I haven’t been writing. But I have been busy – busy trying to forget my latest project.
I wasn’t going to post about it at all, but my sister insists that I should – even if it’s just a quick blurb. And being highly suggestible and easily convinced by promises of cheesecake buffets, I agreed.

The project was simple. Produce and direct a new set of interstitials. Except this time, we were asked to work with a host. “It’ll be tricky editing,” we were told. But Jill and I were up for the challenge.

What we didn’t realize was that the real challenge would be the host. Though he told us, (unprompted, and repeatedly), about his many (inflated) successes, his warm and generous nature, his selflessness. However he left out the part about his sudden and unpredictable waves of anger, his skewed version of reality and his precarious self-esteem.

Throughout the project, shouting, bullying, manipulation, put downs, power plays and threats to walk away from the project were part of his MO with us. Talking to him made me increasingly anxious. I never knew what would set him off or when. About halfway through pre-production I couldn’t handle it or him anymore. Fortunately Jill stepped up. She took over as the main producer and my tense stomach thanked her for it.

We plowed our way through the shoot and made it through without a single maiming or murder. And sometimes that is the definition of success.