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Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...
Ruby Sparks

Thursday July 14, 2011
Booked
The day before, I was booked for Monday the 18th on a project I believed was a student film. Mistakenly I neglected to notify my calling service that I was not available, and Friday I was contacted that through Rich King I was booked on the feature film project (at the time titled, He Loves Me since then retitled): Ruby Sparks. I called the information line for the Monday shoot and heard enough to realize it was a Regular Shoot of some kind; I provided my name and number and apologetically relayed my updated-unavailability to do that project.

Sunday July 17, 2011
A long hike ahead
As with most casting offices, the information hotline recording conveys where background is to park, not where one can do directly if one is on foot or coming by public transit. The background parking was the Greek Theatre on Vermont Avenue at the southern tip of Griffith Park, a mile north of Los Feliz, which is the closest spot at which the local 180 and/or 181 bus stops. From there a shuttle would take us to wherever was the base camp. If the recording had indicated where was base camp, I could have been able to calculate my route even better.
I had looked up the title on the imdb, but I couldn't yet be sure if the project on which I was booked was the tv series or the same-titled feature film.

Monday July 18, 2011
Shoot, Day 1
I got ready, showered, and walked a mile to the nearest That Early bus to take me down to catch the 180/181, or the Rapid 780 which is faster and has less stops. I neglected to check to make sure the bus did not pull a fast one as it did (and still does), when I lived in Hollywood: pass by Very Important intersections (like Hollywood Boulevard at La Brea, right by where I used to live), in this case, Vermont and Los Feliz. Instead, the 780 continues on all the way down to Hollywood Boulevard. As it arrived the same time as the 181, I took the Rapid, and it was too early in the morning for me to think to ask the driver if the 780 makes the stop I wanted that the local definitely would.
It turned out that once the 780 passes Los Feliz at Riverside, it continues on all the way to Hollywood Boulevard, giving me an extra half mile to hike to Los Feliz, then the full mile north to the Greek Theatre. On Friday I had been in Hollywood and deliberately did the hike up to the Greek Theatre to clarify the amount of time it would take. So Monday morning, even with the 780 completely screwing up the distance I had to hike, I still arrived at the Greek Theatre at 6:40am for my 7am calltime (the 181 I had not taken arrived at the Vermont/Los Feliz stop as I passed it as it reached the Los Feliz/Vermont stop, as though to drive home the point I could have easily taken that one).
We were shuttled down to the back parking lot to the Masonic Lodge... at Vermont and Franklin. While walking towards Griffith Park, had I glanced to my right as I passed the lodge I'd have seen the production trucks; I would have gone in to ask if they were the production for which I was looking, instead of continuing hiking north on an incline for another 30 minutes.
I waited with a few other backgrounders, which increased in numbers as subsequent shuttles arrived. We were allowed inside, where soon we were met by Patrick Gorman, who'd be our primary Background Wrangler. Patrick gave us our vouchers, clarified the project was the feature film, and with all but minutes to spare, I managed to acquire some breakfast from catering. (Understandably, I was a bit disappointed to learn two performers cast in the film whose work I admire, Deborah Ann Woll and Antonio Banderas would not be utilized those days.)
We went over the wardrobe: the outfit I was wearing was fine, even my jacket/vest.
After a bit, Patrick led us down Vermont at Melbourne, to the restaurant (the same location at which I worked on the rom-com Made of Honor as a taxi driver). As the Los Feliz Theatre lies between the masonic lodge and the restaurant, I was amused the semi-art house happened to be playing the quirky comedy feature Beginners, on which I'd worked and in which I was just visible.

(Remember that I do not believe in providing storyline spoilers myself [such generally currently and/or eventually being readily available Elsewhere notwithstanding], in my report/s I only convey indications of where I can be seen.)

The scene involves the film's lead Calvin (Paul Dano) having a slight altercation with girlfriend Ruby (played by Zoe Kazan, who also wrote the screenplay). She departs hastily, and he rushes after her around the corner; end of "scene" (though the scene itself does continue, beyond around the corner). As my disclaimer above declares, I will not provide specifics as to what takes place storyline-wise in that scene beyond that. As it was it was not until well into the many set-ups and takes that I noticed in the lines an aspect that makes this film sound very compelling (for me to want) to see (as though I wouldn't be seeing it anyway).
I was given the task to come around the corner walking north past their table. Initially it was to be me along with actress and model Emma Zerner, which somehow evolved into my walking and Emma walking on her own shortly behind me. Assistant Director Jeb Barrows had set it that Emma and I were to start walking a twenty-count from action, and Patrick's PA Terrance was to let us know when Action was called so we could start counting. Unfortunately this was never consistent. Sometimes we would only be told cameras were rolling, not that Action had been called, so our start points were sometimes off. As once past the primary focus of the scene, I came to a monitor and noted the framing of the shot strongly implied Emma's and my oncoming approach should be quite visible.
As the day progressed, Emma and I chatted and became friendly, even discussing respective paranormal experiences. We exchanged our information, my also providing her information on The Paranormal View, the weekly radio show I co-host online at Para-X.
Eventually they got all the angles and coverage they wanted, and it was set up to go around the corner to where the two character have gone from the restaurant just before lunch.
After lunch, background "holding" had been set up in the small workers' parking lot behind the restaurant, just off Melbourne. Along with about three or four others, Patrick brought me to the Melbourne/Vermont newsstand as candidates to portray the newsstand vendor. Before coming along, knowing it was a Different Aspect of the scene, I left my jacket/vest at my chair. My having been in the previous aspect of the scene notwithstanding, I was selected to be the newsstant vendor.
Co-director Jonathan Dayton noted I'd been in the previous shot, but Valerie Faris didn't seem to think that made much of a difference, even to clarifying I could retain my glasses, when I suggested I could put on my other shirt and not wear my glasses.
We rehearsed and it was filmed; the two come around the corner, a passing driver briefly addresses them, and they Continue On, after a fashion.
(As previously stated, I won't get into storyline specifics; as I should be so very visible, this amount of description more than should suffice for this report's readers' to spot me.)
At one point, (Paul Dano as) Calvin notices I'm Right There, and did a brilliant reactive Take each time.
By 6:30pm we were wrapped for the day. As the newsstand scene had not been completed, I was recalled for the second day. Initially all of the day's background had been told it was a two-day shoot, but far too late in the day the implication was given that only about a third would be recalled. At the end of the day, only I was recalled; the second day would have all new faces.
Jeb clarified to me I'd be back, and even suggested I ask Patrick for a next-day callsheet. Generally only one reason meant that: "Am I... being upgraded...?" I asked carefully. Jeb hedged a bit as logistically he really couldn't clarify that.
Back at base camp we were officially signed-out at 7pm; ironically I neglected to ask for the callsheet which is uncharacteristic, particular that even Jeb had suggested it.
I walked up to Los Feliz to learn the 180 and 181 buses had been diverted for the day due to the shoot, and there was no End Time for it. I had to re-hike south to Hollywood Boulevard where I caught a 780 back, noting the probability that the next morning, even if the detour was set up again, I could still be dropped close to base camp. Back near where I'd been staying, I was able to connect to the last bus of the evening.

