than someone coming out of film school and being like, Oh, I love film, you know. Like for me, it was always like my dad always wanted me to get on set with him, and I knew that I always loved being on set with him, but it didn't really click until after like the band thing didn't work out and like college. I graduated, and then I was like, Hey dad, I need a job. He's like, That's the smartest thing you've ever said to me. What a great resource!

SPEAKER_03 5:56

Yeah, oh I mean, oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 5:58

I mean, it was yeah, I was so grateful to have that that opportunity to. I mean, my my experience was, you know, I was able to say that and then plant the seed and then some stuff to get into the union, how to do some non-union stuff with him and you know, figure all that stuff out. But then would you travel with him too? Because he he doesn't sadly just work here in Hollywood. Yeah, I mean, that was my first job with him as a travel job to Atlanta. And he was like, You're gonna be the second AC on B camera on Life of the Party. And then my older brother was just the A second, so he was gonna take me under his wing. And so I had a pretty cush experience where my dad would show up a month early and be like, So I picked out your hotel room, I got you like a dove corner room. I'm like, you know, I was I was pretty, you know, lucky. It was a pretty uh pretty cushy way to get in. So not not lost on me how lucky I was to kind of have that experience. And your brothers too, you know, you know, a whole family. And uh so I remember the first day on that job thinking like, okay, this is sick. Like, you know, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't know which side the smart wheels were, I had no idea anything. I had no experience in a rental house. I didn't know what a you know anything was. And I was pushing the lens cart uh, you know, to the truck at the end of the day, not by the side. It's but it's like a triple decker. It oh did it it's spun out and like almost tipped over, and then my older brother's like, what are you doing? Like, you know, this is like freaking out. I was like, dude, I have no idea. So what are you talking about, man? I was like, that's on you, bro. Like, you gotta tell me.

SPEAKER_08 7:36

Which ended Bush?

SPEAKER_07 7:37

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:39

But uh yeah, so uh, so that was kind of the start, and then right after that, I did a movie in Boston with my dad where I was demoted to loader.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Was that he was demoted to loader? You remember we were talking about that's the most important job. That's the most important job.

SPEAKER_04 7:59

I don't know why. Oh my god, my dad has some funny stories. He said he's gonna come on, by the way, at some point. That would yeah, that would be awesome. Yeah, some good stories. Um you have any good funny stories of loading? I had time cards, yeah. And there's so many different onion. I remember I remember the first job loading. I remember being kind of bummed out because I was like really into seconding, and then I didn't understand the loading job. I just knew that it seemed like a lot more work, not in you know, in terms of like busy work, like you know, paperwork because you're everybody else's assistant. Like when you're a second, you're the first and the operator's assistant, and then of course you should help out A camera if you're a B camera or whatever, but like um the loader has to be everybody's assistant, you know, and that's a lot harder. So you're getting pulled in a lot of different directions, and then yeah, no pressure, you have all the media and it's on you if it doesn't, you know, download properly.

SPEAKER_06 8:53

I always hated it on Thursdays when time cars came and they're like, rather than just pass out the checks, like, can you calculate the hours? Like, no, I got five other days, and you make I gotta make your coffee. Oh, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_04 9:04

Oh, yeah, we've been doing it. That's a lot. And uh, you know, so yeah, some stories just you know, being afraid of when you lose power. Oh, I have a funny story actually on your cart, on the cart. I had a story where I was in the camera truck doing a download and they were like, hey, we need to move the truck. I didn't realize like it was gonna be a big deal to, you know, keep downloading while they just do a quick little zhiz of the truck like somewhere across the lot. So of course I was like, Yeah, do it, man. I'm doing a download, but I got a battery backup, whatever. I had no idea like you know how that all worked. I had like, you know, not a whole lot of experience at that time. So I was in the truck and they're moving it, and everything's like flying all over the place of trying to do a download. Unfortunately, the guy got in some trouble the next day when my my first found out he was like, Whoa, you can't. That's not allowed, man. Like, you can't just pull the power and no, you can't be in the move at the truck while he's in it, you know. Which, I mean, you just happy to be there, man. And it's like you could do whatever you want.

SPEAKER_06 10:08

Well, you know what? It's it's those times where you really learn, like, we gotta pack the truck better because you know, like when you're in the truck and it's moving, Usi stuff fly off. Oh, yeah, that you probably should.

SPEAKER_04 10:19

Oh, yeah. Uh the steady can, like the rolling stain, just like the lunar current tests. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:24

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_04 10:26

Oh, that's the wish sword. Oh my gosh. I'm trying to think of funnier stories, but you know, those things happen. It's kind of part of the learning process. I think when I started loading, it was it was interesting because the first day I we were shooting like an exterior on a ski mountain slope in somewhere in Massachusetts for the second movie I did with my dad, which is called Daddy's Home 2. And uh it was an early call time. It was like, you know, and and basically nothing. The oh, our truck got stuck in a snowstorm. So we were not gonna see our truck before our first day of shooting. And it was like a big day off. Yeah, it was three camera. It was a three-camera day, and it was like in the middle of the sticks, and nobody knew where anything was. And my first experience ever organizing a truck was also the first day of that shoot, like running around the snow, cameras all over this the ski resort. Um, and I completely, you know, I was just like, dude, this is this is nuts. I had to work with the Codex Vault, so I had never figured that out. I was learning that, like I was on the phone with autos the whole day trying to understand how it worked with the guy from Autos who works with that stuff, and like um, so it was a it was intense, but also yeah, definitely forgot to download one of the cards. I actually I actually my dad emailed the editor and said, Hey, Andy forgot to download C camera's last card. Um, is there any way he can drive it to Boston? We were two hours for bosses. Is there any way he can drive it to you just on the download? Uh and and then uh you can drop it off and uh yeah. So I drove it to Boston, just like slipped it to didn't tell anybody about it, downloaded it.

SPEAKER_06 12:12

That's great.

SPEAKER_04 12:13

Yeah, but that's how you learn. Like, I'll never forget, you know, now I'll know to collect every card. Yeah, it was yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:18

That's always it's always good to know that. Yeah, yeah. I guess yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:24

So much of it is like learning by mistake, mistakes. Of course, yeah. You learn more from your mistakes, you just don't make them your wives, you know. Yeah, dude. You just hope that they're not gonna be too big. Yeah. Uh yeah. It's part of growing up too. Like I grew up in this job. Like I know you guys pretty much grew up in it too, right? Like you guys started when you were pretty young, or when did you start out when you were I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:47

I mean, I was 19 when I started at Panavision, so that's crazy. Yeah, I was still a teenager, technically. Yeah, I guess. You know, so Yeah. Yeah. I mean, just like you. I mean, in a different path, you know, but But you were like me.

SPEAKER_06 13:03

You you didn't I mean, you knew the equipment, but you didn't know the equipment. Where then when you work with people like him that fully know the equipment, and then they're asking for things by the part number. Oh god. Yeah, dude, you know, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 13:16

Not anymore.

SPEAKER_06 13:18

But I mean, when you started working with the peop the experienced people, it's not just an O'Connor head, it's the blah blah blah.

