CRIMSON PEAK, Wednesday, April 30, Day 18: More dinner party, though today was primarily about the aftermath of the dinner party. We repeated a lot of yesterdays stuff at the dinner table, with that gorgeous cake still sitting there uneaten by me. (The extras got to eat theirs. Good for them.) The dining room is exquisite, with a long, long table appointed spectacularly with amazing china and glassware. Butlers (really actors) serve us, and they work very hard for little recognition. Background actors dont even get their names in the credits, but the actors playing servants in this film are really helping make this movie look wonderful. The background players who play guests have it a bit easier, being seated for the dinner. But three days of being seated in the most rigid of formal wear is exhausting in itself. The dining room is difficult to shoot in, because its a real dining room and (unlike in the studio) we cant remove walls to make room for the camera. We have a crane (or jib) that somehow fits in the room despite its size, and the shots Guillermo and his cinematographer Dan Lautsten are able to get are gorgeous. Not everyone knows that the cinematographer, despite often being referred to in the press and in books as the cameraman, doesnt actually operate the camera (usually). The cinematographer lights the set and places the camera positions, but the actual operation of the camera is done by, of all things, the camera operator. Weve normally got two operators on this film, Gilles Corbeil and Robert Stecko, and these guys are brilliant! As A-camera operator, Gilles is most prominent, also serving as our Steadicam operator, a job that requires not just ace camera skills but great strength and endurance. Gilles is incredibly easy-going and he has a masters touch with the camera. Hes one of the best cameramen Ive ever encountered. He shot PACIFIC RIM and THE THING (2011), and I hope to work with him many times in the future. As often happens in good movies, something dramatic takes place, and once we finished the dinner itself, the action transfers to the foyer of the house for a big dramatic event. There was a bit of a break for most of us, as Tom and Mia had the bulk of the scene and the rest of us were only needed to come in at the most dramatic moment as witnesses. Guillermo shot Tom and Mias part first, for several hours, which gave Jessica and me and the rest of the group some time to relax. When finally we were needed, it was in the wee hours, and a lot of standing was required. I lucked out again when it turned out our feet wouldnt be showing, so I got to keep my personal shoes on instead of the formal dress shoes. My feet are getting better every day now. We have these wonderful people called Cast Coordinators, Emma Tamblyn and Sam Rosati. Ive never been on a production with people in that particular job, that Im aware of. Their job is to get us in the cast to wherever were supposed to be and to make sure weve got whatever we need to do our jobs right and well. This job usually falls to Production Assistants or 3rd ADs (Assistant Directors), and we have those here, too. But Emma and Sam are very closely focused in their jobs primarily on the cast. With this nagging cough and raspy voice lingering after my cold, Emma has been an angel of mercy, showing up with hot tea just when I need it. It may seem we are being coddled, and in many ways we are. But actors working on a scene arent free just to wander off and grab a drink or something to eat. Yet a drink or cough drop may be just what we need to enable us to do the scene well, so its a benefit to the production to have someone there who can run such errands without pulling us off the set. It feels like special privilege, but despite the innate kindness of these people, they wouldnt have these responsibilities if it didnt make shooting go faster and more effectively. Ive been guzzling hot tea this week, and Id never have been able to get enough when I need it if it werent for Emmas kind ministrations and attention. Every time Guillermo calls Cut!, a troupe of hair, makeup, and wardrobe people swarm over us to make sure nothing is out of place. I used to think this was overkill, because in real life, people have hair out of place or their ties a bit askew. But I came to realize that its not so much about making everyone look perfect as it is about making sure we look the same in every shot. We do lots of takes from various angles, and a messy lock of hair in one shot that is perfectly in place in a different shot would yank the audience out of the scene. So before each new take, theres this flurry of activity as we get final touches that are never final. Until the end of the day when we finally hear, Thats a wrap. It was way past dawn before we heard Thats a wrap, today. And due to construction at my hotel, I have to go there after work and check out and move to a different hotel which, they tell me, will be much quieter. Lets hope. Im fried.
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 22:09:00 +0000
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