Bass started his film career on a small farm in central Wisconsin. "This was before back when film really was film. Could make splices with bailing wire and twine. Yup. Coulda." he said in a recent interview.

In the late 70's nobody seemed interested in screenings of Mr. Bass' Super-8 epic based on Sergei Eisenstien's Potempkin. Though film students will remember the cow chasing her baby carriage down the Odessa Steps as a classic moment. So in order to support himself, he and up and coming producer, Skip Mason started a studio at the heart of San Francisco's burgeoning porn industry. Many fans will remember Skip and Curley's Porn Emporium just south of Market. (Bass was Curley). Here was a space producers could comfortably shoot and edit their crap. Skip & Curley's soon had a reputation for an atmosphere porn producers previously unattainable shooting out of trailer parks in the East Bay. Curley and Skip collected several awards from the prestigious Adult Film Association and attracted a fine clientele of mob connected strippers and scam artists. The advent of videotape represented the death of a warehouse full of KEM tables and trim bins. So without anything to lose Bass headed to the City of Angels.

After lying about union affiliations he landed his first Hollywood job checking lip-sync on release prints for Miracle Pictures (their slogan "If its a good picture its a miracle"). Again videotape rendered that job obsolete in two weeks so Bass was forced into compromising all high artistic principals and had to start working as an assistant editor on prime time television.

At this time Hollywood was undergoing a transition. The baby-boomers were taking over the industry and the older guard was fading away. They were not fading away fast enough. Union rules and competition made it nearly impossible to move up. Unfortunately, the editor Bass was working for contracted food poisoning a precious opening was left for a TV editor.

Remarked Bass, "After that it was just a matter of applying some of the techniques and tricks I had developed back on the farm to dupe TV producers into thinking I was doing something new and inventive."

Through great luck (and taking credit for other people's ideas) he was able to move up the ladder. "I have gained the respect of my collegues and the recognition from the producers (when they remember my name) and now find myself in the position of having to test my lunch for toxic bacteria strains."

Bass started his film career on a small farm in central Wisconsin. "This was before back when film really was film. Could make splices with bailing wire and twine. Yup. Coulda." he said in a recent interview. In the late 70's nobody seemed interested in screenings of Mr. Bass' Super-8 epic based on Sergei Eisenstien's Potempkin. Though film students will remember the cow chasing her baby carriage down the Odessa Steps as a classic moment. So in order to support himself, he and up and coming producer, Skip Mason started a studio at the heart of San Francisco's burgeoning porn industry. Many fans will remember Skip and Curley's Porn Emporium just south of Market. (Bass was Curley). Here was a space producers could comfortably shoot and edit their crap. Skip & Curley's soon had a reputation for an atmosphere porn producers previously unattainable shooting out of trailer parks in the East Bay. Curley and Skip collected several awards from the prestigious Adult Film Association and attracted a fine clientele of mob connected strippers and scam artists. The advent of videotape represented the death of a warehouse full of KEM tables and trim bins. So without anything to lose Bass headed to the City of Angels. After lying about union affiliations he landed his first Hollywood job checking lip-sync on release prints for Miracle Pictures (their slogan "If its a good picture its a miracle"). Again videotape rendered that job obsolete in two weeks so Bass was forced into compromising all high artistic principals and had to start working as an assistant editor on prime time television. At this time Hollywood was undergoing a transition. The baby-boomers were taking over the industry and the older guard was fading away. They were not fading away fast enough. Union rules and competition made it nearly impossible to move up. Unfortunately, the editor Bass was working for contracted food poisoning a precious opening was left for a TV editor. Remarked Bass, "After that it was just a matter of applying some of the techniques and tricks I had developed back on the farm to dupe TV producers into thinking I was doing something new and inventive." Through great luck (and taking credit for other people's ideas) he was able to move up the ladder. "I have gained the respect of my collegues and the recognition from the producers (when they remember my name) and now find myself in the position of having to test my lunch for toxic bacteria strains."
Excerpted from the book “How to Get Ahead in Hollywood Without Any Talent” by N.E. Exec available through cinemabooks.com. cinemabooks.com Home