I’m Ready For My Closeup, Mr. DeMille

Before I made my plans to attend the NRA Annual Meeting here in St. Louis, I had been engaged in some discussions with EMS1.com about shooting some video content for the website for several months. Originally, the plan was to fly the videographer into Houston for the shoot, but the more we talked, the more we realized that the volume of footage we'd be shooting necessitated us doing the primary shooting nearer the videographer's base of operations, and then flying me for a few days to film my scenes.

And as it happens, the videographer lives here in St. Louis, and has a working relationship with Christian Hospital Northeast EMS, so we'd have access to myriad shooting locations, props, ambulances, extras, etc. So all that was left was to figure out when to fly me up for my moment under the hot lights and unblinking stare of the camera.

Enter, the germ of an idea.

"Say," I ventured, "why don't I just block a couple of days before and after the NRA meeting for shooting, and we could do it then?"

Imagine my surprise when they agreed to it, which means that I'll get my airfare and at least some of my lodging and car rental paid for. Schweet!

So, I spent the morning with Ray Kemp of Triple Zilch Productions and the medics at Christian Hospital Northeast, trying to look like I knew what I was doing in front of a camera. A few observations from this morning's shoot:

• There are a lot of technical aspects to this whole movie magic stuff that are totally over my head.
• The camera really does add ten pounds… but when you're right at 300 already, who's gonna notice?
• I have a face made for radio.
• The gag reel is gonna be hilarious, even if my outtakes should come with a PG13 rating.

And now, I'm off to the Millenium Hotel for tonight's meet and greet with a bunch of bloggers you might know.

I'm looking forward to it.