Build number:	02F-12 (lifetime start #240)
Title:	"MTV Unfiltered"
Date:	May 6
Location:	Venice Breakwater, south side littoral
Start:	0845; construction time approx 4 hours
Height:	3.6 feet (Latchform with added free-pile on minimal base)
Base:	1.75 feet nominal (ellipsoid)
Photo 35mm:	none
Photo 6X7:	1 roll Delta 3200 (EI 800) w/ old 6X7 and 105 (wind malfunction)
Photo volunteer:	none
Video motion:	MTV crew, walkaround, detail tracking (approx 10 min, w/F-10 and 11)
Video still:	vertical-format completed sculpture; horiz details
Video volunteer:	none
New Equipment:	Wireless mic-to-mixer cable and headphones first use

	1. Trust I've seen enough examples of how video people operate to realize I can't let myself get too atteched to what will happen today. For that reason I've brough the whole video kit so I can do some testing. I hook up the mics and mixer and camcorder. Cables run all over the beach, but none goes to me. The wireless receiver stands next to the mixer and the transmitter goes in my pocket. The mic with its fuzzy windscreen is pinned to my shirt. I put on the headphones and can hear exactly what's happening. The sound is bad. What's going on? I use the mixer's switches to listen to each channel independently, and soon find the problem. For some reason the lavalier mic is picking up a lot more ambient sound than the wired one I used two weeks ago. This ambient sound mixes out of phase with the stereo mic, making the overall mix sound hollow. Part of the problem is that the surf is more vigorous than usual for late spring. Big waves hammer the breakwater and loudly run in to the shore. All right, enough of that. Get to work. The plan I worked out with Casey was for me to produce a demonstration sculpture by the time their team arrives around 1330. As I pack sand it strikes me as odd to have arrived at this agreement without the principals ever seeing each other. 2. Fast Build Plan The tide has receded, leaving damp sand I can use for a base. I fetch two buckets of water and quickly build a short base and erect the form. The native sand seems OK so I throw some of that in and add water. As usual the sand farther down is better. It's fairly clean, too, lacking the usual shells and clams. So, I experiment. Filling two buckets half full of fine sand skimmed from the top, I carry them up and then just dump one bucket into the form. Forget the filter. I trust the Bigfoot Tamper enough now to think that it will handle this inrease in layer thickness. Even if it doesn't, the planned simple sculpture won't demand too much of the packing. Bucket after bucket goes in. The pile is built in half the usual time. My arms feel it.
	3. Enforced Simplicity The pile is finished at around 1000. I have three hours to finish the sculpture. No time for thinking, no time for fussing. Pick a plan, something I've thought about for a day or so, and the tool hits the sand. A long curve runs from top to bottom. The intent is to have this simple curve frame a more complex piece. I've worked under time limitations before and the results have been surprising. Maybe not so surprising; it was only toward the middle of 1996 that the all-day sculpture became the norm. The whole Small Sculpture Revolution was founded on the idea of quick construction, finishing a sculpture in about four to five hours. Longer days allow better finish work, but the temptation is always there to make the sculpture too elaborate, too complex. These may have many good parts but they rarely look good as a whole. Today is an extreme case. Stop thinking. Carve. Forget sunset light because you won't be here. One side develops into a nicely curving surface. Around from that is a strong, nearly horizontal piece. The plan is to cut openings behind that so it has be opened up. With the #2/2 Steel Finger I dig upward and widen the space. Then I bore holes into the junction of original long curve and cupped inner part. Shape those holes, don't let them just default. Quick strokes improve the shapes. Next to them I cut a series of slots. Between the short holes and the longer ones is a vertical rib. It shows only in solid sand between the holes. From the other side, however, you can see it, shaped to fit between the holes and continuing down to the base. I like this. It might even catch some sunset light, but I'll be long gone by then.
