Saturday, April 23, 2011

It's Not A Good Idea.

The following is a list of things that should NOT be placed directly behind a parked production truck, because well, it's not a good idea:

- Dumpsters.
- Crafty.
- Background holding.
- Wardrobe racks.
- Camera cart. (Exception: see below)
- Any kind of cart for that matter, unless it belongs to the same department as the truck.
- A Producer's car.*
- A picture car.
- An assortment of ladders.
- The generator.
- A condor or scissor lift.
- Heavy ass pieces of set dressing that needs a forklift to move.
- Video village.
- Basically anything else.

Simply because, and you may want to sit down for this, despite the truck looking all peaceful and innocent and content with where it's parked....

LIFT GATES NEED TO COME DOWN.

And it'll happen whether or not all your shit's in the way.



*To that note, it's probably not a good idea to park behind a truck even if you leave enough room for the lift gate, because we'll probably need the extra space to roll the carts off the gate as well. Be especially aware if it's the grip truck. Just think about long sticks of speed rail and dolly track, the height of a lift gate and how it lines up with your windshield, and I'm sure you'll get the picture.

5 comments :

Ed (sloweddi) said...

And do not forget to PAY ATTENTION when the lift gate is being lowered and where you put your feet, hands, body parts.

Also, Happy Easter :)

Niall said...

Yeah nothing a little fast five inch gate drop wont fix.

Typically people don't place that shit back there but you do get the ones that don't get the physics behind how a lift gate works. A demonstration tends to rectify this, otherwise they get to explain to a producer why the crafty pop up was crushed under the G&E truck's lift gate.

I have seen this happen. 3am call + tiny turn around X an over eager intern = crushed crafty pop up.

A.J. said...

Ed - That's definitely important as well. Happy Easter to ya!

Niall - Unfortunately, there's a number of things on that list that I've walked back to the truck to find parked exactly where it shouldn't be. While most people know better, there still seems to always be someone on a set who sees a perfectly empty spot behind a truck and thinks it's a good spot for whatever it is they're looking to find a home for.

Although, I am kinda proud to say that no matter what I've found parked back there, I've never crushed anything with the gate. :)

Niall said...

Neither have I.

I've busted fences, made a paint swirl or two, and left a few dents in box cubes, but i have to yet ruin anything with a lift gate yet. I got nothing but time for that to happen.

Nathan said...

It's extremely satisfying to lower the gate to within an inch or so of the hood of some douche's Ferrari before tracking him down and telling him he's gotta move it. It's amazing the spots some people in Manhattan will try to sneak into while nobody's looking.

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