Tuesday July 19, 2011
Shoot, Day 2
The calltime was set for 8:30am, giving me a bit more morning time. Technically I could have taken the bus passing just after 7:00am, but was awake and ready enough (and smartly distrusting MTA), took the 6:40am bus where I caught the 180. This turned off Los Feliz at Hillhurst as expected, and I got off at Franklin and walked to Vermont within five minutes, easy enough to get breakfast about a half hour early for my 8:30am calltime.
Patrick arrived and provided us with our vouchers, took us to wardrobe (who were happy I had all my same stuff from the day before), and soon we were taken to set.
The east side of the street, on Vermont just south of Melbourne, is perfect during much of the morning due to the building providing natural shade. For a different scene of the film, Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan's Calvin and Ruby characters walk north as they converse.
Due to my being the newsstand vendor, I was not required for this sequence, so I hung out, mostly in holding. Eventually I was brought over to the newsstand as they prepared to return to that sequence.
The day before I had met the leads' affable stand-ins Chris Goodman (for Paul/Calvin) and Christina Iacoviella (for Zoe/Ruby). We briefly chatted as the crew prepared for the shot/s. Once everything was set, we broke for lunch.
During the second day I had got to chatting with Ranae Shrider, a stand-up comic who prefers being On The Road than performing "just" in Los Angeles, as L.A. apparently barely pays stand-up comics at all.
Back from lunch, they got more angles and coverage for the scene, and were wrapped that we were signed out again at 7pm. Slightly less overtime, but any overtime is better than being wrapped before eight hours. Plus being into July, the SAG background rates had been raised for its private-sector compensation for labour to 142/8.

Tuesday May 15, 2012
Progress and trailer
Seeing The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this morning in Burbank, one of the coming attraction trailers quickly reflected being what had been titled He Loves Me, since retitled as Ruby Sparks. The trailer had within both aspects of the scene on which I worked, specifically my being at the newstand, so while in the trailer it was a Don't Blink situation, it was noticeably streamline-edited, so I could be more clearly visible in the context of the feature when it comes out (in limited release) 25 July 2012.
Once back home I managed to dig out its makerubyreal.com website, though as of this entry it was not the easiest site to find. Ironically, having linked it from here (my site is well-spidered), the film's site should get higher search-engine results.
As you watch the trailer (which is also embedded below), at about the one minute mark, the instant Paul gets water tossed in his face and he pursues her, the Next Shot shows me on the phone at "my" newsstand, as reflected by the two frame grabs below.

Frame grab from the theatrical trailer online of Geoffrey Gould as the newsstand vendor in ''Ruby Sparks'' Frame grab from the theatrical trailer online of Geoffrey Gould as the newsstand vendor in ''Ruby Sparks''
Frame grabs from the theatrical trailer online; with Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan
at the left, Geoffrey Gould as the newsstand vendor in Ruby Sparks.

Click on either frame-grab for full size image.

Ruby Sparks trailer

Tuesday July 31, 2012
On the big screen
Despite having it on my Countdown page, I somehow managed to miss that five days earlier Ruby Sparks opened, mostly due to it being such a limited release, that the only theatre locally showing it was the Hollywood Arclight (its countdown having reached zero, it is no longer on the Countdown page, btw).
I went to the 10:10am showing, being one of nine paying customers in the building (according to an announcement to the workers just before I went into the auditorium which had two or three other people apart from myself).
The film was wonderful, and my scene/visibility was even a hiccough longer than shown in the trailer.
I went to the Foxlight page for Ruby Sparks and discovered a few things, such as upcoming post-screening Q&A events (had I waited), as well as an online behind the scenes featurette.

Zoe Kazan as Ruby Sparks

Ruby Sparks
[Blu-ray]

Ruby Sparks DVD
Ruby Sparks poster
Ruby Sparks poster

Friday, January 11, 2013
Faulty DVD
I Netflixed the movie and it worked in my Blu-Ray player, but the DVD player on my computer wouldn't play it, beyond the menu anyway. Hitting Play and it just froze up, so I was not able to acquire more frame-grabs than from the theatrical trailer.


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