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When I was about a year old, my father (Steven Mark Zaitz) worked as an assistant editor and location scout for the landmark independent flick "Return of the Secaucus Seven" written and directed by John Sayles. I had a walk on role as a baby, also named Benjamin. It was a bit of a stretch I admit but I think I nailed it. I do wonder how many takes it took to get it right for the director. I hope not too many! 

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Benjamin nailing a scene in his major motion picture debut in North Conway, NH in the summer of 1978.

In addition to his behind the camera duties, my dad can also be seen (and heard) enthusiastically singing a song near the end as well. He still had the shirt he was wearing in the movie when he passed in 2011 at the age of 62. The movie was made by a group of friends for $60,000, shot in North Conway, NH in real places on 16mm film, and now resides permanently in the archives of the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in Washington, DC. Woah.

Here's my big scene from the movie and it also includes my dad singing and nailing a very high note! 

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Me in my dad's lap, 1977.

My dad in his shirt hitting that high note! 

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The Cast and crew of Return of the Secaucus Seven in North Conway, NH which includes: 

Oscar nominated writer, director, & editor John Sayles

Oscar nominated actor with 137 credits including Nomadland and Good Night And Good Luck and my brother's godfather - David Strathairn

Me on the director's lap

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veteran character actor from over 139 credits including Ozark - Adam LeFevre

Emmy award winning children TV producer and my godfather  - Jeffrey Nelson  

Emmy winning actor for NYPD Blue with over 100 credits - Gordon Clapp

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The Lucerne Beach Club at Phillips Lake in Dedham, ME in 2014. 

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Me, my mom Jane, and my younger brother Adam, circa 1982.

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Parker House in Blue Hill, ME. Family house on my mom's side where we get to stay each summer. It's now a popular airbnb in the area seasonally.

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Cousin John with the girls in 2018. John grew up in the Blue Hill home, and now splits time between there and Boston. He runs it as a rental property today over the summer months. Amazing place we are lucky to have in our lives. 

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Our childhood log cabin in 2013, Dedham, ME.

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My dad and I in the early 90s, Dedham, ME log cabin.

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March 2003 Iraq war protest and counter protest outside Los Angeles National Cemetery in West Los Angeles, CA. 

My wife and I call this kid, "Balloon Boy" as he was a part of a 2002 video I shot in W. Los Angeles, CA. I wonder what he's up to today. 

Superior, AZ where movies such as Oliver Stone's U-Turn, The Prophecy, and Eight Legged Freaks were filmed. An amazingly beautiful yet undeniably sad location. 

Los Angeles was enormously cinematic with amazing scenery and always fascinating people watching conditions and I adored the lack of humidity in the air - but ultimately it was not for me. I headed back east in late 2003 and met my soon to be wife three weeks later.

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Nodding Head Brewery (now closed) in Center City, Philadelphia - the spot where we first met in January 2004.

After an eventful stint at a well known and well respected local eatery in late 2004 I found a job with a company producing events as their meeting planner. After that, I spent the next decade as a meeting planner in the for profit and not for profit sector planning all aspects of a wide variety of events. In those roles, I was partially and at times fully responsible for their marketing and promotion. Marketing became a passion and my profession. Instead of producing movies, I was producing events. And those events needed to find their audience. 

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Exhibit Hall setup in Boston, 2013.

Me executing an event in 2014 - but first breakfast!

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Atlanta Hilton NASPGHAN Annual Meeting 2014.

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Pediatric gastroenterologists get hands on experience with pig organs specially shipped and stored. Such logistics!

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Washington Hilton NASPGHAN Annual Meeting 2015.

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Me and Daphne on Hilton Head Island, SC in 2014.

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Cadillac Mountain, Arcadia National Park, ME in 2013.

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Me on my 16th wedding anniversary, 10/1/2021.

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Winnie & I working from home in 2021.

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