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

Shoot preparations, Pageant Parties and Stanley Cup hockey. The Sunday blog begins now.———-With a film shoot one day away. Saturday was by no means a rest day. It was up and at em early as a full day awaited. The goals was to gather all that was needed for our concert shoot tomorrow in Homestead. I left at 8 o’clock for the band house in Hollywood to prep Alexa for the weekend. Then it was off to CineVideo Tech to meet the crew for prep day.While Egon Stefan‘s team was pulling the equipment for the shoot. I was off to Enterprise at FLL to pick up the chariot for the weekend. I do have to say that they do a very nice job of providing good rental trucks. Unsolicited plug! Then it was off to Doral to pick up our HD video village gear. Another solid vendor is HD House Video Rental Equipment as this is our third rental from them, and they are pretty awesome. Even though on the way, we almost ran into a tornado!At this point, I caught up with assistant Director Janina Morejon, who worked with me the rest of the afternoon. It was back to the load in to make sure everything was going well and of course take a Pollo Tropic break. A well fed crew is a happy crew. Around 4 PM we called it a wrap. Janina did some craft service shopping while I went back to the band house and loaded up the car.11 AM call tomorrow morning in the Redlands. It’s nice being prepared! Now all we worry about is the weather. Lol.———-In another archival picture find. Check out this group photo from the 1996 Miss Florida USA pageant. This is in the judging room with our dear friends and pageant judges. We used to have so much fun in Mary lou and Grant’s Suite at the Western Diplomat after the judging competitions. We always had the most interesting judges, and many of them became dear friends. These get together lasted well into the wee hours. There was never any sleep pageant week!———For the second year in a row my beloved Florida Panthers have made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals. The pinnacle in all of Professional hockey. Our final opponents is the Edmonton Oilers. Apparently the longest distance between two opponents ever in the finals. And no Canadian team has won the cup since 1993. Game number one made it look like it will be a while before a Canadian team wins again. The Panthers looked far superior as they compiled a goal in all three periods and we shut them out three to nothing. Nice first game win.This season has been such a dream. I can’t believe we’re only three games away from hoisting our first ever cup! Who knew Miami was a hockey town? Well, in just a few years, it has become. I can’t be more excited for my cats! These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from Miami Shores.#TelAirInterests#CineVideoTech#EnterpriseRent-A-Car#FloridaPanthers#StanleyCup2024

Camera scouts, Trail Runs, and music videos from days gone by. The Saturday blog begins now.———-Being that I was left to my own devices the end of the week. I was impressed that I kept a very busy schedule. Friday was no exception. The main event was heading down to Homestead to meet my Director of Photography Egon Stephan and his wife Kat at our location for Sundays concert shoot. It was an insanely rainy afternoon as we met at Tilt Ranch located in the Redland section of Homestead.This will be the location for our Sunday concert with the hip-hop/jazz group Foom! Producer/Guitarist Theo from the band joined us as well as our audio man Chris for a run-through of everything needed for Sunday. We checked for power. Figured out what was needed for lights and all our camera positions. Now we’re just hoping for much better weather than what we saw Friday. But such as life in the tropics. ———-On my way into Hollywood this morning I stopped for a run at the historic Greynolds Park in Northwest Miami Dade. This was the go to park of my childhood. The third park ever in Miami Dade County. This Civilian Conservation Corps project made this former limestone quarry into a park oasis in 1936. I have fond memories going back to my childhood picnics, church events, and lots of hiking through the trails. Something I still enjoy today!Seems that Greynolds is getting a makeover as construction is going on all throughout the park. Glad to see Miami Dade County investing in their parks system. This is also where I played my very first golf round at the age of four. Such great memories of my childhood.———When cleaning out the archives, I found this fun picture from one of my sets circa 1987. I’m trying to remember the music video but I I definitely remember the experience of five people trying to look into one small monitor. It was back in the day when our productions were fast and streamlined. But such as the life of a video producer. I can’t remember how many videos I directed in my hay day. But I can’t recall any that were not fun. ———Saturday is the final day of prep work for the shoot on Sunday. Time to go to Enterprise to pick up a truck. Then out to Doral and The HD House for my rental monitor and Terradec wireless monitor system. Then finally to load the truck with gear and craft services into my car. It takes a village to make a film! These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from the Film of Florida!#Foom!#TiltFarmS#GreynoldsPark#TelAirInterests

