No, Obama didn’t show up. Neither did Oprah (if only…). Instead, S. Epatha Merkerson, the longstanding star of Law and Order, attended the premiere of her new documentary, The Contradictions of Fair Hope, at an event hosted last week by Double R Productions, as part of its 25thanniversary. Although I had encountered Epatha (yes, we’re on a first-name basis) on my TV screen throughout the years, I told myself in the days leading up to the event that meeting her wouldn’t be a big deal.
I should have known better. As I was shooting B-roll of the event, which included staging delightfully awkward shots of people making fake toasts, I heard someone yell, “She’s here!” The pop culture fanatic inside of me made me sprint down the hall to the entrance, where Epatha had just arrived with an entourage. Although I had initially been hesitant to get in people’s faces with my imposing camera, I acted instinctively and stuck the camera right in her face. Shameless? Yes, but it no doubt got me some great shots.
And, just like that, Epatha taught me lesson numero uno: don’t be afraid to get a good shot. Even if that means forcing people to pretend the camera doesn’t exist when you’re really blinding them with the light, just think about the final product. People are going to forget about you by the end of the night. The video, however, will be floating around for years to come.
Another thing I’ve come to learn as a Double R intern: always stay on top of things during shoots. As I continued to roam the floor for some more B-roll, the other interns let me know we were running behind and needed to set up for interviews before the screening. In the middle of setting up the lights and the tripod, Epatha suddenly walked in, ready for her interview. I was secretly panicking. We only had a few seconds to react and finalize everything — after all, Epatha is a busy lady, which was especially true on that evening. However, the interns stayed calm, and we managed to get some excellent sound bites.
Twelve hours, two sore feet, and one hungry stomach later, I was finally done work for the day. As the night was wrapping up, I noticed Epatha chatting with some of the other interns, and I thought to myself, “Why not?” I asked her for a photo, and she graciously accepted. That moment was undoubtedly a highlight of my time at Double R, and it made me walk out of the event with a smile. Although it had been a long work day, I left feeling accomplished — and, of course, starstruck.
