Int:
The same damn kitchen.
Really, it seems like if we’re not on location in some remote area of Missouri, we’re in this damn kitchen. There are other rooms in the house. No really… There are. We should maybe look in the living room…
And with all the running about taken care of, we move forward with our brand new Marcus. Julian Thomas joins the cast, after one of the most amazing cold reads I’ve ever gotten to watch, and I’ve gotten to watch a lot of them.
Welcome aboard Julian, and thanks to all of those who took the time to email us their headshots and resumes, and read for us.
Is it the greatest shirt in the world?
You damn right it is!
Field tested by the crew and proven to withstand heat, humidity, rivers, glaciers, and old buildings. Probably even fire, biological contagions and speeding tickets. Not only is it a collectors item, it’s a family heirloom.
Never has black and white been so cool. You will be able to make the temperature drop 10 degrees Fahrenheit just by walking in wearing this. Women will swoon, dogs will bark, and birds will sing.
Order one now before they’re gone. Because then you’ll have to wait for us to order more… If you don’t order one, you will be forever marked as uncool. And you don’t want that!
Scene
Int: A turn of the century warehouse in Hannibal
So Saturday we did a casting call, and we’re still reviewing the tapes as of Tuesday night. It’s a tough choice. I have to be honest. I love casting calls. It’s easily the most fun part of the film making process. Some come in, and it’s all business. They deliver their lines, take direction, deliver lines again, and then go on about their day. Others are friendly or funny. Some, when explained who the character is get that “are you serious?” look. And still others are so nervous, you can see there hands shake while they deliver the lines on playback. It’s a fascinating mixed bag. These are the ones I respect the most, and are a reminder that it’s not an easy gig to walk out in front of a bunch of people you don’t know, and just throw it out there convincingly.
We arrived in Hannibal on Sunday, and it was supposed to be a short day, but Maria explained it to the cast pretty well. “When he says two hours, it’s normally eight…” In my defense, it’s really more like six. I knew Sunday’s shoot was going to be a lot of set up. We had to get a bath tub set up, and filled on the third floor, with no water spigot. So bucket after bucket of hot water was brought up on the elevator.
Eric Warrington hops out of the tub, after finishing a scene.
But we got it set up, and we got it done. In between setting up, everyone huddled near the kerosene heater that looked like a jet engine trying to stay warm. Yeah, we were indoors, but it doesn’t mean you couldn’t see people’s breath. Eric had the luxury of sitting in a warm bathtub to deliver his lines, but by the time we got to Rhonda, we had to actually stop and give her time to warm up, so her mouth could form the words without her lips trembling or teeth chattering. She’s a trooper throughout, and we get done exactly as much as I expected to given the long set up.
At 8:00 we wrap it up, and I don’t think much about it. I actually kept waiting for something to happen. A waterline break, the bathtub to go through the floor, an alien invasion, a dinosaur attack, a meteor hitting the building…something. This is us. Lucky isn’t on the menu. But other than us kicking the circuit breaker while trying to run the lights and the heater, and having to find the panel, nothing does.
But come Monday, things are different. We had a nice easy shooting day by my estimate. But Karen tells me that Eric and Rhonda are chomping at the bit to get rolling again. They’re excited! This is a good thing. This is how it’s supposed to work. And now, I can’t wait to get back to Hannibal.
The snow has melted, so I can quit worrying about shooting the exterior shots for winter. At least for now.
Well, I was trying some new plug-ins for the site. One of them being a new stat package. Apparently there was a bit of adware attached to , that gave an annoying nag screen if you attempted to leave the site. It has been removed.
Sorry about that.
I’ll make sure I research any plugins better before installing.
At long last the rough cut of Spring is ready for viewing. It took three days to output all of the edited video, and the run time that I expected to be a little over 20 minutes is actually over 30. I had hoped to get it finished over the holiday weekend, but prep work for Fall had us in Hannibal cleaning out a warehouse, which is exactly as much fun as it sounds.
We now have two areas pretty much prepped and ready for dressing, and a faux wall section to build, but we’re there. Props are being delivered or being made and wardrobe is coming along. Either this is getting easier or we’re getting faster, but everybody is excited about getting started shooting fall. The bright spot of the weekend and Fall, was getting Kelly back to help out, even if it’s just for a few days.
It’s no secret that segment three was the most difficult to cast. The characters had to have the right balance, and because it’s very dialogue heavy, each character had to have a certain presence.
So after recasting, accidents that lead to more recasting, logistical nightmares that still have me waking up in cold sweats, 10 shooting days, and lots and lots of extras, the summer cast is all done. And after all of that, it was completely worth every bit of the hassles and headaches. I’m so very proud of what we managed to get done, and I couldn’t possibly be more impressed with the cast that made it all “real”. The crew is exhausted, but ready to move on.
James and Nichole did their final scenes on Saturday. It was a long shooting day, but the end results are so good, I can’t wait to see reactions. I love watching these two work, for different reasons. Nichole takes an analytical approach to her character. She’s really thought out Madison. I’m sure if I asked she could tell me what Madison’s favorite color and food is. It’s a joy to see the depth and nuance she brings to the character. James on the other hand is spontaneous. He is Gary, or Gary is him. I haven’t decided yet. He puts it all out there, and every take is something a little different. It’s very organic, and it’s very genuine, and every scene with these two, they own.
Benton and Colby did their final scene on Sunday. We had to wait for sundown to start, and it was start and stop for the duration of the shoot, but we knew that was going to be the case, and while we wound up cutting a shot, we got everything done, and I am chomping at the bit to get to edit it all together. Colby is just fun to watch, and I know Benton was waiting for this scene. It took a little bit to get the lead in shot just the way I wanted it, but no matter. I think it helped get them into character. But once we got to the meat of the scene, it was on… a fucked up, gory glorious mess. We had to pack up and move out pretty quick, so I don’t feel like I got to say proper goodbye’s to everybody.
And even though Melanie was done shooting, she showed up to lend a hand. So thanks for the extra set of hands Mel. Much appreciated.
I can’t say thank you enough to the cast, who braved the water and the cold in September, October and November to make it look like summer time.
Now that it’s all over, we gear up for segment three, Fall. A whole new cast, and a whole new location. Indoors. With heat. And electricity. And Plumbing. And no one has to stand in 40 degree water. I almost forgot what those things were like. We’re past the halfway point, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
