"I went to the first assistant and said, `I know nobody in this business.
I can't get in the union. This is my break. If you let me, I won't touch any-
thing. I'll get you coffee; whatever you want." The assistant agreed and
Cappello was hired as the camera PA, earning $300 a week. "That was
my big break. For six months, I touched no equipment. I watched and
basically got them food. And, I was happy to do it." Eventually he was
allowed to slate camera reports and fetch lenses.
When he went for his third interview with the union just to get an
application, cinematographer Geoffrey Erb called and told them to give
Cappello an application. After passing the written and practical tests, and
paying a $4,000 entrance fee, he was admitted into the union in 1987.
An added benefit to his season on The Equalizer was making contacts
that lead to future jobs. The show often used multiple cameras and rotated
the multiple assistants weekly. Consequently, Cappello met numerous
potential future employers. He used the opportunity to demonstrate his
dependability and willingness to work hard. "Once I was in the union, I
let those people know and I
started getting hired."
His first union feature was
Running on Empty, directed by
Sidney Lumet. "I couldn't
believe I was doing a show
with the guy who directed Dog
Day Afternoon and a thousand
other wonderful films." He
continued to work as a second
assistant on features such as
Cadillac Man, Married to the
Mob, and Jacob's Ladder.
A friend recommended
Cappello for a commercial job
working for cinematographer
John Schwartzman. Cappello
mentioned his growing desire
to relocate west, and
Schwartzman told him to call if
he came out. The summer
before moving, Cappello went out to L.A. and worked on several com-
mercials and music videos with Schwartzman. While there, he networked
into an offer to work as first assistant on the pilot for Beverly Hills 90210.
"I didn't take it because it was a nonunion gig for a flat rate. That show
went on for seven years. That opportunity would never have happened
What do you like
least about your job?
"My least favorite things
are egos and politics
in the business."
--Anthony Cappello
What do you love most
about your job?
"I like that it's different all the time," says
Cappello. He also loves that the job affords
him an opportunity to experience a variety of
careers. "We work in a library sometimes, so
I get to see what a librarian does. We work in
a law office and I get to see what the lawyers
do. We work in a hospital and you learn
about the medical profession. You get a little
taste of everyone's job."--Anthony Cappello
VOICES OF
EXPERIENCE
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