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Venice
By No Reservations Crew on January 15, 2009 10:27 AM | Permalink | 29 Comments
By Tracey Gudwin, Producer
I have made thirty-something episodes with Anthony Bourdain. Needless to say, our crew has spent a lot of time over the last four years getting lost in the world together.
Mostly my producing job is to schedule a good show and to gently encourage Tony to see the brighter sides of really horrifically BAD situations....scenes gone wrong...situations you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy-- like the, "Birth of the Nacho" scene, in the Mexico show (lets just say it involved canned olives, some sort of gelatinous Cheese Whiz and eventually a nacho related injury); and on a darker note, being in the wrong place at the wrong time...episodes like Beirut...
After five seasons of ABNR I've learned to TRY and avoid mistakes as such. And if there is one type of show I know I can count on, it's an ITALY show. I can always be sure, if we are going ANYWHERE IN ITALY, and eating ANYTHING ITALIAN, Tony is going to be excited about it.
In fact we could be holed up at an Autogrill gas station 1,000 miles from a decent hotel and Tony would still have a constant flow of golden sound bites flowing from his mouth. The entire crew could be deep in the collective throes of a zombie-like epileptic seizure and Tony would still make a damn good show out of it. He'd make the BEST show out of it. In post he'd say..."Ok, guys, it's not the show we set out to make, but throw in a little Dario Argento music and go in close on the Tagliatelle!"
So, when the mother ship calls and says, "fly to VENICE"....I'm feeling like the luckiest producer on Earth.
For the Venice show Tony had instructed the crew to catch up on a few of the classics, like, Don't Look Now and The Comfort of Strangers, films which evoke an unseen side of Venice, a darker side. As a producer, it's always a blast to emulate the narrative or visual style of a director or artistic work. So, I thought "great ...let's rent that Steadicam this time! Get out those 12k lights! I need dollies, cranes, generators, trailers, CRAFT SERVICE for chrissakes! LET'S MAKE A FILM!" And then there is reality. The reality of making art from what we have, which isn't much, but is actually quite a lot.
It's midnight, we've been shooting for 12 hours, Tony had two large meals today and now I've got to inspire the crew to figure out how we can shoot a bunch of night stuff with two flashlights, a luggage cart, and a tired host. Plus, as usual, I've storyboarded 15 shots and I have MAYBE 1 hour to pull this off. Cart assembled, Zach hops on with the camera, Nari, who equals half the size of the luggage cart, volunteers her Sherpa skills and Todd rigs lights to historic Palazzos with masking tape. For the next 45 minutes we race through the eerie back alleys of Venice like a student film on speed.
The footage turns out beautiful. It's always in back alleys, somewhere lost in the universe, where you realize how wonderful it is to collaborate with a great team.
29 Comments
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Excellent Episode! The crew is absolutely the unsung heroes of the show! Tony is EXCELLENT, but the camera work and other technical production is the BEST! Each episode leaves me wanting more......Keep up the EXCELLENT WORK GUYS!
I was excited about the Venice episode and reading this made me appreciate it all the more. I didn't realise it was that much work! Kudos and i love this show to death haha :)
Really looking forward to the Philippines episode, hope it airs really soon.
Can you tell me the name of the artist that was is in this episode? I felt like I had gone home after watching this episode. Venezia la bella
Hey Tracey, yea such a stress filled adrenaline filled life.
But I bet you wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.
Loved the Venice episode, and I look for you in the credits ever since Tony dragged you off a cliff in Argentina.
I know Tony is the star but you guys following him around are heroic. Well Maybe not Todd... At least he Curls.
You want to freak Tony out bring him up to Winnipeg Manitoba Canada in January.. Lots of good Winter festivals here. Good Immigrant food, Polish, Chineese, Ukrainian, Like Cleaveland but Colder.
Way to go you guys,
Bob from Winnipeg
I thought this episode was brilliant. Maybe you guys should switch to an "all-Italy" format - "Bourdain's Italy" or somesuch nonsense. He is definitely at his best there (and maybe Japan), and the photography (cinematography? sorry - I'm not a videohound) was absolutely amazing. AB always, at his best, reminds me why I love to travel, but in this episode the cameras - and the choice of music, which was inspired - also showed me what I wanted to see in Venice. But in a peep-show sort of way - I want to see more, which will involve long flights and a lot of cash.
Great job. So thanks! Keep up the great work...
I always look forward to the Crew's Blogs, but this time.. well, it was exceptional. Thank you. Please keep writing with prose that puts pictures in my mind.
Kudos on the Venice show, Tracy. This was one of the most beautifully photographed, most atmospheric NR shows ever. Of course, Venice is a fabulous subject, but capturing the slightly sinister, unpopulated side of it was brilliant.
I loved the camera work on the Venice episode. Job well done to you Tracey and the rest of the NR crew.
