Most people do not know what real life is like for workers behind the scenes when they go to the movies. They see the big stars and explosions in the theater, at least they use to, and have a romanticized notion of how cool this lifestyle is day in and day out. I got out myself after more than a decade of set work and trust me, it is not glamorous. Do not get me wrong, ask any crew member that spends time in the biz and they will provide you with plenty of ridiculously hilarious experiences as well as unforgettable moments in their lives. The new YouTube series “Ned the Best Boy” is already showcasing the tiny elements of frustration that the average person does not understand. The behind-the-scenes featurettes on your DVD copy does not show some of the grind that is working on a show.
Allow me to give some back story. I first met the creator of this series Neil Solberg aka “Saint Neil” in 2014 on a ridiculous ‘Lifetime’ original movie starring Tony Goldwyn called “Outlaw Prophet: The Story of Warren Jeffs”. His significant other was the one that hired me. Neil was a salty man from the get go, but also clearly an excellent person after the first meeting alone. It was the B.S. on set from things like the privileged higher-ups or weather interrupting shooting or a-hole bosses being a-holes that would get him going. But there is no question Neil is an excellent electrician in the biz. And that is why I am so glad he has created this series.
The first one titled “The Power Supply is Too Heavy” showcases how some co-worker complaining about a piece of equipment being compressed and not too heavy. The seasoned “Ned” grabs a weight with some tape to essentially say SUCK-IT-UP AND GET TO WORK! The next episode has “Ned” dismissing an employee for not setting up a stand properly. By far my favorite is the episode titled “Snow Day” in which somebody makes a bad decision throwing a snowball at our anti-hero. Episode 4 titled “Pimo Problems” I get, but its like the filmmakers are trying to make a point about on set life that literally everybody goes through whilst attending some type of event all the time so I really don’t care. Whoa is you, tear tear… And finally, the last installment so far would be “I Just Want a Cup of Coffee”. The best ending of all of the pieces to this point. I was dying laughing.
“Ned the Best Boy” is a brilliant concept in terms of snap-shooting a work place. Does not matter that it is about the film biz. You could do the same thing with a worker at a Burger King. There is however a level of cleverness that Neil and whoever is helping him shoot these pieces that definitely resonates. “Ned the Best Boy” is no doubt cocky, but it’s not dick-ish at all. For my money this is an awesome series so far because it is honest. I cannot wait to see the next installment.
Greg Squared Films 