Video Production & Editing: “Robert & Elizabeth”


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video production & editing

excerpt from Waiting for Elizabeth Chapter 31: She’s Gone (1996–1997)

“It was November of ’96 or ’97 that Gary Mizel popped into my office one afternoon. … He asked me what I was doing the next day and I said that I had nothing scheduled.

“Gary proceeded to regale me with the story of a homeless couple, Robert and Elizabeth, that he had befriended, even to the point of having them sleep in his apartment on a couple of particularly cold nights. Though he’s a very intelligent man, Gary’s heart sometimes overrules his brain and his generosity causes him to do some really dumb stuff. I told him so in no uncertain terms. Having homeless alcoholics – about whom you know virtually nothing –  sleeping on your floor is a terrible idea. Anyhow, he was telling me because he wanted me to come out to Astoria where he lived and shoot an interview with this couple in the parking lot where they usually slept.

Robert & Elizabeth: A video documentary

Robert & Elizabeth: A video documentary

“At first I was not enamored of the idea. It was cold and a bleak parking lot in Astoria didn’t seem like a very attractive location but then the familiar Vonnegut quote* … popped into my head and I said okay.”

* Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.

“Bleak is a complimentary word for the Hotel Homeless in less-than-beautiful downtown Astoria. And the residents of the establishment were as attractive as the setting but more aromatic. As I setup my camera I was cursing Kurt Vonnegut for his wise-ass advice but I thought here I am so let’s get on with it so I can go back to civilization.

“In addition to Gary’s two pals there were three other denizens of the asphalt boudoir; two guys and a silent woman, all of indeterminate age but equally unkempt, unpleasant and redolent. And I use that word not in the good way. Thank God we were in cold, open air.

“Gary took the hand mic and began to interview Robert who towered (frighteningly) over him. It wasn’t long before Robert took the mic and launched into a monologue about his life and current condition. He introduced Elizabeth who, in a singular, inebriatory style, attempted to tell her tragic story. I had not yet realized that I was onto something.

“When Robert began to engage the other three – well, two really, the woman remaining silent  – I began to think that this trip was worthwhile. …

“… With over two hours of tape in the can, I got in my car and headed back to the City.

“… I felt as though I had a potential gem with this material but didn’t quite know how to extract it from the rubble. In my free time over the next few weeks I cut, re-cut and re-re-cut the piece but it didn’t work. Something was missing and it took a while for me to realize what it was.

“At Gary’s apartment both subjects had talked about their misadventures in panhandling. I needed footage of that. It was March before I had this flash of inspiration and few days later Gary brought them into town, I wired them both up and on the corner of Broadway and 20th Street we let them go to work.

“This new footage provided the missing link. With a lot of advice from my old pal Nigel Noble (academy award winning documentarian) I began to rework the material. I used some of the content from Gary’s apartment as voice-over behind the panhandling stuff and after untold hours over a period of weeks I had something of which I was proud.

Robert & Elizabeth: Not Even a Dollar [7:55 Web Excerpt] was accepted for one of the NYC film festivals a year or so later. It didn’t win a prize but a good crowd showed up for the screening and they laughed and groaned in all the right places.”

This was my first foray into documentary making. You’ll find several more tales of other projects when you Click here to get Waiting for Elizabeth.

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