Movies about life. About the human condition. About us.
01Films I’ve worked on
Forrest Gump
1994 · Production Assistant
Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Tom Hanks, Sally Field, and Gary Sinise.
The world will never be the same once you’ve seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump. The film follows a slow but sweet-hearted man on his serendipitous journey through American history.
Video village on the Vietnam set
I worked as a production assistant to the video engineer. I helped set up the video village every day, including monitors, portable VHS decks, wireless transmitters, and battery systems. (And btw, this one was one of the first films to ever use digital playback.)
And, yes, I fetched my fair share of coffee. As a production assistant, I can, of course, take complete credit for the film’s success.
Gump BoulevardThis sign marked the way to the set.Gary SinisePhil Caruso, the film’s still photographer, chats with Gary Sinise.Lt. Dan’s bunkSeen only from the side in the final film, here’s a straight-on view of Lt. Dan’s bunk.Dale DyeBetween shots, Dale Dye, the film’s military advisor, works on his carving.Picnic table, 1967A glimpse of Rick Carter’s incredible production design.Camera setupsTo capture the fireball scene, the crew used half a dozen cameras behind plywood shields.Instant replayTom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis review the latest take on a video monitor.Stand-insRobert Zemeckis and Don Burgess setting up the blocking for Bubba’s death scene.Fireball, beforeThe jungle set, moments before the planned explosion.Fireball, duringA crew member watches from afar.Fireball, afterFire crews put out the lingering fires. It was so expensive that the shot could only be done once.
Gump BoulevardThis sign marked the way to the set.Gary SinisePhil Caruso, the film’s still photographer, chats with Gary Sinise.Lt. Dan’s bunkSeen only from the side in the final film, here’s a straight-on view of Lt. Dan’s bunk.Fireball, beforeThe jungle set, moments before the planned explosion.
Picnic table, 1967A glimpse of Rick Carter’s incredible production design.Stand-insRobert Zemeckis and Don Burgess setting up the blocking for Bubba’s death scene.Fireball, duringA crew member watches from afar.
Dale DyeBetween shots, Dale Dye, the film’s military advisor, works on his carving.Camera setupsTo capture the fireball scene, the crew used half a dozen cameras behind plywood shields.Instant replayTom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis review the latest take on a video monitor.Fireball, afterFire crews put out the lingering fires. It was so expensive that the shot could only be done once.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
1997 · Transportation Office Coordinator
Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Kevin Spacey, John Cusack, and Jude Law.
The film adaptation of John Berendt’s best-selling novel, a true account of events in sleepy Savannah, Georgia. The South has never seen a stranger cast of characters.
As transportation office coordinator, I ran a fast-paced production office. I accounted for half a million dollars in goods and services, worked with vendors, and helped coordinate the transportation department.
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. Starring Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann, and Demi Moore.
Four childhood friends reunite in their hometown and look back on the summer of 1970, when they were twelve and set out to solve a mystery in the town cemetery.
I worked in the production office for a few weeks, when the film was still going by its production title, The Gaslight Addition. I remember the crew got to see a special screening of The Juror with Demi Moore, but, otherwise, the work itself was pretty unmemorable.