SPEAKER_04 13:24

Or well, dude, that was the hardest part. And I envied those people that hadn't experienced in the rental house because I was I felt like, you know, step by and major imposter syndrome at the same time, you know. That always was like, you know, I'm only here because my dad got me here, that kind of stuff. You know, it would go through my head. Which maybe to a certain extent was true for the first job, but I don't and maybe the second one too, but like after that, after the first two, yeah. I mean, after the second job, I didn't I didn't work with him again. I I was I had you know gone off with uh Glenn Kaplan and Brent Egan and I went down that so thank God I be Jesus. And also I thank God I got in with those guys because they taught me the right way, you know, like this is this is the right way to do things. Like I always knew, and that kind of replaced the imposter syndrome after a while. Was like I got trained by I know that they're the best, you know. Like people tell me all the time that he's probably the best second AC in the world, you know? So it didn't go right to my head, but I was just like, okay, like if he believes in me and he says that I know my stuff, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be all right, you know.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

You know, let me just say this. I mean, we've known Andy for such a long time. When I first met you, like I would have never, you know, thought you were where you came from because you're so humble and you're so gracious, and you're just not fun.

SPEAKER_06 14:51

And fun, you know, obviously, like it's just other people can stress out, and when that happens, that's when humor comes out. This I mean, we've been in some situations where it's been stressful, and yeah, dude. We've had a good core of people that are like, okay, that stress isn't coming here.

SPEAKER_04 15:06

Oh yeah, dude. That's a big part of it that I also learned from my dad, you know, is how to treat people on set. Um your legacy being how you treat people more than anything else. Um because when people come up to me and they're like, Oh my god, you're Julio's son, that's I I worked with him and he got my kid in the union, or this and that. I mean, that stuff would happen every time you know somebody would come up to me. It would be not only do they know them, but they love him and this is what he did for them. So I always knew like you uh you you represent, you know, him on set, and you also you want to carry on that legacy of being that person. And I've always wanted to do that. And also like the job's hardened up as it is. You don't want to be a person who's making it harder. I'm sure we've all experienced that. For sure. We've done a few shows, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 16:00

Yes, they're for sure, dude. That's funny. So you were telling a story how uh you worked with Michael Bay once. I did. Yeah. That was uh how does that happen when you are, you know, because a lot of times we're on a job that may be ending or not, but you get another call. There's extends it or like their hire on you know, people that you've worked for in the past that get you more work. How's yeah, how'd you maneuver that one?

SPEAKER_04 16:26

Well, that one was a product of being really close with Brent Egan after a while. Like, so to take it back a little bit, I got I met him through um so on that movie that I was a loader on in Boston, Glenn Kaplan was brought in to replace the first who had some health issues. Basically, the guy was really struggling with the physicality of that day, and I think it sparked up some something, and he just knew like he was gonna make it through the shoot, so he had some health up going on. So the producer brought in Glenn to be the A first, and then um I started to get really close with Glenn because we were shooting all over Massachusetts, so we were sharing hotels and we just got along really well. We'd go to like Red Sox games and stuff on a weekend, which was really fun, but you know, and he's just uh a super cool dude. And um, so then right towards the end of that movie, he said, I have a movie in San Francisco and LA. It's called Bumblebee, it's gonna be like a Transformer spin-off, and I want you to be the loader. And I was like, Oh my god, wait, that's it's a cool thing there, you know. So uh, so yeah, so I met and Brent Egan was his second. So I come into this prep room and it's it's Glenn, Brent Egan, the Gardy brothers who are super, you know, legit. Danny Hernandez was the DIT who was just came off of doing Havatar something. So it was like an all-star lineup. Bella Truths was operating. Um yeah, and so basically I did that job with Brent, and we were we were super close after that. Like he took me under his wing. You know how like the A second has a specific relationship with the loader? Yeah, you have to be you have to be locked in, you know, the two good recommendation. Yeah. Because it's like you're gonna be kind of molding to that ace style, you know, like what they need, you're their guy, like whoever. So and it was like that with Brent, but we were traveling all over and we were staying in Santa Cruz and going to baseball games together and getting to know each other really well. And then I was pretty burnt after that job, even though I was only like 25.

SPEAKER_05 18:35

I was like, dude, I want to do that.

SPEAKER_04 18:37

Yeah, I was like, Yeah, I want to take a break. And he goes, No, uh, we got another movie coming up right after this. It's gonna be All Nights Downtown LA. Donnie Steinberg's the first AC, and it was Peppermint. Oh, Peppermint. So uh, and uh Steve Quavo was a first there too. So we basically went right into that one, which is a grind, and then uh finished that job, and then he uh hit me up in a couple weeks after that. And he was I was day playing on horror story with with Zach Prange, who's gonna mutual friend, great guy. And um I was queued up to go in and do a day on American Horror Story, and and Brent called me and he goes, What are you doing tomorrow? And I was like, Um, I have a day on American Horror Story. He goes, Nope, you're gonna come work with me and Michael Bay in the desert. And it was it was crazy. That was one of the craziest days I've ever done because you know, you hear that he's a really tough personality and super intense. I've heard like videos of him screaming at people, microphone, microphone stuff like that. So didn't know what I was getting into. I just knew it was gonna be, you know, uh one of those days where you're just gonna be, you know, impeled or whatever. Um turned out to be super nice guy, though. Like very, very mellow that day. And um he's going his next job.

SPEAKER_07 19:55

Yeah, so that's all right, dude.

SPEAKER_04 19:59

We had like the green, red uh helium, I think it is, was his camera. It was like transformered out. It was like, you know, it looked really it was it was an awesome experience to do though. And I only did one day, so I was kind of grateful. I decided that one day I was like, yeah, not enough time for anything to hip fin. Yeah, so yeah, I was good.

SPEAKER_06 20:19

And you and Ekes, is it true? Because rumor has that you guys did a race. Eeks is a big sports guy. It's true. You beat him in a yeah, I beat him.

SPEAKER_04 20:28

I beat him in a in a 40 yard dash very very easily. Um well, you're a lot taller than most people.

SPEAKER_06 20:35

Yeah, and you know what? He's older, you know. So I he got some years on him. He slowed down when I raced him, it was neck and neck, but he did just cross the finish line a bit before me. Raced him in Hawaii. Oh, I was I was older. I'm like, I could take him on iOS.

SPEAKER_04 20:51

You know, it's it's it's different on the C. Yeah, you know, it wasn't that you know, it was he he has a he talks a lot, you know. He's he's very uh he he talked it up like he was gonna beat me. You I guess he was a pro baseball player, you know. He was drafted, I think, by the Philadelphia Phillies in like the 60th round or whatever, how far back you can bail me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 21:15

Well they do go yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:18

So yeah, it was one of the great uh it was great because one of the Scorpion Cranes, Sean Fawcett, and I'm sure you know Sean. Yeah, he brought uh he brought like a blowhorn and we got everybody was watching the eight, you know, the number one on the call sheet was watching, and the director was watching. What movie was this on? This is on Bumblebee. Oh in the city. In the city, yeah, nice. And uh it was just one of the highlights of my career being in the night. It really was.

SPEAKER_06 21:46

It doesn't get better than and I hear he always wants a rematch.