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Golden Canes, Ecuador Trips, and Dr John remembered on the anniversary of his death. The Friday blog begins now.—-If you know anything about me. You will know that I am Miami through and through. So of course, one of my biggest passions is the University of Miami and specifically their sports program. So much a fan that this year I took the big plunge and became a Golden Hurricane. It has been a lifetime goal. This takes being a Hurricane fan to another level. Today I met with my Athletic department liaison Da’Ron Brown. We took a power lunch at Deli Lane in downtown South Miami. I was so excited to talk Hurricane football.The agenda of the meeting was to find out what I was getting involved in and how I could best support the University in my new role. But of course, we veered off the conversation and many directions. Including the status of this year‘s football team. of course the changing landscape of college football was another conversation. Then I learned my buddy Da’Ron who is leaving Miami to be assistant athletic Director at SMU in Dallas. I was totally bummed.But I rebounded with a killer mahi-mahi sandwich chased by a really good Caesar salad. It’s football season in less than two months. Now I’m debating if I’m gonna go see the University of Florida play. Oh by the way we get tickets if we want them. I love being a Golden Cane!——Mac Rebennack aka Dr John passed away five years ago today. He was quite the mainstay around Criteria Recording Studios in the early 1970’s. Recording for Atlantic Records Mac recorded his biggest hit at Criteria. “Right Place Wrong Time” was all over the radio in 1973. Totally one of my favorite songs in fifth grade. From what I understood Dr. John was such a favorite at Atlantic Records that he was the only artist that had carte blanche for setting up any studio session to record no matter the time. That sometimes that meant calls would come in at two or 3 o’clock in the morning when inspiration hit. Which was great because he lived in the apartment complex next-door to the studio during his time in South Florida. No wonder his nickname was The Night Tripper.————-Found these pictures in the archives. They are from one of our Ecuador trips. This one with Miss Florida Teen USA 1990 Debbie Knox. We would take one or two trips a year to Guayaquil. All to promote our international broadcast of both of our State pageant qualifiers. They were syndicated by the Ecuadorian television network GamaVision who had the South America and Central America rights to our shows.It was always a big deal every time we arrived. We would normally meet the Ecuadorian president and go on a Goodwill tour through the country. It would always end with a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Trust me when I say we were bigger than most national pageants. And had more viewers worldwide than Miss USA did. And this was one of the perks. So much fun! These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from Miami Shores.

