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Thursday, July 31, 2003
The Shoot
My friend dropped me off for my noon call about 10:50am.
The security guard had a little trouble finding my name on the list at first.
She remembered me from Friday, and she knew she'd seen my name, but merely overlooked that I was on the Main Call Sheet (not the background list).
No problem: I received a yellow visitor pass to wear while on the set and studio lot.
She directed me into stage 22 where was craft services while Michelle was notified I had arrived.
Inside I saw
Camryn Manheim
walk purposefully past me.
Clearly she has lost some weight, and is even more pretty in person (gods but she has fabulous hair...).
She passed by a few times in and out of the soundstage.
Being a professional, characteristically I did not disturb her, as even being between takes or scenes, she was working.
(Had she been relaxing at the craft services table, I might have politely said hello and possibly even introduced myself.)
Jill Basey,
who I'd met at the Friday interview, had also been booked, as "Juror Margaret."
Like myself, she prefers to be early to auditions and to shoots.
Matt (Buckler?) found the two of us at the food table and mentioned in passing he noticed we were both early.
Jill concured with my concept that for shoots and auditions, it's better to be an hour early than a minute late.
Matt showed us each to our
Personal Trailers...
On the door to mine was a magic-markered white-tape label reading
Juror "Comb-Over".
Another reason I prefer to show up early: there is always paperwork.
I glanced over the Day Player Contract and realized that with my Day Player
private-sector compensation for labour,
I would receive residual compensation for labour each (and every) time the episode re-airs!
I filled out the paperwork correctly and accurately (making sure that the inappropriately-used I9 form correctly reflects that I am a citizen of the United States of America, thereby not to be confused with a 14th-Amendment defined second-class "citizen of the United States",) and I submitted to Matt the paperwork (at which time, at my request, Matt took a photo of me at the trailer door).
I realized that on the contract it recommends the performer retain a copy for records.
At the end of the day I asked Matt about that, and I was assured it'd be sent along after the producer signs it, etc.
In my trailer, I read a book I'd brought while waiting to be needed.
Occasionally I went to the soundstage for soda and food.
I obtained from the front desk the call sheet, at one point turning and finding myself face to face with
Michael Badalucco.
We politely and pleasantly said hi to each other as he got onto the summoned elevator.
Matt took me over to hair and make-up where they had fun doing up my hair as a comical comb-over.
Before I went in, a pretty blonde woman came up and we introduced ourselves: she was Michelle Parvin.
"We spoke on the phone!" she and I blurted out simultanously.
Amused, she informed me (that after hair and make up an'all), I could relax for a while.
Back at the soundstage I came across men's wardrobe supervisor Shelley Levine who told me my wardrobe would be in my trailer before I was needed on set.
Sometime later, sure enough, back at my trailer was my wardrobe: tan/beige shirt, pants, brown belt, even specific brown socks.
The outfit had a somewhat 1970s'ish look to it, which (my being a "child of the 70s" anyway, as it were) was perfect.
This clearly could have been my character's best outfit to wear to court.
Some time later, back inside the soundstage, Michelle spotted me and told me our scene would be starting in about five or ten minutes.
She escorted me through the facade courtroom corridors to the courtroom set as (presumably) Matt went to fetch the others from their trailers.
In the courtroom set, I sat on a spectator bench to stay out of the way of the crew, and the gentleman next to me pleasantly introduced himself: "Hi, I'm
Jonathan Shapiro,"
he said, shaking my hand.
After indicating how cool it was to work on one of my favourite shows and how efficient seemed the crew, I asked Jonathan what was his function on the show.
"I'm a producer," he told me, indicating he'd been in the room Friday.
I sheepishly pointed out there had been several people, and how no one's name had actually been stated.
"Yeah," he realized.
"I'm not sure why it works out that way."
Jonathan told me the episode is the second of the season, and is scheduled to air most likely the first Monday of October (I guess the Supreme Court justices will have to rely on TiVo...).
Michelle came by and plunked down at my left, letting me know the other (main) jurors would be in in a few moments.
I was also introduced to episode director
Leslie Libman
who I did remember from Friday.
The first shot angle being done was from behind the jury, so as to see the entire court, so the back wall was removed.
I was placed in the front row, second from the right (meaning, looking at the jury from the court, I am first row, second seat).
Jill and John came in and also sat in the front row.
Fourth Day Player juror
Jane Edith Wilson
("Libby") was placed in the middle of the second row.
Background performers came in to fill up the rest of the jury, and the spectator benches.
Any noticeable pagers spotted on belts were removed and pocketed: at a break I took mine back to my trailer, it already being switched off notwithstanding.
Guest star
Adam Arkin
was playing opposing counsil Albert Ginsberg.
Then new series-regular character Alan Shore was played by actor
James Spader.
Shore as counsel to attorney Sheila Carlisle (Sharon Stone), who is suing Ginsberg firm for firing her because she feels God speaks to her.
After a run through or three, using three cameras they shot the scene as a master shot.
As Ginsberg, Arkin opens, telling us how she speaks with God, and her belief that bald men can access her thoughts.
It's brief but somewhat pursuasive.