	4. The Kids A man walks toward me. "Hi. Larry?" "Yes. Are you Casey?" "No, I'm Donny. The rest are over there with the kids." This seems odd, coming from one who looks like a kid himself from my half-century viewpoint. A short time later Jennifer walks up and introduces herself. How many people does it take to do this? "Blind Date" used three people: cameraman, sound man, director. Then Vince walks up. I think he's the financial manager but I'm starting to lose track. Other people wander around. "Hi, Larry. I'm Casey. Nice to meet you." "Hi, Casey." He stands out. Tall, thin, bearded. No piercings nor tattoos. Alert, not just along for the ride. "I got your message, and I think that's a good idea." "What's that?" Donny is nearby. "Having two piles of sand set up for the kids." "Will you have a couple of production assistants come over here to help?" "Yes. When do you need them?" "Oh, about 1230. That should give us enough time." "Good." Only Donny is left behind as the rest troop away across the sand. I guess they wanted to make sure the sand sculpture was really happening. I go back to my sculpture. I like it. There are no mechanical problems with it. More interesting, there are no horizons; the fast packing seems to have suppressed them. Detail work includes reshaping the larger holes and trimming surfaces to make them lighter. I also hollow out the inside more. It's surprising how big a difference this makes. The whole sculpture looks lighter. "When did you want to start the other piles?" "Oh, about 1230. What time is it?" "1300." "Oh, my. We'd better get to it. They're supposed to be here at 1330. Let's go get some water. He was supposed to send a couple of PAs over here." I guess I'll have to do it myself. Donny and I go for water. I set up the short form and throw in some sand. "I can do that." "Try to drop it in the middle." I spread the sand around and carefully pour in water. "You want to keep it from running out, right?" "Right." He's a fast study. Together we very efficiently fill the form. "Now we have to wait a few minutes for the excess water to drain. In the meantime, let's go get more water." I peel the first pile and then set up the form again. "You can come and help me here any time." "You only have to tell me something once." By this time my shoulders are very tired. Still, we're finished quickly. "The kids will be here in a few minutes." 5. Great Television An army approaches. Two guys with cameras, two sound men with bag rigs and boom mics, four or five managers and a gaggle of production assistants. Even the NHK people didn't have a team this size, although they did provide a caterer. Lunch in this case is a bucket of drinks. "Larry, we'll introduce you to the kids, and then you'll show them how to do the sculpture." "OK" The production team, with one exception, is white. The kids are black, but, like the people on the covers of magazines, only as black as necessary. Demographics in action. The contrast is strange. Who is manipulating whom? "All right, Larry, we're ready." We go through the introductions. My first thought is that, if I were one of the men, I'd say forget it. She's not worth the contest. "Now, the first thing you have to remember is that with sand, the parts have to lean against each other." I demonstrate with my hands. "Also, you can't undercut too much." I hand each of them a tool. They start slicing. "Be sure to cut away from the part you want to keep." One of the men leans toward me. "I really want to impress this girl. What should I carve?" "That's your decision." "OK. How about a castle? How do I do it?" "Well, you have a couple of towers started here. Cut this part out. Then you can use this small tool to cut brick detail, if you want. You can also . . ." "Larry, let them go. Say something like 'I think you're ready to carve sand now.'" This comes from Jennifer. I comply, but the first take doesn't satisfy her. We do it again. I guess I said too much. And then I'm finished. They drop me like a hot potato. Wrong demographic; no old farts allowed on MTV. 6. Clean-up I amble over to my station. Uncover the camcorder, fire up the mixer, make sure I'm getting sound. Discreetly move the camera to where I can get a view of the team and start it. Let it run while I work on my sculpture. It needs detail work. Refinment here, trimming there, rubbing out rough spots. The MTV crew stages a race between the two men. After that they carve some more. I overhear some of their conversation. People will actually watch this stuff? Kids talking about what they're interested in? Movies, of course. Cooking. Skiing, snowboarding. I periodically go over to where they're working and put stray tools back in the tub so they don't get lost. First rule of sand sculpture. As I work around my piece with brush and trimming tool, the MTV outfit moves toward the breakwater. PAs walk back and forth. One comes my way. "Larry, we're finished with you." "All right. Thanks." I complete and sign my sculpture. Do a tired walkaround with the big camera and then with the camcorder. Shoot some stills on video, then take a quick look at what the kids have done. One of them is halfway creditable. He has at least put some effort into producing a castle-like structure. The other piece is hopeless, being just some words carved into the sand. "What do you think?" One of the PAs is there. "I can tell you which one wins the prize in my mind." Donny helps me push the loaded trailer across the beach. "Thanks for your help." "You're welcome." He walks back to rejoin his crew. I make my very tired way back home. Written May 11 Amended May 19 August 24 (HTML conversion) August 25 (additional images and modification) All contents designed and made by Larry Nelson