Living In Oblivion

Years ago while working on a small independent film, I met a veteran key grip that has the hugest soft spot for independent film. Low pay, no pay he’s all about helping the little guy. And truth be told, independents can be fun…lots more goofing off allowed, and no studio looking over your shoulder.

A few years after that movie Rick (the key grip) asked me to work on a low-pay independent. “Please,” he begged, “they really need you.” First-time director and first-time D.P. He begged and pleaded and did much kissing up. It was a little embarrassing. I couldn’t stand much more of it, so I said yes. Off in the distance, a clap of thunder and lightning…

The first-time director was so enamored with the actors that he let our leading actor have free reign, which is great if you’ve got miles of film to burn and lots of time to let the actor “explore his character.” Not so good if you’re the one trying to edit this crap together. I told him again and again that the actor can’t be loud and arms flailing in the wide, and then soft spoken and demure in the close up. Not to mention not repeating his actions. The arrogant newbie director ignored my pleas, but fortunately for me while watching the dailies the editor freaked out and sat Cecil B. down and said, “I can’t cut this crap together if you continue down this road.” Thankfully, Cecil saw the light.

On to frustration number two. The D.P. knew screen direction about as well as Lindsay Lohan understands ‘Just Say No.’ He had only done commercial work and during the first couple days of filming I overheard him complain about me to his assistant “If she’s gonna tell me from what direction I need the actor to enter the shot that’s just bullshit.” Great. This is gonna be sooo much fun.

So after a few days of banging my head against the proverbial brick wall trying to get the D.P. to understand where I was coming from, he to finally saw the light after meeting with our editor. Realizing his Lohan-esque grasp of screen direction he now relied on me for every shot. And I mean EVERY shot he would ask me where he should put the camera. After many days of mental gymnastics...one night at around two in the morning, working on our 16th hour of hell covering a courtroom scene I was taking a break by the craft service table (no gum by the way). He came running over in a panic. “Where should I put the camera!” I’ll pause here while you ponder where I considered telling him where to put the damn camera. Instead I said "Bring the actors in camera left". And wanted to cry. I looked at my friend Rick and said “never again”

Time flies by and like childbirth you forget the pain and are eventually ready to do another.

The next movie Rick suggested I work on was yet another independent movie, not low pay, just low in experience. The director was wonderful and resulted in what was quite possibly the best director/scripty relationship I have ever had. The D.P. having only had documentary experience, quickly grasped onto the idea of screen direction and my job became a walk in the park

Rick and his independent buddies had been redeemed.

So, now this past week I again find myself with another offer for an independent film. Rick sent me the following e-mail: “the Gaffer and I were talking about how much they will need you on the film and I would be happy to suggest that they do what they can to get you.”

Now, I love to be needed as much as the next person, so I agree to meet with the producer and UPM (a newbie). We begin talking and the UPM says, “Well, we should tell you that the pay is NINE DOLLARS an hour.” I managed not to choke on my own tongue, smiled politely and said, “Really? Ah, I’ve never worked for that low.” The newbie UPM holds out my resume and says well, what did you get paid on …” she plucks out a couple independent movies, “this one or that one?” I answered, “Well, the first one you mentioned I got 25 dollars an hour and the other one I did as well.” Lucky for me she didn’t choose the one that paid only 12! “Well,” she counters, “we may end up re-working the budget so we’ll keep in touch.” And then she hands me the script. A script, incidentally, with a nice glossy cover binding. (Maybe explains why they can only afford 9/hr for keys.)

So, a few days later they e-mail me an offer for 12 dollars an hour.

I call the production office to claim I have another job, that’s paying my day rate. This is the freelancer’s equivalent of the “It’s not you, it’s me, let’s just be friends” speech. But before I can begin to let her down easy, she begins talking before I do and says, “Just so you know, we have found a script supervisor that’s willing to do it for 10/hour, so if you decide to take the film I’ll need you to go down to that rate.” Oh really? Now you’ve pissed me off. I say politely, “I’m sorry but I have a job that overlaps your shooting dates, thanks for thinking of me good luck on your show.”

