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Sunday, January 21, 2007
Bio-film shoot
Via my calling service and Central Casting, I had an interview Friday the 19th down in Santa Monica.
Afterwards I scooted up to the Valley to get repaired my eyeglasses as the left lens had popped out and I'd had no time to get it fixed.
Once I was back in Hollywood I learned I'd gotten the gig, so I will be working down at Paramount on Sunday on the comedy
Blades of Glory.
It turned out to be some reshoots and insert shots, considering the feature had a late March release date scheduled.
At the interview, I'd worn my glasses but as I expected, the missing lens wasn't noticed.
At least at the shoot my glasses had been repaired.
I was a little concerned, being the first to be seen
(e.g., in the first pair of about ten others for the same bit),
but I guess the Universe was smiling
(what with also finding a $25 an'change residuals check in my rental box for another airing of my
The Practice
episode...).
As it was, several of the others waiting predicted I certainly would be selected, and sure enough I quickly received word I was booked.
The information hotline gave me a 6:30am calltime.
Considering on a Sunday buses start Not Quite That Early, I arose at 4am, got ready
(having shaved at 11pm before turning in),
and was out the door by 4:30am.
As expected, no buses passed me.
I made it to Paramount on foot by about 5:35am.
Other background actors playing scientists began to arrive just before the 6:30am calltime.
One was there at the Friday interview, Rick, who told me that the moment I'd walked in to meet the directors, all the other guys knew I'd Been Chosen.
As he put it, "There was a running bet that you'd be picked."
Another guy, the whole day just seemed to be annoyed to be there.
He was picked without even having the Santa Monica interview... and he's grumbling/complaining...?
The sequence being filmed is a quick bio sequence in which
Jon Heder's
character Jimmy as a child is shown being overseen by the Best Training and Olympic Nurturing as could be had.
I'm one of six scientists overseeing his physical abilities.
Eight year old Canadian
Zack Ferren
plays the young Jimmy.
Suffice to say, all but exactly just as I was
in one of my first commercials,
here I am standing with a clipboard, observing.
We were also filmed inside an observation book as Zack's drag coefficient is measured in a wind tunnel.
I was told over lunch that the March 30th release date is still a go.
Today was the Very Last Day of filming.
Amusingly, a few of my fellow scientist characters were a little anxious about missing some big football game this date, which for me is no big deal
(the only football game I watch deliberately watch is the Superbowl and only for its New Commercials).
With a single meal penalty, we were wrapped at 3:24pm, giving us the slightly hiccough of overtime.
Fellow scientist Woody Porter
(Linwood Porter),
was gracious enough to drive me home.
Intitially he figured on La Brea and Santa Monica, but realizing the football game/s he was missing were already at a certain point, he figured what the hey and dropped me off nearer to my place.
When I saw Blades of Glory I was quite impressed at how funny it was, as well as how visible was I in the two clips
(the clips of which would be shown at least twice in the feature documentary Strictly Background).
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