Isle Of Palms Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

26 www.IsleOfPalmsMagazine.com | www.ILoveIOP.com | www.IOPmag.com C harleston native Bob Basha jokes that he was born with a camera in his hand. As teens, he and his brother made surf movies and became the largest film-production company in the state. Basha dissolved his partnership with his brother and began location scouting and managing in the 1980s. His first big break was for “General Hospital’s” mega- episode of the marriage of Luke and Laura, which garnered 30 million viewers. “Thirty-four different locations downtown, eight major company moves in a four-day, eight- camera shoot – and working with Gloria Monty, who was known to cuss people out unmercifully,” he recalled. While he often negotiates with affluent people to close location agreements, he was able to go into a low-income area to be used in that episode and hand out $100 bills to do so. “These people clearly needed it, and I was able to spread some money and goodwill to them. Working that street was one of the most gratifying experiences of my career,” he grinned. His résumé grew to include the likes of “Forrest Gump,” “Cold Mountain,” “Mr. Mercedes” and numerous national commercials, and he is proud to have brought several dozen people – including his sons and many friends – into the film industry. Of all the location scouting he does, he chooses to live on the Isle of Palms with his wife, Deborah, and their menagerie of pets. “I love living here – we’ve always had a house on the island. I can’t bear not living close to the ocean.” We Are Isle of Palms Photo by Jess Wood.