alright. Day one is done! WHEW!
Here’s how it went.
I met Allen (my DP) at a little before noon.
We drove to the elementary school we’ll be filming at on Sunday. He went to check out the location and I went inside to give the principal an announcement to make and a small stack of release forms to give to kids who are interested in being in the film. I figured this would help me get more kids for the playground scene. The principal was in a meeting, so I gave the stuff to the secretary. I suggested that they have the teachers make the announcement in class, and she suggested they actually make the announcement over the PA at the end of the day.
We drove up toward Detroit and stopped to get my cousin (who is doubling as a PA and a Boom Operator) for the shoot. It was about 12:30 when we got there. He knew I was coming as I was up there reminding him about it last night. When we got there he was STILL SLEEPING! Lazy-ass! I woke him up, and he got dressed and we left.
On the way, I called my lead and asked if he could get there at 1:30 instead of 2. He said he’d try.
We got the location and started setting up for the various shots, figuring out framing, focus, f-stops, etc.
My lead got there a couple minutes before 2. I breifly discussed the day with him, and looked over his wardrobe options and picked out what I wanted to see him in.
Then extras started showing up.
I was GOING to film the stuff with the extras first, so they could go back to what they were doing, but by after 2:30, we still only had 3 extras!
While I had them sign releases and discussed the scene with them, Allen went to work filming some local life, and got two locals on film and had them sign releases.
I realized I forgot to get some shopping bags for one of my extras to carry, so I sent my cousin to a store around the corner for some bags. He came back empty handed. When I asked what happened, he told me that he went in and had the following conversation with the shop owner:
Dannie: Hi, how you doin’?
Shop owner: Good day to you sir.
D: Hey, um, I was wondering if I could get your help. We’re shooting a movie just down the street, and we need a couple of shopping bags. Could I get two bags from you?
SO: No.
D: uh…. ok… could I get just one bag, then?
SO: No, I’m sorry, I can’t do that.
D: Oh, alright. Um… how about if I buy that pair of socks, then I can get the back you’d put the socks in for me.
SO: No, sorry. Get out now, please.
…….. wow… so, apparently you can’t even get a BAG in Detroit!
Our first taste of Murphy’s law came when the battery in Allen’s truck died! Had my cousin call AAA and they came out during our shoot.
When 3:00 rolled around and we only had 4 extras, I told those that were there that I’d start by filming the stuff with just our lead to give other extras a little more time.
We shot all the stuff with just the lead. A couple of the shots we needed took a LOT of takes. We had one shot… a close-up of the lead’s work ID falling to the ground… that took almost 20 takes. Stupid gravity!
One of my cooler shots… an ECU of the ID with a mirror in the back out of focus, and racking focus to the mirror with the lead’s reflection in it… too FOREVER to set up! First we had to get the mirror in the right spot, then put the actor in the right spot, then the id… by the time we got the angles JUST RIGHT, it started getting really cloudy! I didn’t want to take the time to set up lights (because we’d need to find a building that would allow us to run stingers from) so we got out a reflector, I pulled an actor and had me and him hold the reflector and we waited a little bit for a small break in the clouds . It worked, it just took a while!
In theory, I was going to have about 20 extras. By the time I needed them, we had 5. See? It’s a good thing I tried to get way more than I actually needed. Tommie Green (CEO and director of Whitewood Entertainment), who was one of my extras today and has a speaking role later in the shoot, asked why I needed so many extras for the scene. I answered, “I don’t! But I need SOME extras. I figured I should get way more than I need because most won’t show”. So, there apparently are instances I actually know what I’m doing!
We did a little blocking planning for each of the extras, and the lead, and the DP. It seemed though that with 5 people only, it wouldn’t be enough. Then a newlywed couple walked by, and the husband jokingly asked, “Hey, can we be in you’re movie?” He stopped laughing when I answered, “Sure, actually, I need a couple more people!” They signed a release form and stuck around to help for the scene on two separate takes. I took their place myself when they had to leave, because it took 4 more takes before we got it just right… and even then there were a couple in the front door of the building we were in front of who stood there staring watching the whole thing… so we had to do one more take! BAH!
We shot the last angle I needed and then I told everyone, “Ok, time to get you fed!” But most decided they had to get out soon, so most of my money stayed in my wallet, and I only had to feed 3 people besides myself. Rock on!
Then, my DP and I went around downtown. He took the camera, and gave me an audio recorder. He collected various footage while I gathered wildsound.
Then we went home!
All in all, a pretty good day (not PERFECT, but *shrugs* what can I expect when so far I’ve only spent $50).
Day #2 will be Wednesday morning at Cafe Classics in Monroe. If any of you in Monroe reading this want to be an extra, we’ll be arriving and filming from 8am to 11 am.