Just got back from an 11 day road trip with Gum Spirits Productions, another stellar group of talented, creative guys based in Portland, Maine. We went to 7 cities in the 11 day trip, which became a routine of wake up early, hop on a plane, fly to a new city, pack the largest rental truck available, drive to the location, film for a few hours, drive to another location, more filming, then check into our new hotel, sleep for a few hours, then repeat. We went to Philly, Pittsburg, Orlando, Jacksonville, Columbus, Ann Arbor, back to Columbus, St. Louis and then home.
The shooting was all interviews with people with some fascinating personal stories about being transgender and/or an ally. What struck me most about these people's stories was the amount of courage and conviction they all had and the simple need for them to be their authentic selves. I had never spoken with a transgender person before at any length and didn't know anyone personally, so to hear these stories was quite eye-opening for me. If I learned anything from what I heard, it's that no one ever chooses to be transgender. I can't image anyone just deciding on a whim to go through what these people have.
Some other highlights include staying at Sawgrass in Jacksonville, FL, where they host the Players Championship. They also have a great pool, which we got to spend a little time at during our only morning off.
Sawgrass Marriott lobby
Our first interview setup of the trip
Day 2 of the trip. We were all so young and fresh-faced back then...
The crew waiting for our interviewees to arrive in Columbus
Camera setup and Patrick hiding behind the bounce
Schmidt's in German Town in Columbus for dinner one night. Great sausage and beer
Driving from Columbus to Ann Arbor looked mostly like this
Cool stone house with some neglected landscaping
One of many setups in St. Louis. A church meeting room standing in for upper-middle class living room.
Screengrab (unprocessed) from another interview with a very cool pastor in his church