World War II vintage aircraft are amazing pieces of machinery. The B-17 Flying Fortress is a perennial favorite that always draws attention. As a child, I remember watching an episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, “The Mission”. The story of a B-17 crew dealing with a serious malfunction held my attention and definitely stuck in my memory. The ending, well, no spoilers, but it was unexpected. Watching again, it reminded me of the importance of a good, creative crew.
Looking at the credits for “The Mission” is, in hindsight, quite impressive. Steven Spielberg had already made a name for himself by November 1985 when the episode first aired. The actors include Kevin Costner, Kiefer Sutherland, and several other faces you might recognize. There is even a line in the credits for Kathleen Kennedy who apparently made a better production executive than a secretary. Looking at the crew as individuals,it provides an interesting cross-section of Hollywood credentials and many memorable movie moments over the years.
Looking back through my portfolio, I have had the opportunity to work with some good crews. Usually, I work alone or with a talented model. Throw in a fashion designer, stylist, makeup artist, or location scout and the quality of the finished image always improves. They certainly make the post-production process easier!
Over the years, I have tried to build a team. It can be very difficult to put one together for even a single shoot. The talent always has conflicting schedules. Individual goals may be different. Sometimes, interpersonal relations are not so great, too. While I’ve managed to put a few teams together for one off events, most of the time, it seems to happen by accident. I would love to change that. I have worked to change that. But what can I do?
I would love to help you step your game up in return and, hopefully, bring everyone on the team to the next level. I have a lot of ideas I would like to see through and I am sure you do, too. Whether we’ve spoken before or not, if you believe you have something to offer in terms of taking my portfolio up a notch, let me know!
