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Monday, August 12, 2013
Uncharacteristically busy month
Just before lunch working on
The Birthday Boys
down in Fullerton, I got a call from my service that I was booked on Monday on
The Crazy Ones
to play a Focus Group member.
I'd seen the
promo teaser trailer
for it at the cinema, so I already knew
the new
CBS sitcom
starred
Robin Williams
and
Sarah Michelle Geller.
I arrived at 20th Century Fox at 6:30am for my 7am calltime.
As often is the case, the recorded hotline provided crew parking location, which is not necessarily where the basecamp would be set.
In this case, it would have been more practical for me to bus to the Pico entrance of the lot, as it's right by the New York Street set,
near the sound stage
being utilized.
It took me a second to find where we were signing in, as from one aspect it was "behind" a flat.
As I waited, Robin Williams came in and pleasantly said Hello
(later we'd pass each other again, my entering the sound stage from outside as he was exiting, and he was just as polite):
that was the extent of our "official interaction" during the day, as it were, though obviously during the scene he acknowledged all of us.
Having had to walk the entire lot from the Galaxy entrance, I arrived at sign-in at about 6:50, and we were scooted right to set for the scene rehearsal.
(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.)
In the episode, titled
Bad Dad
(at the time),
eight of us view a commercial the ad agency has produced, and the three Day Players give their opinions, whilst we backgrounders mutely signify agreement/s
(there are varied opinions; some of us agree with some, others agree with the others).
The Focus Group facilitor Randall was played by long time character actor
J.D. Walsh.
The episode was directed by
Jason Winer,
who was very pleasant and often funny, and his tech crew were super On It, getting the shoot day complete extremely smoothly.
Everyone was very polite and respectful of the background as well, which was most impressive.
Predictably, it was fantastic to watch up close Robin Williams work his genius comic magic, particularly as he would occasionally add to his lines.
I was already perpared to expect the unexpected from him, and even some of the Day Players confessed there were moments they understandably came close to laughing and had to remind themselves they're part of the scene.
At one point ever Sarah jokingly chided Robin for not providing advance warning about one ad lib he tossed out,
that had her smile so wide and come so close to laughing aloud she was only relieved knowing she was not in that particular framing.
The only downside was it being another project with which we had no advance warning it'd be a Walkaway Lunch, meaning no catered lunch; we were on our own.
When we know it's a Walkaway Lunch, we can be prepared such as bringing sandwiches from home... or money to use the studio commissary
(neither of which I had).
Thankfully craft services was well stocked so I was able to eat.
This was not the first time this has happened
(and I'm sure it won't be the last).
I was a principal on an episode of
The Practice
and no one told me in advance it'd be a Walkaway Lunch, and there was nothing to eat there either except for craft services stuff.
The entire shoot day
(not just the background),
wrapped at five minutes to 4pm, just under eight hours.
We were officially wrapped out at 4:12, giving us a hiccough of overtime to cover our getting shuttled back to the parking structure.
Sadly, being part of the Focus Group, there might be little chance of my returning
(at least probably not this season),
while a few other backgrounders were luckier enough to be informed they would be more regular fixtures, playing office staffers.
Our wrap was early enough that I was able to reconnoiter a nearby location to which I'd be going early Thursday evening, and I bused home from there.
It took me a bit to find the show's
Facebook page
so I could Like it, and now, there you have it
(I shared it with my
Career Progres Group
so, where applicable, they could Like it as well).
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