Thursday June 17, 2010
Return to the Crowne
I got a call from my calling service that Carol Grant had gotten me booked again on Larry Crowne for the next day... a 6am calltime in Burbank. Checking with the MTA trip planner, apparently I Couldn't Get There From Here, as it were, and it seemed I had a long near three hour hike ahead of me.

Friday June 18, 2010
A quick cross to bear
It took some doing but just before turning in I was able to deduce that instead of my initial concern of walking over eight miles to the location in the pre-dawn hours to make it in time, the first 183 Magnolia bus heads to there just past 5am... Unfortuntely, its starting point was North Hollywood station. Thankfully the first two Orange Line buses get to NoHo station just in time, so I hiked a little over two miles to catch the first, and waited the half hour for the 183, which while ten minutes late, still got me to where I was going: close enough to the Burbank MetroLink station, only a few hundred feet from which was base camp. I was a half hour early for my 6am call so was able to have a nice hot eggs/bacon breakfast. Getting home was far easier as the Burbank MetroLink station starts various bus lines that head west across the valley, from which heading back to my place was substantially less stressful.
Playing a UMART worker, I was given a white polo shirt with the logo, as well as propped with a UMART employee name-tagged lanyard. Everyone with cars drove theirs to the Burbank KMart, the exterior of which was used.
For the day, my most main bit was crossing to enter the store as Tom Hanks worked retrieving parking lot shopping carts: it was a single take.
Later, with only two or three takes, while just inside the store I refill some free-publications at the front and head in; I've no idea what was being filmed outside.
While we were wrapped when lunch was called, were not invited to nor were we provided lunch, however many of the background suspect we may be owed a meal penalty. There was talk of some of us being recalled for Monday, albeit in Long Beach. I got confirmation thereof as I approached my door, and that Sunday I could retrieve the calltime and location information.

Sunday June 20, 2010
Generosity of friends
On learning my Monday morning Long Beach calltime was 6am, I began extrapolating how to get there, but seemingly the earliest that public transit could get me there was nearly 7am. While for a time it seemed my option would be to take the latest transit the night before (getting me there around 9:30pm Sunday night), and waiting for 6am. I bused to my storage unit and retrieved my large folding chair in which I could wait.
I put out a Help Request, as it were, on my Facebook page for anyone who might live in that Long Beach area. It was suggested that I contact my frieds in San Pedro. While not surprisingly they accepted my request to sleep on their cough, it was equally serendiptious as John works literally about a mile or two from the same KMart at which we'd be shooting! He didn't mind driving me to get me there by 6am, so I bused down to their place (which in itself is always nice as they're super great friends, have four cats [all of whom made appearances, not just the two that tend to hog the spotlight], and still fostering the adorable, affection-demanding little dog Matisse).

