TV looks glamorous… and to a certain extent it is. There’s an exhibitionist pleasure I still get when someone says something nice to me just because they’ve seen me on TV and thinks that’s cool. Most of TV however is not glamorous! Behind everything you see are hard working people making sure a million pieces mesh properly during each newscast or show.
For instance nearly every day one of the studio floor people is up in the grid changes bulbs. They’re expensive and blow out at a crazy pace.
The lighting fixtures are bulky, heavy, dirty and inherently dangerous (even though they’re all chained to supports). The changing is done at odd angles up on tall ladders with lots of glare and heat from other working lights nearby.
That’s where I found Bill Koczocik tonight, up on a ladder changing lightbulbs.