I love reading the blogs from the crew at NR, thanks for a great read Tracey.
I loved how the Venice show started. You did a wonderful job. I love your show. Some of the food is gross, but I love how Tony describes things. You wrote a great post.
if The show does an "allItaly"...I need to go along. My kate husban left Udine (90 milies north of venezia), with his mother. No father. They relocated in Seattle wa. This was in 1951. His mother died the next year.
We "bit the bullet", attempted and were succesful in contacting his mother's famile. We spent 2 weeks in Udine. It is about a haf hour from Trieste, and the Tyrannia alps can be seen. No tourists. The real northern Italy. Some beaches..Lignanao...quite a conrast to USA ones. Drop me off in Udine. The Marches are a fascination also. No one thinks of these areas of Italy. i know much now. Absorbed morem than dead husband.
I was wondering if anyone knew specifics of the songs featured in the Venice episode. the songs during the scenes featuring the restaurant serving "go risotto" were magical, including anything that sounded symphonic. very much enjoyed them and would like to know artists and names. thanks!
It was a great episode. My husband and I both commented that Tony looked happier than in any other episode we'd seen. Beautifully shot it was hard to not to book a trip to Venice after watching it.
I will be in Venice this April and May, thanks for the show and insight. Speaking of insight, I am a critical care nurse, a registered respiratory therapist, and I have 10 years restaurant cooking and management experience. What type of medical assistance do you have on your travels with Tony?
I know u can't b*** as it sounds so fun.
No squeeky wheel syndrome from you....your job sounds too fun.
I really would like to meet you guys sometime in the future if at all possible, I am a vet in temple texas and living at the dorm on the veterans hospital property. Anyway, I would love to see you guys sometime.....I watch your show all the time with other vets here and we truly love your show and think that Anthony is one kewl(cool)dude. I wish I could be just like him. Please tell him we all said Hello from the veterans here at temple texas. thanks joseph
I am a professional corporate shooter. I own a Sony HD camera package which I see from watching is like your crews. I'm 46, well traveled , love a good challenge. Please let me know if any of your cam ops need a break or just some time off. I do enjoy the show,( Very well done ) but I know how it is out on the road in the real world.
Cheers
Scott Rodwin
Aloha Tracey, Mahalo for all your crews creative&hardwork, I've always loved cooking shows(i.e.Galloping Gourmet,Julia) as a Boston Boy had my share great seafood,and of course the Cape of Cod as I called it ..so it was nice to learn Tony worked in P-town, ..bless his heart..What I love is Tony always being somewhat cynical,Quick witted. please keep up the great work &great fun your having shooting it and safe travels to all of your crew..Aloha Dave ( crew member of "Lost" shot in beautiful Hawaii)
please help me find the music ,& musician inVenice episode, the slow romantic guitar playing, the big ship has just been docked and they are about to eat at Trotterie. That guitar music, and the name of the song and musician. Please help.!!
I really want to find the song playing when they're cooking the risotto. Slow music, piano and violin. Does anyone know it?
Tracey: You are in Germany and haven't got Tony to the "Wurstmarkt" in Bad Duerkheim?? Check out www.bad-duerkheim.de. Two long weekends of roast, grilled, boiled, and braised pork, plus luscious wine served in half-liter glasses! Wonderful restaurants along the Deutsche Weinstrasse, metzger restaurants, regional specialties galore, and near enough to France for a second segment on the same trip! Can put you in touch with a former wine queen from this region to escort, etc.
Regards, m2
I can't believe I missed this episode. I keep trying to find it on the Travel Channel, and it keeps avoiding me. Argh.
If you hook me up with an internship or job working with you on the show I will do anything and never say I'm tired. I would have tape that flashlight to my head and stayed in place for hours if you needed me to. Let me know if there's ever room for an eager participant like me on the crew.
may I suggest doing a show about classic new york, such as 4 seasons restaurant, 21 club, carlyle hotel, the plaza, ect.
this show is top s on the toob some one please sponser him and make it a weekly series on national networks. people that dont have cable dont know what there missing. buordain is good tv hands down
Loved the Venice episode, and I look for you in the credits ever since Tony dragged you off a cliff in Argentina.
I know Tony is the star but you guys following him around are heroic. Well Maybe not Todd... At least he Curls.
Can'be believe I missed the Venice episode. I LOVE VENICE - (in off season, when NO RESERVATIONS are require!) I'm a cowgirl from Colorado and will make my 14th trip to Venice in October. Have scouted out my favorite -off the mainstream - restaurants, thanks to a little help from my barista friend Luca who grew up in Venice. We would love to share our Venetian contacts with Anthony for a future trip to Venice.
Venice venice venice. City of romance. Taking the Goldols and having the city tours. Woow that is amazing
I really enjoyed this episode!