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Monday June 29, 2009
Shoot: Day One of Two
I arrived at the CBS studios at 7:50 for my 8:30am call.
I was shown how to find the sound stage
21-B
I sought, and found my way to holding where there were several people already waiting.
Pleasantly enough, there was a breakfast waiting.
Giovanni Cotto
signed us in, from which we went to wardrobe.
My outfit was declared great, so I had no need to worry either about changing to my alternate jacket, or taking something of wardrobe's.
There were about fifty or so background, thankfully all rather friendly; during the day I fell in with a few such as lawyer/mediator
Annie Carey,
Frank Jackson of
Artistic Resources,
and
(a when-younger Mary Stuart Masterson-resembling)
Ridley,
et al.
Jesse Heiman
(with whom I've worked before),
also was in attendance, confirming that Chuck indeed will be returning for another season
(Jesse joined Frank and Annie and me at the pricey studio commissary for the Walk-Away Lunch).
Other exemplary PAs included
Julian
and
Lon,
the latter of whom impressively even respectfully continued to refer to us as Background Artists.
During the day I was also able to promote the
Strictly Background
upcoming July 17th
screening at SAG.
We were all told we were attending an awards ceremony, which turned out... not so much.
In actuality the scene was an on-campus meet-and-greet book-signing party.
The book
(What's the Matter: The Molecular Nature of Chemistry)
author is campus professor
Dr. Benjamin Larsen, played by veteran actor
John Rubinstein,
who during the scene meets series regular Rusty
(Jacob Zachar),
who hopes Larsen may sponsor his project.
(Remember that I do not believe in providing storyline spoilers myself [such generally currently and/or eventually being readily available Elsewhere notwithstanding], I only convey indications of where best I could be seen.)
I do not know the series enough to comment much "anyway."
Annoyingly, while Greek is available on DVD, it is not available on Netflix.
During the scene the background artists did many crosses, some were having books signed, others were sitting, standing, etc.
99% of us had a drink in our hands; red or white wine
(grape juice),
and some with smaller glasses which could have indicated liquor, though the most subtle touch was the trick they used with "ice."
Often on sets, floating plastic ice cubes are used, so they do not melt.
Here, they used a bit of crumpled Cerran wrap,
still accurately resembling non-melting drink-ice...!
Between takes we were to put our drinks on a table at a specific spot so we'd retrieve the same glass when brought back to set, to maintain continuity.
At one point I was not amongst the very first back to the prop table, at which point I noted someone had taken my specific drink.
I had started with a wine glass but before shooting it was swapped out for a small drink glass, at which point I noted how they created the fake ice.
But the drink had been taken by someone else, leaving me to carry a white-wine glass.
Most of my stuff was crossing and a few standings, including but not limited to a few bi-locations and/or teleportations
(depending on the editing and how in-focus I am in some angles).
We knew in advance we were all being recalled for the next day to complete the scene.
It was hinted it would be done relatively quickly; that the next day could be a short day, which isn't really a bad thing, considering how tired was everyone from standing and walking so much.
We were wrapped at 8:30pm, giving the SAG folk eleven hours
(three hours overtime; no meal penalty);
the non-SAG folk were not wrapped at 8:30.
I missed the eastbound Ventura bus by mere seconds, getting me to the Red Line in time to Might As Well take the arriving train to North Hollywood to have a seat in which to relax.
Had I simply waited at Universal Station for the next
(eastbound);
train, I'd have had to stand another twenty-five minutes or so.
I called the info recording and learned the next day's calltime was 8:00am.
Interesting.
That should mean we get paid for a turn-around
(e.g., calltime being less than twelve hours from being wrapped).
However, this morning the SAG rep was there, and conveyed that while the new actor-hating "deal" had "upped" our SAG rate to $134 for eight hours (e.g., $134/8), this was still a cable show and the new aspect of a new actor-hating "deal" had not been complete, so we were stuck with the old $130/8 rate.
I checked the new booklet about the turn-around and to my dismay... it wasn't there.
I would be very non-plussed if SAG had given away that as well.
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