landis smithers, how DO you do it?

how DO you survive the daily production grind of vans shuttling around strange cities (get in, get out, run around, take pics, get in, get out, run around, take pics) and production offices (everyone's so nice, everyone's on the PHONE, everyone's so BUSY.)?


perhaps you sneak away now and again to the roof:


and try to enjoy some argentine sun before they find you again:


because they will find you, my friends:


they will ALWAYS find you:


and you, being whom you are,
you will love it.

survival kit while on the road -

iphone? check.

coke zero? check.

sunglasses.? wait a min. . .ok, there they are . . . check.

whew. what would i do without modern technology?

la casa rosada -

if it was good enough for eva peron,
it's good enough for us.


though god help me, i look like i'm doing the robot, not the madonna "don't cry for me argentina" (and NOW IT'S IN YOUR HEAD, don't deny it) wave.


i swear, they should just adopt a baby with betania and make this shoot more interesting.
you'd read about it, right?

better than the macarena, and SEXIER -

get ready for the advent of the "landa".
i think it's going to be HUGE.

casting in buenos aires -

we continue on the quest for the perfect cast. this stop: argentine gene pool.



there's a little something for everyone down here.
voila, something for my "girlfriends"/straight brothers out there:


richard and kira, both online, both oblivious to the parade going on around them:


connie, negotiating something with someone somewhere out there, while betania madly restyled some boy's hair so he looked like he lives in the twentieth century:


lucky betania.


me? i just stared at my new shoes. they are lanvin. they are shiny. i loves.

unicorns? but of course!

tonight, ate in the bistro. which had big unicorn heads mounted to the wall.
but of course!


unicorn heads with red eyes, mind you. kind of "devil unicorns". devilcorns.


everything else. . .white. like a virgin. get it?



luckily, we had casting to review.
not so virginal,
but i'm staying true to brand character, at least.

lookin down, and back, on the holiday shoot -

blame annique for this.
she taught me the whole "shoot yourself at arm's length from above" trick.



so, i HAD to try it out. first with tatyana:



then my lovely nina and zoe:


ellen was eager to play:


ok, i cheated to get estela and eddie together, trust me endless "me" heads were getting weird:


lena, richard, and sara:


wait, i'm back! with jo strettel and serena, our makeup and hair wizards:


of course, ash:


oh yeah! i even caught ms. bang. the woman who made this whole holiday she-bang happen:

old navy's last minute gifts commercial -

i don't know. this spot is just . . . pretty:






right?

the san telmo antique fair on a balmy sunday -

a few blocks into the city from our hotel, is the san telmo district,
a stunning mix of run down french building, cobblestone streets, and a street antique fair every sunday. since we had just gotten off the plane. . . we though it was a must.



for the shoe lovers in you, wooden shoe maker forms:


for connie, "el samurai" booth:



me? i was just lovin the sun:



the tango being danced in the streets:


down this one alley between buildings led to courtyards where wedding dresses and white linens were draped from balconies, with both artistic intent and total disregard:



connie pointed out that "this is a very landis wall". true:


courtyard opened to courtyard, ending in a roofless market:


christmas is near here. as we were reminded in odd ways at every turn:


filming this city is going to be magic.