Today while sitting around in the production office I stole someone's Washington Post against my better judgement (i.e. against Aja's advice). I knew I shouldn't steal the paper, especially because it was the Executive Producer's, Jack Frost. I just wanted to do that crossword puzzle.
I've become obsessed with doing them these days. I don't know what it is. I just want that challenge and relaxation that comes from using your brain in that way I guess. It's like the way joggers find jogging relaxing. Or so I've been told. I don't jog.
Anyway, Aja said I shouldn't take it because even though Jack Frost is an easygoing guy people can get crazy about their crosswords. If I had known he was actually going to do it I wouldn't have touched it. But I really wanted it!
So I took it and did the crossword, or as much as I could. Then I used Wikipedia and Google to help me do more of it. I didn't finish but when everyone came back for dinner I folded it up and put it back. I didn't think he was going to botherr with it so late in the day.
Apparently he had been looking forward to the crossword all day because around 10 p.m. when things were winding down and he was back in the office I heard some grumbling. Then I heard more from the coordinating producer. "Some asshole stole our paper and did the crossword!!" Jack said, " I can tell it was someone young" and my eyes got wide. Oh shit! I thought. I get a sweet gig like this and then go and screw it up by stealing the producers' crossword.
I piped up before they could sleth out who it was or before one of the other PAs let it slip that I was doing a crossword earlier.
"I'm sure there's an extra paper in the hotel lobby. I'll go check for you." I went to the newsstand in the lobby and paid for a 35cent paper with a $50 dollar bill. It's all I had. I came back and said it had just been sitting around and the crossword wasn't done. Jack thanked me and asked me to make a copy for the coordinating producer. I not only made three copies of Wednesday's crossword but Tuesday's too and then I cut them out and stapled them together to make a handy little crossword puzzle booklet. Lynn and MF and Jack were all so grateful and Lynn told me I was amazing. I just smiled.
When Aja and I left we doubled over in laughter about my screw up and how I walked away from it like a shining star in their eyes. I was awesome! How did I screw up and still manage to be awesome? That never happens to me! I screw up and then can't fix it. I never screw up and fix it so well that they think I'm awesome and don't even know I screwed up. I should take this approach more often.
I felt a little bad though. Aja had lost a key the night before and was freaking out and told her boss. It wasn't terrible but she felt guilty and irresponsible and it was all an accident. I steal a paper and get away with it and they think I'm awesome. It's not fair. I know. Especially because Aja got me the job and told me not to take the paper.
So, I've learned a valuable lesson in film production already. If you can get away with it go ahead. But fix the problem and make it ten times better. If you can't get away with it without getting someone else blamed for it I would fess up. I don't want that on my conscious.
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