Grant Gravitt on LinkedIn: Location Scouts, Chicken Fingers and Lionel Messi. The Thursday blog… (2024)

Foom! At Club Revolution

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Yoga, Producing The Bee Gee’s and It’s Hurricane Season (Yikes). The Monday blog begins now.———-Yes, you heard right. Hurricane season started this weekend here in North America. Of course living in one of the most exposed parts of Florida always get your attention this time of year. It’s never a matter of if it will happen. It’s just when. And how hard. The measuring stick of all Hurricanes in Miami is Andrew of 1992.Will tell more of the story as we always do when the anniversary in August hits. But it was pretty bad. Especially since I was in Homestead volunteering with my dear friend Sue Ann Szumiack. So of course I’m gonna throw in a couple of pictures to give you the vibe. Let’s hope this is not our year.Time to go get my hurricane goods to stock up for the season.———Going through my archives, I found some pictures from a Sennheiser microphone web seminar Tel Air Interests put together circa 2014 with super producer and dear friend Karl Richardson. Karl was part of the production team that gave you both Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Not to mention the great albums Barry Gibb did with Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Dionne Warwick.Back when webinars were new this was a fun gig to have. It also allowed us to go back and work at our former home at Criteria Recording Studios. Throw that in with all the memories of a dear friends, the Bee Gees and it was a really fun gig. ———After such a crazy Saturday that went late into the night. Sunday was a very anti-climatic end to the weekend. It was on and off rain all day so that put a damper on the activities. The early morning was partly cloudy but I still went down to Vizcaya museum and Gardens for my weekly 9:30AM yoga class. This is one of the most strenuous classes I have taken under super yogi Isabella. I loved sweating but for the first time, I had a few exercises that my bad knee could not handle. That was annoying me.Then it was off to Miami Shores to visit my sister Katherine Marie at the Casterline group. She was in a very good mood and was both talkative and attentive. She also interacted with a lot of the residence of her home. That was so much fun to see. Followed by a Quiktrip to the Citadel Food Hall for my weekly cheeseburger at the United States Burger Service. It’s a tradition!The rainstorm took out my evening. So I sat down and read a really good film script called “Solo” by Hollywood (Fl) director/producer Joe Greco. He is a film producer who graduated from FSU and went out to LA to apply his craft. We met at a Fort Lauderdale film festival Oscar party and have kept in touch. Very excited to see the possibilities of a coproduction.———Restful Sunday to take me into a very hectic Monday. It’s time to get ready and conceptualize our music video shoot with local favorite band Foom! I love being in production. These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from a very wet Miami Shores.#TryingToReasonWithHurricaneSeason

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Black Uhuru at Hollywood Arts Park

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Black Uhuru, Foom! and Lord Stanley’s Cup. A very busy Sunday blog begins now.———-What a wonderful Saturday, full of Arts and Sciences. The highlight was attending a battle of the bands competition featuring our favorite local group Foom! Led by my buddy, Max Trullenque. They played before a packed and receptive Club Revolution audience in Ft. Lauderdale. We were the second group up and absolutely killed the concert. They presented a 20 minute set of their mixture of funk, salsa and hip-hop with a unique horn section and live band. Foom! Is an 11 piece band with two guitars and a horn section and two rappers as this group is not only plays a tight set but so much fun to watch. The crowd was dancing and very receptive. They were throwing up their hands in the air and waving them like they just don’t care! Always a great sign for a working band.Not only are they talented but they are also super nice guys to hang out with. I met the band at a local pizza place and then headed on over and hung out with them Backstage before the show. Next week we are going to be shooting a full performance for our Art Show pilot in Homestead. Look for big things from these guys.——-The afternoons first stop was the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Science as it was hurricane preparedness weekend. For some odd and unknown reason, I have always enjoyed Hurricane season and the preparations it ensues. So when I heard they were having an entire museum dedicated to hurricane season . You know I was all over it!It is always a fun visit and their IMAX movie about Volcanoes was a good one.———Then after the museum. it was a quick walk across the street to Esplanade Park for The Ft. Lauderdale Blues and Brews event. Located right on the New River it was perfect chance to get a big snack of a chicken Gyro and even a chocolate dipped banana. Pretty, pretty, pretty good. It also killed the hour as I was awaiting to go see an our band at Club Revolution.——-The final stop of the night was to see Reggae supergroup Black Uhuru at The Hollywood Arts Park. I have loved this group since the early 80s. They play roots rock reggae with a social message. The place was absolutely packed as this might’ve been the biggest show I have seen The Arts Park present. Of course we were front row and got to hang out a little bit with my buddy Cat Uden who is running for mayor of Hollywood. So great catching up with her.After a full day that included a 6 mile morning run at Haulover Park. I was exhausted and didn’t finish the full set. But they were darn good.——Finally, I have to brag on my Florida Panthers who put away the Calder Cup winning New York Rangers last night here in Sunrise. It is now on to the Stanley Cup finals as the Cats clinched the series in six games. I got home just in time to watch the third period and it was majestic. What a great way to wrap up a wonderful day. These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from Miami.

