Shooting begins -- day one

1/6/11            First day of shooting.  Carolyn and I arrived in Waxahachie just before sunrise.  The location was already a beehive of activity.  The local fire department was on-sight with their lights ablaze.  The efficient wardrobe folks had arrived first, and not knowing where the light switch was, pulled the fire alarm by mistake.  The fireman were of course very nice and shut off the blaring alarm within a few minutes.   There are some pyrotechnics involved later in today’s shoot – so its a comfort knowing the Waxahachie Fire Department is quick to respond.

Today’s shoot is at the Chautauqua Auditorium in Getzander Park.  The Auditorium is a bit over 100 years old, an all wood octagonal structure with a lovely stage.  For the movie, it is the Vaudeville stage.  As I write this they are testing out the smoke machine – which is working with gusto.  I have a feeling the fire department may be making a return appearance with the abundant fog swirling around.  The set design folks are busy making slight, non-permanent alterations to the existing backdrop – removing references to various trademarked names and also the City Council’s thank you for the Auditorium’s 1975 restoration. 

Rehearsal is about to begin – so all quiet on the set. 

After a rehearsal with actor Bob Grossman -- a very believable vaudevillian -- then another rehearsal with the crew in place to get the camera positions etc.  When the cameras finally roll for the first scene, the fire alarm goes off.  The gaffer quickly overrides the system.  We all get quiet again, and on queue, the fire alarm goes off.  The fog machine is doing a very good job of keeping the auditorium filled with vaudevillianesque smoke.  After a few more intermittent alarms, the gaffer overrode the system and the shoot proceeds.  Bob Grossman once put out an album and I think is viewable on youtube – something like “Bob Grossman in the Spotlight.”

  

Meanwhile, I went down to wardrobe (below the stage), and found the wardrobe folks fanning out the dressing room because one of their purses partially melted.  Someone had moved the vinyl purse against a low cosmetic mirror light – luckily they smelled the real smoke, moved the purse and averted a real fire.  The cute pink purse now bears a small black burn as a Wanda the Wonderful memento.   

     

There are thirty on the crew and three actors today.  At a 10:1 ratio, the talent is in good hands.  There are also about thirteen extras (me amongst them) all decked out as vaudeville audience members.  It’s a cold but sunny January morning in Waxahachie.  The Auditorium is unheated – so we the extras – head out into the sunshine every chance we get.  Our period costumes look wonderful, but are un-insulated.  I’m probably the luckiest extra because I get to wear a long fur stole over my short-sleeved dress.  While absolutely no animals have been or will be harmed making this movie, I’m sure that several minks died (many years ago) for this stole.

It’s after lunch now.  As this is an extreme low budget shoot, the Assistant Director had the unenviable task of informing the extras that lunch would not be catered for them – only for the cast and crew.  The extras are permitted the extra – i.e. – leftover food.  Luckily, Donna the caterer provided lots of food, so there were lots of yummy leftovers.

This afternoon’s scenes concentrate on Wanda, Howard, and the vaudeville announcer.  Wanda and Howard perform their vaudeville show.  Wanda shoots at a spinning target hitting all the glass balls on the target as it spins around.  The Assistant Director warns everyone before a live blank is fired “fire in the hole.”  Arianne as Wanda and Christian as Howard are doing a great job.  Arianne looks wonderful and obviously knows how to handle a gun.  Christian looks great as the soon to be fingerless Howard.  So far the pyrotechnics have gone off without a hitch, and without a visit from the friendly firemen.

Every scene takes a lot of preparation – with most shots requiring a new camera position, lens, and lighting change.  Each scene is shot many times at different angles etc.  The fogger goes off periodically to reproduce the ambient haze.  While many of us spend lots of time sitting around (or blogging around), Carolyn, Kimby, Anthony, Carlos, Barker, and the grips are constantly busy – no rest for them. 

It’s now 9:00 at night and the shoot’s been going for 13 hours.  I think this is the longest day we’ll have.  All the extras were excused several hours ago.  The talent and crew remain diligently focused on getting the shots and being done for the day.

Tomorrow’s call is a bit before noon – I hope.