Read You Like a Book Day Ten: Are you Ready Mothafuckaas'!!
Call Time: 8:00pm
The day was spent sleeping. Just to be awake for this long night. I have already worked out a ride with Judi to get home at four so I feel good about this.
I get to set early. The way I figure it is this: All the principals have roughly the same call time. The thirty plus extras are coming about thirty minutes after our call. It's going to be a madhouse. I want to get in...get into costume and into makeup early. Pisoni also had the right idea too. He shows up early.
He knows I'm a BART girl. He also is from here and has a friend who has given him his place for him and his lady to stay over the weekend....he gives me his hotel keys to the French Hotel across the street for me to stay.
He is the best guy. EVAH
Our decision to show up early was a wise one. I get there and Victoria is out sick for both night shoots. Marianna is the only person there and she is sort of freaking out waiting for her replacement...and if the replacement was going to be any good.
Ms S. (her name is so long...I just shortened it to Ms. S) arrives with an incredible makeup kit. She is currently on set with another movie and again...the girl is TIGHT. She took a look at the pictures and did me up great. She is also about turning you into a diva. I swear to god she is like...I'm here to please you...She is totally choice.
The extras show up. A lot of friends of friends and actors in town from my email blast I sent out. One of my Tuesday Drop in Students showed up.
I guess in this movie...only black women attend book readings.
They send the extras over to set and the principals hang out in the production office. They call us over and the podium is set up with the mic, cord and fake copies of the book The Desert Cure. They call me and Ricardo over to do scenes we did not get a chance to do the other day.
Me: Best Conspiracy Movie?
Him: The Parallax View
Me: Great choice...but my favorite will always be the original Manchurian Candidate.
I then just added some extra crap at the end.
We start shooting the extras are hanging out watching. My bit of biz is trying to untangle the Mic Cord (it was honestly all knotted up, and as a former tech person...that just irks me.)
I say my lines...I add in "I love me some Sinatra...then try to untangle the cord...look at Ricardo and say "Did you try to wrap this thing" and other misc what the hell lines.
At one point Zagone asks me between reloading camera: So Love me some Sinatra...Is that African American Verbiage?
....god. the guy is so Berkeley.
I say "Naw man...it's BLACK THING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND" The whole place goes up.
After a scene of pushing a table out of the way with some misc lines...they set up for the book reading. We get there and the extras are all in their seats..JJ McTeague (Louis) is there. God. Louis is choice. I think he has a handsome Hispanic Cowboy thing going on. He is really attractive. He is also an incredible actor.
It is about 11:30 at this point and they are setting up shots. Myself and Bob Sarlatte now have an audience. And a trapped audience at that. He does standup. I do improv. It is the first time I think in the universe improv and standup combined to entertain an audience. I stand up in front of the podium to get the crowd pumped up. I go into preacher mode.
Are we here to make a movie brotha's and sistas!! I can I get an Amen from you mothafucka's!
People are laughing. Amen's are forthcoming. Reggie in the background is screaming laughing...he stops me later and says 'Girl, I think you and my reverend are the only two people who would say motherfucka in a sermon!"
We finally roll and we start shooting the introduction to JJ. The base lines are simple:
May I have your attention please? Thank you. I have the pleasure of introducing to you JJ McTeague who is making his 7th lucking appearance here at Black Oak (applause)
Now, we are running a little late, so sufficed to say that JJ's latest novel The Desert Cure...which you can buy signed copies at the front desk when you leave...sums up both his previous thematic concerns...and cast a jaundiced eye on the current climate of fear and paranoia.
We do a few takes. I'm now officially comfortable with this.
It is odd being on a set for me. I really realized how much of a theater person I am. I need response from an audience. Immediate response. Before this night I have been pensive because I really don't know how I'm doing for real. This night. I know. I can see the faces of the extra who is my audience responding.
I have always been a really good host. This was easy. I add in stuff to make the audience laugh and to get them to applaud on cue per the script:
Give the man some Berkeley Love...
You might not have noticed but we are currently on BP Time..That's right. Berkley People Time...(pointing to my Tuesday night student) You thought I was going to say something else weren't you?
