June 1, 2005

Cinderella Packs A Knockout Punch For The Press


Renee, whatever you do...don't look over your shoulder.

Cinderella Man NY Premiere
Sony Lincoln Theater
June 1, 2005
7pm screening

A large group of photographers arrived at the theater after the Beckham event. At 11:30 am there were 25 photographers waiting for a 7pm premiere. The A-list was placed front row before non-A listers, leading to an instant 2nd row.

By the time the list was called (which Paul did a terrible job of) there wasn’t enough space to accommodate the 50+ photographers who were present.

It is now 7 o’clock…and there’s no talent. No Crowe, no Zellweger.

Finally Crowe arrives, pinstripe suit and dark sunglasses, which he doesn’t remove. No photo.

Zellweger arrives. As we clamor for her attention, she comes over to the photo pit and announces to a few photographers, in a quite voice “you don’t need to yell and scream, I’ll pose for you all you want”. This was followed by Renee walking 20 ft. away from the photographers and posing for the next set of press. No photo…HA…HA… jokes on us. Security was now preventing the barricade from crashing to the ground from the massive lean of the press. This caused security, police, PR and non-essential personnel to be on the carpet blocking the press pit. Crowe and Zellweger pose on the rug, but only for one section, not the entire line. No photo. (Hmmmm…seems like there’s a theme going on here).

To say the least, it was a VERY tough shoot. Every photo was a struggle, the carpet was clogged with nobody’s…a lot of time for a little action (aside from the photogs in the pit…plenty action there).

Please share you stories….keep them clean (for the children’s sake).

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

this premiere SUCKED
as bad as Longest yard, if that's possible
CRAP

Anonymous said...

Guys we are not playing musical chairs here - don't press the panic button and grab a spot before the list is called. Lets have some respect for those who waited.

Anonymous said...

The title to this is: Renee proves once a Hillbilly always a Hillbilly!

As soon as I heard a report that the list was like 65 shooters by 4PM or so I was like screw this man I aint going to this. It sounded like mass chaos and crazy enough after reading all the comments I guess I was right! so I'm like the hotel seems like a good place to start and then the after-party.

Let me tell you that was no treat.. she walks out with the head down @ the hotel! what the hell! Then she is giggling inside the car (and my my ..what now? -is this to be seen!!) Is she now with a champagne glass in hand drinking what I highly doubt is clear "sparkling cider"?!

Damn!

Aren't we the life of a party Renee?! Who would have thought? Ya know!

Damn!

Next move... is to try to get her arriving at the premiere afterparty. Easier said then done my friend!

Here it looks better:
* A few photographers behind a barricade which is not too bad.

So...Russel walks from the theatre to the party - what the hell! breezes past us as we are invisible * NO PR IN SIGHT! so that wasn't quite the photo op I intended for... mind you no-one is really stopping these people! it's once again we don't give a $hit about these guys if they get a pic they get it who cares! Nice way to maybe create some pictures and help out your client?

Wasn't this supposed to be a benefit screening? or.. Maybe just a fancy way of writing this off for taxes don't ya think? I mean that's what it smelled like to me.

Next Mr. Personality Topher Grace (that 70's show) breezes by us again as we are invisible... Anne Hathaway stops nice and brief but at least stops so that ain't too bad... OK time to wake up the big cheese has arrived! Yay! Ms. Renee Zellweger! OK so what are we gonna get now? Real nice clean pictures for those magazines out there to use and we can get your event nice PR. Well of course I mean hey what are we here for right? That seems to be the joke of the night my dear friends.. HAHA!.. Ms. Renee Chesney (formerly Zellweger) sandwichs herself between security, friends, family like all 20 people in her car and breezes past us not stopping - nice work! ..Gonna try to get a pic on the way out? NO why the hell would it happen now? of course not! She sneaks out (or by this time a very intoxicated drunken Renee maybe even just stumbled or carried out!) via a back exit/garage. .. so now on to her hotel you would think?... *uck that man! time to call it a night! and to think I took a nap earlier to get energy for this? What the hell!

