| Friendly words of advice to Production Companies & Aspiring Directors |
| If a local hire tells you it's going to rain in 5 or 10 minutes, or that a dust storm is fast approaching - believe them! Don't drink heavily the night before you shoot. Alcohol acts differently on the human body up here at 7,000 ft. than it does in LA at sea level. When filming outside in the sun, please encourage your cast and crew to apply sufficient sun screen - regardless of the time of year. At 7,000 ft. you can easily burn at any time of the year. When making a film about New Mexico - Please believe locals when they say "There are NO moose in New Mexico!" Stay within believable boundaries of the area. If you insist on having your actors speak Spanish in a New Mexican film - rely on locals to give correct pronounciation or mannerisms of the culture and not some half-cooked wannabe who came through Guatamala 20 years ago and thinks it is the same Spanish spoken in New Mexico. Don't forget your history. Don't shoot a film about early New Mexico in the 1700s or 1800s & then populate the town with nothing but Anglo folk - this is supposed to be New Mexico - REMEMBER? The territory was predominatly Hispanic, Anglos were in the minority AND Indians were not on the Res or in their pueblos, they were all over the place, mingling and trading with the Hispanics, Hispanic and Indian military types are courageous people of the highest degree of integrity. Don't depict them as anything less. |
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| For Production Companies coming into NM |
| You think the following friendly advice isn't necessary & it's plain silly? Evidently you haven't seen what has recently been filmed here in New Mexico nor have you seen what has happened on the sets of several of the films shot here in New Mexico. The following has been derived from ACTUAL events on the sets of films shot in New Mexico. |
| Don't do anything physically risky the day before you are scheduled to shoot, That kind of behavior can put your production in peril if you get yourself hurt. Don't party down the night before you film - you might not get up until noon. Be a party animal after you wrap the film. Trust the crew you hired, don't second guess them or ignore their advice. Avoid being the Director AND Scriptwriter AND Stuntman AND Boom guy AND Lighting guy AND Special Effects guy AND Chief Bottlewasher - Delegate those jobs to the other folk you should have already hired - Be a Director! Don't go forward with a project until you have everything lined up and ready to go. Fire those non-performers regardless of their titles - they are costing you money and precious resources. Get people onboard your project who can get the job done. Avoid politics, favoritism and other types of foolishness in putting your project together - that behavior will only decrease your reliability and give an impression you lack integrity. On the set many unexpected things happen, be prepared. Have backup contingencies ready and at least one person at your side you can rely on to pull a rabbit out of his hat. If you are approached by someone with free advice or an offer to help your project for free after they have proven their competence, add them to your crew! |
| For Aspiring or first-time directors |
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| A Word About Altitude Sickness |
| Altitude Sickness
Altitude illness is usually preventable, if ascent to altitude is slow. Symptoms can be very subtle yet they can also be life threatening, make no mistake, Altitude Sickness can kill. Contrary to popular belief, your physical condition has NO bearing on your ability to acclimate to altitude. SYMPTOMS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS Drowsiness, Dizziness, fainting, Prolonged or Severe Headaches, Extreme Thirst, Sleeplessness, Appetite Loss, Weakness, Slowed Reflexes, Nausea, Vomiting, Heart Palpitations, Pounding Pulse, Congested Lungs, Difficulty Breathing or Coughing. Steps to acclimate to high altitudes 1 TAKE IT EASY Don't overdo physical activity the first day or two. Stop early if you feel tired or breathless, relax and don't rush it. 2 DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS - ESPECIALLY WATER 3 EAT LOTS OF CARBOHYDRATES Reduce your FAT intake as well 4 AVOID ALCOHOL Also avoid tranquilizers and sleeping pills. They slow your body's adjustment to higher altitudes 5 TAKE MEDICATION Take medication that's available to prevent altitude sickness THIS INFORMATION COURTESY OF URGENT MEDICAL CARE Santa Fe - 505-989-8707 Red River - 505-754-1773 Angelfire - 505-377-1805 |
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