steven’s version of what happened

THE BURGLARY AS I REMEMBER IT:

it’s always hard to describe chaotic events accurately. most of the time i remember the earthquake by feeling the aftershocks.

the aftershocks run something like me, chris, brian and kyle looking pensive. a stolen camcorder, digital camera, laptop and harddrive. not to mention plenty of footage.

we weren’t exactly there for the earthquake. we weren’t there at all, actually. and judging by our dorm’s shattered stain glass window, kyle and i were probably drunk.

we’d just finished day two of what was meant to be a one day shoot with a kinoflex super 8 camera, kyle and a shiny toaster. there were six people involved in this film. seven if you count the actress that ditched us after day one. which you shouldn’t. for a three minute short, i’d say i had an extra large crew but i wanted to get this film done right.

i had rented the kinoflex, a light meter and a tripod from my school. and a light kit (two 500s and two 420s with light stands, scrims and barndoors— an ambi kit or $3,000 in a thick rubber suitcase), from a local filmmaking store.

my director of photography, spencer berry, brought his own dv x 100 and a boom with a shotgun mic to record sound and behind the scenes footage.

chris brought a backpack and a duffle bag filled with nearly anything he owned electronic and portable to capture previous footage and take pictures.

i was really happy that everyone brought their own equipment to help me out.

spencer had left early and i was responsible for his equipment. i promised i would return it as soon as we were done shooting. also, i wanted him to sign the toaster like the rest of the cast and crew.

it must’ve been sometime around 7pm when we started loading everything into the car. i wasn’t much involved in the first trip to the car. i think i was having a cigarette with kyle. or maybe breaking the stain glass window. but i tried my best to properly pack spencer’s equipment and carry it down to brian’s car. it was a task because there were two suitcases and i was juggling the already broken toaster.

i loaded the sound equipment into brian’s trunk and put the toaster between my legs in the passenger seat. i don’t remember focussing on anything but the fact the toaster was in a place where it couldn’t tumble.

before brian got a chance to start his car, chris came to my window and said his backpack and duffle back should’ve been where the toaster was. that he had put them there during the first trip to the car. that someone must’ve stolen them. for the most part i figured his things were still in my dorm, so i suggested we go back up and check.

they weren’t.

i tried to get back down the stairs and to the car as fast as i could (which wasn’t easy intoxicated), and we agreed to split into twos and go opposite ways trying to find whoever must’ve stolen his equipment. no more than fifteen minutes could’ve passed during the time i packaged spencer’s equipment and the thief could not be far with all of san francisco’s hills.

chris got in brian’s car to head south. kyle and i walked north by foot.

we asked everyone on the street if they’d seen anyone with the bags, and tried to guess which direction the burglar would’ve gone judging by hills and alleyways. but we never found anyone or any clues.

after a few minutes of this, brian called to tell me his car wouldn’t start. his battery had died.

we met back at my dorm and did a bit of police-reporting and thinking. it’s a horrible feeling knowing your friend lost over $7,000 worth of equipment in trying to help you with your shoot and your only hope is the cops.