1st July 2011
Thinking of the Future
There were quite a few cock ups during the previous night in both setting up and breaking down for formal night. We noticed we were missing two valuable members of the team.
Shooting on the centrum on Deck 4 I occasionally looked down to where LSP (Stu’s studio) was set up. The queue wasn’t a mile long like usual. The booming laugh and voice were gone and replaced by Flabio’s relatively quite ways.
One studio, at the end of the Royal Promenade didn’t get broken down until the next day – we completely forgot about it! It was a complete mess. By the time we had pizza (the original order was lost) and finished up it was 2am. Everyone was due to start work at 06.45-07.00.
Shooting on the centrum on Deck 4 I occasionally looked down to where LSP (Stu’s studio) was set up. The queue wasn’t a mile long like usual. The booming laugh and voice were gone and replaced by Flabio’s relatively quite ways.
One studio, at the end of the Royal Promenade didn’t get broken down until the next day – we completely forgot about it! It was a complete mess. By the time we had pizza (the original order was lost) and finished up it was 2am. Everyone was due to start work at 06.45-07.00.
Fabio, Hernan and I were going on tour to the Acropolis. Sanela was the Greek Godess and teamed up with Sandra. Zoran was the Greek God with David shooting. Zoran did a fantastic job and the a couple of guests even commented at how well he was acting the part and playing up for everyone. Nice one Zoran!!
As I was leaving for tour, I had to tell Sanela to stand by the exit, not in the middle of the hall. From there she can’t smudge for shit! The results showed, only 200 images. Even though I am more experienced and been working in costumes on gangway before, Luci and I would always get more than 400. She needs to improve a lot. Maybe someone more experienced should have been put on gangway for the start of the cruise and allow the newer people to have a go towards the end when the image count drops? Just a thought. It's what Reuben did with us new hires when we joined. Obviously they need to train but we also need the image count and to make money.
As I was leaving for tour, I had to tell Sanela to stand by the exit, not in the middle of the hall. From there she can’t smudge for shit! The results showed, only 200 images. Even though I am more experienced and been working in costumes on gangway before, Luci and I would always get more than 400. She needs to improve a lot. Maybe someone more experienced should have been put on gangway for the start of the cruise and allow the newer people to have a go towards the end when the image count drops? Just a thought. It's what Reuben did with us new hires when we joined. Obviously they need to train but we also need the image count and to make money.
The tour itself was hard going. We were told to only get one or two kinds of shots. Trying to get up to the Acropolis itself was a task in itself. The heat was almost unbearable (we were all sporting large sweat patches or wringing wet shirts – very sexy!) and the crowds were unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it before!! Neither had Fabio.
There were six ships in the port and all were doing tours to the same attraction. Smudging was too bad, I had a few catty comments to which they got a similar reply! The biggest challenge was getting a gap in the crowds to take someone's photo. I only came back with 32 images which, let’s face it, is nothing. A real disappointment, especially when I was only there for 30 minutes! Fabio was there for longer and got 60 something. I’m not sure how well Hernan did.
There were six ships in the port and all were doing tours to the same attraction. Smudging was too bad, I had a few catty comments to which they got a similar reply! The biggest challenge was getting a gap in the crowds to take someone's photo. I only came back with 32 images which, let’s face it, is nothing. A real disappointment, especially when I was only there for 30 minutes! Fabio was there for longer and got 60 something. I’m not sure how well Hernan did.
Herds of people were trying to leave and enter the Acropolis making the journey to the bus slow and almost painful! People were pushing and shoving, it was like you were at a football match!
At the entrance of the Acropolis is a tall archway. The archway has been divided into one narrow paths. One side for entering and the other exiting the Acropolis. It's the slowest part to get through, especially with people shoving and getting agitated. One American lady even complained to her family. “Why didn’t they make this archway bigger? It’s not big enough for everyone”. I had to laugh at the stupidity and hold my tongue!! All I wanted to do was tell the lady “I’m sure that 2,500 years ago, while building the Acropolis, the Greeks weren’t thinking of accommodating so many bloody tourists!! Mass tourism never crossed their minds!” Some of the things that get said are unbelievably amazing yet stupid. I need to write a book of all the daft comments I hear!! It’d be a top seller!!
At the entrance of the Acropolis is a tall archway. The archway has been divided into one narrow paths. One side for entering and the other exiting the Acropolis. It's the slowest part to get through, especially with people shoving and getting agitated. One American lady even complained to her family. “Why didn’t they make this archway bigger? It’s not big enough for everyone”. I had to laugh at the stupidity and hold my tongue!! All I wanted to do was tell the lady “I’m sure that 2,500 years ago, while building the Acropolis, the Greeks weren’t thinking of accommodating so many bloody tourists!! Mass tourism never crossed their minds!” Some of the things that get said are unbelievably amazing yet stupid. I need to write a book of all the daft comments I hear!! It’d be a top seller!!
On the schedule we were all supposed to be back at 11am. Fat chance! By the time I got back it was 13.00. Fabio didn’t get back until 14.00.