Even after 15 years of experience I’m not above helping the little guy…just so long as the little guys are nice to me. And this newbie UPM clearly was not.

Feed Me

I think I’ve mentioned once or twice that I consider the craft service table to be one of my favorite industry perks. I’m able to maintain my rock-solid performance and steel-trap memory thanks to a carefully maintained regimen of caffeine and carbohydrates. I try to make a point of never complaining about free food, so I’m really going against my core values by writing this. But hey, you’re worth it, so here goes the complaining…

Day one morning: bagels, cream cheese, and donuts…that’s it. Fairly normal, so I wasn’t too worried. Four hours later feeling the need to fuel my brain I checked the table. There were a few leftover … now closer to stale… bagels, cream cheese, and donuts. Added were a small bowl of mixed nuts and the obligatory pack of gum. I could see the writing on the wall. This was not going to get any better…

By the time we had lunch I was starving.

After lunch the table held a small bowl of mixed nuts, a jar of peanuts, a small bowl of ripple chips…and a pack of gum.

I wasn’t alone in my evaluation of the food. The crew did start to complain, especially since we were pulling 12-hour days. So on Thursday morning (our last day) crafty put out bagels, pastries, meat and cheese (which stayed on the table until lunch).

After lunch a new jar of peanuts, a small bowl of mixed nuts, a small bowl of M&M’s, some really awful chips with really awful dip, four Mounds bars (the "fun" size) and NO gum. I applaud the effort...but the lack of gum a definite "newbie" mistake.

The clients had their own craft service. (typically more extravagant than the crew, but in this case it was just as lame) They had some fruit and cheese in the morning, and that's it. So, the clients started milling around our crafty table searching for some awful chips or a couple of peanuts.

At wrap I overheard the lead P.A. (in charge of crafty) say to the other P.A.’s “Let’s pack up the rest of this food. The pastries I’ll keep. I’ll give them to the guys tomorrow morning they’ll love it”

I’m not sure who the “guys” were he was referring to but I hope they like day old craft service pastries.

Jobs Come and Jobs Go

I had a two-day job scheduled for this week starting tomorrow. Anxious to get some good blog fodder and most importantly a paycheck...

I set out my wardrobe, (not that I’m a fashion diva, I like to sleep until the last possible minute)

Got my script book ready, and then…

The call…

“We’ve pushed back the job indefinitely”

Bummer.

Yes, it’s the life of a free-lancer one-minute you’re gainfully employed the next minute, hopelessly unemployed.

A sane person would have quit this gig a long time ago, but not me, I still get my hopes up that I’ll be steadily employed one day in film. (I know, keep laughing) But what’s the alternative? A “real” job? Working in film with crew pretty much makes me unemployable to the corporate world. I could no more play their game than they could ours. Ok, maybe they could play our game, but would end up crying after hour 10.

I could not imagine getting yearly “reviews” or doing “status meetings” with my superiors. Nor could I manage the office politics, the undermining, sneaky corporate climbing…

No, I’ll take intermittent jobs, and long hours any day, knowing that if they like me, I’ll get hired back, if they don’t I won’t. Pretty black and white.

So, back to the painting project I go…

For more ponderings about this issue in our industry read Michael Taylor’s blog. It’s a gut-wrenching tale of the roller coaster ride we endure in the land of film.

Actors

Many civilians wonder what it’s like to work with famous actors. What’s so-and-so like, is he cool, is she pretty, are they prima donnas? Well, yes. Like anyone you encounter, some are nice, some are not, and some….well, some just make you wonder.

During my first few years of film work, I had worked with many a bad actor. I would refer to actors as “the talent” in the same manner as I would refer to “the chair” or “the hat rack.” Actors to me were a technical process. Did they say the correct dialogue, did they match their actions.