SPEAKER_04 21:49

But he does.

SPEAKER_01 21:50

Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_04 21:52

I think we know that it's best for our relationship if there's no rematch because you know, he had some injuries and things like that, and he's older now. He's older. Yeah. And I'm only getting faster, really, in my Yeah, that I mean.

SPEAKER_06 22:06

It was uh No, Egan's a great guy. Yeah, Isaac. I had to done many projects with him. He he's he makes it fun.

SPEAKER_03 22:13

Yeah. The times we've worked love Egan.

SPEAKER_04 22:16

Yeah. He's uh he's a really, really good dude. Yeah. Um and he was always, you know, his message to me was there's always this pressure, like to come. There's always a pressure to do the next job and to, you know, learn. I guess I always thought there was like a a way of learning how to be the best second, you know, or the best loader that you should be. And I always felt like maybe I'm not ready for the next step, you know, or what's the best move for my career? Should I work with a certain group because they're big name people that are gonna get you the big jobs, even though maybe they might not be the best people to work with. Or do I work with people that I really enjoy working with that make my life way easier? Because you're on set all day, you know, 15.

SPEAKER_06 23:02

Yeah, you want to have fun.

SPEAKER_04 23:04

Yeah. So I remember there were moments where I'd have conversations with them where I'm like, here, I'm at a crossroads. I could do this, I could do that. What should I do? And he's like, dude, whatever's gonna make you happy. I've been in this job so long. Like, I want you to be don't listen to any of that BS about, you know, if you this is what you should do, you have to pay your dues in this way or that way, and all the stuff that you know might not be in your job description that people ask you to do after work and like go, you know, pick up this or that or the kids or you know, stuff like that. That's really not in your job description, but you gotta like do it. Go to my yeah, go to my um storage unit and grab X, Y, and Z and then drive it here and do that. And it's like you're not getting paid for that. It's I mean to a certain extent, yeah. I mean, it does show like you really want it, but at the same time, you know, if it's making you miserable to do all that stud, yeah. Some art is it, yeah. So he was always about that too. So that's great. It's a great advice, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_06 24:02

Now you and I we met on uh a fun little project. It was a spin-off, blackish called Mixedish. Yeah, as a you know he this was always jealous he wanted to be on our unit, but uh he didn't want to blackish, the bike you took the long bike trip over to the mixed-ish uh lot.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

I just loved you guys, so I'd go see you guys across the stage, you know.

SPEAKER_06 24:25

Yeah, you Louie, which was also difficult to get on the stage because back then it was during COVID.

SPEAKER_03 24:30

Yeah. So but yeah, I'm just I just remember walking in though. Oh no, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:35

Well, you loaned it, yeah. You own that whole lot, man. Oh, I didn't own that for all the day years, man. Yeah, dude. And that was home. What a great lot to like be a regular at, too, for a long time. Such a cozy lot.

SPEAKER_06 24:48

So talk about the stories. Troy Smith, DP, man, Dris Bun, Louie, Louis DeMarco, legend, Julius, Scotty Whitbrig, Scotty. Oh my gosh. Oh my god. Well, that's I mean, meeting Louie for the first dude. Josh, I mean, it was Josh, it was a fun little group. Eduardo. Actors, Eduardo, the actors made it fun. Eduardo and Jack. The less serious blackish. You know, we were just the unit everybody forgot about.

SPEAKER_04 25:16

Yeah. We were good. I mean, those were interesting times because it was COVID and we all were kind of like navigating this new environment where we didn't know like what was, you know, okay, what wasn't okay. Like, are we allowed to go get beers after we, you know? I mean, I don't think Louie ever had an issue with going out and getting the beer after work, but I I was still like my my fiance Lauren, she'd be like, You're gonna go get beers at the at the restaurant?

SPEAKER_06 25:43

What are you doing? Like it's cobra. How hard it was just to sneak a water in stage. Like, you know, allowed to drink water on stage, yeah, like in the corner. Because they, you know, back then they had a whole team of not PAs, but of COVID compliant.

SPEAKER_04 25:57

One guy comes to mind. Remember Mando with his he had he had the fancy, they gave everybody like if you signed up for it, like the the the shutdown visor shield. Oh, shield. And this guy who was like the head of the COVID team, police, he m painted it like Mandalorian. So it was hard enough to take that guy seriously because he was like walking around in a Mandalorian mask. The pool noodle. The pool noodle with like red stripes on each side. Yeah, explain pushing you away. Explain to me for the pool noodle. Well, you have, you know, I believe it was six feet distance, and so the end of the pool needle would get dug into your like abdomen if you were getting a little too close to somebody. That's right, yeah. And I just remember, but there was this interesting thing that happened towards the end.

SPEAKER_03 26:42

I don't know if you remember this, but Well, I wasn't there, so I don't remember.

SPEAKER_04 26:47

Oh my god, you know what? I might be thinking of Liza. Maybe that was the show after. But we were at the Disney lot on location, and the same guy who was giving everybody grief about the COVID stuff, he um was like chatting up the actor with his mask off. Oh, like well within six feet. Did you get any other things? Did you say something? No, I didn't do anything, but he ended up going over to like the tent while the you know, like the producer's village with the DP was there, and like they were explaining a shot. And he decided that was a good time, date, place, and whatever to do that and basically ream out Troy and like who was the VP of that? Was Michael something? Oh yes. So he yelled at him and Troy and the director about being too close. And meanwhile, he had just been talking to the actor, like way too close. And Troy just like, I remember Troy's like, get him off my set, and I get that guy out the set. And so I don't think I can.

SPEAKER_06 27:44

And he did have a job, but they also made it it was different time, but they they it was not the easiest they were not the nicest in the beginning, you know, smacking us with a pool no, or like no, the sin seal is it this is an exit-only door. Well, my camera truck is right there. Like I can gotta go around and you know, with Troy, you had to have things done fast. Oh yeah. He's old school. Damn it. Not too old, of course. Uh you know, he was uh, you know, yeah. Oh man, that was funny. I mean, but those were that was a good show. Or remember the silliness too of like back then, like, okay, camera department has a set, grip, electric, they'd have to go to their what they got, the pod or to go to their little we just have to walk outside of the set. No, but they had a designated area. Oh wow, because we weren't allowed back then, we weren't allowed to cross-detaminate each other, you know?

SPEAKER_01 28:36

Yeah, it was that sounds crazy. I don't think we had it so bad. No, I didn't know we just threw us out, or we'd be outside the stage.

SPEAKER_06 28:43

And we had our own little square and off section, remember?

SPEAKER_04 28:47

We had he had a little section he had to stay in. And I remember so what would we we would do the rehearsal, everybody would have to be in there, and then it was camera, set up the camera, or no, it was lighting mean grip. Oh, great. So we would do the rehearsal. I remember this. We would do the rehearsal, and then it was breakfast, man.

SPEAKER_03 29:04

Yeah, just go get 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_04 29:06

Yeah, yeah. Well, everybody else is doing was everybody else's doing work. No, we're not allowed in. They didn't call you in. We can't go in.

SPEAKER_06 29:11

They honestly but the worst part for us is they'd expect us to okay, let's go, let's shoot. Wait, you all had 20 minutes, and now you gotta give us two minutes.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

I'm like, what are we doing?