Sandra popped into my cabin to ask if I was going out for internet. Fede was port manning and therefore couldn't leave the ship.
Quickly showering and changing we ran off the ship and to O’Connell’s Irish Pub to use the internet. Becks was online – finally we were both online at the same time! I really needed to speak to her, get a few things off my chest and in general I really miss speaking to her. It wasn’t long before she went offline. Just my luck!
Quickly showering and changing we ran off the ship and to O’Connell’s Irish Pub to use the internet. Becks was online – finally we were both online at the same time! I really needed to speak to her, get a few things off my chest and in general I really miss speaking to her. It wasn’t long before she went offline. Just my luck!
There’s no word from Stu like he promised. Checking his Facebook we saw that he’d contacted the American family. That caused a few raised eye brows, rolling of eyes and shakes of heads. It didn’t seem right, the people that genuinely care about him, hear nothing from him yet those people… I won’t continue.
Heading back to the ship I jumped into bed for 1.5 hours before I starting work in the gallery. After a three hour stint in the gallery I had an hour shooting on Garden – a hideously ugly backdrop.
Breaking down the studio, I noticed some things hadn’t been set up properly. Jomar had put Sanela and Sandra to set up alone. It took two hours to set up two studios??
One of my studio lights hadn’t been attached to the clamp!! If it had been pulled or knocked, the results could have been lethal – mainly to Image’s bank balance. An auto pole didn’t have a rubber stump at the end so it wasn’t very secure. If someone had leaned against it, the pole would have simply slipped out of place.
Speaking to Sandra I wanted to know who had done the set up out of the two of them. It wasn’t to have a go at them, just explain and point them in the right direction. Sandra told me the pin hadn’t been put into her backdrop so she had to resort to using a hair pin!! A flimsy hairpin to hold up a heavy backdrop!? What the hell was going on? Had no one checked the set up?
One of my studio lights hadn’t been attached to the clamp!! If it had been pulled or knocked, the results could have been lethal – mainly to Image’s bank balance. An auto pole didn’t have a rubber stump at the end so it wasn’t very secure. If someone had leaned against it, the pole would have simply slipped out of place.
Speaking to Sandra I wanted to know who had done the set up out of the two of them. It wasn’t to have a go at them, just explain and point them in the right direction. Sandra told me the pin hadn’t been put into her backdrop so she had to resort to using a hair pin!! A flimsy hairpin to hold up a heavy backdrop!? What the hell was going on? Had no one checked the set up?
Finishing up, I went down to the cabin to get my camera equipment. Ritesh was doing another inventory list for everyone. Putting my key in the door, it didn’t work. Going to the lab I told Ritesh who said I could do the inventory tomorrow. Thank you!!
Waiting for Luci, she tested her key when she got back to the corridor. It was the same. The door unlocked but the handle wouldn’t budge so we couldn’t get it open. I’d already called maintenance who said they couldn’t do anything about it until tomorrow. What the hell!? Instead we had to call security who weren’t best pleased. When they arrived their key didn’t work either so they had to use a hard key (rather than a card key) to let us in. We had to call maintenance tomorrow, first thing to get it fixed asap.
Waiting for Luci, she tested her key when she got back to the corridor. It was the same. The door unlocked but the handle wouldn’t budge so we couldn’t get it open. I’d already called maintenance who said they couldn’t do anything about it until tomorrow. What the hell!? Instead we had to call security who weren’t best pleased. When they arrived their key didn’t work either so they had to use a hard key (rather than a card key) to let us in. We had to call maintenance tomorrow, first thing to get it fixed asap.
Originally I was supposed to be staying over at Zoran’s. The new girl, Camila, isn’t happy with the cabin she is in. Her cabin mate is reportedly being royal bitch plus her and her boyfriend are at it like rabbits, day and night. The poor girl can’t even go into her cabin without her cabin mate shouting at her. So I was going to stay in Zoran’s (Stu’s bunk) and Camila would sleep in mine.
Jomar finally gave her permission to move into Sandra’s cabin, taking Jeni’s place. Jomar only got his arse in gear when Luci nagged him about it in the gallery. Camila was taking a nap in the back office, on the bench prop rather than go back to her cabin. It’s not fair and certainly not a great way to start a 6 month contract! She’s moving tomorrow.
Jomar finally gave her permission to move into Sandra’s cabin, taking Jeni’s place. Jomar only got his arse in gear when Luci nagged him about it in the gallery. Camila was taking a nap in the back office, on the bench prop rather than go back to her cabin. It’s not fair and certainly not a great way to start a 6 month contract! She’s moving tomorrow.
Zoran and Sanela have had a uniform delivery sent to them. Sanela’s is fine from what I’ve seen. Zoran still has no uniform… he’s been sent girl’s clothes! He can’t even get his gallery jacket on… a size 8, girl’s jacket for a guy? It’s a joke and he was far, far from happy! He was fuming, refusing to pay for any of it. Still, poor Zoran, has no camera or uniform and has been borrowing from us for nearly 1.5 months!! Now, he’s got to continue doing so until Image send the right uniform for him… maybe he’ll have everything for his second contract?
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