Production week was crazy, intense, and fun!
To film the pilot, we had three shoot days, from 7:30 am – 1:30 pm.
We were at two restaurants, and filmed location shots in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Universal City, and Downtown.
To say we were busy would be an understatement!
So how did all of us—working on a show focused on being healthy—maintain our energy and keep going?
Fundamentals, baby! :)
Yup, it really came down to doing those activities that I knew allowed me to have my greatest days, and the things that really renewed and restored my energy: namely, meditation, exercise, and nutrition!
It’s almost like this were some kind of athletic event—and everything I’d done before (in terms of my daily practice) was preparing me for this week. Just like in any competition, I wouldn’t stop practicing the fundamentals—that’s the stuff that got me here, and would help keep me sane and ready to rock it!
Case in point: on our third day of shooting, I got a call at 7 am that Brandon (our main camera dude) had overslept, was leaving about an hour late, and wouldn’t be able to pick up our director in West LA.
We were supposed to arrive at the restaurant in about 30 minutes, and only had three hours to get everything, which is *not* a lot of time. And now it looked like everything would be delayed!
Perfect time to freak out, right?
Well, I looked at what we could do (what do we have control over), took a positive attitude, and forged ahead. As the host and a producer, I knew I’d be part of setting the tone for the day and I always wanted the shoots to be fun and easy.
I just rerouted our Gina, our still photographer, to the Westside to pick up V, and Cody (our 2nd camera guy), Brian (sound), and I filmed exteriors and B-roll footage at the restaurant before everyone else arrived.
Brandon was super apologetic. Turned out he wasn’t feeling well, took some cold medicine—which he never does—and it completely knocked him out.
As I said to him: it happens. No worries. Now let’s get to work! :)
It all worked out (as it always does). And look: no one got upset!
Production Schedule
Luckily with the schedule, we were able to break up the week: we filmed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which was particularly awesome because it gave everyone a chance to rest. I certainly needed it! :)
Production days (even half-days) require a lot of energy, and having those days inbetween were really crucial, I think, to getting through the week with a high level of energy. Plus, the days off were a chance to catch up on other life stuff, so at least I wasn’t ever stressing about “falling behind.”
The call time (to be at our first location) was 7:30 am, which meant very early mornings for the entire team.
I joked with people afterward that the best way to get into the habit of going to bed early is to do a show! :)
By 9:30 pm each night, I was done. Forget about wanting to watch anything or keep working—for me, the day was over!
Daily Routine
Each morning I got up an hour early (yup, around 5 am!) to make sure I got in my exercise and 30 minutes of meditation.
Funny story: on the second day of production, I overslept! A bit panicked, I realized I didn’t have time to do everything I wanted, at least not in the version I wanted.
So, I realized I had to cut out exercise and could only get in about 10 minutes of meditation—better than nothing!
As I’ve come to realize, the key with these practices is having Commitment and Flexibility. Yes, I’m 100% committed to doing this stuff AND I’m flexible with how it’s going to show up. Same goes for others traveling (or when you wake up late!).
Now I do get a fair amount of exercise, and I knew that day ahead would involve a lot of walking around, so I didn’t sweat that I wouldn’t get a “formal” bit of exercise. I knew it’d work out. :)
Feeding the Crew!
We were filming at ridiculously awesome and healthy restaurants—how could I lose??
Yes, it may have been a bit more expensive to eat where we shot rather than just ordering a bunch of pizzas, but dammit—I know what good nutrition can do, and I want to share that with others!
PLUS, I get a kick out of seeing people try this stuff and getting blown away by the taste and flavor. Yes, Virginia—nutritious food can taste really really good. :)
I also made a point of stocking up on healthy snacks (aka Craft Services) for everybody—went to Trader Joe’s and picked up:
- Almonds
- Bananas
- Carrots
- Oranges
- Sunflower Seeds
and Electrolyte Water!
At our second restaurant, SunCafe, chef Ron even whipped up a batch of green smoothies for the crew to try! Good times!! :)
For the 3 days we shot, the crew meals were at…
LifeFood Organic!
Brandon got the raw lasagna (one of the things we made on the show), V got asian salad, and Gina grabbed the raw “burger”, just to name a few of the dishes—everyone LOVED the food and again, it was so much fun to see eyes widen at how GOOD this stuff is!! :)
Chipotle!
We were in the middle of Hollywood and pressed for time—we all knew you could get a healthy meal here—and besides: V (our director) had never been! :)
and Flore Vegan Cafe!
We were Downtown, hungry, and parking was a nightmare. We knew about Flore (from our list of possible filming locations), and headed up to nearby Silverlake—what a great meal to end the week!
PLUS: Cody was a big fan of his portabello tacos!! :)
The Kickstarter Campaign Continues—but not for long!
We’ve raised over $3000 so far, but only have 10 days left! Funding ends 12/15 @ 12:15 pm PST!
Instead of your next meal out at one restaurant, think about throwing that money our way, and you’ll get to learn about LOTS more restaurants and AMAZING food! :)
Back this Project!
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Have you ever had really crazy long days—how did you keep yourself and others healthy?
I’d love to hear your response + any other thoughts you have below.
Looking forward to learning more!
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