SPEAKER_06 29:20

You know, like Cam. Oh man, and the NAS bogging up.

SPEAKER_04 29:24

Oh, I just remember Scotty Whitbread being so you know, he loved the pace because he loved going back for that breakfast, like mass breakfast.

SPEAKER_07 29:32

Yeah, well, that's also your favorite. No, all the ice cream.

SPEAKER_03 29:36

No, no, no, no, no. So now we got the famous story about the hot dog.

SPEAKER_06 29:40

Well, Scotty Whitbread was like, do you remember that? He's gonna get mad he bring this up. He's bringing it up.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

You remember art with the hot dog? No, that's your unit. No, I know, but he used to come over to Blackish and eat all our food. Well, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You remember and the crafty guy who's like, you know, we know we had the hot dog cars. Oh, he knows history. We did many movies together. You know, we had the hot dog guy one day, yeah, and then here comes here comes Scotty on the bike, yeah, and he comes over and he eats the last hot dog, right? It's the last one. Art comes walking out. First day, yeah, and he said he's hungry and he wants a hot dog, and then Billy, our crafty guy, goes, Legend. Yeah, well, the guy from Mixus just came over and ate the last hot dog, and art lost his way. Yeah, he's not alone ever down to sky off the sets, you know. Yeah, that was a that was a good one. Yeah, oh man, he'd be on that bike eating people's crafty from other sets. Scotty, what a legend.

SPEAKER_04 30:43

I mean, he always he found he knew where to be when he had to be there. Oh, yeah, and he still didn't have to be there. He also dared to not be there.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

That's an art core.

SPEAKER_06 30:52

It's an art. Yeah, that's an art, you know, because yeah, he Scotty Whip bread, he he taught me a lot back in the day, and so to you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:01

I I know it's was I mean, there's so many Scotty stories. There's one of them, wasn't he like reading the newspaper on the truck or something? Oh, we don't have to tell that he won't want to spend so tell us.

SPEAKER_06 31:14

Scotty had great stories. He's the best. That's just the best.

SPEAKER_03 31:17

Yeah, maybe there. There we go. Yeah, I love it. But there were so many stories. Yeah, the no. All right, let's let the well, I was just gonna I I want to bring up a Lebliza. This is a Lap Liza because that's loved her too. Where we all oh she was great, she's a beast, yeah. She was great, but that was the chance that we all got to work together. Me, you, you know, Louie at time, Troy. Yeah. Who else was there with us? Oh, Julia. Julie John Josh, yeah, of course, Josh. John Josh. John, um was the other Jonathan Gold Legic with John Gold, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 31:49

Julie D running the show before he left. LED, yeah. I'm on I'm on to a movie in Ireland or where even god, I was so jealous. Yeah, that was already the foil on he away too. I meant like that because you know that was like such an interesting wait, hold on. Did he he left the last two weeks, right? Before we wrapped. Yes, yes. Who came in?

SPEAKER_02 32:09

I don't remember.

SPEAKER_06 32:10

Was that Otter? He's usually Otter. Who did you remember? No, I remember. Oh uh no, I I was already on an e camera. Yeah, who came in? I don't remember.

SPEAKER_03 32:22

That's maybe it was Potter.

SPEAKER_04 32:25

Wait, wait, I know what happened. What happened? Julius bumped up. Wait, but that means someone came in on B camera, right?

SPEAKER_06 32:31

Wait, but you were you were here? You were on B camera. Yeah, uh, was Julius my second on that? I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 32:36

Yeah, I don't remember, but maybe Julius leads to the big story, which is which is that I don't know how, but Ben ended up having to pull focus there and that last day. So whoever just slowed down.

SPEAKER_06 32:50

Well, we have to tell the story, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 32:52

Julius uh uh oh Ben was the second on that.

SPEAKER_06 32:55

Sorry. Oh, you're right, yes. Julius, a great guy, yeah, kind of man. Yeah, he always brought his lunch, he would never eat, he was always health conscious and all that. So traditionally on on TV shows or on movies, the last day of filming, you know, Cater goes out with the bang, steak and lobster and all that. So called lunch. Louis's gone already. He's he's on his plane or doing everything, you know. So we were running the show, you know. Yeah, and I remember walking, I'm like, hey Julius, come on, man. You gotta come get some steak and lobster. Don't eat your bag lunch, you know, like they're gonna treat us nice. So he's like, Well, okay. So I was like, come on. So we go, we wait in line forever, you know, because now everybody from the office on down is in line. We get the steak, we get the lobster, and metal persists. Yeah, yes. Back then, you know, everybody had their own table. Like you, one person sat here, one person sat there because of COVID still, you know. So we're all you know, we're eating, we're eating, you know, and then Julius takes a big bite out of the lobster. Oh my god, this is horrible! And I'm like, What what do you mean horrible? I guess I take a little bite and it was mush like mashed potatoes. And so I spit it out, and then I'm like, Julius, you swallowed it, like you kept eating it. Like, what are you doing? Like, and so now we're back from lunch.

SPEAKER_03 34:12

Cup too. I didn't think I ate that for some reason. I didn't think I ate that. They had the steak. There was well, maybe I had the steak or check it or something. I didn't ditch that lobster.

SPEAKER_06 34:22

No, you were the smart one. I didn't know. Poor Julius. He was not, he I felt so bad because I convinced him to come to lunch.

SPEAKER_01 34:29

And then you get bucked or set. And remember when we were in that big, big uh yeah, we were in that office set.

SPEAKER_06 34:34

No, yeah, that big it was Bobby. What is it? It was one of those sets where everybody had to, you know, there's there was no hybridies there. Yes, yes, and poor Julius. He uh that last came back and kicked him in the stomach. Yeah, I and during COVID, he's puking his brains up on sale, and and back then with COVID, like you're just thinking we got the germs going out. Like, Julius, we gotta get you out of here. He couldn't move.

SPEAKER_04 35:00

It was a problem because people were like, get him off the step.

SPEAKER_07 35:03

Yeah, we were like, Who's gonna get violently?

SPEAKER_04 35:08

Yeah, so it quickly I remember putting, I remember, you know, Julius. We hit connected on that job because I had just lost my grandma and he was very sweet about it. He was very like, he was there for me. So nobody wants to go jump into the throw-up situation and and grab. But you did, you ran into the bathroom in the and I put him over my arm over my shoulder and got him to the bathroom. Of course, he didn't leave the bathroom. We kinda we were trying to get him to the medical, you know, to the hospital or whatever, but he wouldn't leave the bathroom. Right. Like multiple people were trying to get him out of the row food medical. Rick flew up at that point. It was like it's like, dude, hey, what am I gonna do? So but Ben Shirtliff finished the day on the focus. Yeah, threw them in there. Ben was Ben was was crazy.

SPEAKER_06 35:54

He had some tough shots. Yeah, dude. Yeah, really a tough shot. I don't know where I know that was not expected. And Troy also, you know, like it didn't matter if Ben bunked from second to first, you know. Troy at the spectrum perfection, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:09

And he was uh Troy's always been like, if you can do it, just jump in and do it, man. Like I mean, that's he's old school, man. You know, not too old.

