Thanks!
Just a little while ago, when watching award shows I thought
to myself: "My god, why do they have to thank other people
in such an excessive way? Don't they know anything else to say?"
Now I can understand that.
I know very well the only reason why I am sitting here, talking
about our movie, is that many lovely and intrepid people have
uncessantly helped to achieve our goal. After such a -how shall
I describe it- less ordinary and crazy project one just has the
desire to thank the following people:
First af oll thanks to the team. Actually, the term "team"
has almost become trivial nowadays because somehow there is always
a team. But if there is a group worthy of this predicate then
it is ours! With our budget Steven Spielberg would not have made
even a polaroid photo, i.e. the most important positions concerning
the shooting were occupied, but apart from that everyone helped
where it was necessary.
Regardless of which job had to be done -using the slate, powdering
the collegues, arranging the location, holding cables, organizing
the lunch list (very important!!!), looking after extras, searching
for the director's script (very often!!!), looking after costumes,
installing light, etc.- nobody could escape from it. And that
never became a problem, quite the contrary:
it was self-evident because everyone was all for it. And those
who arrogantly sniffed at it in the beginning soon left the group
anyway. Within a short period of time an exceptional basic group
was formed -mad but all sticked together- which hopefully will
tackle many further projects in the future.
It goes without saying that a team like that functions only if
there is such a consequent, practised and crazy boss like Clemens
Keiffenheim.
Author, director and producer in one person - the one who takes
over a position like this must have above all one quality: a great
strenght of will! I was highly influenced by this attitude and
that was the best that ever happened to me in my career.
In Spring 2002, when we met for the first time we soon became aware that we had much in common and got along with each other very well. Clemens did not hesitate very long and soon I found myself on his coat-tails. First I played in a whodunnit show, then I got the role of Gerdano in his movie. But there is still more: very often we were sitting together in the provisionally arranged Musikill production office far into the night, thinking about scenes and dialogues, talking about the disposition of the following days or just chatting and drinkig beer to relieve stress. Of course, there definitely was great stress, no question. Each shooting day meant time and money and if that even concerns the director's money the director is always under pressure. This, of course, brings along some advantages: one works in a very concentrated way and, if necessary, one improvises very quickly, e.g. when looking for a new extra in the "Keiffenheim's Quick-Casting-Manner":
Clemens:
"Hey, you there! Could you say 'Hello'!"
Innocent passer-by:
"HeHelllo?!?"
Clemens:
"Wonderful! Come with me - great future!"
But sometimes the pressure was too much, i.e. there were also
lots of reprimands, often justified, sometimes unjustified. But
we all knew why this happened.
I remember well the day when once again everything was going wrong:
it was raining cats and dogs (the planned outdoor shooting had
to be cancelled), we had a delay of two days in our shooting schedule
anyway, an important music CD for simultaneous dancing rehearsals
could not be found anymore and a colleague fell out for three
weeks due to pneumonia.
My buddy Jerry (alias Gerd Balters) and I were standing under
the roof of the distillery and smoking abstractedly cigarettes,
lost in gloomy thoughts . Suddenly Clemens joined us, looked at
us for a long time and finally said: "We will make it! I
just won't disappoint you." He did not at all!
And then, thanks to my family!
Apart from the fact that my family hardly saw me during the shooting
(the kids especially were sad because they could not present their
funny-looking Dad with his shaved head at shool and kindergarten),
it was difficult as well as brave for all of them to accompany
me on my way to the movies.
After navy, drama school, pedagogics, radio and theater my path
has led me to new challenges - to a surely unpredictable future
in that very trade.
But as I know everyone at home will keep their fingers crossed
for me it will not turn out to be too bad.
In short, Billy Wilder once said:
"One is always as good as the best one has ever done!"
We all have tried to do our best for "Musikill".
See you (...hopefully at the cinema!?!)
Yours Gerd(ano) Meyer
www.gerd-meyer.com