Good times. The crew, cast and Bob is loving it. The night goes up to Tony (Dante) confronting the Artemis Brown people who have come to the bookstore to find the disk from Dr. Ortega (Pisoni) and... It just starts getting complicated. There is a fight scene...a heart attack lots of fake disks and a semi audience bru ha ha.
Tonight we get as far as the bru ha ha.
Lots of different angles of everything. Everyone is in pretty good spirits. We break for Lunch (at 2:00) and the announcement goes: We would like to have our principals back into the production house. Extras we have all your food set up outside. Please let our principals out first and then we put you guys in line. I sat in my seat for a second. Then I realized THAT I WAS A PRINCIPAL.
I will never get used to this. Never.
We go back and there is Quiche Lorraine and veggie Quiche with a salad. A salad that was not yet put together. I was one of the first folks to make it back. the crew is sort of running around trying to get things set up. What the hell. I aint doing nothing. And I like to prepare food. "So I go up and say...I got the salad" The crew is stunned. I put the salad together while people are walking in. Just dumped the cucumbers, cabbage, and carrots in the salad and tossed it. Left the tomatoes out for a side dish. No big deal.
I thought Judi was going to cry. We finish eating...and head back to set. Judi walks up to me and hugs me and thanks me profusely for making the salad. "No its really okay. It is really, really nothing" But she wanted to make a deal out of it. Poor wounded bird.
I get in and one of the extras asked me what we had.
"Quiche and Salad. You?"
"Same"
"Did you have desert?"
"Yeah...we had cookies...you guys"
"Extras had cookies too"
(pause)
Extra: So what was so different from us than you guys?"
Me: (thinking) I dunno. We got seats and you guys sat on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore?
By the end of the night and numerous takes...I saw a lot of extras buying the new Harry Potter book. Late night sales that I'm sure was making the bookstore happy.
Wrap time? 4:25
I'm pretty wired. But damn it is awesome I can just walk across the street and crash. One of the PA's (Seth...who is 19) was told to WALK ME OVER TO THE HOTEL. The boy weighs about 12 pounds. On a totally empty Berkley street. Walking a big black woman to the hotel. I could have rolled this child. Makes me laugh.
The day was spent sleeping. Just to be awake for this long night. I have already worked out a ride with Judi to get home at four so I feel good about this.
I get to set early. The way I figure it is this: All the principals have roughly the same call time. The thirty plus extras are coming about thirty minutes after our call. It's going to be a madhouse. I want to get in...get into costume and into makeup early. Pisoni also had the right idea too. He shows up early.
He knows I'm a BART girl. He also is from here and has a friend who has given him his place for him and his lady to stay over the weekend....he gives me his hotel keys to the French Hotel across the street for me to stay.
He is the best guy. EVAH
Our decision to show up early was a wise one. I get there and Victoria is out sick for both night shoots. Marianna is the only person there and she is sort of freaking out waiting for her replacement...and if the replacement was going to be any good.
Ms S. (her name is so long...I just shortened it to Ms. S) arrives with an incredible makeup kit. She is currently on set with another movie and again...the girl is TIGHT. She took a look at the pictures and did me up great. She is also about turning you into a diva. I swear to god she is like...I'm here to please you...She is totally choice.
The extras show up. A lot of friends of friends and actors in town from my email blast I sent out. One of my Tuesday Drop in Students showed up.
I guess in this movie...only black women attend book readings.
They send the extras over to set and the principals hang out in the production office. They call us over and the podium is set up with the mic, cord and fake copies of the book The Desert Cure. They call me and Ricardo over to do scenes we did not get a chance to do the other day.
Me: Best Conspiracy Movie?
Him: The Parallax View
Me: Great choice...but my favorite will always be the original Manchurian Candidate.
I then just added some extra crap at the end.
We start shooting the extras are hanging out watching. My bit of biz is trying to untangle the Mic Cord (it was honestly all knotted up, and as a former tech person...that just irks me.)
I say my lines...I add in "I love me some Sinatra...then try to untangle the cord...look at Ricardo and say "Did you try to wrap this thing" and other misc what the hell lines.
At one point Zagone asks me between reloading camera: So Love me some Sinatra...Is that African American Verbiage?
....god. the guy is so Berkeley.
