Take A Hike!
Saturday, 16 members of my 21st Century Photo Group staged a Photo Scavenger hunt in the Historic District.
The Scavenger mastermind was
Charles Giet, a long-time member.
And a huge fan of all sorts of photo walkabouts by the group.
He compiled a list of 25 "items" to be found - and photographed - by the five teams of 3.
My two teammates and I had no problem with one calling for
"a cannon."* Thanks David, for stuffing yourself into that barrel.
We had gathered at White Point Garden (the Battery) and had from 3:30 to 6:30 to go down the list and snap pictures.
However, each picture had to include the team's miniature yellow fan.
This ensured team members would not be tempted to split up and go off independently to search, find and take a picture.
Team effort was required.
One item on the list - a
jogglin' board - caused confusion for one team's member.
She was from New York she had not ever heard of such a thing.
We were fortunate to not only know WHAT it was but spotted one in the garden of an historic Battery home and grabbed the shot we needed. Thanks Debbie for posing.
Notice the small yellow fan is in the shot. Rules are rules.
A license plate is a good one to seek on a Saturday afternoon scavenger hunt.
Charles made it doubly interesting by specifying it had to be a
"West Virginia license plate."
Hmmm. Lots of tourists down around the Market area and we quickly noticed that most states had stopped having a tag on the back AND on the front.
We waked along, checking the rear end of cars, but finally found a visitor who had parked in the open air lot by where the carriages depart, next to Henry's restaurant.
One other team found theirs in a parking garage. Not as easy as it sounds!
Because we started at the Battery, one of our earliest - and easiest - finds was
"a sailboat."
The challenge was to zoom in so the boat was clearly visible and also include the team's token - the yellow fan.
Early on, we discovered that the small fan did not have any batteries in it, so it could not be used for a cooling breeze.
No complaints on the weather though. Temps in the upper 80s, relatively low humidity and not a drop of rain. The "chance" for rain was predicted to be about 20%.
Around Meeting Street at Market, we spotted a small bridal party, really dressed to the nines.
One of our team members went over to ask if any of the ladies was wearing
"stiletto heels?"
Sure enough and she was willing to hike her skirt to have the shoes photographed.
She did ask about the small yellow inoperable fan that was placed next to her right foot.
We explained and the party went on with their downtown stroll.
Our hunt continued for a very difficult object... a "Live Lobster."
I am sure all the team members had Charles Giet on their minds as they went in and out of restaurants and even into the Harris-Teeter on East Bay Street.
It was confirmed that the store "used to" have them in a tank, but the tank had broken, etc.
We also were told we were not the first Scavengers to come in and ask.
Apparently many upscale seafood places have them "flown in fresh daily" but none was on premises at that moment.
Ahah! The new Ruth's Chris Steak House, which has opened where Tristan's used to be, happened to have two hefty beauties relaxing in a small tank at the back of the main dining room.
The genial manager used a wooden rake-like tool to bring one up for it's photo close-up.
Lots of splashing and claw-waving but no damage done. The confused 10-legged crustacean was told that "No, it wasn't dinner time yet," and was returned to his cold, briny home.
Did I mention we were the only team to score a photo of a live lobster?
We gathered at A.W. Shuck's seafood restaurant
at the conclusion of the hunt, and all the other teams admitted looking around hopefully as they entered, searching and wishing to see a lobster tank.
My team had 21 finds and tied with another team, two were tied at 18 and the fifth had tallied 17.
(Click on the photos and links for more details.)
*Yes, technically that is called a mortar but it tosses a cannon ball a long, long distance.
And...Charles Giet (standing on the far right) had researched and compiled the list so he did not participate in the Hunt. 16 were present and we formed five teams of three.
My daughter in California
just sent me a note about a Scavenger Hunt they engineered for a friend's birthday. Unique and fun-filled.
Ended with some lawn bowling.
Labels: #A.W.Shucks, #Charles Giet, #Harris-Teeter, #Joggling Board, #Ruth's Chris Steak House, #West Virginia license tag, lobsters, mortar, White Point Gardens
Oh, yeah. Adam Sandler and I in Savannah....
I sent in some paperwork and several photos to the Extras Casting people working on
The Do Over movie.
Surprisingly, I got a response that they liked my look.
I was invited to be a
"hospital visitor" in the Adam Sandler movie being filmed on the campus of the Savannah Technical College.
Two hour drive, $15 to fill my gas tank and pack 4-5 complete changes of clothes.
Arrived a little after 11 am and prepared myself to wait.
This was not my "first rodeo."
Last year I was an extra - also in a hospital setting - as a patient in an open-back gown, pushing an IV bag on a stand.
That was
IDENTITY, a pilot for CBS that did not get picked up.
I remembered a 12-hour day at the old Navy Hospital in North Charleston.
Paid to wait with perhaps only 2-hours of actually assuming our atmosphere/background person positions, then going through it quite a few times.
But, this time I got lucky and sat next to Michael Curry, a Savannah fire fighter, who had a great tale to tell. He's in the green scrubs as an orderly.
