A Particularly Good Day

So what’s a shooting day like? Well, generally, it’s made up of a series of scenes, preferably in the same location, because moving the whole crew is the biggest pain imaginable. The amount of scenes can vary from one big scene to maybe seven or eight smaller ones.

A little while ago, we were shooting in an upstairs warehouse space that was dressed as a storage space/office for Fingers, the charismatic crime boss played by Andy Garcia. We had two BIG scenes to shoot in this space. The first one involved Brendan, Emile, Andy, and Victor Rivers. Victor’s playing Fingers’s bodyguard Eddie, and Victor’s a nice fellow, great company over dinner, and built like the biggest tree you’ve ever seen in your life.

We started right after breakfast with a blocking rehearsal. This means that Jieho and his Director of Photography meet with the actors and work through the scene. Jieho tells everyone what he wants from the scene and the actors figure out where they’re gonna stand and how the moments are going to play. Sometimes things change, out of necessity or even better, inspiration. Brendan, Andy, and Victor are all stoic, tough guys, and seeing Emile bound into this scene with a burst of youthful energy is a real treat. Andy suggests he grab a seat behind his seat, prop his feet up. It’s a charming moment, inspired and fresh. The scene plays great.

Then, when Jieho and the actors are happy, our A.D. calls in the heads of all the various crew departments as well as the actors’s stand-ins. Everybody watches as the actors do a run-through of the scene, beginning to end. Every time an actor stands in a particular spot, a camera assistant lays a cloth “T” at their feet. This becomes the actor’s mark and they’re committed to arriving in the same spot for the rest of the day. This is what they call, “Hitting your mark”.

The blocking rehearsal over, the actors head back to their trailers to continue the process of getting into wardrobe and makeup. While that’s happening, stand-ins (actors who are the same approximate size and look of the cast) stand on those cloth T’s while the D.P. and his team set up lights to capture the action. The most unexpected part of this process? The set is completely silent. Everyone works in whispers to keep the noise down, allowing everyone to do their jobs without distraction. Imagine dozens of people, working hard, and without a sound. This is one of the most surprising things I’ve learned about making movies. It’s just so quiet…

A little while later, the actors are called back to the set and they rehearse the scene one more time, in what’s called a camera rehearsal. This is so the camera-operators get one chance to practice on the actual actors before we start rolling film.

After that, the A.D. calls out “Rolling!” in Spanish and everyone grows silent. And then magic happens…

The second scene of the day is in the same location. It’s Andy, Victor, and Brendan again, only this time the ensemble is completed by Forest Whitaker, in what will be his final scene shot for the movie. Thrown into this mix is my friend Will, cast in a small but crucial part. Will’s a long-time friend, a great actor and experienced improviser. I won’t tell you what happens in this scene, but suffice to say Andy is less than happy with Will. As Andy expresses his anger, he improvises a bit, throwing curve balls at Will, who handles them with grace and skill. I allow myself a smile…there’s my friend, improvising with Andy Garcia. How cool is that?

Close to the end of the night, we share in a moment called the Send-Off. After Forest shoots his last take, the A.D. gets everyone’s attention and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a wrap on Forest Whitaker!” Everyone explodes into applause. Forest trades hugs with his co-stars and Jieho. Everyone wants pictures and handshakes. Such a gentle person, such a remarkable actor. It takes Forest forever just to get out of the building.

Meanwhile, Will wraps a few shots later, strolls to the make-up trailer, still a little dazed at having the opportunity to work with such incredible actors. It’ll hit him later, I’m sure.

And that was our day. Will’s only day. Forest’s final day. For the crew…just one out of many. But a particularly good day. Oh yes, it was.