Until my first studio feature….

We were already a week into the filming process, and this was our first day shooting with our lead actor. The day was progressing as usual. The scene we began working on was our first serious scene in which our lead actor pleads to his leading lady not to leave him. The scene was a dolly shot, push in to a close up.

Last looks done, we were ready to shoot. I was at attention and had my pen ready to make notes on my sides (little miniature scripts). As we started I happened to catch the actor’s eyes as the AD said,

“Quiet all around!”

I noticed the emotion change in the actors face.

“And action! “

As he started the scene, I found myself looking into his eyes. There was such pain and longing in those eyes. He started his speech, a compelling plea to his love. I continued to watch him, my heart ached and I became lost in the moment, I was feeling his pain, I was in the story with him, lost. I had forgotten where I was, or what I was doing. He had me.

“Cut!”

I snapped out of it. Crap! I had not written a thing down. What did he do? Did he say the right thing? I had NEVER had that happen to me before.

I had met my first great actor!! It was exhilarating!

At that moment I realized how amazing working with a great actor could be. It totally changed the way I looked at their work. The process they have to go through to get “there”.

Which makes it all the harder to be the “Debbie Downer” on the set. Sometimes an actor will give a great performance but he’ll forget to say some important point, or pick up some important prop. I then have to tell the director and the actor that they have to do the scene again for continuity. I’m sorry, just doing my job; you’ll thank me in the edit. But man that was a great performance.

Of course working with actors that love continuity makes my job easy. Last spring our leading actor was like that. Always concerned with continuity. So much so, that I could talk with him about screen direction, props, dialogue and it wouldn’t cause him to skip a beat. Amazing really when you think about it, spewing dialogue, handling props, matching action…I can’t walk and chew gum!

On the other hand, I’ve worked with actors that if you can get them to say the dialogue correctly it’s a major accomplishment never mind matching props and action.

Sure, I could dish out dirt on several actors I have met, but really, if you read the supermarket tabloids you already know more than I do. My main interaction with them is on set, as they are working. I run dialogue with some, throw lines to others, and sometimes I even get to do shots arm in arm with the leading man at the wrap party. They all have the potential to help me create some amazing memories (even the ones who can't act).

Remembering Brent

I was recently given a link to Haskell Wexler's site on Who Needs Sleep.

And I remembered...

Several years ago I was very fortunate to work a movie with Brent Hershman. Brent was an incredibly funny and very nice camera assistant. I was a bit green at the time, but Brent really made me feel at home on the set. The kind of person a "newbie" never forgets. A few short years after that job, Brent was working on another feature. After a 19-hour day of filming, Brent jumped in his car and headed home. He had promised his daughter he would be there the next day. Tragically, he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a telephone pole. It’s still surreal to think about such a senseless loss.

After Brent’s death there was a movement in the film community for “Brent’s Rule” where production would have a limit on how many hours they could work a crew. Sadly that movement has been slow going.

We often pull long days working in film. Pretty typical of the job actually, and everyone accepts it as part working in the film industry. But at what cost? Does it really save the production money paying overtime and exhausting the crew instead of filming at that location for another day? Some production bean counter will have to explain that to me. And then factor in the cost of losing someone like Brent. How much is a life worth?

There is hope... during my last movie, we had already done 16 hours in a smoky bar. The next scene scheduled for our day was an exterior of an actor leaving the bar. This would have required a company move outside, time to film it, and then time to wrap, clearly putting us well over the 20-hour mark. The gaffer on that job asked me if I felt we needed to get that exterior shot. I indicated to him that those additional shots could easily be covered with a 2nd unit on another day. So, when the A.D. asked gaffer and key grip if the union would be OK to continue the shoot day, the gaffer said NO, the crew was done. So we wrapped and went home. I was happy that the gaffer stood his ground and put his crew first... and most importantly production listened to him.

There are also several famous directors and producers that run such an efficient schedule they rarely put in long days. (I have yet to work with those guys...but knowing they are out there is a good thing!)

