On Greatness, the Entertainment Industry, and Chicken in a Basket With Fries

You know, you gotta love it. Being on stage live in front of cheering thousands, in the studio creating something new and dynamic and exciting, on the film set making the magic happen -- what fun it is, how fortunate we are to be in that world making these things happen! And what a long hard road in-between those moments of glory - that's what motivates us to create the next magical moment - to rekindle that flame, feel the incredible energy of being there at the moment when something you make for other people to enjoy comes into existence for the first time!

It's the creation of a new life -- something that will have an existence of its own, a part of you yet separate, with its own unique destiny to discover. That's what happens every time, we have the unique responsibility to make sure it's the highest quality. Whatever it is that defines greatness, we must pour that essence into every moment of our lives to give it meaning. The small things are equally important as the big picture, they create the big picture in fact.

When I saw veteran cinematographer Phil Pfeiffer (DP/Camera Operator on 3:10 to Yuma, Appaloosa, Natural Born Killers and somewhere around 60 other feature films and television productions) on the scene and behind the camera on the set of "Breaking Bad" this week, I knew this event was not going to anything other than the highest quality of professional masterpiece-making possible, no matter what the subject matter or location.

Every piece of the puzzle is what transforms a work from mere media pablum for the masses into something that echoes on a deeper level - when we give that extra push to make sure that every moment of time, every aspect of what we do is the absolute best we are capable of -- then our effort is meaningful. Little things make a big difference, and every moment of our time on this planet - on or off the stage, studio or film set, driving around town, in line at the chicken place, those moments all add to the big picture of what makes our brief time on this world meaningful.

That single moment on "Breaking Bad," as the entire production was focused on a close-up of Kymberlee behind the counter handing me a basket of chicken and fries, transformed the mundane, just for a few seconds, into something transcendent. She arrived at the set and immediately left behind her persona of pop singing sensation Kymberlee Ann and without hesitation transformed herself, right there on the set of Los Pollos Hermanos, into the very essence of all behind-the-counter uniformed employees everywhere. My right elbow (recently nominated "Best Supporting Elbow") was featured prominently in the scene.

As we see the building from outside, I place my order, pay her, walk across the room and get a soda, then take a seat in front of a window. My tiny insignificant actions as the Anonymous Customer, barely noticeable, far away in the distance, are part of what creates the entire illusion that this is something that is really happening, something everyone can relate to. It is part of a carefully-arranged choreography conceived in every detail by Tiffany from Gwyn Savage Casting, working in tandem with the needs of the director, the DP, and a whole chain of talented industry professionals. Thank you, industry professionals, for all of you working to make the magic happen. It was a privilege to work with such an amazing cast and crew!

Every moment of every day can take on incredible significance. Our tiniest actions can be transformed at any moment into greatness, the responsibility we all have as we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of the very best we can possibly become is enormous.

There are more tales of behind-the-scenes adventures in the television and film industry, I will do my best to share with everyone! Hello to my old and new friends, good to see you! More later...

- Phil