I say "Naw man...it's BLACK THING YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND" The whole place goes up.
After a scene of pushing a table out of the way with some misc lines...they set up for the book reading. We get there and the extras are all in their seats..JJ McTeague (Louis) is there. God. Louis is choice. I think he has a handsome Hispanic Cowboy thing going on. He is really attractive. He is also an incredible actor.
It is about 11:30 at this point and they are setting up shots. Myself and Bob Sarlatte now have an audience. And a trapped audience at that. He does standup. I do improv. It is the first time I think in the universe improv and standup combined to entertain an audience. I stand up in front of the podium to get the crowd pumped up. I go into preacher mode.
Are we here to make a movie brotha's and sistas!! I can I get an Amen from you mothafucka's!
People are laughing. Amen's are forthcoming. Reggie in the background is screaming laughing...he stops me later and says 'Girl, I think you and my reverend are the only two people who would say motherfucka in a sermon!"
We finally roll and we start shooting the introduction to JJ. The base lines are simple:
May I have your attention please? Thank you. I have the pleasure of introducing to you JJ McTeague who is making his 7th lucking appearance here at Black Oak (applause)
Now, we are running a little late, so sufficed to say that JJ's latest novel The Desert Cure...which you can buy signed copies at the front desk when you leave...sums up both his previous thematic concerns...and cast a jaundiced eye on the current climate of fear and paranoia.
We do a few takes. I'm now officially comfortable with this.
It is odd being on a set for me. I really realized how much of a theater person I am. I need response from an audience. Immediate response. Before this night I have been pensive because I really don't know how I'm doing for real. This night. I know. I can see the faces of the extra who is my audience responding.
I have always been a really good host. This was easy. I add in stuff to make the audience laugh and to get them to applaud on cue per the script:
Give the man some Berkeley Love...
You might not have noticed but we are currently on BP Time..That's right. Berkley People Time...(pointing to my Tuesday night student) You thought I was going to say something else weren't you?
Good times. The crew, cast and Bob is loving it. The night goes up to Tony (Dante) confronting the Artemis Brown people who have come to the bookstore to find the disk from Dr. Ortega (Pisoni) and... It just starts getting complicated. There is a fight scene...a heart attack lots of fake disks and a semi audience bru ha ha.
Tonight we get as far as the bru ha ha.
Lots of different angles of everything. Everyone is in pretty good spirits. We break for Lunch (at 2:00) and the announcement goes: We would like to have our principals back into the production house. Extras we have all your food set up outside. Please let our principals out first and then we put you guys in line. I sat in my seat for a second. Then I realized THAT I WAS A PRINCIPAL.
I will never get used to this. Never.
We go back and there is Quiche Lorraine and veggie Quiche with a salad. A salad that was not yet put together. I was one of the first folks to make it back. the crew is sort of running around trying to get things set up. What the hell. I aint doing nothing. And I like to prepare food. "So I go up and say...I got the salad" The crew is stunned. I put the salad together while people are walking in. Just dumped the cucumbers, cabbage, and carrots in the salad and tossed it. Left the tomatoes out for a side dish. No big deal.
I thought Judi was going to cry. We finish eating...and head back to set. Judi walks up to me and hugs me and thanks me profusely for making the salad. "No its really okay. It is really, really nothing" But she wanted to make a deal out of it. Poor wounded bird.
I get in and one of the extras asked me what we had.
"Quiche and Salad. You?"
"Same"
"Did you have desert?"
"Yeah...we had cookies...you guys"
"Extras had cookies too"
(pause)
Extra: So what was so different from us than you guys?"
Me: (thinking) I dunno. We got seats and you guys sat on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore?
By the end of the night and numerous takes...I saw a lot of extras buying the new Harry Potter book. Late night sales that I'm sure was making the bookstore happy.
Wrap time? 4:25
I'm pretty wired. But damn it is awesome I can just walk across the street and crash. One of the PA's (Seth...who is 19) was told to WALK ME OVER TO THE HOTEL. The boy weighs about 12 pounds. On a totally empty Berkley street. Walking a big black woman to the hotel. I could have rolled this child. Makes me laugh.
posted by Shaun at 7:47 AM
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