SPEAKER_03 36:16

Yeah, not too old. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that we love you, Troy. No, and that was that was such a yeah, there was a lot of stuff that happened on there too. You remember when we first got there that first week, I think we were just loading in to the to the stages there. What and one of the grips got popped drinking water? You remember they had cameras? Oh, inside of the Google stage.

unknown 36:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:39

You remember?

SPEAKER_07 36:40

What?

SPEAKER_03 36:40

Yeah, they were drinking water. It was still COVID, and they would they because there was cameras inside of that stage, and they were like, You guys are not allowed to drink water. Take your mask down. You don't remember that? Oh my god, yeah, I remember you got everything. Yeah, dude. So that was pretty crazy, you know.

SPEAKER_06 36:55

Well, I remember on Nick's dish, Louie would go in the corner and drink and eat up. I'm like, dude, what are you doing here? You're gonna get in trouble.

SPEAKER_04 37:03

Like, here was too much. COVID was crazy. And then, yeah, so that was an amazing show. I mean, we we all bonded a lot. I mean, that was one of those dream jobs where you're with family the whole time. Days were pretty, pretty manageable days. We did have a stint on the Disney lot that was uh, you know, pretty I think it was like nine days in a row or something like that, but we cranked it out, you know. And we all hung out of that room. We all hung out.

SPEAKER_03 37:29

You remember that room? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:31

Which room?

SPEAKER_03 37:32

The room, the the master bedroom. We had all the focus. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And we all run in there. Louis would fall asleep on the bed, you would have to wake him up. Yeah, yeah. You know, he'd be like, yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_04 37:43

You know, so for me, I remember coming, I got a call right after that job, and it was a whole different experience. Because I remember hearing on Liza, like, oh yeah, certain people are going to go do this Dahmer's show. Oh, Sodeka though, yeah. It was like a big R A D, right? Like, oh, Langs in the Hughes or something. Yeah. Um so Langston was gonna go and do that. And I remember hearing about it being like a a grind, like a tough job. I'm being like, well, good luck to those people, you know. Let's gonna I hope they do, you know, good job. And I'll probably take a couple months and just like, you know, we've been going for a while. I figured just go like hang out for a while, whatever. Um, but then I got a call out of the blue, hey, can you come in and and replace our a second on uh for Monster from Sarah Brandis? So she called me out of the blue, and I remember being like, oh man, like I've heard that's gonna be a tough one. And I was loading. I hadn't seconded really since I had covered for our loader on Mix-ish a few times, but so it was gonna be the jump again from loading to seconding, and of course, a seconding is a whole different ballgame, you know. So I remember calling my older brother Max and being like, So, I mean, what do you think? Like, I'm just kinda I get I would get anxious, you know, and I'd get those calls and be like, this is a big one. I just want to make sure like I'm ready. What do you think? And he's like, dude, if you do this, you're never gonna load again. Like, if you do this and it works out and you'll never have to load again. So fast forward to the next day, I was like, Wow, I'm back. I got I, you know, put all my gear back to like seconding gear, you know, from loading. And um, and then that job was one of the most intense jobs that I've done because of the subject map, you know. Yeah, kind of true. The opposite of wise and yeah. So I was just it was the complete opposite. I remember calling you and being like, it's different, dude. Like, this is different, man. This is intense. This is the complete other end of the spectrum. The DP, this guy, Jason McCormick, who's a I love him, and we but it was like I had to prove to him that I belong there, you know? And you know, I was so nervous the first day, then I was hitting the slate before they said like speed inch, you know. I was just like, just on autopilot, and then somebody, there was like an extra camera that came out, and they're like, You're gonna pull focus on it. So I pulled focus, got the re-rate, which was great. I was like, Yeah, but I was just like, I want to get off on the right foot. But it was one of those jobs. It was like every day was a location, a new location, coordinating all the I had never worked with like a Ronin before that I had to build. I never worked with a Rialto before that I had to build. So all this stuff came on, and I was like, that you were learning right on the Yeah. And it was uh and it was dark, like people, the sudden, you know, the it was really intense. So going from that to that was like a really cool transition, and I felt like I grew a lot in that experience. Um I felt like Liza was like my my perfect loading experience where like the job went really well, and I felt like I was good at being a loader, and I knew that I was good and I had it dialed in. I've done the research with like Zach and Andrew Oliver, this great loader and lean. And then moving to seconding, it was like, okay, now I gotta bust my chops on the seconding and really like, you know, do the mark rehearsals and all that Zuff, you know, you're for the center. Yeah, and it's Ryan Murphy sitting there and he's intimidating and uh, you know, big time everything felt like a lot bigger. Heaven Peters was really method, so working right next to him and he's kind of in his Dahmer mode, you know, and you're just like, okay, like I'm I'm gonna just do this.

SPEAKER_06 41:19

And I mean, not a lot of humor on that side. No, not a lot, no. It's dark. Right. Long hours too, right?

SPEAKER_04 41:25

Very long hours, a lot of nights. Uh, you know, like Ryan Murphy shows can can be a grind. So it was like that. And um how long did our show go for? I think it went for like six months, six months. I came in in like the second month. Um, but it was after that. Then I did one more show with Sarah as this as a second pace seconding on that. Was another one like a Hulu show that was hours are pretty crazy. It was splits every day. Almost like that. So I mean, you know, and this is what it is, sleep in the little. Yeah, absolutely. You know, like it's comes Saturday, Friday. But it's such an interesting change when you become the A second because you you're trying to like make sure that the vibes in your department are are good, but also you have a responsibility. Like there's stuff that goes down, you know, there's personalities in the department that happened there. You know, maybe the loader doesn't get along with the utility or something like that, or the utility's not working that hard, you know, whatever it is, the utility. So that yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:22

So you're just ranged, yeah, you're wrangling person. That's a big thing about our job is dealing with with personalities, you know, then they're always trying to make people happy.

SPEAKER_04 42:31

And you know what the hardest thing is, though, when you're in that role, when you know that you kind of put in the work, like when I was working with Egan and I knew that I and how I make happy. Well, like you you put in the work and like you do that extra work and then you see someone else that's not I never figured out how to because I'm not a very confrontational guy, but like if I could see like a loader or a utility that was making excuses to not do it, or like would take a while to do things that you would ask them to do. It's the one thing that I always felt I needed to work on was being like more assertive than saying, like, that means like do it now, you know? Yeah, like well, you're a nice guy. It's hard to figure out that balance, you know, in that role. Uh so but I think uh I'm getting better at it.

SPEAKER_06 43:15

I mean, yeah, great teacher. I mean, you can just great it. Uh he's a he he he's a really great second. Yeah, I'm a second and all that, yeah.

unknown 43:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:24

And then uh where else? What else after that?

