Xochi Blymyer:
My Life as an A.D.

Walter Hill's next movie was Another 48 Hrs., which Jim Dyer was going to be 1st A.D. again, and Barry Thomas as the 2nd A.D. Our Unit Production Manager was Ralph Singleton. Walter loves to keep the same crew with him and his shows are like working with your family. We began the show in Baker, California. A place so small that we all had to bunk up in the few motels they had in town for us! We were out in the sand dunes for a few days, then headed up to Folsom Prison up in northern California. After a couple of weeks on the road we returned to Los Angeles and finished up the show in local locations around town such as the nightlife in downtown L.A.

My next big show brought Dirk Petersmann back in my life. He was preparing a movie called "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". I got hired as a Production Assistant and was once again working with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The 1st A.D. was Michael Haynie. This movie was a true challenge for anybody! Our average day or night was 16 hours or more. We worked many long cold nights. I had begun the process to be an Assistant Director with the Director's Guild of America when I started Terminator 2. As the movie headed towards Christmas vacation, they decided to make a change in the A.D. staff. This left an opening for the 2nd 2nd A.D. I told Dirk that my paperwork was through but they still had to approve me at a board meeting. He made a phone call, told the board that I had a job if I could get approved, and the next thing I know, on New Year's Eve I received a phone call from Dirk telling me that I was now an A.D. and would start back on Terminator as one when we returned from the holidays! My first official credit as 2nd 2nd Assistant Director. Thank you Dirk!


 

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