Volume 3 Number 11

Copyright 2007 Phillip Moon

Show: Shark
Date: March 2, 2007
Episode: Porn Free
Location: Santa Susanna Pass

This episode was shot in one of those multi million dollar houses in the Santa Susanna Pass between the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley. Pictures of nudes, a 10 foot fake flat screen television, a pool side bar, and a hot tub bigger than my bathroom helps to make this into the Porn Kings party pad it is supposed to be. One comment by a background actor who has worked real estate was that the place had too many columns, and cheap looking banisters, and, well, just an over all tacky look. Some people with money should maybe by taste to go with it, is all she was saying.

Show: House M.D.
Date: March 5, 2007
Episode: Act Your Age
Location: 20th Century Fox

The first part of the day was spent on Stage 16, where much of the show is shot (15 is the other main stage), after which a large chunk of background were released, and five of us were sent up to Stage 20, where Reba (Reba McEntire's show) was shot. All that was left of her show was a sign.

We spent eight hours on set, sitting, reading, eating, and napping, only feet from where they were shooting, but in the end only two people were used and I was not one of them. Turns out that too many people were sent home, but by the time they were done with us on Stage 20, they didn't need us on Stage 15, so we were wrapped. Paid for reading. How did I miss this 20 years ago?

Show: Journey
Date: March 6, 2007
Episode: Pilot
Location: L.A. Post Office, 4th Floor

This was a good long 13+ hour day. The Post Office building we were working in was a sorting/non-public type office, and like other similar locations, like LAX and City Hall, we needed to have passes to get in and out of the building.

During the scenes shot on the fourth floor, the hero's desk often shifted location depending on where the cameras were put. Sometimes the location shifted as much as 30 feet, and there were three different locations. Now, I know that when this is all put together, and it is viewed, no one will ever notice that the desk has shifted dramatically (this is a drama, so it wouldn't shift comically), but it is still a weird thing to see.

After playing cop for many hours, I became a school administrator/teacher and stood before a group of adoring parents watching children play the piano. The First AD wanted me to be the admin type, but the Director was looking at another fellow for the job. I happened to be standing close, and when the Director pointed out that I had been a cop upstairs and might have been seen, I told him that I had changed into my non-cop costume, and by putting on my glasses, had changed my look completely, just like Clark Kent/Superman. Of course, I put on and removed my glasses while pointing this out, and he agreed to let me do the part. “Look. Up in the sky...”

Show: War at Home
Date: March 07, 2007
Location: Warner Brothers
Episode: The Graduate

This was one of the oddest shoots I've been on in a while. We were shooting the graduation scene in a courtyard nestled amongst some small buildings on the WB lot. The main thing was, the production seemed to be very disorganized. Mostly on the set itself. The craft services were great, and the wardrobe was quick and did fine, but the crew seemed a little confused. On a show that is in production, I don't see this often, so it could have been an untypical day for them. The nice part was, we were out of there in six hours, which was good, because I forgot to put on sun screen.