Springingtiger's Blog

I can almost hear you asking, “Who is Paula Pierce?” and I don’t blame you. All I know about her is that she is a driver working in the film industry. If you sit through the end credits of ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ waiting for the Marvel Teaser eventually you will see her name appear for a few seconds under ‘Drivers’, that’s how I came across her. I am not even sure under which unit I saw her name, possibly the second, but it is there. If you check out IMDB you’ll see more films she has worked for

Most people leave the theatre as the credits roll and so the work of the vast majority of those who work on any film passes unrecognised and unacknowledged by the public. I think this is sad and so I have chosen Paula Pierce to stand for all those we tend to ignore. Sometimes we forget just how many hundreds of people are involved in providing us with entertainment and I would just like to express my appreciation for them all. We all recognise the names of the stars and directors, some producers and perhaps the better known designers and music directors, but what about the ones who don’t make it onto chat shows and the posters? Behind any film and particularly behind an action film shot on location in several countries there is an army of crew making it all possible. Okay, I know that many of the backstage crew could be replaced without affecting the film, however they each contribute to its success and they deserve our gratitude as much as the actors whose names we know.

Every spring millions of people sit and watch the various Entertainments Industry award shows on television. Whole programs are devoted to the actors and directors, the writers and composers get mentions although at a lesser length. Most of those who win awards on the technical side are lucky if their name appears on a list on the entertainments pages of a newspaper. Still that any of them get any recognition is something for which to be grateful. Very few of the crew become famous, although we all know, “Rostrum Camera: Ken Morse” that one name is an exception. We do know more than we used to because of the various ‘Making of…’ documentaries included in the extras on DVDs, but for the most part, I suspect, the only recognition the crew get is their pay and the phone calls offering their next job.

I have selected Paula Pierce not quite at random, because she drives trucks and women who drive trucks are special. My mother drove a truck as part of the support crew of a major epic, the Second World War. She was a navy driver and one of the millions who played a part in securing victory. We all remember the Generals like ‘Ike’ and ‘Monty’ and the politicians like Churchill, but the supporting cast and crew tend to be forgotten. We have tombs for the ‘Unknown Soldier’, in fact for most people most soldiers are unknown and even more so the crew who serviced the whole endeavour.

Films are like wars and industries, they need a few stars to attract attention, but were it not for the unknown millions, over the years, who worked unseen behind the scenes not one would have been successfully completed. So today I am choosing to have Paula Pierce symbolise all those whose appearance in the end credits rolls past as the audience bolts for the exit and to them all I say a huge ‘Thank You’!