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Museums, Mitzvahs and Beauty Pageant Memories. Happy first day of June! The Saturday blog begins now——Turned out to be a pretty good Friday. Last day of May was highlighted by an Evening at North Miami’s MOCA complex. And in just a few hours I saw a fashion show, toured the art exhibit and then caught a pretty cool jazz concert. The event happens the last Friday of every month. I had this wonderful asset to the community on 125th St. in downtown North Miami.MOCA has a soft spot in my heart as I was one of the founding members back when we opened I believe in 1993. Was there when Bonnie Clearwater and Lou Anne Colodny conceptualized, built and opened this art museum. Now under the direction of the city of North Miami it feature art from the diaspora of Haiti and the Caribbean. Always a fun visit when you’re in the north side of town.——Speaking of traveling. I found some of my old production badges when Tel Air Interests produced television shows in North Carolina, Arkansas, and of course Florida. Loved doing the shows in North Carolina and Arkansas as that meant road trips with the crew. We had a 24 foot GMC motorhome where we carried the equipment in staging.Normally, the driving was spread between our staff members Abe DeJesus and Derek Fremd with yours truly being the third. We would always stop in Savannah on the way to North Carolina and Biloxi on the way to Arkansas. So much fun! I even directed one of the Arkansas broadcast on crutches. The show must always go on.—Did a mitzvah today as I decided to underwrite the soccer scoreboard at the soon to be Ralph Lundy field at Erskine College. I played soccer for the Flying Fleet back in the early 80s and decided to get involved after visiting from my 40th college reunion and Due West. we are all doing this in honor of my former Coach Ralph Lundy. He was a good man to me back in the day.Now I get to assist those who will be playing well into the future. The cool thing is it’s going to say donated by Grant Gravitt, Class of 1984. I am very proud to assist in the education and advancement of the attendees of Erskine. Next year will be the hundredth anniversary of soccer at Erskine. I’m looking forward to attending the event celebrating the anniversary and the opening the new field and honored to be a permanent part of my alma mater.—Speaking of mitzvahs. I received a lovely note from our friends at More Haven Junior and Senior High. Right before the Christmas holiday I donated Mary lou‘s iconic suits and wardrobe to the young women of the school. it was a goosebumps moment for me and could not have found a more perfect place. I have since learned that the new wardrobes were taken advantage by many of the young women in their college visits and in job interviews around the region. My ability to spread joy and happiness is truly the best part of my life. These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from North Miami.#MOCANoMi#ErskineCollege#RalphLundySoccerField

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Production Meetings, Playoff Hockey and Guilty Verdicts. What a historic day it was. Our Friday blog begins now.——-What a pretty eventful Thursday it turned out to be. It started off innocently enough with a 10 o’clock production meeting with our Director of Photography Egon Stefan along with his wife and business partner Kat. The agenda was our June 9 Foom! Concert and fiesta shoot. Of course we want to shoot the cinematically so it requires quite the game plan and of course a lot of lights!Our dilemma is shooting under a 100-year-old Banyan tree. There is some available sunlight, but how much is undeterminable. So we need to fill it up with enough foot candles to make Alexa look great. If we pull that off, this will be some of the best concert footage seen in ages. But of course we will! we’re also figuring other tricks to make this look like a feature film shoot. Stuff my dad taught me. One hour preproduction saves an hour of production. Always be the best prepared for Shoot day. Just the way we roll.———-After a celebratory Thai and sushi lunch for our past weeks successful shoot. Line producer Tiffany Terrell and I completed the workday at the band house. Of course, like everybody else around 5 PM. We turned the television on to see the historic verdict on CBS News. Afterwards a lot of horns were beeping and pots and pans were clapping in celebration in our———Found this picture of Tel-Air’s last big business meeting before Grant Sr. passed away in 2011. We were full out in preparation to prepare for a National Geographic special on the building and design of the brand new Florida PolyTech Institute in Polk County. The feature was on the design by iconic and world-class architect Santiago Calatrava. Two of my dad’s Best friends, Gene Eagle, and John Underwood, were at this meeting at the University of South Florida.Shortly after Grant Sr. passed the entire documentary project became controversial for its spending and fell apart. Internal Florida politics saw one fraction (University of Florida) wrestle it away from another fraction (USF). Sadly, we were caught in the middle. My name was even dragged through the mud in news articles in such publications as the Lakeland Ledger and the Tampa Bay Times. We finally were offered a pittance to go away.Nothing worse than getting caught up in Sunshine state politics.———Finally, I have to say a few words about my Florida Panthers. Game five was tonight in New York. This was a pivotal momentum game as it is now a best of three series. For the first period the home standing Rangers were absolutely in charge. But the Panthers tied it in the second and dominated the final stretch and pulled out a wonderful 3 to 2 win. Now it’s back to South Florida for game six and hopefully the clincher. Go Cats!What an amazing and historic day it was. These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from the greatest country in the world.

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