Newsletter
"In the Background"
Volume: 2, Issue: 25
Copyright 2006 by Phillip Moon
Piffy Comments
1.
The flag on the crane is at the bottom of the triangular building. In
reality, it was more into the set, but I wanted you too be able to see
most of the set. A flag is a large cloth (mostly) square/rectangle
often pulled tight over a frame that then is used to block/or reflect
sunlight or set lights as needed.2. The red line on the right represents another flag, held up with stands and lines to keep it from toppling over on cast, crew, cars and BG in that order.
3. The Blue dots are BG actors. Three are inside the set behind a door, and one in a car (the one on the right). The Yellow dots are crew, one inside to tell those behind the door when action is called, the two camera operators and grips with cameras in the red square at bottom, and others. The Green dots are the actors, and the Purple dots are lights.
4. There are more BG who are on the sidewalk by the yellow car, and the Director and Video Village is in the park to the bottom right of the set.
5. The door (behind which the three blue dots and one yellow dot are hiding) has no knob in the inside, only a small nail with which to open it.
6. And to make the space just a little smaller, the Director decided to have the car at top/left back up about 5 feet, missing crew, equipment and BG (in that order). On action, car moves, actor exits door and hits mark at green dot, and blue dots begin their crosses, exits and entrances, making for a very busy space.
Gilmore Girls
November 9, 2006
Episode: ?
Warner Brothers
Normally, while working Gilmore Girls, I do a lot of walking, and to help you get the picture better, I have included a satellite picture. Here is the code to knowing what is where.
- This is the Stars Hallow Church where background are housed. No matter where we are shooting on set, this is where we are tucked away.
-
This is Luke's Restaurant. The white “awning” is really the shades that keep the direct sunlight from washing out the shot.
-
This is the High School.
-
In the center of town is a gazebo, and in the gazebo is the town bell, complete with memorial plaque.
-
Candy shop next to Luke's, and where I spent time in between scenes this time.
-
This is the corner food store owned by the curmudgeonly Taylor Doose.
The unnumbered circle is a
sunshade on
an expendable arm, and though you can't see it, just above the park
(upper left of picture) is Chicago's ER Exterior set.
In this episode, I was
placed in the
restaurant, which was much nicer than walking back and forth in the
sun. I pass by Luke and his daughter while they are talking in this
scene, and might even be seen (Look for my hat). This is a small area
that makes shooting harder. There were two cameras set up to shoot,
which is about six square feet taken up by each. Add the camera crew
(3 for one camera and 2 for the other), 2nd AD, inside
crossing background (3 of us), the tables, chairs, counter, and
actors. Some of the crosses start an inch outside of camera frame and
when you enter, your supposed to look like you've been walking
normally, and a few of the crosses take you so close to camera, you
fear bumping into it.
But that's what we do.
You'll never
notice on the show.
7th Heaven
November 10, 2006
7th Heaven Studios
Episode: Script Number Two Hundred and
Thirty-four
Episode #: 234
Now here's a show that I've
done
before, and I must say, you do get treated well here. 13 years ago,
Aaron Spelling accepted a challenge to create a show that wasn't
Dynasty, Charlie's Angels, or 90210, and produced 7th
Heaven. Last season was going to be its last, but when the WB and
Paramount T.V. merged into the CW, they needed a lead show to fill
the Sunday time slot, and that was 7th Heaven. They asked
the stars of the show (all of them) to take a pay cut, and with the
exception of one, they did. This allowed the network to bring the
show back for its 13th year.
Each time I do this show,
the casting
director at Central Casting warns us to prepare for a long day, and
then I get there and Cathy (the 2nd 2nd AD)
tells us cheerfully that we should be wrapped before lunch. Of
course, we get there at 6:30 am, and lunch is 12:30 pm, and they get
done taping each day by 6:30 pm so that they can come in at 6:30 am
again the next morning. By Friday, they are still getting in at 6:30
am which is just not at all how it is supposed to be done, but when
they say there is no overtime on this show, they mean it.
Today, one of the
background actors
brought his Ukulele. In between listening to very non-Hawaiian songs,
he gave me a history of the Queen of Hawaii, and pointed me toward
famous Hawaiian musicians. Mike (that being his name) was thrilled to
be there, and that's a good thing, given that he drove from San Diego
to Santa Monica. That is a minimum of 135 miles. One Way! Thankfully,
he enjoyed himself. Unless I get paid Union wages, or am given lines,
I will not be driving 135 miles one way for anything that does not
start with Star Trek:***. For that, I might even consider getting on
a plane (shudder).
House M.D.
November 13, 2006
Episode: Needle in a Haystack
20th Century Fox
I have done House often
enough now,
that even the background actors who are regulars know my name, and
that is a good thing. Working on a show that has a medical premise is
especially good when you get up with a twinge in your back, because
there are retired nurses on the show, who can help. By show time, I
was ready to face the day.
We were put in stage 14 for
holding
because stage 15 was set up with snow for the winter episodes, and
much of that snow is smack dab in the middle of where background is
normally held on that stage. Snow happens on some shows because they
take place in parts of the country that haven't figured out that it
really belongs in the mountains where you can drive to it if you
really feel that you want to cavort in it.
There is actually a company that paints
snow onto the huge hanging pictures that make up the background
scenery. These sykes (each of which cost as much as some houses and
all of them more that most cars) are photographs 40 to 50 feet long
and 20 to 25 feet high that have buildings with windows, and trees
and bushes, sidewalks and grass, all of which would have some amount
of snow on them in winter, and this company comes in and paints them
up to look like there is snow on the window sills, trees and bushes,
all of which are flat. Adds a nice three dimensional quality to the
whole thing, and helps convince the viewer that they are looking at a
real building across the way. And they do a nice job.
So how do you get snow to
stay on a
photograph that you do not, under any circumstances, want to damage?
After all, I would not want that taken out of my pay check for the
next 30 years. Well, here's what you don't use. You don't use that
spray on snow that we whip out at Christmas time to spray our trees.
Looks good on a tree that is going into the landfill January 01, but
not on a photograph that will suffer loss of image as you wipe it
off. You also don't use tape and cotton, as tape will pull off the
image the way a bandage will pull the off hair off your arm when you
have to remove it.
So here's the secret. First
you must
make very light snow, and for that you take white plastic sheets
about the consistency of a plastic grocery bag, and shred it into
little pieces. That also makes great snow for the ground and window
sills on the set. Then you get what you need to stick it to the
picture in the hair and beauty section at the local store. That's
right. You buy Dippity Do. That good ol' hair gel that most of us
haven't seen for years. Paint it onto the syke and apply the plastic
snow and it looks like the real thing, and best of all, when the
winter shows are done, it comes off without harming the uber
expensive picture. Mickey Mouse engineering at its best.