Reunions, Birthday Parties and the old gang circuit 1998. Welcome to Thursdays blog.———The highlight of the day was my reunion with dear friend and Florida Pageant Icon Barbara Bowser Baan. Barbra was our second Miss Florida USA title-holder and became truly a part of the Gravitt family. After winning the title and finishing second runner-up at Miss USA. Barbara had quite the career in modeling, acting and hosting. We soon realized it had been a quarter of a century since we saw each other. She really looks the same and has that amazing sparkle in her eye. Not to mention she’s one of the coolest title holders we’ve ever had.After leaving Florida, she went to LA and became quite successful. Her big break came when she won the first spokesmodel competition on the very popular TV show Star Search as hosted by Ed McMahon. Even with her successes she would return to Florida often to host somewhere near 20 Florida USA and Teen USA pageant broadcasts through the years. This is Miami Springs girl started her pageant career at 17 winning the Miss Orange Bowl title. Two years later, she about won Miss USA.We had a lovely lunch at Lester’s Dinner near the Fort Lauderdale airport. She told me of her travels and recent career as a morning disc jockey in Wichita, Kansas. That path just ended and she’s exploring all of her options moving forward. What a great afternoon as it felt like we just saw each other a week before. Totally the sign of a great friend. Can’t wait for her returning back to Florida.——Speaking of old friends. Here are some pictures of a birthday party from probably 1994. The party was in the lobby of Studio A at Criteria Recording Studios. The building was set up as where Tel Air’s offices were located on the second floor. So it was not unusual for us to have our celebrations both floors.It was such a fun family vibe that no matter who did what, both companies jumped in and celebrated. On the couch, I see multiple Grammy award-winning producer, Rudy Perez enjoying some pizza. We were all tight in the building and celebrated al birthday s as it was always an excuse to get Pizza and a birthday cake from Lorenzo‘s Italian market just down the street———-Finally, we end on this picture of our posse working at Miss Florida Teen USA pageant circa 1998. Nobody ran a tighter show in pageantry or had more fun doing it then those who worked with Mary lou. These were the people that got it done for our pageant team. Poor Reggie Cordova (as seen in the lower frame) is no longer with us. He was a good man.———If I recover from my back issues, Thursday should be a very fun day. I get to run down to the University of Miami and hang out with Da’Ron Brown who is my liaison with The Golden Cane Club ar the University of Miami. So I get to talk college football over a yummy lunch and plan out the strategy for the year. I can’t wait to say Go Canes. These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from Miami Dade County.

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Chamber Day 2024. Speeches, Networking and Lots of Photo Ops. The Wednesday Blog begins now.———The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce has always played a big part in the life of both the Gravitt family and Tel Air Interests. Grant got involved in the mid 60s under the guidance of the legendary PR father of Miami, Hank Meyer. He rose all the way up to vice chair in the mid 70s. It established him as leadership in the community and placed Tel Air Interests as not only an international company, but a company that was vested in its hometown. When I entered, I felt I was second generation leadership. It was a good seven year run before we moved north to Hollywood.Many years later Tel-Air Interests moves back to Miami and of course, we immediately jump back into involvement with the GMCC. Tuesday, Tiffany Terrell and I were all in for the annual Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Goals Conference. This year at the Grand Marquis Marriott in downtown Miami. No longer the weekend event that it once was. It is now a one day luncheon and meeting of the General membership.We arrived pretty promptly at noon considering we got lost between the parking garage and the hotel. Downtown Miami is a lot different than it used to be. (My bad!) We soon were greeted by some of our new chamber friends including Chamber President Alfred Sanchez, Chamber staffer and good buddy Clare Whalen and our former PR Account Executive John David. Plenty of business cards were exchanged and the making of new friends. After the meet and greet, it was inside the ballroom for lunch and the afternoon‘s presentations.Of course I’m not great at sitting still. So I wound up wandering and going into different displays and seeing many more of our dear friends. Including Miss Florida USA family members Louisa Alvarez and Philipa Valencia. Of course you know I took pictures. So great seeing our alumni out and about and being leadership in Miami Dade County. Could not be prouder of them all. Then with Tiffany there were three alumni in one room.To me, the highlight of the day was the speech of Miami Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. I just think the world of her both as a person and as a politician. Got to speak with her a few minutes and was really impressed. Would not be surprised if I helped her out during her re-election run. It has been ages since I got involved in Dade County politics. Feels like I’m back in Miami!. The afternoon ended with a reception adjacent to the ballroom. I so love a co*cktail party, that is in my wheelhouse. Met so many cool people and had so many interesting discussions. I can’t wait to return some of the business cards and start setting up meetings around town. Totally the best part about being at the chamber. These meet and greets really allow you to feel the pulse of my hometown. I sure missed Miami .All in all a really good day. These are my truths. My pronouns are he, his and him. Much love from Miami Dade County. #GreaterMiamiChamberOfCommerce

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