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Shooting Day 16
Stardate: It's getting harder and harder to come up with
witty/slightly clever play on words kinda things for the Stardates, when, one would think I would've given that shit up by now for something slightly cool, but no, I will run this into the ground if I have to.
ACTUAL SHOOTING DATE: Saturday, August 13th, 2005
It is with a sense of accomplishment and swelling pride that I type this Directors Log. It's our 16th shooting day in almost 2 years.
I met with my buddy Chad and his family at the house. Keith & Tracy were over at Val's doing her hair for the shoot and getting the equipment, props and things loaded up and ready. Chad and I headed out around 5:30-ish. The phone calls started pouring in from various cast and crew, all making sure we were gonna be cool and get there on time.
We arrive on set. We knew another production shoot was shooting at the same place (its a BIG place) and I find Rocky, the stage manager of the location. We begin discussing details of the sequences we want.
He says that the locations manager for the currently shooting production knows about our little shoot and we should talk to her. Val and I meet up with the ever impressive very cool Lynn, who took us under her wing that night. We told her we didn't want to get in her productions way that night and how thankful we are that they are letting us shoot our little movie at the same time.
She said, "I know where you're coming from, I remember when I was a director starting out and all the things I had to go through." Then she proceeded to do something that amazed me. She asked the name of our production, and she made signs to put up around our sections of the warehouse and the TOTD craft service room. "Tears of the Dragon Area only please. Thank You." Now the other crew would know who we were and not to put equipment or anything there. Very professional.
Rocky also gave us our own make up room and wardrobe room. NEVER had one of those before, unless it was someone's closet. Felt like a semi-professional Hollywood flick.
Eventually, everyone arrives on set. I'm rushing around, greeting actors and crew, most of them old friends, and setting up lights for the first scene. It involves Keith and Gary and Andre. Andre is the biggest man you will ever meet. He can crush you, just by thinking of it. The scene was for them to walk up to get into Chen's outer door and then there's Andre. Chad, Sean Rourke, and Nick Davis got into position as Mercenaries, and we began to film.
Joey was filming second camera and I was filming 1st Camera. (or A and B cameras as they call them in Hollywood.)
I was caught off guard for a bit when I yelled back down the alley way to Joey to roll camera 2 and he yelled back "speeding" which means he was rolling. And I heard this loud voice yell, "Quiet please! Rolling!"
It was Lynn, who was watching us film. Since she was a professional it was cool to hear what I've heard on so many film sets. That loud Assistant Director Voice, getting actors and crew ready and keeping things moving.
The scene turned out fantastic! Andre, Keith and Gary gave stellar, really funny performances.
We set up the scene of Lara watching this unfold from a roof top. Then all of us posed for a group photo and wrapped* Andre.*- this means we finished filming all of his scenes
We realized since we had to move him from the original spot we picked earlier, continuity wise, Lara doesn't have to attack him to proceed. Val was a bit disheartened. She wanted to take Andre out. So Andre got to live. YAY.
But all of this put us way ahead of shooting schedule. Which I made the mistake of announcing. "Wow, we're really ahead of schedule!" Technical difficulties then began to slowly and consistently pour out, slowing us down.
The next sequence was a last minute thing added two days ago.
A tactical car screeches up and a tactical weapons team jumps out, guns ready and begin to sweep the perimeter of the base, searching for Lara.
You heard that right, read it again. Yes it was as cool to film as it sounds. Here was a full on tac team, and it was so wicked awesome to shoot this. How did we get it? Movie magic, one day I will tell you.
Finally this put us on the roof for the gun shoot out, where Lara is killing every mo fo in a three block radius.
Wow. Imagine gun fire erupting all around Lara as she's running and firing her hand cannons in all directions, popping off mercs. Left and right and all over. For the final shot she caps one as he opens the door. Dominic and Catlin, our bad ass make up team, worked up a bullet squib to go off like a bullet hit on someone's chest. Knowing no one else would take this deal for fear of ruining their clothes with fake blood, I took one for the team. It would be fun to die anyway! I get shot by Lara Croft !! YEAH !
Although that isn't my "scene' in fact it will be cut so quick, you won't know it's "me" getting shot. But I've killed off ALOT of bad guys so far, so you have to be creative. I took the hit like a champ.
Then I interviewed Gary and Keith for behind the scenes.
Afterwards we shot the fight scene between Tracy and Val. It's a pretty quick and brutal fight. Sure to get some reaction or cringe for how Tracy dies.
We moved on for pick ups, about an hour late of schedule. But it was fine. We knew we had to get it done. So we wrapped at 5 a.m. again......LOL.
Tomorrow, pick ups for Lara and my cameo scene with my friend Sven.
It was a sincere joy working with each and every one of you tonight. We're making this for the love and passion of making movies. Without you ALL, there is no movie.
Thank you Sean, Jon, Keith, Tracy, Gary, Val, Andrew, Andre, Nick Davis, Joey, Sven, Josh, Chad, Tera, Laura, Sebastin, Dom. and Catlin, Rocky, Austin, Tony, Lynn, Heath, and Quoc.
And a HUGE thank you to Tina for bringing us catering on set. Without, there's no movie cause we would starve.
Until next time,
Keep those cameras rolling......
Nick