SPEAKER_04 43:27

After that, we did um oh, I did the morning show with uh net of scaredy. Okay, and that was on C camera, different experience. So I had a little bit less of uh responsibility, and they were letting us go every other day pretty early, a lot of coffee baits, a lot of that eat and skate, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:43

Do you get lunch or do I go in my car? No, uh yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_07 43:47

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 43:48

Do it's leaving, do not even do flash, which is it's not that uh is not a good like role for me. Like I I find that that kind of a role in that department, like being on C Cam is just yeah, you're making good money because it was a long show, but at the same time, coming from being the A camera to the C camera role was difficult, you know. Like I felt like uh last priority, like, oh, we're gonna maybe get C cam on the steak bed, maybe they'll just figure it out, you know, what they're gonna do. It was different, it was a different experience. I really enjoyed being like the one doing more of that stuff, like making told what to do. Yeah, I mean, just kind of, yeah, and like a lot of the stuff on that show in particular. I was thinking, you know, I like the A second and I love Dennis Garrety, the the A First, too. But I was thinking, like, man, I wish I was Dennis's second. I wish I was A7.

SPEAKER_06 44:40

Now, did you think that way on Outcome?

SPEAKER_07 44:43

Nope.

SPEAKER_06 44:47

I mean, yeah, you know, we we both had great people we worked with on that movie. Of course, Jonathan's movie. Yeah, yeah. That was a great movie. We were with Louie D. And I was with Mr. Mike McLean. Yeah, Mike McClain. You know what was you mentioned earlier is how when B camera's not working, you were trained to also help out 100%. A camera, and you definitely did that. But that was such a fun movie and a different kind of I know we did have a lot of fun. Benoit couldn't have a sweeter DP. He's the best. I mean, yeah. But um talk about not a lot of hours. There were some times we'd come in at seven, yeah. Remember, be wrapped at 10 30 in the morning. Yeah. Literally before, like you're still serving breakfast.

SPEAKER_04 45:27

Yeah. Oh my god. That was the best show by far. Like, experience with the crew, I feel like. Like that was my favorite show. I don't know why. It was just BJ, BJ, BJ, Arnold, McDonald's, yeah, um, was my operator, and then I got Louie as my first.

SPEAKER_06 45:44

So, you know, Auto and Katie, the grip department was great. Oh my god. Ben Levim, yeah. I mean, Ben Wah had an all-star crew. Yeah. And uh, yeah, that was uh that was crazy.

SPEAKER_04 45:55

What what it what stories you remember most of my well, there's there's so many good ones that were playing into it. Yeah, yeah. I mean, there's what was cool is like I felt well, I one of the cool stories was that I got to be kind of in one of the scenes, you know. They uh what? Yeah, I ran the crafty.

SPEAKER_06 46:16

Yeah, that's right. There you go.

SPEAKER_04 46:20

Yeah, that was a fun one. Yeah, I remember uh we were what was your line? Oh well, I asked her, have you ever seen a camera truck? Because she's wearing a shirt that's like, I will hook up with you on the first date. Yeah. Um, and it's she's on a set, and it's like her and Jonah Hill are in the scene, and then I just walk by, and so I just asked, Hey, have you ever seen a camera truck or something like that? And uh he had a line. It was great, I liked that line, and then dude, just every day was just so fun. I mean, it was it was a big movie, you know. It was cool to work on Keanu Reeves, Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz. Everybody they brought in was like a big actor, Jonah Hill. Uh learning from guys like BJ and and Louie, you know, and just just the best. Louis brought his kid in, Zach.

SPEAKER_06 47:03

You think I have a lot of caffeine in the ding time? Oh my god. BJ, I mean, how many monsters? Dude, and then afterward, like the vente cup of the espresso in the morning, and then after that, you'd go to the oysters six or seven espresso before lunch.

SPEAKER_03 47:18

Oh my god, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 47:19

He'd be like, give me an omelet.

SPEAKER_07 47:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:24

You know, I got a talking about coffee, I got a funny story on Blackish when we were all there, you know, with Louie and Tony still. No, well, yeah, and when I first got sober, I wouldn't drink coffee. But by the time we were, this is like season three, you know, we would come back from lunch, and then Tony'd be like, Pee, P, can you get us coffee, please? And I'd be Yeah, yeah, I know. You say please. I'd be like, Okay. And I'd go to the crafty truck and I'd get and he'd be like, make sure you give Louie Dcaf.

SPEAKER_06 47:52

The key is my own.

SPEAKER_03 47:54

You know, because I mean self-preservation. You're like, I I I would I I would do that, you know, but one day I think I got angry. Something happened. So Tony would ask me, and I'd be like, You'd be like, Give Louie Dcaf. So I started giving Louie four shots of espresso. And then I'd give Tony the decaf.

unknown 48:11

That's nice.

SPEAKER_03 48:12

So you were angry at me, although I don't know what happened. So like eventually, we're gonna let eventually as the day as the day would hunt, as the day would hunt, Tony's like, this coffee's not working. And and and Louie would be rapping, jumping around, doing all he'd be spun out, listening. And then Tony would be like this wearing the shirt.

SPEAKER_06 48:34

This is I learned I learned long ago. I mean, I love Louie, but I learned long ago, like, because I'm I love coffee and I need coffee, and you know, I I'd always get him so. You know, if I'm gonna get one, you get my own. But I learned that um it's not beneficial to me if I'm giving him the same amount of caffeine 100%. So I switched it. Decaf. I should have done that with beer too. No, beer, but you're not smart.

SPEAKER_03 48:59

I was gonna say, but you've seen Louie on lots of coffee. I love Louis on coffee.

SPEAKER_06 49:04

How did you have to live on coffee? Well, because you guys had a lot of downtime too.

SPEAKER_04 49:07

I mean, yeah, you gotta look busy. You gotta look busy. And uh part of it is that what happens with Louis is when he's has a lot of coffee, he starts to get a lot of ideas. He starts thinking, oh, maybe we could do this and we could get this going. He's piecing things together. So, you know, just uh if it was like cleaning up the the camera a little bit, cleaning up the cableage on the camera, you know, things you just gotta look like you're busy. Because maybe Louis will, you know, will go and do his own thing on the truck if you you know, if you walks when he has caffeine, he's going with purpose.

SPEAKER_03 49:40

Yeah, oh yeah, he's coming in hot. Yeah, I had a different experience on outcome when I was there with you guys.

SPEAKER_06 49:46

Yeah, because he replaced you for a cover because I got sick.

SPEAKER_03 49:48

Yeah, but in you know the lobster. Yeah, and Louis was very one shot. Well, it was three days. I think I was there, and we did one shot. We spent days on camera.

SPEAKER_06 50:00

I didn't have any help. Because at least you would help. He was no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 50:08

Well, it was nice.

SPEAKER_03 50:09

Yeah, no, because very situation that was going on. Of course. I'd walk in and then you should shoo me away. That was so I'd be out there, yeah. So it was fine. But yeah, Louie was a little more uh let's just say subdued. No, a little more grumpy.

SPEAKER_06 50:22

Oh remember who he was there. He missed his friend in I was making his life very, very easy on that job. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, he remember we you always carried the camera for him, and then we did the photo shoot, the one he wasn't there.

SPEAKER_03 50:36

Wait, with the one with you and Potter. Oh, that's that's a funny story.

SPEAKER_04 50:40

That's his story.

SPEAKER_06 50:42

Yeah, so we Louie had the couple days everything. I did a basically from pool focus for him. Well, I remember you did that. Did you push the button? Oh yeah, time to time. Yeah, and you know, there were times I'm in the restaurant.

