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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Who Needs Sleep?

A

Adrian Correia

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So....two and a half hour travel to set, sixteen hour day on set, two hours travel back.....a minute from my house and I fall asleep at the wheel. Please guys, if you are tired pull over and sleep a bit....I thought I was fine and I just passed out. If my red cases had been in the back I would probably be dead. Thank God for seat belts and air bags.

 
Glad you're alright. Don't know the specifics, of course, but:
Motel 6 = $50.
Your Life = Priceless.
 
Adrian Correia said:
So....two and a half hour travel to set, sixteen hour day on set, two hours travel back.....a minute from my house and I fall asleep at the wheel. Please guys, if you are tired pull over and sleep a bit....I thought I was fine and I just passed out. If my red cases had been in the back I would probably be dead. Thank God for seat belts and air bags.

Click to expand...
I had to drive home twice after 20hr day on set (8am to 4am). On both trips I was driving and had that reaction where your head suddenly snaps off your neck as you come to from driving while semi-conscious. Two times is enough, next time I book a motel.
 
Wow, thank God you are okay, sorry about the car.

Yes as you said seat belts are an absolute must DO, and I also never leave any of my cases in the back of my vehicle with out been tie down, is very important to do this, as you mentioned, would you had the heavy RED case in the back, you would surely be a less happy man.

Sorry again about this Adrian.
 
I've had some amazingly close calls driving from LA to Sacramento and from LA to Phoenix. I just push myself too hard. In October I drove out to Missouri from LA in one shot. Drove for 22 hours with no rest and did it again on the way back. Of course I would stop to shoot some timelapse or something on my way out there. Then a couple weeks after that I drove out to Tennessee from LA but this time I would sleep in hotel parking lots for 4 hours or so. But the longest I have ever driven in one shot was going from Whistler, Canada to Sacramento, CA. I drove through a really bad snow storm that had hit the entire North West. I ended up driving over 400 miles in the snow going 30mph in a Toyota Corolla. That drive lasted for 30 hours, something that I hope I never have to do again.
 
Glad you're ok man!

Sakes.

This is why if i'm EVER at a 12+hr shoot I always either have a driver or get a hotel. Especially if its a two hour drive each way. I'd rather get the 4 extra hrs of sleep a motel 6 would afford me.

Once again man glad you're ok.
 
I wasn't so lucky after a 17 hour day - broke my ankle and wrecked my car on the 110. It could have been much worse though. Sleep deprivation accumulates.
It's not so easy pulling over, sometimes you don't even see it coming.
Haskell Wexler's documentary "Who Needs Sleep" covers the problem very well, I recommend it to anybody who works in production.
 
I think I'll order a copy of it. looks thought provoking.

To me, anyhting above a 12 hour day is just ridiculous. The way youre working your crew you only get about the first 2 days of QUALITY work. Theres no way you can tell me that a DP or grip is NEAR on his game after 3 days of only 4 hours of sleep.
 
Indeed, I see this penny wise pound foolish pushing long days where the quality of everything goes down. People think they can do it. I was recently DP on a feature where we went six 18 hour days back to back -- then I simply refused to punish my crew any further. The producer wasn't happy -- and I was paid with a very bad check.
(This was all complicated by being in a foreign country with a lot of gear that needed to eventually get safely out of the country.)

And yes, we should all remember we SHARE the road with others -- and not only endanger ourselves when we push too hard. I'm sure you're thanking your lucky stars not only for your own survival -- but that you didn't injure or kill anyone else. And that the lesson learned was so relatively inexpensive.
 
Nothing cool, macho or heroic about pulling crazy long days and then putting yourself and other road users at risk. Also, if you have been doing long hours and then driving, you may find that you are breaking health and safety at work legislation. Production and car insurance companies will do anything to get out of paying, and if you have broken work legislation laws, you may find yourself uninsured.
 
I have the same problem when workin in Abu Dhabi, which is an hour and a half away (when you abide by the speed limit, which noone else does). When you snap to from dozing because youre overtaken by a Hummer doing 200KpH, you dont need any more coffee!!!

Glad youre ok.
 
coffee%20poster.bmp


In all seriousness, glad you're alright.
 
Report the producer who refused to get you a hotel room to the production's insurance company. One claim like this and the Producer will never be able to get production insurance again at their preferred rates. You're lucky to have survived. I don't care what you're making for a day rate, its not worth your life.
 
Andrew Walker said:
I've had some amazingly close calls driving from LA to Sacramento and from LA to Phoenix. I just push myself too hard. In October I drove out to Missouri from LA in one shot. Drove for 22 hours with no rest and did it again on the way back. Of course I would stop to shoot some timelapse or something on my way out there. Then a couple weeks after that I drove out to Tennessee from LA but this time I would sleep in hotel parking lots for 4 hours or so. But the longest I have ever driven in one shot was going from Whistler, Canada to Sacramento, CA. I drove through a really bad snow storm that had hit the entire North West. I ended up driving over 400 miles in the snow going 30mph in a Toyota Corolla. That drive lasted for 30 hours, something that I hope I never have to do again.
Click to expand...

Dude, slow down and smell the roses every once in awhile...
 
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