Guest Author - Fay Olinsky

Every now and then I get a fun job. In the past few months I have been working with Hammer Films (Dracula movies) on a production for DVD’s and online interactive experience…a new type of film apparently. Beyond The Rave.

The last job was filmed at a derelict warehouse in South East London. Bleak ancient and unused since the 1950’s. The wind howled through the broken windows…huge weeds grew inside the building. A fox kept me company all night while I prepared and cooked refreshments for the stars and the crew.

I used to have a small mobile catering trailer for these jobs, which was dry and cosy, however things are not that buoyant and film catering seems always to be done on a strict and very small budget these days. I sold the trailer…not least because it tore out two clutches in my car whilst towing it.
Anyway I set up in a quiet outside corner and built a field kitchen with a large gazebo for shelter…as long as I have electrical power and water I can build a kitchen anywhere.

Breakfasts are usually full English, bacon sausage tomato fried bread mushrooms etc. Crew get very hungry on location.
I also make American Pancakes with syrup that are also welcome. Tea coffee and lashings of hot chocolate cooked French Style. Plenty of fruit and packs of biscuits to stuff out pockets.

Lunch is usually a stew or goulash or curry, something easy because you never know when they are going to break. Sometimes if a shot goes wrong they will be up to two hours late…or even 1 hour early!

The lunch has to be very adaptable…..of course it came as a bit of a shock on the first day when all the vampires turned up in full make up and fangs…and all asked for vegetarian!

I have learned a lot now and these last few days have been spent on the windy East Coast of England where prosthetic bitten out throats and exploding blood guns were rife.

Did you know that vampire blood is made from Golden Syrup and tastes like toffee apples?

This time I cooked mainly vegetarian foods and just one choice of meat…much better everyone was happy.

Made great trays of flapjacks and chocolate brownies for the afternoon teas.

Big vacuum pump tanks of soup and soft bread rolls stuffed full with tuna, cheese and tomato, and egg mayonnaise, that takes care of late night supper.

Luckily this time I had the use of a small hotel kitchen right inside the location site. I was able †o watch all the action for a change, even got roped in the help clean the ‘blood’ sprayed all over the walls and ceilings with bowls of hot water and washing up liquid.

As I say it was a ‘fun’ job however the six am starts, the long dark journeys and setting up kitchens on location takes its toll I have bruises the size of dinner plates and ache like hell.
I always need 3 days off after a location shoot.

Any one else have a ‘fun job’ occasionally?


Fay