So let me start by saying I was wrong – 100% wrong – what I did was wrong – I admit it, I am not proud of it, but I didn’t think I deserve to go to jail. The good news is that they did release me. the bad news is I screwed it for the next guy.

So I said I would blog production for fxphd – so I am – the good and the bad.
But wait, back up – let me start at the beginning.

On Sunday night we were doing the online for Last Caress and we decided that ideally it would be great to get a couple of pickup shots. Pickup shots are the Holly Grail of film making – a do over, a chance at redemption – and as George Lucas will tell you – great fun as you can fix problems in the edit. Ok fair enough. The problem was that the producer was on another job, and while they were very helpful – a bunch of stuff feel to me. Now I had not been planning to shoot this week – or organizing a shoot- even a small one with HD cameras, crew, cast, makeup, catering, smoke machines, second unit fxphd making of crew, etc etc takes time. A lot of time – and I thought I had until Thursday , until I didn’t, and it had to be rushed and done today, Wednesday. Now this is no excuse for breaking the law – and I offer it not as an excuse but more to give you some reference on my state of mind – sleepless, rushed and over worked. Not that any judge would excuse felony trespassing on the basis of having had a long night and no sleep for a few days – but I wanted you guys to know I don’t normally break the law and I know it was wrong…

The thing is – and this is the serious thing – the thing is – well you screw it up for the rest of … well everyone – if you do things that give crews a bad name. Film crews rely on the good will of communities and screwing it up for everyone else was my biggest sin. Seriously that was the thing I felt worse about. Ok I felt bad for the guy who’s fence we jumped to get the one pickup long lens shot – we should not have jumped his fence – even if the country lane / road looked like it was a public lane/ road. Clearly the padlocked fence told me it wasn’t and as the EP of the project I should have just said no – we lose this shot – this isn’t cool to film but I didn’t. I stupidly jumped the fence to get the shot. I accept that was wrong and the second the landlord appeared I offered to stop, get off the road, I said a heartfelt sorry – and apologized. I immediately agreed that this long lane/road was clearly not mine to film in and that I was wrong.

But that did not stop him calling the police – parking our cars in (as I said it was a small lane).

Now we were wrong – I was wrong. No question and as said to the police officers that arrived two hours later… after we’d been standing in this field for 2 hours with me agreeing that I was wrong – and apologizing. But my wife is a lawyer and I doubted I was going to the Big House over this one lapse of judgement- a point the police agreed with – thankfully.

The fact I had immediately stopped, got off the road and said sorry – was good enough for the police. Of course, as I say the thing I felt worst about was screwing it up for everyone else. I doubt this guy would welcome another film crew near his farm (not that he welcomed us much today – but you get my point). So the moral is, when you think about crossing that line – and think to yourself that you will no doubt get away with it. Stop. You may get caught. You shouldn’t do it even if you’re unlikely to be locked up, because we are a community and as such we should not violate other people’s rights (or minor lane ways) and if you do, well you give all crews a bad name and that is a serious thing to do.

So I say sorry to you and I apologize to you for making it harder for the next crew to film. My bad, sorry guys

Mike
(acting alone)