Control Room Scene

One morning in 1985 or 1986 (I forget) a man stopped by my employer at that time, explained to me that he was scouting filming locations for an upcoming Buena Vista/Disney film (his visit was pre-arranged), and was told that our facility might be a good location for a specific scene, but on seeing our operational area he told me that there was "too much outside light" (too many nearby windows) - and did I know of another similar location, but without windows...

After thinking for a minute I told him of a specific Air Traffic Control facility near Miami airport, and he thanked me and said he'd contact them for a visit (that being in the 1980's security wasn't as much of an issue as today - today a similar visit would take days of screening, and perhaps even a denial of his request)...

To my surprise, apprently the suggestion was a good one - at least a part of the scene was filmed there as seen in the movie...

I'm still waiting for my royality check and closing credit (lol) - kidding - learning that my suggestion was used was a nice surpise, and when I see it (it aired again over the weekend), it makes me smile, since that was 25 years ago, and I was a LOT younger back then (duh - not just 25 years - you know what I mean!), so what I got back from my unexpected contribution to the film was more than money can by - good memories!

Ironically, I'm always one to wish for a way to go back in time and "do it all over again" (of course we can't, and that's why it's important to try to get it right the first time), and as it turned out the only film I contributed to in some way was a film about that very issue...

And, I can relate to the early scene in the film, since as a teen in South Florida I'd like to walk along a nearby railroad track in the early evening, so that scene also rings a distant bell [ding]...

=D

Glades2