Over the last weekend I had a chance to participate in a small shoot. I originally worked with artist Glenn Kaino on the Arch Scultpure project for Pittsburgh a few years ago when I was just a newbie right out of school. Seeing something modeled in Maya come to life as a 12ft tall sculpture that has somewhat turned into a landmark (It even has its own facebook page!) was an amazing experience. Glenn contacted me again for another project recently and I was pretty much in right away. So on Saturday he invited me on set to see an interview with artist Harry Gamboa Jr. Harry is a world-renowned artist, photographer and writer as well as a long time local of Los Angeles. It was very interesting hearing Harry recount his times growing up in Los Angeles, how much it has changed over the span of the decades and hes thoughts of whats coming for the future of the city. He is eloquent, poetic, insightful and truly inspiring.

I’ve been around my fair share of sets during work but this was the first time where I had to actively participate in the shoot. The crew Oliver and Steven were a little undermanned and welcomed my extra set of hands. Even tho I didn’t know what goes where half the time. I have to say, helping out on set was vastly different than what my normal work day involved and I thoroughly enjoyed the physical activities and being away from the computer.

After the interview I stuck around for the next session. The studio space had a very cool rooftop with a defunct water tower frame. Situated right by the 4th street bridge across the LA river, it had one of the best views of downtown LA. We packed up the equipment and moved upstairs. The roof was accessible by an ladder. By then it was already 4pm, the sun was already beginning its descent into the western horizon, showering the LA skyline in a nice and warm golden light.

The second session was much more relaxed and informal, while there were still things to be done and footage to be shot, being on the roof and in such ambiance made the atmosphere much more relaxing. The day ended when the sun set. We clambered down the ladder and packed everything back into the truck. Everyone led busy professional lives so we parted and went our own ways. It was a great day, and I am glad to have met such amazing people.