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Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...

Eli Stone
Episode 212: Tailspin

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 Marty called in that he had one of the two being interviewed, when he and I suddenly realized with a bit of a start that, as though he had suddenly teleported in, 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), in the series story arc itself, recently there was a nasty schism within 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 all but only just sat down when after a few moments Marty entered and announced that I had 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 (original) reports page (which simply listed everything, and since, my reports index page has been broken up into catagories), 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 shoot makes for my fourth gig this November, tying for November 2007's amount of gig titles, albeit a couple of the 2007 gigs were multiple day shoots.

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 at Sony Studios 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 Culver City Studios at 9am for my 10am interview calltime. The security at the front gate were utterly baffled and completely in the dark as to any interviews for any film. Eventually I did get passed through, and I was able to find those with whom I was to check in. It turned out the paperwork would not be provided until 10am, which would take more time filling them out as opposed to having them and having them ready. Shortly before 10am I got a call from my calling service to learn (surprise surprise), my Eli Stone Burbank calltime had been pushed to 12:30pm. Fortunately as I was first, I was seen quickly. Instead of an actual interview, it was more of a Let's See If This Outfit Fits You wardrobe fitting. Understandably, Tim Burton was 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 wardrobe combination that would fit me, photos were taken, and I figured if booked it'd be from being selected from that.
I managed to get a hold of my best friend in the Valley who, having no meetings of her own 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.
Thankfully 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 Red Line Station and she dropped me off at the Disney gates at 12:25pm.
As those in production were made aware by my calling service that 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 holding 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 there was I without funds on me).
When I worked on the Disney lot for Pearl Harbor our meal was catered. Here with a walk-away lunch, I had no idea where to forage for food beyond craft services.
It turned out that the Disney Commissary is right by where was our sound stage, albeit hidden by some distance and by hedges. Unfortunately, the signage of Where's What on one wall was 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 would be seen. For that I simply went 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 me 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. He was off to relax so I didn't bother him (e.g., telling him that I've also happened across and seen a few of his [little known] movies 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 (though obviously not limited to), Desperate Housewives and such. (I was correct in suspecting 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, twenty-two 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 li'l bump $40 extra to my private-sector compensation for labour base rate in thanks for my work.
Sadly the series Eli Stone ended with this second season without renewal, which is a massive shame, and strongly implying the Suits don't like well written and/or uplifting shows.

Friday Febuary 13, 2009
Remaining episodes...?
I looked forward to seeing the finished Eli Stone episode Tailspin, which according to my calculations should have aired around January 20th. Apparently, not so much. While it became well known the great series was cancelled, it would be a worse crime not to air the remaining episodes, though the possibility appears one may have to wait for the second season DVD set to watch what never made it to air...

Tuesday June 09, 2009
DVD release date
Updating a few things I came across the fact that the second season of Eli Stone has been given a DVD release date of August 18th, and was already available for pre-order.

Monday July 06, 2009
Surprise [second] airing
Strictly Background director of photography Bryan Storkel emailed me to let me know he had just seen my Eli Stone episode Tailspin, adding having no idea when it had first run. Any time I'd checked the episode's release date, all it had were question marks. Now "suddenly" its IMDB entry claims the episode first aired on April 22nd, long after I'd surrendered to the final episodes not going to see air-time.
Fortunately as of this entry, the full episode is viewable online at ABC's site. They only used one of the filmed Jim Norris scenes, in which I am first mentioned, and my coverage shot is looking diligently at paperwork. This is at the very top of the episode. Some of the later scene dialog was added to combine the two complaint scenes, so the suger bit was omitted for time. The only other reference are the Jim Norris boxed files being carted off.
As of this entry I was awaiting the season two DVD release from which to acquire frame grabs, though I did reply to Bryan, asking if his DVR recorded version could be burned to a disc for me in DVD-player playable format. If it can and he does, I can have the frame-grabs on the pager before the DVD release.

Thursday July 09, 2009
More scene/s than let on...
During my viewing of the episode, the ABC.com player went goofy, and a back-east friend Paul Havemann emailed me about the episode. When I indicated being in "only one scene," he indicated when he viewed it (having recorded it from its on-air broadcast), the other scene, with the sugar, was in it as well, apparently around the time of the episode when the online player screwed up.

Thursday July 16, 2009
Copy received
As promised, Paul Havemann sent along the Eli Stone episode Tailspin (along with some other video items that he included on the disc as well); frame grabs of my two sequences are below.

Monday June 21, 2011
Video
Finally managing to manage Windows Movie Maker, I was able to edit down the episode into the Jim Norris storyline: my two visible sequences and its epilogue albeit my non-involvement therein.


Jim Norris storyline in Eli Stone episode Tailspin.
Click on thumbnail for full size...
Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin''
First sequence (in the first few minutes of the episode), going through papers.
Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin''
Second sequence (about halfway through the episode), with the sugar and coffee preparation.
Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin'' Geoffrey Gould as Jim Norris in ''Eli Stone'' episode ''Tailspin''
Tasting the coffee; as I'm unfocused one can't actually see my expression of revulsion, but there y'go...

Eli Stone:
The Complete
Second Season

Eli Stone:
The Complete
First Season

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