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“CHRONIC TOWN” director, Tom Hines
If I could’ve had 10 percent more of something on Chronic Town, I would have to say that it would’ve been 10 percent more length on our extension cords. That may sound odd, but when you have to plug in your production vehicles (which on our budget equaled two minivans) to prevent the oil in your car from freezing overnight, then every inch counts. During the winter in Alaska, you need to plug your car into an outlet to keep the oil in your engine from freezing (it’s advised to be plugged in when it’s below zero, which it was for our entire shoot); so when you are staying at a hotel (in our case, the Westmark Hotel in Fairbanks) you are jockeying for spots against everyone else staying at the hotel. When you get home late from a shoot, chances are you’ve already lost out on the spaces adjacent to all the heating posts. So on those nights when you didn’t get close to the post (even though you’d have to get up early for the next day’s shoot) you still had to set your alarm for about 3:00 in the morning, dress head to toe, walk out to your car, start it, and sit there and let it run for about five minutes to let the engine warm up. Mind you, looking back as I write this, I think to myself, why not buy some extra extension cords? Well, I guess that’s because I didn’t have 10 percent more of a budget to pay for them.
[PREMIERE SCREENING: Saturday, Jan. 19, 5:30 pm — Library Center Theatre, Park City]