As Sheila, Sharon Stone gets up and addresses us with her opening remarks.
Then she begins to point out Very Specific Personal Things about jurors (even addressing three by name), with information to which she should not have access.
Ginsberg interupts her with a puzzled remark, to which she retorts wishing to finish her opening statement (I am being a bit vague on [most of this] so as to allow viewers of the as yet unaired episode to see the episode fresh when it does air...).
She turns around, glaring at me accusingly, saying,
"You already know what I'm going to say, don't you...?"
With that, she reaches forward and lifts up the end of my comb-over, adding,
"This is fraud,"
(turning back to glare at Ginsberg, concluding),
"by the way..."
My eyes look up at her hand in shocked surprise at such forward behaviour.
Ginsberg objects as Sheila addresses "Mitchell," one of the regular background, sitting next to me, presumably in the jury foreman position
(I never thought to find out: I have no idea if he was upgraded or if on his voucher he was given a li'l Thank You pay-bump adjustment as often happens).
Before she can continue directly interacting with the jury (a procedural no-no), Sheila is interupted by Judge Spindle (played by familiar character actress
Debra Mooney)
and the attorneys are ordered back into the judge's chambers.
It's just as well, Sheila indicates, refering to "Shirley" (a wide-eyed woman) having to pee, and she and the other attorneys go out the door by the jury.
As in the scene in the chambers a mistrial is declared, we do not continue the case nor is our jury seen again.
That's my scene.
That's what I do.
Thankyouverymuch.
J
I literally lost count throughout the rest of the day how many times Sharon Stone ran her fingers through my hair.
A few more takes from behind the wall continued with the same angles but different lenses (for close ups and such).
Bruce Humphrey
called the hour lunch at 4:30pm.
We had been warned (albeit not until there that day), it was a "Walkaway Lunch."
Without a car, I was stranded.
I thought the McDonalds on Rosecranz was in walking distance.
It isn't.
I'd have done better to grab more craft table munchies and a soda, consume them in my trailer, and take a nap or read more of the book I'd brought.
As it was, I hiked for about 20 minutes in the rather glaring heat before I Got It I would not make it to the McDonalds.
Had I brought from my trailer my bus pass I might have made it, but I hadn't: I'd only brought enough money for my meal.
The studio commissary closes enigmatically (and rather inconveniently) at 2:30pm.
Back at craft services table I did what I should have done forty minutes earlier.
What snack food I foraged therefrom I ate in my trailer and relaxed with the wonderful air conditioning.
No problem, btw: I just know that if I am ever cast on The Practice again, I know t'bring a bag lunch...
Throughout this scene, James Spader mostly had to watch Sharon Stone.
Tough gig.
However, he was very good at vanishing.
Apologizing, he was the last to get back to set after breaks and after lunch.
Jokes were traded that perhaps he was off tying up his
secretary...
The wall behind the jury was back up and more shots and angles and takes were done.
Sharon Stone was very sweet and nice to all of us.
At one point (possibly "realizing" how "intimate" was our interaction), she actually did pleasantly ask me my name directly, and we introduced ourselves along with a very friendly handshake.
Sharon's shots were done first, alternate close ups, etc., and shots of our reactions were also done with Sharon doing her lines next to the camera (as well as our reaction to Adam Arkin for his lines).
At one point Sharon was discussing with director Leslie about the best or a better way she might want Sharon to lift my hair, and without preamble (to me), Sharon leaned over (keeping her eye more on Leslie) and lifted my hair while asking about this while that as I sat there silently.
Amusingly, it was though I'd become a prop.
As she released my hair and began to walk away, Sharon politely but automatically said, "Oh, sorry" (to me).
Two of the jurors, over my right shoulder, began to snicker loudly at the apology, just as I'd found it amusing as well.
I glanced at them and concurred comically at the absurdity, "Oh yeah: Sharon Stone needs to apologize to me for running her fingers through my hair...!"
Sharon was done first (and she still had the judge's chambers scene to do).
All her jury-addressing coverage was handled.
She had earlier taken a few minutes and sincerely thanked us all very much: that her performance was due to our performances and our reacting to her.
It was so moving and touching I wish I'd have had a better way to remember it.
Adam Arkin's coverage was then done, and he had "to fight" for his performance, jokingly accusing us of having already been "won over" by Sharon, even though time and scene-wise, his speech was first, so our reaction should be more objective.
Despite the amazing efficiency of everyone on the crew, there still was enough coverage overall to acquire that I realized we actually ran a half hour into overtime!
I chose not to ask, so I won't know until I receive it as to whether that will be reflected in my Day Player compensation for labour as it would via a regular background voucher.
Guess I'll find out in about a week and a half when by then it should be in my retail box.
(At a later date, actress friend
Toni Blair
later correctly confirmed that the half hour overtime would be on the payment.)
Matt signed us out spot-on 9:30pm, instead of including the time we would spend getting out of and returning our wardrobe.
I was still thrilled with the day to remember to inquire after that.
Being so close, the my friend had indicated coming down to fetch me, and once I had off my wardrobe I called her and she headed down to meet me at the Barnes & Noble.
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