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Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...

Eli Stone
episode 2.07 "Help"

Wednesday September 24, 2008
The really long short day...
During the late afternoon the day before, my calling service notified me that I was booked on the entertaining dramedy series Eli Stone for this date, and the Central hotline recording took a few hours finally to be posted, about three hours past the time it was expected to be posted. There would be different groups of background, myself being in the "drunk" category. Checking the calltime changebox number, my category calltime went to 11:30am.
The recording "assured" us it would ["probably"] be "a short day."
As it was, the crew parking was the same as with Made of Honor, near the Vista Theatre, making it an easy transit, and I got to crew parking by 10:20am. Breakfast was still being served, and shortly thereafter I learned that base camp (at which I would get my voucher), was right across the street. I was shuttled over as apparently it was too difficult for them to let me to walk down to the light and cross there (the same light I used with which to cross the street from the bus stop to get to catering/crew parking).
At base camp I got my voucher, and from wardrobe a slightly different shirt. We were brought back to crew parking as there was more shade and available seats. I got to talking with Jason, who realized he'd previously communicated with me via MySpace when he started doing background work.
With craft services being over at set, eventually it was decided we would finally be shuttled over. Waiting for the van, I heard a friendly, familiar voice calling: "Badger?" I turned to see a friend of mine, the lovely and talented Crystal. It turned out Crystal was doing stand-in work for the episode's co-star Bridget Moynahan.
While I know the episode is 2.07 (season two's seventh episode), I was not able to obtain a call sheet. The highly professional Crystal indicated trying to get me one, but understandably she was too busy to do so. At set while Crystal was doing her stand-in work, the rest of us could only sit around, nosh, chat amongst ourselves, and wait to be called in to the tavern. Somewhat annoyingly, there were a few unpros within the background, two of which arguing in a Just To Be Contrary style, and with slightly escalating volume. Most sets have at least one unpro (an unprofessional): this set had three to four.
Lunch was called at 4:30. The group ahead of us, in 1940s garb, were done and were given a half hour lunch before they were to be wrapped. The rest of us were given an hour lunch. The main unpro Contrary-Guy from our group tried claiming (loudly), that the production "couldn't" make us have a full hour lunch on location, whatever brain deficiency induced him into saying that with his out-loud voice. The patient AD acurately pointed out production can give us an hour lunch, and even offered to show it to him in the SAG contract. He backed down, overtly begrudgingly.
After lunch as the rest of us were shuttled back to set, we noticed the 1940s group at base camp not quite leaving. We learned at set that the 1940s group were not wrapped, and they ended up being there for a few more hours. When that group finally was wrapped, the bar set was redressed and was ready by about 8pm. Thankfully one of the four major unpros was in the 1940s group.
Those of us in the drunk group (now being called Bar Patrons), were lined up. Jason and I were selected first, and we were brought in and seated at the end of the bar. Two others were placed into a booth just behind me, one of whom being a relatively attractive woman, albeit rather overenthusiastic to the point of deeply falling into unpro behaviour (e.g., her being one of the four aforementioned unpros, the fourth being the fellow that was seated with her).
The show's title role lead actor Jonny Lee Miller (called JLM by the crew on set), comes into the tavern, at the bar of which sits Loretta Devine, concerned with a personal predicatment of her daughter's (remember that I do not believe in providing detailed storyline spoilers myself [such generally being readily available Elsewhere notwithstanding], only indications of where I can be seen.)
At the far end of the bar, Jason and I slightly interact, but not much. At specific lines in the scene the bearded Jason was given a cross to and back from the bathroom, as I sit at the bar, nursing a bottle of non-alcoholic beer. The AD setting us up told us the scene was "two pages of dialogue," mock-wearily adding, "seems like five..."
After a rehearsal or two and cameras rolled a take, a different AD (who I suspect may have been higher up than the AD that'd initially placed us), told the two in the booth not to verbalize their conversation; they'd been whispering. Even Jonny Lee Miller pointed it out to the AD, as understandably, it would not only ruin the take but to the principals it would be a huge distraction. After another take in which the two unpros continued whispering, the AD was a bit more stern, telling the two to make no more noise.
With the AD barely having turned away, the two began to whisper. Even though it was between takes, the AD told them to step out (e.g., leave the set). As the two crossed the threshold of the tavern into the parking lot, I could hear the AD's irritated voice directing someone either directly or via his walkie-talkie: "Wrap'em."
Not a good thing (for them). Such a breach of professionalism surely would get back to Central Casting and a major black mark could be placed into their file/s. It is quite possible Central may no longer book them on anything Central books.
Back with the professionals on set, it only took a couple or three more takes, and then the cameras were turned about for coverage. The rest of the bar patron group were placed into booths behind Loretta and Jonny Lee Miller. Prop drinks were distributed, the unpro sending back his bottle, having insisted on less of an alcoholic drink look. Why that guy wasn't fired either puzzled me almost as much as why the propmaster didn't just ignor the arrogant request.
The DP realized the focal length would have the camera seem to be over the boundary of the bar, so Jason wasn't needed for the shot. While initially they set up a small specific light for my face, being in the foreground, it was deemed I wasn't needed either for the shot, so Jason and I sat silently nearby in case we were needed for the next camera set-up. After a few more takes, some more coverage shots were set up, and finally the dialogue sequence was complete.
Crystal was out in the parking lot, seated at a table for a large outdoor dining restaurant scene, which would be filmed after the bar patron group was wrapped, "at 10:42pm." The nearby Red Line had me home by 11:15.
According to its IMDB entry, Eli Stone episode 2.07, titled Help currently is scheduled to air December 09, 2008.

Wednesday December 10 2008
Viewing
I wasn't able to watch live the Eli Stone episode Help the evening it aired, but having had it recorded, I watched it the following night. I was almost glad my momentary appearance was so out of focus; my appearance as Jim Norris in the episode Tailspin not only makes up for it, but there shouldn't be any duo episode recognition ("Hey, that guy was in the bar scene five episodes ago...!").
The scripted end of the scene was omitted: it cut to commercial before Eli departs.


Eli Stone
Season One
(2008)

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