Dating a Comic: Shooting a Video:Parkour in NYC

Traffic on the way to NYC from CT

On March 23, we made a day trip into New York City because Reese was doing a shoot for the web-series "Mansome" about Parkour. For those of you who don't know what parkour is, it is like outside gymnastics and you're trying to get from point A to point B in the fastest, most efficient way possible. That's the easiest way I can describe it. And for those of you who have watched the movie "Mansome", the web-series is a spin-off of the movie.. basically short how-to videos for "manly" things, which I found amusing because the person teaching Reese how to parkour was a woman.

The parkour expert and teacher was Nikkie Zanevsky, and the idea of the show was to have her teach Reese, a regular fellow, the basics of parkour. I had the chance to chat with Nikkie while the crew and Reese were setting up and getting ready. She told me that when she first started, she was the only female in New York doing parkour. She now goes around to speak at schools and other organizations, teaches parkour lessons, and does video shoots like this one. I could tell she was really passionate about it and I was impressed to see she made a living doing something as obscure as parkour.

The shoot took place at a park called Tomkins Square Park in the Lower East Side of New York City. It was such a neat experience to be in a real NYC park (in real life, it really is exactly how you see it in the movies). There were so many people everywhere.. men and women were walking their dogs.. families were making use of the play structures.. a group of guys were playing a game of pick-up basketball.. various groups were working out and using whatever was available in the park.. and we, (well, not me really), were taping a show right in the midst of it all. The producers and film crew were somehow able to claim the monkey bars for the first part of the shoot, perhaps the expensive looking cameras and large equipment scared people off..

We didn't realize the shoot was taking place outside when we left CT, or maybe Reese knew but forgot to mention it to me, or he told me and I forgot.. I probably forgot. I had assumed that we would be inside so I wasn't dressed to be outside for long periods of time. It was a windy Spring day (yes, Spring in March!) and I was fairly cold from standing outside for a few hours, so I went to find somewhere to warm up for a bit. The shoot was also getting a little boring. I didn't know it would be so repetitive.. it was really interesting when I was watching the first few takes, but the producer had them go over every scene again and again, and then again from different angles. It's surprisingly tedious work to make a video, and now I know how actors memorize their lines so well.

There was a library across the street from the park so I tried there first. In addition to being cold from being outside for a few hours, I also needed to use the ladies room. I entered the library thinking I could find a quiet place to sit and read and also use the washroom... but I was wrong. I guess in big cities like New York, it is not easy finding a bathroom to use ANYWHERE. I couldn't believe the library didn't have a washroom for the public to use (or I just couldn't find it.. even though I wondered around for a long time looking for it).

I decided not to stay at the library. It was much too crowded and I wanted to go somewhere more peaceful. I walked a few blocks, (and mom don't be horrified, New York isn't as scary as you think, it was very safe), and found a cute little restaurant and decided to check it out.

Knowing they would have a hot beverage and a bathroom for me, and seeing that there were very few people inside, I determined it was the perfect place to set up camp for an hour or so.

I ordered a coffee but I didn't have any American money on me and they didn't take debit cards.. which was really strange to me. I used a bank machine and luckily it worked. Once I finished sipping my New York City coffee, I headed out for a walk around the block. The side streets really caught my eye, at least in this area.. they were unexpectedly beautiful and bright. After admiring a few buildings from afar and taking pictures like a tourist, I began my journey back to the shoot. On my way back, I stopped to visit the nearby dog park to watch the overly excited dogs enjoy their freedom for a few minutes. Despite the fact that they were all unleashed and chasing one another and their toys, I didn't even see one dog attack another dog.. or owner. I was impressed!

When Reese was finished shooting, he showed me where I was supposed to use the washroom. The film crew had made arrangements with the barbershop across the street.. which also had a restaurant and a sitting area in the back.

I should mention, every person I met that day.. the film crew, strangers on the street, the library people, the waiters and owner of the coffee shop.. were all incredibly friendly people. I have yet to experience an overly rude or mean person in NYC..

Click the link to watch the final produced version of video:

Mansome 174: Parkour Part Deux