SPEAKER_04 50:56

Yeah, if he's not there, I just you know silently take care of it, you know. Yeah, but there was um there was uh basically it was funny because I had never seconded for Louis, so like going into the prep, a lot of firsts are very hands-on with the camera, they like it their way. Yeah, so the first couple days, I'm like waiting, and the nobody's touching the camera. I'm like, oh wait, Tony knows this very well. I'm like taping up the cases, I'm like trying to think of all the good job I can do to get it dialed in before. Yeah, because I'm I'm assuming at some point when he gets off his phone or whatever, you know. Well, he's gonna hate that Isaiah. You're still trying to get work with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm kidding, Louie. I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_03 51:39

We love you, Lou.

SPEAKER_04 51:40

I uh I'm assuming at some point, you know, he's gonna take the charge and say, I want it this way, that way, this way. Never happened. So, you know, finally upon like the third day of prep, I had like an eight-day prep on B camera. I was really excited. I mean, that's just that just shows like this was that kind of job.

SPEAKER_06 51:56

Yeah, it was a nice job. It's good and bad though, because then that means eight days of lunch. Which is right. You know, oh absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 52:05

No, did you go out, did you go out with him every night? Almost. Almost every night. Now, what kind of uh meal did you have with him every night? Well, were there meals? Yeah, most of the time it was a appetizers. It was appetizers.

SPEAKER_02 52:19

It depended. I mean, I would say Jeep all's well, they're very one shoot pretzels.

SPEAKER_06 52:25

See pretzels.

SPEAKER_04 52:27

Oh yeah. Didn't have a Malibu brewery. Malibu brewery, Madame Pretzels, that was the best. Grocery was the best. Good year. That was Malibu Grapeers. I hope they're still I think they're still kicking. Self-right. No, no, yeah, what one of those meals, did he buy you the meal?

SPEAKER_03 52:42

What were you buying?

SPEAKER_04 52:44

Honestly, because honestly, I would say I bought the first couple, first eight weeks. I wanted to show appreciation. You wanted to show I wanted to show my appreciation because it was a big opportunity working with you know legging. And then finally, you know, I said, you know, yeah, I mean, I'm gonna uh I don't think I'm gonna go today. And he's like, No, I'm buying. And I'm okay, I'll go. Sure enough, I think I gained like 15 pounds on that. It was every night, you're getting beers, you're getting pretzels. Yeah. I was coordinating my my wedding planning, which was gonna be in or sorry, my engagement, which was gonna be in Italy. That's right. So right off that job, I went to Italy. During that job, didn't you have you came in late because you had to get the ring? I had to get the ring figured out. I had to get the ring figured out, and it was like, yeah, it was a whole thing. I had to go to the guy and it was a rush because I realized I was kind of behind on it because we were working, you know, and I so I wanted the ring to be ready for the Italian trip. Uh, and then it got it was ready, and then finally we went to Italy, and I think I gained like 10 more pounds.

SPEAKER_06 53:49

One of those trips, even here in Italy, you're but it was uh but but the Potter story because he was gone for he did something, he was gone for a day or two. Kevin's Potter took over.

SPEAKER_04 54:01

Well, we had a yeah, we had a great photo shoot where uh you guys were very uh it was it was basically Potter working, yeah, carrying the camera, pushing his he wasn't letting you do anything exactly. He was teaching you the I think you're gonna want to make sure me eating like a donut or something.

SPEAKER_06 54:21

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We said that to Lily, and when I remember that was funny. Yes, not happening.

SPEAKER_03 54:27

I I want to bring something up because this is important to mind and your relationships and you, I guess, too. But you know, there's there's a nickname that Louis gave you. Uh which is Chile. Chile, Chile. And you know, I call a lot of people Chile at work, and they don't know where it came from. But you're the OG Chile, you're the guy that Louie called Chile. Chile, and that that name has gone very far with different people. He calls everybody Chile. I call people Chile Chebe, you know, so Dawson's Chris Dawson. He might be the the original, the original Chepe, and then Louis Chile.

SPEAKER_06 55:09

Chile, and then Witcher and that's very interesting because remember back on Mixedish, Dawson rarely, he never went out with him after work.

SPEAKER_04 55:17

Was that true? I don't know because I didn't go out much on Christmas.

SPEAKER_03 55:20

Wait, Dawson, you making me go, yeah. Oh, that's right. Oh, the B incident. You remember when we went out to lunch with Dawson and we were eating we're at McLeods. I heard about this. I wasn't there, but I was sad. And we were sitting there and we were eating pizza and Dawson accidentally flicked a bee. And he flicked it into my eye. Oh my god. And then my whole face got swelled.

SPEAKER_07 55:44

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 55:44

And then I went to I went, you remember I went to work the next day on Blackish, and it's like, who did you get into a fight with? And I was like, I didn't get a fight with, I got a bee flicked in my eye. And he's like, No, you got it all fighting. I'm like, I didn't get no, you were there. He was Louie and everybody else, and you know, that that was great. That was funny. Because yeah, the next day I showed up with like, no, it was at McLeod's in in uh do you remember? Yeah, they would go drink and I'd have pizza. Yeah, but I had a freaking, I looked like I just you know I had a freaking couple rounds in boxing. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 56:20

That uh that name comes from Narcos.

SPEAKER_03 56:22

I don't know which season, right? Oh, all the seasons. Or we were big narcos. We were after Yeah, Louis. You rewatched it, I've rewatched it a million times.

SPEAKER_04 56:30

Like on that thing in Sorry, I watched it too, because I was watching the Pablo Escobar ones, but I didn't see uh I haven't seen like the Limos.

SPEAKER_07 56:37

Limon Don Chicho.

SPEAKER_03 56:44

All right, we've we've gone off. You know, I'm just you know, we we have just so much we should have wrote Chile in Om Sh. Yeah, we should have wrote any Makat aka Chile.

unknown 56:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:56

Well yeah, man.

SPEAKER_06 56:57

Did you ever uh did you ever do any firsting? I mean seconding for McLean. Uh a little different styles, a little bit, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 57:05

You know, it was a little bit of a different pace, you know. It was um he was more hands-on, so it was kind of like hold him or sorry, hand him the filter, he's gonna do it, you know. He had a more patient approach, he's gonna get his marks, you know, take his time to get those and things like that. Lou was like, All right, well, cool. I the cool thing about this lens is I can just spin in and and you know, do a quick one more story about one more story about how come.

SPEAKER_06 57:29

Do you remember we did a scene for like a week in the uh coffee room? It was forty or fifty minutes. And like if you the hard part was it was a glass room with cameras everywhere, and you had to literally, once you hit the sticks, you had to bolt out of there, otherwise you were stuck in the screen for 50 minutes, you know, like and like oh gosh, but the good part was you did the scene for 50 minutes, and then they would go review it for 50 minutes. So you had 50 minutes off. So we would do like four times a day, or maybe you know, whatever it was, five times. But that's crazy. Oh man, that was that was crazy. I've never done anything like that, and then painful too, because also like you're like, yeah, not only like you had to always reload the cards and all that, but every single take the battery. Oh my god, if this thing runs out, you have fresh battery over to it all the time.