So, to those of you reading this, do me a favor. Whether you work in the film industry or not, remember if you are leaving a job exhausted…grab a caffeinated beverage, run cool air in the car, roll the window down and blast the radio.

Better yet, book a hotel.

Doctors say losing sleep can have the same effect on response time and driving skills as someone driving under the influence of alcohol. Take precautions. I want you to be around to comment on my next post!

Do you think the work environment has gotten better within the last few years with regard to long hours?

To my readers in Canada and France: Are there any restrictions to how many hours you can work a crew in your country?


"The Longest Day" an article about Brent in Time Magazine

Video from Haskell Wexler Who Needs Sleep:

Mr. Evil

It was a good thing the production I worked on last week had breakfast burritos; otherwise I would have been a crabby Scripty. The director was a screamer. Yelled at everyone, for everything. In my experience, I’ve worked with three types of screaming directors:

• Type 1: Scream to scare crew, and have a tendency toward violent behavior. They throw cameras, break monitors, fire people left and right, and are generally evil vile people.
• Type 2: Scream to ridicule crew. Once you’ve identified a director as a Type 2 they’re actually quite funny mainly because they have deep-seated insecurities and mocking others makes them feel better. They’re mostly all about harmless yelling, bordering on comical. They can usually be handled with some basic maternal skills.
• Type 3: Scream because they think it’s a requirement of the job and are generally crazy.

This particular director was a Type 1: Evil and vile.

The morning began with a shuttle ride into the area where we would be filming. During the shuttle over, the key grip tapped me on the shoulder, “Have you worked with Mr. Beelzebub before?” I innocently reply “No, why?” This causes a gasp from the rest of the crew as if I had just said I had stewed puppies for breakfast. “Well, he’s quite the legendary screamer, (he attempts to ease my worry)..but I think you can handle him.”

I arrive on set and there is an eerie Nightmare-on-Elm-Street tension. The day is not looking good. On my way to get a second breakfast burrito (I would clearly need the additional burrito karma) I met with the camera guys and they told me to steer clear of the director. There would be no slates, just stay out of the way, and the evil one will be free-rolling all day (the director will start filming at random). I stood in the wings as Freddie started to free-roll on the actors, ready to record the carnage.

I watched in horror as he savagely claimed his first victim. A poor production assistant was berated in front of the crew and clients. Personal remarks as to how fat this kid was went on and on to the point where I could tell the kid was about to cry. All because the production assistant/victim had brought an actor over to the client instead of to Mr. Evil.

Now there was blood in the water, he was going to go into a frenzy at any moment. Then he turned around and his yellow eyes fell on me. “Why are you over there!” He yelled. Then chuckled to his camera guys, “It’s like she’s scared or something! Get over here!”

I obey and ran over to him.

“Have you timed the copy?” He demanded.

I called upon the power of the burrito. “Yes.” I replied.

“Well?” He demanded.

I responded as the sulfur fumes burned my eyes. “For each 30 second spot there is only a short amount of dialogue,” I tell him. “You have lots of air, the dialogue only lasts 7 seconds.”

A pause, “You are correct.”

I survived the first test. I continued to stand in the wings but Mr. Evil and the camera guys backed up to the point where I was close enough for him to notice me again.

Mr. Vile looked at me and screamed, “How tall are you?”

I reply “5’2”

He turned to his assistant and said, “Measure her!”

The camera assistant dutifully measures me to be 5’4”. Seeing an opening he goes in for his second kill, “You don’t even know how tall you are!”

I parry with “I’m wearing shoes,” and I pointed to my new red sneakers.

He laughed, “You’re wearing fu**king new shoes, I bet you just bought them!”

“Yes, I bought them on the way here this morning just for you” I smart back, (the burrito karma apparently interfered with my ability to filter.)

