Mar 28, 2005

spring is in the air

But at work it is Christmas. And Halloween.

Mostly Christmas and a little bit Halloween. I spent the entire day styling a mantle for a catalog that will come out this fall. I attached douglas fir pieces using putty, pins, wire. It took all day. When I get the knack of things, it will supposedly only take me a couple of hours to do this sort of thing (I asked). I later arranged books to look casually placed in another set. It's incredible how fast it all comes together. Then the client calls and tells the set designers what needs to be changed/adjusted. I'm still figuring out where everything is, and I'm afraid of ruining the final product. It takes me a long time. I re-did the garland a bunch of times. I have a million pin holes in my fingers and pine tree gunk (with dirt stuck to it) all over my hands. It will take thirty minutes to remove it. It's a dirty job. And I still (one week later) love it. Even more so now.

This morning I put shave foam in a mug swirled around to look like whipped cream. And then sprinkled cinnamon on top of it. Yum. Then I stuck two chocolate candies in it. I smelled like my dad's aftershave the rest of the day as a result. But that was OK with me. And I watched the soft stylist make the bed for the bedroom set. They use all this bunting to jack everything up into supreme cushiness. It's an art what they do. He makes a piece of fabric look like it's just thrown over the side of a chair in this very methodical way. I couldn't replicate it. The back of objects in the sets have tape and wire and molding putty holding everything in place. The back of my Christmas tree was a ghetto. It wasn't even lit. Everything just out of the range of the lens is this wonderful disaster. The mantle and everything on it, pure Christmas, just a darling domestic scene. A fireplace at a brick wall. But the wall ends. And it is lifted up on jacks to be the right height. And immediately outside of these parameters are screens and lights and ladders, and concrete and a bunch of metal carts filled with product, and wire cutters, props, glue, hammers, a thousand rolls of tape, a thosand pieces of evergreen, and everything I've gathered from around the building as tools, and sketches, and notes, and coffee cups, and dust. As well as all the debris that falls to the floor in the process of putting this thing together. In this case anyway, the mantle set doesn't show the floor.

And I'm dead tired. Hungry. My hair is a mess. And I need a bath..

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:32 AM

    I'm going to make some coffee using your recipe.

    I hope it tastes good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Where do you go for inspiration? IKEA Catalogues? Williams Sonoma? Homes and Gardens?

    I remember reading about how they used elmers glue to replicate milk in a cornflakes advert. There must be loads of TOTT that a chemistry degree could make you a very dangerous person.

    BTW, oil will remove pine sap...peanut butter oil is best, and scrub gently with an old toothbrush.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LBB, I hope so too. I just had some this way, only I was out of cinnamon. Paprika. It works..

    lyvvie, peanut butter. The magic of peanut butter. It also removes stickers from refrigerators. Goo Be Gone, it's probably just peanut butter.

    Also:
    Crisco + sugar = ice cream

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  4. when i read about your new job it makes me excited to go to work. until...i actually get to work. then it fades. i think i should be a set designer, it sounds very fun.

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  5. What's that bit in Office Space -what would you do if you didn't haveto work, and that's your dream job? I think this would be mine.

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  6. Damn, I'm going to school for the wrong thing. How's about hooking up me with a job doing that! I do that shit over here everytime I have a part. LOL...it's called, OCD!

    I'd be great! ...I'm so jealous!!

    :)

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  7. That should say "party" not part

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  8. "And I'm dead tired. Hungry. My hair is a mess. And I need a bath.."

    Which is EXACTLY how I feel about Christmas. Until I get that cool remote car...Vroom vroom.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yikes! My comment from yesterday didn't show up... stupid blogger. Victoria - I have no clue what I might of said...sorry!

    ReplyDelete
  10. blog ho, Right? It's always been quite the opposite..

    aughra, I have got to see Office Space. It's all anyone EVER talks about, anymore..

    arl, Ok. I will.

    boabhan sith, OCD. An unspoken requirement to get into my school.

    AB, remote control cars are the bomb.

    Kim, Sorry about that. I should get haloscan. I resist for some reason.

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  11. Calgon take Viki away. Are you telling me that the whole world is a facade? Shaving cream in coffee unlit Christmas trees. I hope this never makes it to the screen.

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  12. pirate, if you look carefully you will see that it is ALL staged. Everything. The whole world.
    This blog, even.

    Note: The pumpkins were real.

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  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  14. Peanut butter is the stuff of gods, and I also think that the world you've just described is spot on.

    All in all, you are correct as usual King Friday.

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  15. I have a love hate relationship with peanut butter, yo.

    King Friday, heh..

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  16. Victoria,

    Between oneself and peanut butter there should be no hate...only love.

    How could you have any trepidations with peanut butter? I thought I knew you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. P J Smorg.
    (round of applause)

    (round of applesauce)

    I thought I knew YOU. Peanut butter, huh? Only when I need protein does it appeal to me. I'm going out to get a bean burrito and think about this a bit. What movie should I rent?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous3:28 PM

    very interesing cineblog, please take a look at mine and tell me whut do you think about. I'm new at blogspot and so I'de like to be advised by mo expert webloggers.
    cheers
    ego cogito ergo sum

    ReplyDelete
  19. Cineblog. Is it? 100tek I checked it out but I don't speak Italian (and your blog is not new..)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Was that an April Fool's joke?

    NOBODY fooled me today. I want to be fooled. Not just today but ALL days. I love it when I'm pranked.

    I did not fool anyone today, either.

    Until (sinister laugh) NOW, that is.

    Let me think..

    ReplyDelete