previous entries:
the story in Bulgarian - http://nsg1138.blogspot.com/2006/12/blog-post_15.html
Memories from Location [part 1] - http://nsg1138.blogspot.com/2006/11/memories-from-location.html
Back where it all started: http://nsg1138.blogspot.com/2006/10/tomorrows-big-day.html
http://nsg1138.blogspot.com/2006/10/100.html
PART 2
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It turned out that Hilary Duff is the driver of that Hummer, and the next scene we're shooting is the Hummer approaching the base entrance, guarded by us, soldiers. As the vehicle emerges from the clouds of smoke the commander shouts "Vehicle from the front!" and we aim at the car. As they see that inside are Hilary Duff and John Cusack (disguised as an Arabian) he commands "Stand down!" and we lower the guns. Then the commander and his pal exchange a few words with Hilary... "Oh, it's the newly weds!", "Hey, Yonica, I'm your biggest fan! I have a poster of you on my wall", "Happy honeymoon!"
Sounds like an easy scene to do?! Well, guess what. We did it over and over again. For the commander and his pal they got two real American soldiers. I tried to have some conversation with them, but they weren't exactly talkative. They had like 3 lines for the two of them, and they were always forgetting something. Since they have lines, they just HAVE to be in the shot! So I stick to them :) I watch their backs, hang around all the time... And some guy comes along and tries to help them get into the role (yeah, they are ACTUALLY soldiers and they have troubles PLAYING soldiers, LOL). "OK, don't look at the script, just say whatever you would say in a situation like this" says the guy as he comes to the set between the shots. Between one of the shots I aim my machinegun at the guy and say "You shoot movies, I shoot people!" - he laughs and says "OK, just don't shoot me!". And it turns out that this is Joshua Seftel, the director.
It's time to repeat the scene but this time shot from another angle - John Cusack goes out of the Hummer and a cameraman takes his place. They say to the extras "OK, that’s all for now, you can go take a break"...."Oh, that chap, over there, we need you!" - they mean me? Yeah!!! - "You're in the shot, so we need you again for the close one". Great!
We do the same thing, but this time it's only me and the two soldiers, and Hilary Duff in the car. The soldiers keep forgetting their lines or just do something wrong. "When the car stops look here and stand there, cause the cameraman is over there", "Yeah if you want you can curse... Yeah, you can totally curse, just don't use *beep* and stuff like that.
I ask the director "Hey, since I'm in the shot, what do you want me to do? I can stand still, or casual like that, I can chew bubble gum, or I can even wink at the chick in the car?", and he looks happy that I show enthusiasm, thinks it over foe a second and smiles at me "Yeah, great idea! Do that!"
So the next shots, when the Hummer passes by and goes out of the base, I sit there and wink at Hilary and she smiles at me from the car :)
The next scene was the Hummer parking near an airplane with balloons and a "Just Married" banner on the side. John Cusack, Hilary Duff and Marisa Tomey run up the ladder and get up inside. Thay didn't use extras for that scene, but anyway I was there, cause I wanted to see how it's done. I went there and talked to Joshua Seftel and he turned out to be a nice and friendly guy, spared some time to encourage me and even introduced me to the producer. I told Joshua I'm there not for the money and not for the show, but because I want to be on location and observe how things are done, cause my big dream is to be a filmmaker and cinema is my greatest passion. He asked me a little bit about myself and when I told him I have a movie script he told me "You should speak with that guy over there" and we went to the producer. Too bad he wasn't that friendly or interested, but anyway I had to try. Oh, btw if you are interested in the script, the address is http://www.branthemovie.com (we're currently looking for a producer)
Joshua was really kind and allowed me to be there, and I watched in the monitors, Camera A, Camera B and observed the whole process. Between the takes I exchanged a few fords with John Cusack, and talked a little bit with Hilary Duff. She was telling about her dogs, and how she misses them and can only see them when she goes back home and the animals are always so happy to see her. Things like that.
The sunset was closing in and they told all the extras to get changed and get ready for the bus, so... that was the end of my adventure :) I hope you enjoyed the story!
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