|
Friday November 14, 2008
Interview
The previous day I was notified by my calling service of a next-day interview for a gig for
Eli Stone
which, if selected, would shoot the following Tuesday.
Rather than three or more buses per hour, buses to/from the immediate Disney Studios area are only about once an hour.
With this in mind, I arrived at Disney an hour early for my interview calltime.
I found the Stage for which I was looking and inside an AD or PA found for me the correct AD,
Marty Jedlicka.
Over his radio he called that he had one of the two being interviewed, when he and I suddenly realized with a bit of a start that there was another guy just behind me, which turned out to be the second guy being considered.
Passing wardrobe,
Marty
escorted us to the production offices, and told us that the one who was selected would then be visiting wardrobe.
Inside the main production offices, we were taken into an empty conference room which had the uncleared-up remains of a large Chinese Food Lunch.
The sort of character that was Jim Norris was explained to us by
who I would later learn was the episode's director,
Bethany Rooney.
We were to go about the room and improvise that character.
I did not pay attention to the other fellow named Shepard
(with long dirty blondish hair and book-Harry Potter glasses).
I just went to work myself, generally fiddling around the food containers as though they were office supplies; at one point checking a sealed fortune cookie, giving it a puzzled sniff, glancing as though to make sure no one was looking, and deftly pocketed it into my shirt pocket: that sort of busy-stuff.
Jim Norris is a bit fastidious and apparently annoying, and certainly is annoying to Eli's efficient if somewhat short-tempered and easily-irritated assistant Patti
(Loretta Devine).
Being barely a subplot in a single episode, it is not a storyline spoiler to indicate that accountant Jim Norris has rented an office in the same area as Eli's law firm, as
(as I regularly view and I very much enjoy the show),
the series itself has recently had a schism in the law firm
(and over the last few episodes this aspect has already aired),
many of the associates have been poached by the senior partners who've left and formed their own firm.
Most of the offices in the law firm have become all but vacant, so renting out such empty office space is a logical step for the firm to take, and
Jim Norris is one of those renters.
After being observed for a minutes or three we were thanked, and asked to wait in the room.
We'd only just sat when after a few moments Marty entered and announced I'd been selected, and he thanked Shepard for having come in.
Shepard and I filled out our vouchers, he was again thanked and released, and Marty escorted me to wardrobe.
At wardrobe, the woman who saw our being taken to the production offices congratulated me, indicating on seeing Shepard and me passing by, she predicted I would be the one selected.
I put on three different outfits, as there are a couple of scenes with Norris visible in the background.
I notified my calling service that I had been booked on the Tuesday gig, our concurring I would have my details provided sometime on Monday, most likely in the evening.
I'm pretty sure it was Michel with whom I spoke, who also again congratulated me on
the national commercial
I recently shot, to debut during the 2009 Superbowl.
Noticing by my
Reports page,
November
seems traditionally to be my most busy month of the year.
A producer friend feels this could be due to productions finishing up to close down for December and such.
This makes for my fourth gig this November, tying for last 2007's November amount of gig titles, albeit a couple of the 2007 gigs were multiple days.
|
|
Monday, November 17, 2008
Calltime and Another Interview
As it came to pass that my Tuesday calltime would be 3pm, my calling service had me call
Bill Dance
regarding my being Picture Picked
for another casting interview down in Culver City Tuesday morning for
the in-production fantasy
Alice In Wonderland,
and I'd be meeting the film's director, the one and only
Tim Burton.
I checked and the bus schedules did seem as though they would give me no problems, from home to Culver City, even back to my place to be sure I'm up to par, then up to Disney for the Eli Stone shoot by just past 2pm for the 3pm calltime.
|
|
Tuesday November 18, 2008
Bumps, fittings, and the Amazing Race Against Time
I arrived at my interview 10am calltime at Culver City Studios at 9am.
The front gate security force were utterly baffled and completely in the dark as to any interviews for any film.
Eventually I was passed through, and found those with whom I was to check in.
The paperwork would not be provided until 10am, shortly before which I got a call from my calling service to learn surprise surprise: my Eli Stone Burbank calltime was pushed to 12:30pm.
Fortunately I was seen quickly.
Instead of an actual interview, it was more of a
Let's See If This Outfit Fits You.
Tim Burton was understandably busy filming on set, and never came to meet with any of us, and the crew seemed surprised any of us might think Burton would have actually met with us prior to a shoot date.
Finally finding a combination that fit me, photos were taken, and I guess if booked it'll be from being selected from that.
I managed to get a hold of my best friend in the Valley who, having no meetings until later that afternoon, agreed to take me to Disney Studios upon my arrival at the Universal Red Line stop, where it became a major race against time.
As the gods were smiling and I made hairs-breadth connections that normally would not have been the case,
my friend retrieved me at the Universal Station and I was dropped off at the Disney gates at 12:25pm.
As those in production were aware I was en route, and as I was but a few moments late
(and predictably not used until about 2:45pm),
there was no problem.
I received my outfit, and sat in the area with the rest of the background.
While I was waiting, I was not aware that without an announcement
lunch had been called,
and that it was a walk-away lunch (and me without funds on me).
When I worked on the Disney lot for
Pearl Harbor
our meal was catered.
With a walk-away lunch, I had no idea where to forage for food.
Hidden by some distance and by hedges, it turned out that the Disney Commissary is right by where was our sound stage.
Unfortunately, the signage of Where's What on one wall is either upside down or backwards, as where it claimed was the restaurant, wasn't.
By the time I had been able to track down where I could procure food, it was far too late to obtain anything.
At least I know For Next Time the location of the commissary, that it has a good selection of food, and it takes plastic.
Once everyone was back from lunch, PA Andrew Kent retrieved me from the holding area: it was my time to be up.
(Remember that I do not believe in providing actual storyline spoilers myself [such generally currently and/or eventually being readily available Elsewhere notwithstanding], I generally only convey indications of where I can be seen).
First AD
Marty Jedlicka
and episode director
Bethany Rooney
set me up for the Day Four scene.
I was allowed to set up my own business/what to do.
While Patti complains to Eli about me, I can be seen in the kitchen, leveling sugar on a spoon, and testing a clearly repulsive cup of coffee.
Even for shots in which I would not be seen by the camera, I remained and did my business, so when the respective characters glanced towards me, they would see me.
The scene was shot with their coverage, and then a single One Take Wonder take, simply of me doing my entire business, for a cutaway shot.
I was changed out into the Day Two outfit, which in the episode would be the first time I am seen.
I simply go through papers in banker's boxes, while in the kitchen in the foreground, Patti reports to Eli about my annoyances.
At one point
Jonny Lee Miller
(who plays Eli Stone),
came up to say hi, shake my hand and introduce himself, and related he thought my kitchen coffee business was awesomely funny.
He seemed pleased to know I actually watch the series as well.
Again for shots in which I would not be seen by the camera, I stood by so when the respective characters glanced towards me, they would see what I was doing.
Bethany complimented my work more and more throughout the day, and at one point told me she had directed a lot, including
Desperate Housewives
and such.
(I think she was being modest: later at home I
looked up her filmography
and found she'd also directed tons of episodes for numerous TV series:
Boston Public,
Ally McBeal,
22 episodes of
St. Elsewhere,
and seven episodes of one of my favourite HBO series,
Dream On,
and many many more)
When the day was wrapped a little after 6:30pm, Andrew signed me out, I was given a nice li'l bump
in thanks for my work.
I look forward to seeing the finished Eli Stone episode 212: Tailspin.
|