By April MacIntyreBelow-the-line women stepped out in front of the cameras August 29 for a special photoshoot organized by 18-year veteran food stylist and owner of Gourmet Proppers, Bonnie Belknap. The occasion? The production of the first annual “Working Women Below the Line, the Real Women in Hollywood” calendar. Inspired by the movie Calendar Girls, Belknap, who lost her mother last year to cancer, produced the calendar to benefit weSPARK, a local non-profit cancer support center that had helped her through her loss. And who better to call on for additional support than her many compatriots in the film and television industry? With each phone call made to colleagues in the biz, Belknap assembled an impressive cross section of volunteer crew members and vendors for the event—all equally intrigued by her unique vision of acknowledging hard-working women behind the scenes. The girls themselves: set decorator Ann Shea, (Two and a Half Men), animal trainer Sue Chipperton, Local 399 (Memoirs of a Geisha), executive assistant Kristin MacDonald (Spelling TV, Inc.,) makeup artist Nanette New-Moore, Local 706 (Charmed), prop master Linda Grand, Local 33 (The Bold and the Beautiful), floral designer Corri Levelle (Sandy Rose Floral Designs), carpet and flooring specialist Nanette Silk, (Everybody Loves Raymond), craft services worker Tamiko Hairston-Hunter, Local 88 (Princess Diaries 2), costume designer Eilish Zebrasky, Local 894 (Charmed), set production assistant Cheryl Andryco (Fun With Dick and Jane), and organizer/food stylist Bonnie Belknap. Many others donated their time, services and materials, including veteran prop master Mike Milgrom (Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Training Day) who, tragically, passed away the day before the shoot. Additional support was provided by Chick Chocolates, JPI Studios, Big Bad Tomato, Sandy Rose Floral Designs, José Gilbért Jewelry, C & C California, Hanes, The Hand Prop Room, Lennie Marvin Enterprises, Seattle Chocolates, Starbucks and Chef Robert Catering.“Working Women Below the Line, the Real Women in Hollywood” calendar will be published in October by Newsletters Ink, and available for sale at local bookstores, at the SDSA Marketplace, and at Bonnie Belknap’s website: www.gourmetproppers.com. All proceeds will be donated to weSPARK (www.wespark.org).
Written by April MacIntyre
