Until yesterday I didn't think about the guys behind the scenes, and all the work that goes into making these movies. I didn't give two shits about about the people in the background, or the random crowds. I didn't give one shit! Who really thinks about the extras? I sure didn't. Until yesterday that is.
When I think about a Hollywood actor all that comes to mind are the sweet trailers, buffets of food, assistants and hookers. That couldn't be further from the truth. For the extras anyway. The headliners get all the special treatment. I saw Ed Harris and Julianne Moore standing at a podium on set with a nice little Asian guy holding an umbrella to block the Sun. And he held that umbrella right up until the director said, "ACTION!" Meanwhile, the 300 plus extras stand baking in the heat with one guy walking around with a bottle of sunscreen.
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Like I really needed another reason to love The Rock but watching Ed Harris do his thing on set was something else. General Francis X. Hummel might be the closest representation of how this guy really is. The director changed two of the scenes I was involved in because Mr. Harris said so. "Why don't they just keep clapping, I'll talk through it, and then it'll just get fucking louder? Pardon my french." Said the man all with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. The director agreed as if he didn't have any other choice, and that's what we did. He had a bad-ass aura about him, like one of those bikers you see that aren't that big but you're pretty sure you'd rather not take a chance. And he really knew how to play the crowd and keep everything fun for the poor saps working for chump change. A great experience to say the least and I have even more respect for him as an actor being able to see how he is as The Man!
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At least the extras will be able to stay in lavish trailers while they wait to go on set right? NOPE, they stay in whatever the surrounding buildings have to offer which they so rightly called 'holding'. Yesterday it was an old auditorium. How did I know it was old you ask? Because the seats felt like concrete even though they had padding on them, that's how. They would pick a big enough auditorium for everyone to be able to sit and have some elbow room of course, right? NOPE, we were packed in from right to left with no open seats and people grabbing floor space wherever they could. We'd sit there until they made their announcements and we'd finally be allowed to find some space. They had snacks and water so we weren't being treated like total prisoners. We were allowed to walk around outside and stretch our legs. As long as we stayed in the area though, because when they came calling for you, they were pretty serious about it.
They shuffled everyone out in groups and showed them were to stand. I don't mean, "hey go stand over there somewhere." I'm talking about putting people in exact spots down to the very last person. With this many actors all trying to get on camera you can imagine how much of a project that turned into. After the first take the real shuffling would begin. The director and assistant director would send out their minions to swap the guy in the green shirt for the lady in the red shirt. This kind of 'this guy for that guy' went on until they were absolutely happy. Then the props people would come around and hand out more signs and flags. "Hold up the signs." "Move that sign here, give that guy a flag, take off that lady's hat." This continued take after take. Finally they would have everything in place and we'd nail it! We must have stood out there for an hour and a half for each scene. The total run time for the scene, if they even use it, you ask? Maybe 30 seconds or a minute max. Then it was back into 'holding' until they were ready for the next scene. This back and forth went on all day. From 9:00am till 10:30pm over 300 people would go from 'holding' to 'on set' time and time again. We shot maybe 6 scenes that day. When you throw in lunch break, and the time it took to set up each scene, the hours really piled up.
I got there, along with 50 other people, at 5:45 in the morning. They would trickle in every hour or so. We'd be rushed over to wardrobe to get all dressed up. Then we'd get rushed to props to get our little add ons. Then it was off to 'holding' to wait for more direction. While waiting for that direction, props and wardrobe would be all over the place making sure everything was right. It was pretty impressive how they knew exactly what to give each character and how efficient they were at what they did. The costume designer and the wardrobe people were right on top things. Fixing collars and changing shirts. The props people were always on the set swapping out and straightening everything up. The amount of work that went into the one day I was there was unbelievable. I'll be getting paid for 17 hours. Yes, there was significant down time and a pretty nice spread for lunch. But 17 hours is 17 hours.
I'll have to say that from now on when I watch a movie, I'll have a greater appreciation for what goes into the production of it. Hopefully, you will too. On a side note, the actors that are in the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Union are a bunch of wining bitches! I understand they are entitled to certain privileges being part of a union, but do they have to complain about it so much? I could write on and on about the kind of people I met that do this every day. I'll let your imagination run free with that and I bet you'll be right on the money. The one thing I was disappointed about was that I didn't get to see Woody Harrelson in action. From what I was told he was in his trailer getting Hand-jobs for Ham Sandwiches while smoking weed and drinking Scotch. That's the life of a Hollywood actor we all dream of.
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