I guess maybe her marriage life ain't all that stellar or you just can't take the hillbilly out of her for all the $$ in the world!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
" Guys we are not playing musical chairs here - don't press the panic button and grab a spot before the list is called. Lets have some respect for those who waited. "
3:07 AM

HAHA that's funny. It always seems that people jump lines. cut in, sneak in. The ones who play by the book get screwed EVERYTIME. At least this was one premiere where people could not run the line

Anonymous said...

anarchy reigns when the "list keeper" is inept and only looks out for himself and the first five shooters. we waited four our names to be called as fans swooped in for front row and second row spots and still no list calling...so the intelligent thing to do is pick a second row spot and if you have to move or your name is called then the muscial ladders begins! also some people were standing in spots because there was no where else to go thanks to the lack of barricades to keep the fans out of our non-existing section.

Anonymous said...

ok.. my first chaotic premiere..it was clearly a fend for yourself situation and a witch-hunt for spots. if most of us were there since noon like i was then we were all entitled to something and there was no need for the hostility i encountered from a problem co-worker who pretends to be a "friend". when we have enough trouble with the publicists, celebrities & fans..do we really have to take it out on each other? in the end we are all going to be able to shoot..after
2 Grogs I still felt upset..but today is a new day ;-)

Anonymous said...

why
do photographers have to steal spots!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
" why
do photographers have to steal spots!!!! "

WHy not ask the ones who do it time and time again???

Anonymous said...

You cannot get through to SONIA M. no matter what language you talk to her in.....she's notorious for trying to be slyer than a fox and weasel her way in to a spot she doesn't belong in.......That's why you can't talk to this one in particular.....as far as a general comment about most of the photograhers, some people have nothing in their lives to do but sit on a sidewalk all day(heat, freezing cold, rain and snow doesn't stop them and never will) and wait for that 30 minute window to work and waste all day for what someimes turns out to be productive work......

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
You cannot get through to SONIA M. no matter what language you talk to her in.....she's notorious for trying to be slyer than a fox and weasel her way in to a spot she doesn't belong in.......That's why you can't talk to this one in particular.....as far as a general comment about most of the photograhers, some people have nothing in their lives to do but sit on a sidewalk all day(heat, freezing cold, rain and snow doesn't stop them and never will) and wait for that 30 minute window to work and waste all day for what someimes turns out to be productive work.....


well that's a pretty rude statement to say"some people have nothing in their lives to do but sit on a sidewalk all day(heat, freezing cold, rain and snow doesn't stop them and never will"
. If we all weren;t so dumb we would band togetehr to come up with some other way to line up , making the day more productive

Anonymous said...

that was my whole point......Most of you are too hard headed and/or too egotistical and/or dumb to sit down and try to figure something out to solve this more and more getting out of control with new shooters who act like they have been around for time.. These newbies who can show up at 11:00 am for a premiere are screwing LEGITIMATE PRESS MEMBERS from getting the job done...When is it gonna stop?....we all know more and more newbies each month appear from nowhere and it is up to us as a group(?) to put an end or else just keep whining...I'm not a whiner so I know my stance...I do something about it if someone tries to get over on me.....I'm not going to name names again but at every event, there are a few names in the first 10-15 on the list that should not even on the list......I'm sick of certain ones who have no better things to do but hurry up and wait for a dumb event to start....Maybe we should start an A-List amongst the B-List photographers if that's possible(probably not though....you get my point)....Yeah ok, so they have press cards, but so do some autograph collectors/fans.....Press cards are meaningless for the most part... meaningless....Get my point!!!..these certain individuals take up space and no publicist is going to change this cause they don't give a rat's ass about us......It's us that have to make a say, but no one will when push comes to shove.Sure people will talk in private about these individuals, but what good does talking do?.for years this has been going on w/ no change and message boards like this to rag on.........you want better pictures at the events we cover?...Speak up and do something about it...or continue the nonsense like at Cinderella Man....it'll only be worse after the summer and the Brits and the French send more illegals here to work for oats in pay.....and also too many stick up for their friends and are afraid to say something if one of their buddies are involved in an issue that happens.....