Michael had already posted it on Facebook, but he went through it again for me.
A friend of his is the Sales Director at
Ruth's Chris Steak House and asked if he would like to help deliver a $1400 food order to the Adam Sandler plane at the airport.
"
Well, heck yeah," he responded and "can I bring my son Cole?"
He even convinced security - and the pilot - that it would be easier to load the food if he drove out onto the tarmac.
So now, instead of sitting in the general aviation terminal to wait, he, the lady from Ruth's, and his son,
were going in and out of the posh plane that belonged to Sony Productions, Inc,
He also got a nice shot of his car - with its distinctive personalized tag - next to the private luxury jet.
This was a great story and a pleasant way to kill time as we waited for the call to move over to the active set.
Quite a few people had been called in for this 25th day of shooting of a 43-day script.
Additional footage would be shot in Puerto Rico, I was told, when I asked
Chad Darnell, the Extras Casting Director.
Actually, Savannah had stood in for a P.R. bar crowded with 400+ extras recently!
Oh, wait a minute.
I left out the best part about Adam Sandler and his family and friends showing up and agreeing to pose with Michael and his son and Randi Hempel. the Ruth's Chris sales marketer.
A $1400 food order for the 15 people on board the plane was quite a nice order.
And a swell guy from Hollywood made it even nicer.
Many, many years ago I worked for Universal Studios in L.A. and met and worked with some charming and delightfully talented people.
Also a few jerks.
I was a publicist for the brand new Studio Tour and was available for odd assignments when the studio bigwigs threw a party or function, usually when it was held on "my" Back Lot.
My worst ever assignment was handing name tags to the arriving guests at a outdoor gala. Most were gracious but more than a few "stars" ignored me and my stinkin' badges. One muttered as he passed
"..as if people need to be told who I am!"
I could mention his name but he has dropped from public view. A long time ago.
Ok, back to Savannah.
After wardrobe picked two complete outfits - from head to toe - from the assortment I brought, I was told to put on the first one and go to make-up.
The hair stylist lady looked up, smiled and said
"Your hair is fine just as it is."
I liked that affirmation. Made me feel good.
Then the Make-up guy gestured for me to sit in his chair in front of the lighted mirrors.
He mentioned a pink spot right beneath my nose (I had seen that earlier. It was like a blemish that appears on your face just before the Prom.)
He also covered a spot on the tip of my nose and then used his magic to make some softening touches on the many wrinkles around my eye.
He didn't work that area too long.
This could have been a heavy duty assignment and I was simply an extra.
A grateful one though.
Went back to the table and watched as a large ice chest was brought in.
It was filled with an assortment of bottled colas and I found me a nice cold water. Another addition while I was in make-up, was many bags of chips, sweet rolls, peanut butter crackers and even some energy bars.
My snack of an apple and water was interrupted when the Casting Director pointed to me and a lady seated nearby and said to come with him.
We passed through the school campus bookstore area and were taken outside beneath a sign that said Savannah General Hospital.
Sandler's stand-in was at the wheel of a bullet riddled truck and camera angles and reflectors were adjusted as
Sheila Cochran and I stood, waiting in the shade.
Sheila was known as a good performer and was told to scream in surprise when she and I spotted a bloodied disheveled man with a compound fractured right arm staggering toward us to enter the hospital.
We came out the door, excited and happy from just seeing our daughter's new baby. We walked right toward the camera, the injured man stumbled past and Sheila SCREAMED!
I was told to comfort her on camera and we would scurry off toward our car.
We did this three times.
CUT! Steven Brill, the Director, pronounced it perfect.
No cameras are allowed on the set so Sheila and I recreated it back in the staging area.
We were taken back inside the air conditioned lobby and Adam Sandler came to her and said
"You nailed it!"
He patted me on the back, shook my hand and added "Nice job. You did great."
Ate a delicious craft services meal and then changed into my second outfit for an interior scene. The extras casting director took me aside and said I could head on home.
He told me my face was so prominent in the scene outside, that I could not now be used in a crowd scene.
I liked the sound of that!
They liked Sheila and her scream so much, they promoted her on the spot. From extra to "featured."
She is an aspiring actress so I am pleased for her.
Me? I headed back up to Charleston, feeling it had been a fun and exciting day.
I got to actually chat with a noted actor who is a nice guy. I have my fingers crossed we don't end up on the cutting room floor.
Sheila deserves to be in that film. Yeah, you bet I'll go see it too.
Maybe I'll check out our new Ruth's Chris Steak House here in the Holy City.
(Click on the photos and links for more details,)
*No I did not take the picture of Adam. Found it online.
Labels: #Adam Sandler, #Chad Darnell, #Director Steven Brill, #Michael Curry, #Randi Hempel, #Ruth's Chris Steak House, #Savannah Technical College, #Sheila Cochran, #The Do Over movie
We had gathered at White Point Garden (the Battery) and had from 3:30 to 6:30 to go down the list and snap pictures.
One other team found theirs in a parking garage. Not as easy as it sounds!
It was confirmed that the store "used to" have them in a tank, but the tank had broken, etc. 
