Category Archives: Production Diary

DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN July 14, 1995. Tricia and I arrive at Bordeaux  airport. André, the local ICI rep., is there to meet us. He takes us to our hotel. It’s huge. Long, white terraced gardens and an Olympic … Continue reading →

Where There’s Always Beer and Popcorn “Hi, Alan, glad you made it. Hope you didn’t park outside. Our neighbors, they think they own the road. They’ll put a note under your wipers: Don’t park here—I bet you voted for Bush. … Continue reading →

I started with a Bolex 16mm camera. Over the years my Bolexes were accidentally smashed or stolen and replaced, but effectively I owned the same camera for 35 years. With video it’s a different story. I have moved from updating every … Continue reading →

LOST I regret losing my very first documentary, Portrait of an Adventurer. I made it in ’61 on spec. It was about Ron Flockhart, who was in Australia to fly his plane solo from Sydney to London. Crazy Guinness Book … Continue reading →

“DE-CRUCIFY THE ANGEL!” * Behind the camera, the world is one removed – you’re not really there; all that matters is inside the viewfinder. And so it is with Keith. He has setup his heavy, clockwork Newman Sinclair camera way … Continue reading →

LORS IN TRANSLATION Frappe! Frappe! (knock, knock) Qui est la? (who’s there?) Lors (Lors: short for Loraine) Lors Qui (Lost Key) Exactement (I’ve lost my key, let me in!) STUTTGART GERMANY It’s all been organized: letters, phone calls, faxes. We … Continue reading →

Was it 1977 or ’78? I don’t remember. I’m in a small office in the British Treasury. “Anything you say may be taken down and used in evidence….” You’ve heard it all before, but this time it’s me, Stefan, the … Continue reading →

Something Old It’s 1868. In San Francisco, lumber merchant Matthew Turner can’t find suitable fast ships to carry his timber. With almost no training in boat building, he says, “I’ll build them myself.” The brigantine Matthew Turner being built today—inspired by … Continue reading →

This Is Not a Goodbye, My Darling, This Is a Thank You Remember your first GF or BF? Of course you do. Mine is Christina McWilliams, a vision of 16-year-old loveliness. She gives me her school pin. I give her … Continue reading →