Supermarket Search

[ktimmy99]

[Oops. This post was actually written by Snausages, who was accidentally signed in under his roommates Log In.]

Over the last two days, I finally brought a camera and actors into three supermarkets, none of which had granted me permission to film.

My actors were extremely conspicuous - two white kids in baggy track suits with do-rags and gold chains (the project is a hip hop video parody) and several female dancers.

Super Stop & Shop, Cifton Commons, NJ, 7:30PM, Saturday Night: We stake out the emptiest aisle we can find and get set-up to shoot, everyone in place, camera readings taken, and... a short (but burly), angry man comes charging down the aisle, yelling, 'No filming! No filming! Everyone out of the store!' He, apparently, is not a cinephile. We make no protest and as we're filing out, because short burly men love nothing more than intimidating women, he yells at the ladies, "I knows whos all you dancers are! Get out!" I didn't know people still added those extra s's. I guess we were in Sopranos territory, though.

Acme (near Clifton), NJ, 8:15PM, Saturday Night: Same drill. We find an empty aisle in the back corner of the store, but this time we're a little more efficient. We get the shots we need in 4 minutes and we get out, just as employee heads are starting to turn.

But, the star of the show...

Pathmark, in the Atlantic Center, downtown Brooklyn, the night before, 9:00PM: We did whatever the hell we wanted! We had people in shopping carts, people breakdancing on the floor, and the employees and customers were just laughing and enjoying the show.

Just a social observation from the last two weeks: suburban Jersey's mostly-causasian managed/patronized supermarkets are extremely uptight. Brooklyn's African American managed/patronized Pathmark was willing to go with the flow and let us do our thing - they saw that we weren't in anyone's way, that we weren't doing anything reckless or dangerous and therefore, hey, why be a grouch? Unfortunately, when it comes to food, that Pathmark is a pretty poor market, but they've got some kind, reasonable folks working there...

Edited May 23, 2004 by ktimmy99 (log)

[Franky2Times]

I totally agree. Even though the Pathmark in Montclair really sucks, the staff there is the friendliest of all supermarkets in the area. You'd probably been able to do the same shooting here although the aisles are not as wide as the one in Brooklyn (where I used to shop...).