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Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Submission and Offer
A day or three after submitting for this project via
nowcasting.com
I received a page and
(after a little phone tag),
was in contact with its Second AD
Mark Frank
who offered me to work background on the then-cryptically titled USC student film
Chicxulub
(pronounced
chicks
a loob).
Mark related some of what I knew: it will be a night shoot Saturday night June 4th at Warner Bros. backlot, on their New York Street.
I had submitted for this particular scene of two as the nowcasting listing implied the other scene
(that I'd have wanted to do)
was to be filmed another night, but Mark indicated that after the street scene, they'd be moving to the hospital set used for the TV series
ER,
so while the whole shoot would run from 7pm'ish to about 4am, most likely the street scene would wrap first.
The scene would involve a number of people
(of which I'd be one),
coming out of a movie theatre and witnessing a car accident.
Mark didn't indicate the accident would be filmed during this time: it is probable it will be our reactions to seeing it occur.
They would be using a long rain bar so, shades of my working on
The Man Who Wasn't There,
it'd be back to wet-work again, though while we may get a bit damp to wet, I surmised we might be under the theatre marquee.
Mark also informed me a tidbit of which I was
not
previously
aware.
The film's writer/director,
Malona Voigt,
was being mentored by
Wolfgang Peterson,
one of the better directors, whose work I greatly admire.
I also informed Mark that, as they'd be using the
ER
set, that for the movie patron I could be a bit scruffy
(and wearing my hat),
then once that sequence is wrapped, I could always shave and don my
Doctor outfit, and be another body for that scene.
It would be very unlikely anyone who didn't already know me would be able to notice someone being in two scenes as two entirely different people.
Mark indicated liking the idea and would impart it to the director.
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Friday, June 03, 2005
Information
Emails were received from Mark, as well as the film's costume designer
Sharon Williams,
reminding what colours Not To Wear, etc.
Mark emailed more directions as to where to meet when, etc., and what sticklers Warner Bros. security would be.
I've had that problem with them before, as occasionally the mentally challenged "security" guards seem to believe that the United States government is not a valid agency from which to issue passports.
I did a bus pass, and while I was already aware I'd have no problem getting there, getting
home
would be another issue.
Even if we went all the way to 4am, the first bus back Sunday morning wouldn't be until after 7am.
If I could not find anyone who lives at least relatively close to me, it would be a long hike...
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Saturday, June 04, 2005
Shoot
As always, I got there a bit early; Warner Bros. security didn't give me much trouble this time.
I was given directions to the street location.
The marque listed not only the movie which our lead would be attending, but also listed a matinee for
Das Boat
(as a Wolfgang Petersen in-joke).
Malona Voigt later explained to me the reason it had to be Das Boat instead of
Das Boot
was due to legal reasons.
(Understandable.)
It was an easy enough shoot, though staggeringly ambitious.
The crew was immense and thankfully pretty actor-friendly.
The rain bar was tested and eventually we were placed.
After a few rehearsals we did a few takes.
Originally I exited the theatre and headed to screen right and off.
Eventually it was my coming out, seeing the rain, and making a cell phone call as though not having expected the rain and trying to get someone to come pick me up.
The next major shot was our watching paramedics placing the car-struck girl into an ambulance.
This took a few takes; they drive off and we disperse, as a rising crane shot looks down at us.
Being on a backlot a few of us were not surprised to spot a couple of raccoons wandering about, clearly using the empty facade buildings as their home/s.
I was thanked for staying to play a doctor for when the parents arrive at the hospital, though only one take really had me near the entry way.
Mark Frank had offered me a ride home, so I waited and all was wrapped by near-dawn.
Mark accepted my contact information and even offered to do up my demo reel when I'm able to transfer my stuff onto DVD.
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Thursday, September 15, 2005
Credit where credit is due
Upon arriving home from my fourth day of work on
Garfield 2,
Malona Voigt had emailed us with the current list of credits, requesting any corrections.
I replied as she had my Full Legal Name, where my screen name generally only uses Geoffrey as my given name, not Geoffrey Lawrence
(as I'd put on legal documents).
I also reminded her to keep us/me informed as to screenings.
I checked out the official
Chicxulub
movie site for any updates.
It took a minute or three for it to start up, as at the time I only had dial-up.
There were a lot of photos, but as the site was
FLASH
driven no photos thereon can be right-click saved.
It was already indicated
(from and on the site)
that the site also needed a bit more um... updating.
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Somehow I managed to neglect to enter the information of the screening, which was held at the USC Norris Theatre Auditorium.
Malona had our DVD copies with her at that time, and the film was very well received.
Understandbly the girl in the rain was the main focus of the shot, so I am just barely visible beyond, on the cell phone under the theatre marquee.
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