He laughed and turned to the A.D. “Keep her by me all day!” This caused the camera assistant’s head to snap back to me in shock. “Wow, he never wants script supervisors around. He usually tells them to F off and don’t hang around.” I start to envy those script supervisors.

So, the A.D. did as told, and kept me near as Mr. Vile began to feed on the actors. “Don’t do that, that’s stupid. Don’t act; you don’t know how to do it. Why did you do that? You’re a retard. If you can’t handle your props go home! Oh, the humanity.

As we did our turnaround he screamed, “Eyeline?” I know he’s just testing me. I reply “Camera right.” And since that was the correct answer I was able to live for another take.

As we continued through the day, Director Vile yelled at crew, harassed the clients, and preyed on young P.A.'s. It was exhausting, I could see the worry on everyone's face, would they be next. At one point a woman from the agency walked up to me with deep concern "Is he being nice to you?" I smiled and said "Yes." It's true, I had not suffered as much as others.

During the last scene I made a bet in my mind if he would make the actress cry before the end of the day. She looked as though she might cry at any second so the odds on crying were even money..but then there was a microscopic chance she would be above him and not show her fear. She looked as if at one point she might succumb but she dug deep, kept it together, did as he asked and never cried. I was very proud of her!

At wrap after Mr. Evil had left the building it was as if the crew had all experienced a trauma. We all had to recount our experiences, lucky that we had survived.

I learned a few things that day, being a smart ass can pay off, always trust the power of a good breakfast burrito , and I’m 5’4” in my sneakers.

A Continuity Error

I forgot to mention another comment “civilians” like to make when learning about my job. They love to tell me about every continuity error in films they have seen. I’m glad they noticed.

Here is one way a continuity error can happen:

Imagine you are filming a scene between two people having a conversation. Let’s make it Dick and Jane talking outside. In this sequence the actor on camera left and the actress on camera right both enter frame and start talking. Jane leans over and picks up a can of soda. They continue their conversation ending on a let’s get together later note. That is the complete action and the scene ends at that point.

You will film all their dialogue and action in that particular scene starting with a wide shot, (Both actors in frame) which is called a master. Then you will go into coverage. A single of him and then a single of her. (single=close-up for this example) During each single the actors will repeat their complete dialogue and action as they did in the wide shot.

Our continuity error has to do with hair. Our actress “Jane” happens to have long hair. During the wide shot her hair stayed behind her back during all of the takes, even when she leaned over to pick up the can of soda. So we will continue to match this in her single.

During her single around take three she bent down, picked up the soda and her hair fell in front of her shoulders. She continued the scene to the end of her dialogue with her hair forward.

I notate this error in my script book. We continue filming and her hair stayed back throughout the rest of the takes.

At the movie’s premiere the scene was cut as such:

Wide shot with the two of them talking cut to:

Single of him cut to:

Single of her (HAIR BACK) cut to:

Single of him cut to:

Single of her (HAIR FORWARD) cut to:

Single of him cut to:

Single of her (HAIR BACK) cut to:

Single of him cut to:

Single of her (HAIR FORWARD)

So, as you watch the scene her hair flops from being back to forward to back for no apparent reason. Why did this happen? On the day, her hair only fell forward during one take.

The editor can separate each take and use it at will, line by line, in chunks or use just a reaction, whatever they need to sell the scene. They can even switch the order in which the dialogue was said. During certain lines the editor must have felt "Jane" gave her best performance and used those in the final cut regardless of her hair mismatch. Editors will always choose performance over continuity. Wouldn’t you rather have good acting than good continuity? Of course I’d like to have both but one always has to win over the other.

Do I watch for continuity errors when going to the movies? No, that would be work. I just sit back, enjoy, and eat popcorn.

Here is a link to another Script Supervisor's experience with continuity: When Continuity Counts, Call a Script Girl — Er, Guy For those of you who like to note continuity errors check out The Gaffe Patrol: A Continuity-Error Clip Reel...under Zac Efron's picture in that article.

Any continuity errors you want to discuss?