SPEAKER_03 58:22

Yeah, fresh blocks. Oh no, you don't want to be in the body.

SPEAKER_04 58:28

And you might get killed. You might get killed. There was a teleprompter that had to move in each, you know, because there was such a long scene.

SPEAKER_06 58:35

Everything was reflective. So if you did get stuck there, you'd have to be crotched down.

SPEAKER_03 58:39

You oh my god.

SPEAKER_06 58:41

Just yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:41

I got uh yeah, I got another good Andy story. I brought Andy out on one of our live events to do Paul McCartney at SoFi Staky Eye. Yeah. And yeah, I remember when I called, because I think it was a couple weeks, I don't remember if it was after, it was a little, I can't remember exactly if it was after Liza. It was a little while after Liza. And and I remember Andy had hit me up and he was like, hey, uh, and you know, look for some days. Yeah, and I go, Hey, you want to come up to Paul McCartney? He's like, Paul McCartney, and I was just like, I think that was the only job I did as no, maybe there was another concert I did as a second. And that was the only one that would think that was the last one I did.

SPEAKER_04 59:20

You were running every camera, I think you were like 12 or 15.

SPEAKER_03 59:24

Yeah, that was a big one, dude. But you I remember he was so happy. I was like, I don't, I mean, I hate this, I love music, but I'm not a big Beatles fan at all. So, you know, you were like, Oh, this okay.

SPEAKER_04 59:36

Full rain. I had full reign of sofi wherever you wanted. You could go right up to the front of the stage if you wanted to, go behind the stage. I tried a few times to get on the stage, but of course they didn't let me. Uh but I remember the second the concert started, I had helped prep, you know, most of the day, and everything was pretty much dialed in when this when he started playing. People were talking on the walkie down. And I was like, I don't know, Andy disappeared. I'm like, dude, I'm I'm watching this right now. It's green call. Like, you know what? You know what's funny?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:07

Checking the camera. No, we had we had a camera like on like the very like not the floor, but like the second level. And I think I remember like, where's Andy? He's next to the camera on the second level because you had Josh Knight.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:22

Yeah, uh oh, that's right. Josh Knight said, checking Josh's camera.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:28

Hey, that's so easy burger, but then I we got stuck there until like four in the morning because they're they could called the truck. They couldn't load the truck. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:38

I mean, that's that's always typical there, really. You're always you're gonna be there late.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:42

Yeah, because we're used to outcome where they say rap B camera at the bar.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:49

Pretty much resounders. Yeah, we were.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:53

You wrap it all up, but yeah, well, you know, my guy I love McLean, but he's very meticulous and he likes to have everything set for the morning. Louie would be like, rap, boom, belt off, gone. You know, like you know, took the cover on. Louis probably wouldn't even say goodnight, right? Well, that was right.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:11

Well, sometimes you know, he was he would say it to me, but sometimes maybe not to you.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:18

No, that was our thing. We gotta that was that would be our thing. Because I would I would get mad at him. Because I'd wait for him, like you know, in the past fan. No, no, wait, we gotta wait for one more, you know. They everybody would be mad at me, you know. And I'd be like, No, we gotta wait. And I'm like, text him, Louis, where are you? He's like, I'm at the bar already. I'm like, what? He didn't say goodbye.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:36

You know how many times on blackish he would leave, and then he would call me and go, Did Louis say goodbye in you? And I'd be like, No, Louie, don't like you should call Pablo and tell him goodnight.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:45

He's goodbye to the people, right? Like a way to turn.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:49

That's right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:50

McLean said goodbye to all the time. Last act. One last thing about Lewis. Remember, we celebrated his retirement party. He had Keanu Reeves saying happy birthday to those.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:00

The whole crew everybody saying happy birthday. Yeah, I was kidding said retirement party.

unknown 1:02:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:07

What a good time. That was a good time. We need more of those, you know. We sure do. We sure do.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:13

We'll get more. We'll get more.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:15

But before we get more, um I guess you were winding down. We're winding down to the end. So we got two questions.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:22

All right. I'm gonna so mine's is is what's your favorite word on set?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:27

Um, whoa. Favorite word on set. Um say lunch.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:36

Okay, least favorite word.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:38

Oh my gosh. Um, least favorite word. Um, that's a good one. I don't know. Least favorite word, probably technical? You have a technical. Because then you know, maybe something's wrong. Is or like something went wrong with like the camera stuff. Someone calls that out, it's like something happened, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Or you could it could be when you forget the role.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:07

Back in the day, you'd be like, oh, it's technical. We gotta go.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:11

Trying to think, is there what's yours? I'm trying to think. Do you have probably go again? Go go again, sit in it. Or like Abby Singer. What do they say? Like after what is that?

SPEAKER_06 1:03:22

Can't have an ad seat case.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:24

Yeah, yeah. If they try to keep adding stuff at the martini. That's right. Whenever, yeah, ever it is. So I think I don't like that.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:30

Well, yeah, we save that for a few. But uh yeah, many would say, you know, we're we've had so many martinis, we're getting drunk already.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:39

Oh yeah, dude. I'll leave that stuff to you guys.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:44

No, no, no, not literally drunk, just because the kid calling martini. Wait a minute, martinis martini.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:52

Martinis have go to five martinis.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:53

So yeah. Colin Grace, I guess, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:56

You know, they're oh, Langson used to have the famous one that says, Here comes my girlfriend. Oh my god, here comes my girlfriend. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:05

That's crap, we've done grace for you.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:09

I'm tired of cold chicken. Don't you have to ask for grace?

SPEAKER_04 1:04:12

Not gonna be the old school people.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:15

Yeah, Mr. McCon. Next time, yes. Hopefully, we have your dad on the show and then you do come in and I talked to him before and he said he'd love to do it. So uh we gotta do it. That'd be really fun. Yeah, we'd love to number one, Makat. Oh, yeah. Number one. You're number three, number two. What are you? And uh I guess number three in the pecking order.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:33

Number three. Cool, and Papu and I can't thank you with it. It's such a big huge. Thanks for having us. We're gonna show you, yes. Yeah, then if not, you're on set. So yeah, so yeah, that's that's some more stories for sure.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:47

Yeah, thanks, boys. They talk more about Luke.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:49

And you gotta get us a video of the the race, right? Oh, yeah. I have also given it. Is that a video of the race? Oh, there's a finish line in everything. This was a production. Put that video somehow in this meeting.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:01

Oh, it'll be a little it'll be a little problem or mind uh Mr. Egan about it.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:05

Most important, you know, we do have to say we gotta give a shout out to the pod place. Cobby Place has been our home from day one now. We're on episode seven. Yes. And uh, along with the pod place, we want to make sure you all like and subscribe. Please tell your friends, everybody tell your friends, share. And we're gonna bring more people along with many great stories and house. Definitely. Thank you, Copy Place.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:26

Very much.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:27

And one more shout out. We we've we've neglected this person, Eric, our tech here at the pod place. Phenomenal, yeah. Sets it all up, and uh, we just want to say thank you very much. Yes, and there's it. That's a wrap. Andy Mackay, thank you.