Monday June 21, 2010
Leadership promotion
(Both mornings), John got me to the Crew Parking at 5:50am for my 6am calltime. Amusingly, the "shuttle to the location" drove us halfway across the parking lot behind the store/s (a Lowes and the KMart) to behind the KMart.
We were signed in by Jeff Hubbard, and those store workers from the Friday shoot were brought to wardrobe. I was provided red polo shirt, notified I was now a Team Leader. Another backgrounder, Victor, had the same thing, so we joked that over the weekend we'd each been "promoted." My name tag now read David, while Friday it was Tim.
(Remember that I do not believe in providing storyline spoilers [such generally currently and/or eventually being readily available Elsewhere notwithstanding], I only convey indications of where I can be seen.)
(Also throughout certainly Monday there was tons of Behind the Scenes footage being video taped.)
Eventually we were brought into the store where much of the time we waited in a closed-off aisle tightly packed with tables and chairs, the latter on which we were allowed to sit at which to wait. The first thing shot was a pre-store opening team meeting in which the manager helps wind up the already pretty energetic workers before the store's doors open for the day. This was a series of steadicam shots going around the permimeter showing each of the principals' lines, and our dispersing to start the work day. The next shot was closer on the manager, another was from the manager's POV (point of view), et al, finishing with a rising crane shot. As several of the background were set behind the inner circle, due to the steadicam, each of us were pretty visile in playback (there were several monitors visible from an unobtrusive distance, so nearly all in the team circle could see the playback Tom Hanks checked).
Watching Tom Hanks work both as an actor and as a director is like watching a big kid in a candy store. He keeps things fun and light while still highly professional and efficient. Tom would wander over to Barry Sobel, who portrayed Umart custodian "Cubby," at one point wondering why Barry would be wearing work gloves to mop and/or dust the floors. Barry was very interactive with everyone, so when Tom walked back to the group, I pointed out to Barry that, as my first job in high school was sweeping in a factory, such gloves prevent blisters from using a wooden handle for eight or more hours. After the next or so take Tom wandered back to chat with Barry, and Barry called me over (technically introducing me to Tom, though mostly it was just indentifying me by name and my origins, and that I knew the answer), to explain to Tom the answer to their conundrum of janitorial work gloves...
One sequence in which I was placed I may be a bit of a blur, as Tom's title role Larry walks through the store. They set him on a camera-dolly of sorts, so it could maintain a close-up. While next to him were two backgrounders also walking (actually walking), Tom may appear to be gliding along like a Dalek.
At one point some b-roll (or maybe even second unit), chose a few of the shopper backgrounders, a store worker backgrounder and myself for a shot of us in a small clothing section. The shoppers milled about, whilst I was set right smack at the camera, as I sort through some pants I'm hanging up on a rack, then depart back into the section and off. If the shot is used, I figured this is great that not only would I get a fantastic close-up in a major motion picture, but as I turn away from camera, a friend who cannot spot me as background on screen, will recognize me as on screen she really can only recognize the back of my head.
Halfway through the afternoon, my friend John called me to inquire if I would need to stay another night, offering me their sofa again and morning drive to set Tuesday morning. I'd only just learned that indeed I was recalled, so I accepted; John retrieved me and I spent another pleasant evening with my friends.

Tuesday June 22, 2010
Up close and personal
Much of the morning was filmed in the small "cafeteria" in the store's front corner. Technically there were two aspects to the scene; one with the manager having a meeting nearby, and the activities in the cafeteria. The meeting's close-ups and coverage was shot first, then the workers came into the cafeteria. The manager departs the activities for the meeting, so coverage was shot so we could be seen in the background, as well as omitting us from the shot to show the manager's arrival at the nearby table.
During the shots in which we would not be seen, understandably we would stop our movements and go silent for the dialogue scene to play out. Ironically and most amusingly, during these silent bits, after a few takes, director Tom Hanks standing amongst us began goofing around albeit quietly almost more than anyone else as we waited; he mimed dancing and celebrating, etc. I don't think he was actually attempting to make anyone laugh, though several of the female principals joined in and mimed dancing as well, but most if not all of we backgrounders were elite backgrounders, and enjoyed watching the antics pleasantly but we generally remained silently still.
We filmed the cafeteria activities scene and its coverage until lunch was called.
While in holding I fell in with new-to-the-shoot Mike Icenogle (a Umart white shirt), and D.N. (playing one of the two store security guards). As far as Adult Swim style pop culture goes, these two beat me by lightyears, enjoyed by myself and New-Day Shopper backgrounder Mary Pham. It turned out the two men who'd never previously met watch all the same surreal TV shows and could easily quote countless lines and routines, even out of context of which were hilarious. As I did not bring a camera to set, with his cellphone Mike took a photo of my outfit. On her recorded information hotline Carol Grant stressed that Tom Hanks was posting photos on his Twitter account, which clarified the director was not after any real amount of "secrecy." I honoured not taking a camera to set, and I don't have a Smart Phone (yet), hence Mike sending me the photo of me wearing an outfit similar to Tom's... not a spoiler as the films star, director, producer and co-writer is already making them public. I even have the photos Tom made public visible below...
With the tables and chairs from the day before placed out on the floor for shots, the recliners the day before we were not allowed to use... we now were allowed to use. Of the Indoor Holding as we called it, PA Jeff took a photo of us which he later graciously emailed to me.
Around 4:30pm or so the background store workers learned none of us were recalled for Wednesday. I notified John, and thanked them for their hospitality (and that I owe'em a dinner).
Our day ended, wrapped at 5:30'ish and signed out just before 6pm, with what I deduced as a Team Building exercise bit. I am not in the shot, "but pivotal" to it; we were qeued up to do a fire-brigade sort of line; I was around the corner as the Very Start of the line, tossing in large size pillow'y type fishes, which are sent down either as the Team Building, or just everyone working together to get done some inventory counting. After four or five takes we were done, de-propped (name-tag lanyards and shirt button/stars were props, not part of wardrobe).
Usually I come across someone from whom I can acquire a lift home, but everyone with whom I interacted lived remarkably close to the shoot! Mike offered to drop me at the closest Metro Blue Line a mere four miles away, which helped get me home by about 8pm.

