Non-Disclosure Disclosure.

I've never been much of a reader. I like books, especially ones with pictures, and I like to read. But the book really has to capture me and take me for a ride. I used to read one book a tour, it would take me 6 weeks to get through most of them. I don't usually read much when I'm home. Lately it's been mostly manuals for all the crap we've been getting for baby, including a 50 plasma TV (or was that for me?).

But in the last week, I'd have to say, I've read at least a novels worth of contracts and Non-Disclosure agreements for these two shows I've been working on, America's Best Dance Crew, and Jingles. Both are "reality game shows", and most of the contract stuff really doesn't pertain to me. Although it would be nice if they gave me float money, paid my mileage and cell phone bill. But I signed a paper that says I won't charge them without first getting written authorization from the producer... Whom I've never met.

But the non disclosure section seems to be the thickest chapter in the novel. They use a lot of fancy words to basically say, "Don't talk about this show, we don't want the public to know the outcome." So, I won't. I won't talk about who's on the show or who's winning or losing.

But what I will talk about is the craziness that is TV lighting. Remember I said it was 3 hours of sitting around followed by 3 minutes of panic? That's true when the show is up and running. On Sunday, we had our first camera block for Jingles, and it was crazy. My fingers hurt from pushing so many buttons and touch screens trying to keep up with the constant changes to the show.

I won't go into too much detail but needless to say, we worked hard on a bunch of stuff all day long, adding and taking away for what the director thought was what the show look needed. And then the executive producer show up at 7PM at night, and pulls aside the director and lighting director and tells them 90% of the look was wrong. After the half hour talk, we had a half hour left before everyone was cut, and we got stuck reprogramming an afternoon of work in 2 and 1/2 hours (We pulled in two hours of over time). I got most of it to a starting point, but no one has seen how the show is supposed to end, therefore, we have no idea how to light it. Another fun trick these "reality game shows" pull. In order to prevent the information to about who wins and who loses from leaking, they don't rehearse the ending until the very last minute. Thus, the 3 minutes of panic.

Isn't that why I signed a non-disclosure agreement?

Wednesday, when we do our first shoot, should be a very interesting, if not long, day. Thank goofness I have Thursday off.

I was back at America's Best Dance Crew again today, and will be there tomorrow. I won't disclose anything here before the show airs on Friday night, but I will say this... It's getting closer to Gladiator.

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And just a little side note, I was thinking about something on one of my drives to or from work. I think I have been preparing myself for this job since I was a kid. When I was but a wee lad who had an active imagination, I would often find old sheets of plywood and I would take chalk and draw fake buttons and switches all over them. Then I would use them to pretend I was a tank commander or astronaut and I was busy piloting a large vehicle by the buttons and switches. I bet if you dug around in my dad's woodshed, you'd probably find a few of these sheets of plywood.

Now here I am almost 40 and I've spent most of my life piloting lighting consoles around the world. Probably not as many buttons and switches as I had drawn as a kid, but still...

So all you new parents out there (including me) watch what your kid does during play time, it might turn into a career.

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