Volume 3 Number 02
Copyright 2007 Phillip Moon
Show: Las Vegas
Date: November 29, 2006
Episode: haraoh 'Nuff
Location: Santa Monica Airport
At 6:00 AM in the morning, I was standing just outside the Santa Monica Airport waiting to sign in with the AD on Las Vegas. This was a cold, windy morning, and I am beginning to remember what the whole layer thing is all about. Alas, when you come to set in wardrobe, layering is not always a choice, and the only thing I had to add to the black suit I was wearing was a gray fleece hoody, for added warmth. Wardrobe were down with the suit, but not with the hoody.
I don't often get to wear my black suit, and this time, I was also wearing a white shirt, which is even more unusual. You see, today, I am playing a Limo Driver for Ed Deline (played by James Caan). So how do they set this scene up? They have James Caan drive up to the jet on the tarmac, and I open the door for Delinda Deline (played by Molly Sims). I help her out, and as the couple head to board the privet jet sitting close by, I get the luggage and load it onto the jet behind them. For this, I am called a Limo Driver. By that definition, someone who makes your taco at Taco Bell, should be called a farmer.
This scene was the first one shot. Inside of an hour or so, I had done that for which I was hired, and hoped that they would just send me home. I was very visible in the scene, and they could not use me anywhere else in the shoot that day, so naturally, I was wrapped at 5:42 PM with everyone else. For seven hours, I sat in holding, outside in the cold and watched jets, choppers and airplanes take off and land. Almost the only entertainment we had was talking and watching takeoffs and landings. We especially enjoyed watching a student pilot doing his touch and go's. If we had numbered signs, we would have held them up as he made his landings and takeoffs. He started off with 4.0's and increased to solid 6's before his class time was up.
Of course, Santa Monica is a working airport, and that meant that takes had to be put on hold for jets landing, taking off, and parking near the set. After all, even James Caan can't hold his own against the sound of a jet engine at full throttle.
Show: Without a Trace
Date: December 1, 2006
Episode: Eating Away
Location: Warner Brothers Studios
After several days of cold, I was prepared, and the call was for pedestrian with New York winter wear. T-shirt, shirt, suit and my trench coat. So naturally, it was warm today. The set dressers put snow on the ground, on walls, cars, fences, and anywhere else it would stay. They had large bags of powdered ice, and use them liberally. All to make the scene look like New York in the winter. It's funny that it really works. It even tricks the mind, and helps to keep you from frying. At least, psychologically.
Parking for background at Warner Brothers is now at Gate 8, on the back side of the lot. You must park at Gate 8 and cross the street to Gate 7, where you enter and head to set. You will note by the map below that the bright Green line on the map is the most direct path to Stage 8/Wardrobe, where we were to meet for check-in.
When I got there, I took the path that is in the red. In short, about three times the distance needed. Then we went to set (follow the blue line), and followed the same path to get back to Stage 8/Wardrobe.
At the end of the night, twelve hours later, I followed the purple line to Gate 7, only to realize that I had left my wardrobe at Stage 8, so back I went. The bright yellow line is the last line I took to get back to my car from Stage 8. As you can see, I got lost. All of this on top of walking all day on set. This is one of the best arguments for personal GPS devices that has ever been presented to me. Believe me when I tell you it is on my list of near future purchases.
Show: Insatiable
Date: December 5, 2006
Episode: Pilot
Location: Pickwick Ice Rink
Way back when, I came to this ice rink to work on ER. Early in the morning before the sun had found its way into the morning sky. Darned that's poetic. Scientifically wrong, but poetic. So, before the earth rotated, putting the sun in the morning sky, I was standing at the omelet bar getting my daily dose of cholesterol.
There are two parts of this facility that shows use, and this time as last, they were going to use both. The ice rink and the banquet hall. The banquet hall, however, has been turned into a small gambling establishment complete with tables, wheels, and slots, and I am one of the two pit bosses.
The show is about addictions, and is a comedy. Andrea Martin (whose voice has been heard in such animated adventures as Duckman, Batman, Earthworm Jim, Superman, Jimmy Neutron, and Kim Possible) is one of the leads and the focus of this episode, as a woman whose addiction to gambling is enough to keep her glued to the slot machine despite the near demise of a family member one slot over.
During our time on set, I spent some of it talking with the 2nd AD, and one of the topics was about a background actor who, at one point in our conversation, was asleep with her head tilted forward and her hand on the slot pull. There had been close to ten minutes during the prep to shoot, and she had simply gone lights out. The AD said that he had already had to wake her up once in holding and twice on set. The 2nd 2nd, who was in the conversation, said he had had to awaken her twice himself. Mike (the 2nd AD) motioned to a background actor sitting next to her to wake her up, when picture was called.
The one other thing that happened was another running event through the shoot. Just as the Director was calling for places for the first take, one of the background gals playing a waitress, managed to tip a near full wine glass (with white grape juice subbing as wine) on to Him. Now if she had stopped there, it would have been enough. It's not every day you get to pour faux wine on the Director and stick around to compound the damage, but this gal had managed to get herself into the shot in just such a way that she was in for the long haul. So when she dropped a second glass during a take, and it shattered on the carpet, nice and loud, the prop guy suggested hot glue to keep the glass on the tray. And just after I made the note about the first two incidents, whoops, she did it again. During a take. The glass shattered. Again. The first AD suggested nailing the glass to the tray and the tray to her hand. He was kidding, I'm sure. Maybe. And she claimed to have experience waiting tables. Thank goodness she wasn't driving a car.
Oh, and on the up side, I finally found a slot machine I couldn't loose at. Every pull, a guaranteed winner. Now that's the way to play the slots.
Show: Shark
Date: December 6/7, 2006
Episode: Wayne's World
Location: 20th Century Fox
James Woods seems to play well with others on set. During the space between takes, he will banter with co-stars and guest stars alike, keeping the set light. At one point he had the Director caught up in one of his tales, waiting to start the take until James was finished.
The guest on this show is Billy Campbell (who has done multiple episodes of Dynasty, Crime Story, Once and Again, The O.C., The 4400, and Moon over Miami.) In this episode, Billy plays a twisted serial killer who chooses to defend himself in court against the mighty Shark. Look for rematches with Billy and James in future episodes, and be prepared to be creeped out, because Billy plays a truly sick serial killer (is there any other kind?).
On the first day of this two day shoot, we had cell phone troubles. In the last year and a quarter of doing background work, I have not heard this many background cell phones go off, and every single one of them during a take. The first cell phone went off during a take, and the owner was able to kill it quickly. May not have ruined the take. Number two was backstage during the take, and the owner was on set, so it went until it passed on to voice mail. The third phone decided to self dial, and during one of James Woods impassioned speeches, this background actors phone starts reciting the number it was trying to reach, at full volume. James was good enough to laugh it off and said that he needed another take on that speech anyway. The last two were also back stage, and during takes.
And here's a job I wouldn't take on a dare. One crew member was in the cat walks, 40 feet up, walking on a 4X4 with one hand rail (a 2x4) and a safety line. Had me looking over my head all day.