Friday July 16, 2010
Tom keeps [us] updated...
According to Tom Hanks's latest Tweet: "Putting in temp music and loop lines for a 1:43 rough cut. Go, Larry CROWNE!"
Not a bad trim, considering July 12th he reported previously: "Editing continues. Latest cut is 1:51 long. No credits. More to be done. Hanx http://twitpic.com/24rfn4"

Friday June 10, 2011
New Trailer
Tom Hanks was a bit taken aback that the updated "LCrowne trailer that has been deemed "web only." Huh? Wha'? Okay. Hanx."

Tom Hanks on WhoSay
Larry Crowne trailer

Friday July 01, 2011
Review
The U-Mart scenes on which I worked omitted notwithstanding, Larry Crowne is an entertaining li'l Comedy and Rom-Com; funny while realistic, one wonders where Larry's career will go after the film. Will he return to U-Mart with his new economy (and communication) skills to be management, start his own career, stay at Frank's Restaurant, or what...?
Not it never hurts my enjoying a film to see as a principal cast member a British Doctor Who veteran actor (doing her flawless American accent as she's demonstrated before), but I was aware of this from the earliest trailer/s. The film is also populated by various TV actors I like, such as (as Larry friend Frank), Ian Gomez (of Cougar Town); as Julia Roberts' bra-enthusiast slacker husband, Bryan Cranston (of Breaking Bad et al); but the main film-stealer is the awesome George Takei as economics professor Dr. Matsutani.
Hopefully the U-Mart scenes that were filmed will be included as Bonus features on the DVD and/or the Blu-Ray.

Monday October 03, 2011
DVD release date/s
Received word from Amazon that the Larry Crowne DVD and/or the Blu-Ray release date was November 15, 2011.

Larry Crowne [Blu-Ray]

Larry Crowne

Saturday December 24, 2011
Anti-DVD marketing
Often before purchasing a DVD, even one of a film on which I've worked, I generally rent that title via Netflix as I did for Larry Crown, to check out the Bonus Features to clarify whether to spend the money with which to purchase it.
I received it this date entry.
The Larry Crown DVD Review [sic], at collider.com, reports, amongst other things: "The DVD comes packaged with all the non-HD video and Dolby Digital Surround you've come to expect from that format, along with a handful of deleted scenes (none of which you'll remember immediately upon watching them), a 'Making Of' featurette, and another featurette ominously titled 'Fun on Set,' which I'm guessing falls under my mother's definition of the word 'fun' (a behind-the-scenes featurette that shows off Hanks doing blow and beating up hookers: that's what I'm waiting for). Film runs about an hour and forty minutes, and I give it a recommendation as half-hearted as the film itself."
In another article, titled If someone tells me a film sucks, I have to see it from the UK The Guardian, its author stresses, regarding the title: "There is an opposite side to this coin. This is when you are pressured into seeing a 'heartwarming' film that has impelled an entire planet to get out their handkerchiefs – and you end up hating it. This has happened to me repeatedly, most recently with Larry Crowne"...
And literally, in that article that's the only reference to Larry Crowne! The paragraph continues regarding a secondary film he saw, and never another word about Tom Hanks' film.
Why am I pointing out these "seemingly" negative articles? Because the Larry Crowne production went to the trouble and additional cost to create two versions of the DVD: one for purchase, and one for rental.
And the rental DVD gleefully points out that one can only access the bonus features by having the purchased DVD version...! That's right: I could not access any of the three "bonus features" for which the rental DVD even has a menu! The menu is there for the express purpose of Nyah Nyah Nyah'ing those who paid money to see/rent it, that such Bonus Features exist, but You Are Not Allowed To See Them.
Talk about anti-promotional and anti-campaigning.

Larry Crowne [Blu-Ray]

Larry Crowne

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