Got a call two days ago ..... "This Brad? This is Courtney with the French Television Network, 'French 2'. You were recommended to us, as a life-long resident of Siesta Key .... and we were hoping that you could share with us, the history of the island, and particularly that of Siesta Key's early beach scenes."
An hour later after that initial call, my good friend Becky calls ..... "Did they call ya?" She laughingly apologized - and said "Can ya do it?"
The international French Television Network, stationed out of Washington DC, had made several inquires about an "angle of interest" to a few of our local news outlets concerning Siesta Key. And my old friend, Rebecca Wild Baxter's name kept popping up as a possible resource. Well, Becky immediately pawned them off on to me.
I did have to think about it. And, after a little "on-line" research - I nervously agreed. Not knowing what they truly wanted, Courtney, the producer, and her cameraman, 'Tomas', then showed up in my living room early the next morning with camera, questions and a clip-on attachable microphone. They interviewed me, while I thumbed through aged old family scrapbooks with those early beach scenes, just trying to make the best of it all.
The best though, was upon their return in that late afternoon, when they asked me to re-enact - to go back to the beaches that I grew up on - and re-enact (and me being a photographer) to shoot a pretend scene of my choice - a French style film noir? And once again, I agreed. Luckily, I found that needed couple already in the beach surf, and as always, these things fell easily into place.
Finally, a possible 5 minute or more, edited down film piece aired on French television that should come out, or show-up by late summer - and hopefully with some smooth, yet French, explicit sub-titles.
The European couple that I found, already deep into the scene ..... (not MTV)
Producer, Courtney's true interest & Tomas's (cameraman) persistent direction made way for both, a sweet young team. Glad I could do it.
