Thom calls me at 5:00AM in a panic. “Sean, can you help us out?”
“Do you need a ride to the hospital because that’s the only way I’m leaving my air-conditioned apartment before the sun comes up.” I reply.
“No, really. I need an extra set of hands to help operate the spider dolly. Mark ate bad clams last night and he’s praying to the porcelain goddess as we speak.” Thom says breathlessly.
“What time?” I say with a teenaged exasperated sigh made famous by Thom himself.
“Awesome, brother. I’ll need you at 6:30 in Fort Greene.” He says and hangs up.
As more and more technology is placed in the hands of filmmakers and the distribution models for these films remains in a constant state of change it has become customary to include DVD (and VOD) extras as added incentive for watching a film. Not only does your audience get to see behind the scenes, they sometimes get director’s commentary, deleted scenes edited out because of time issues, documentary footage of production in progress and possibly alternate endings. These things sweeten the deal for distributors marketing films to viewers. Indie films usually appeal to film buffs and their interest in the making of a film from start to finish is what has spurred on now defunct shows like Project Greenlight and the reality based TV show that followed actors around as they went on auditions. (That show was enough to give anyone GERD and a lifetime supply of Pepsid.) Today the Londinium producers are shooting an alternate ending to the story.
This, dear reader, is your official spoiler alert! If you don’t want to know how the film might end then stop reading now. Judy arrives from wardrobe in a beautiful blue and brown striped bustle dress. She is stunning. She takes her seat by the window dressed with sheers to soften the light and create a wonderful sunlit glow. The dolly track has been set up and the shot is quite simple yet requires precision. Catherine receives a telegram from Charles in New York. As she reads, the daunting news brings tears and breathless disbelief. Patrick is seated on the dolly and operating camera. It is a very slow dolly into Catherine as she reads. And then once she looks up revealing her shock, the dolly moves to a close-up very quickly. It takes a couple of runs to get the hang of it and so I position myself accordingly. I keep missing the moment and I can feel Thom’s frustration.
“Okay, I have an idea. We’ll switch. I’ll push and feed you the numbers for the slate.” He says. I take the slate and mark the scenes. It’s a tough move as Thom keeps missing the moment as well. “I got it---I got it!” He says. I slate. The director yells action from behind the monitor. Thom pushes and then Pat says, “Push it---push it!” Then Pat blows a gasket. “Jesus Christ! Will you just push it in already!”
“When you get to this point on the track you should start running.” Eddie Jo offers chuckling.
“No. It has to be when Judy looks up.” Pat corrects.
“You know what? Too much information---I’m going for a smoke.” Thom says frustrated and stomps out once again to the front stoop.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get it. I think everyone needs to calm down. If it takes 30 tries to get the shot then that’s what we’ll do. We don’t have to get upset over a dolly move. Everyone is doing a great job and we just got started. So get some water and we’ll try again in a few minutes.” The director says cheerfully. Then she walks out to the stoop and tries to soothe Thom whose nerves seem to be on edge. Whit arrives in a ‘Piggly Wiggly’ T-shirt, surfing shorts and hemp sandals. He starts to chat with Judy and Pat when Stephanie leads him into wardrobe and make-up.
The next scene requires another dolly move. Catherine sits on her couch holding the telegram from Charles waiting for Richard to arrive. Apparently because of Victoria’s notoriety the news has also made the papers. But Richard has not seen any papers. Catherine says, “I’m so sorry.” Richard assumes she is sorry for her actions and then informs her that he has booked passage to New York to be reunited with Victoria. From that moment on Judy’s performance is riveting and commanding. I can’t take my eyes off her. The waves of emotions that play across her face penetrate Catherine’s hard, selfish shell and this is her moment of redemption. Her empathy for Richard is heartbreaking almost more so than Richard’s impending sorrow. Each tiny beat is ripe and extraordinary and she doesn’t say a word. She extends the telegraph to him. He assumes she is playing another one of her mean games. However, once he reads the telegram stating that Victoria has died as result of miscarriage, Richard is rendered a ghost, hollowed out. His disbelief is at once astounding and profound as this is also news that he was the father. The silence is painful. “It was yours, wasn’t it?” Catherine whispers between tear filled breaths. It is when Richard barely nods his head that the cascade of loss overwhelms him. Consumed with absolute childlike vulnerability he crumbles into her in grief. It is her ability to match his sensitivity while comforting him that makes the scene so tender and intense. I’ve grown so attached to these characters that even the idea of one of them dying makes me upset. So I’m a softy, ask my wife. It is an extremely slow dolly move and I execute it with great ease. I have to say I’m sorry it is not part of the original story as the scene is terrific in every way. I hope through this blog readers will rent or buy the dvd when it comes out specifically to see these actors work.
We take a brief break and the actors grab some coffee and a bagel before disappearing into make-up and wardrobe. The next scene takes place in one of the oldest cemeteries in the country. One of the stipulations of the cemetery is to cover any names or inscriptions on the monuments, and rightfully so. The mausoleum in the scene is somewhat famous and the family name appears on the steps leading up to the grand monument. The art department has created the Thornton name in faux patina’d brass and on faux concrete to cover the actual step. Amazing! It's all made out of styrofoam. Jennie Evangelista arrives on set and plays Richard’s daughter by Victoria fourteen years later. Standing before the monument paying his respects, Richard pulls out the embroidered handkerchief that Victoria had given him at their first meeting on that snowy night in the London streets. His daughter wants to go home but he places the hankie in her hand and tells her it was the first thing her mother ever gave to him and now it is hers. Start the waterworks, folks. She now has a something that was once her mother’s—a woman she never really knew. Father and daughter make their way home, credits role. The producer’s also shoot an alternate in the cemetery. This time Catherine is married to Richard and Jennie is their offspring. Through the death of their beloved Victoria both Richard and Catherine are jolted into true adulthood by taking responsibility for their actions and realizing that life is fleeting and a loving existence is what really counts. Paying their respects to their beloved Victoria they have found each other through her example.
As we are in the midst of shooting the alternate scene, Thom exclaims, “I’m hungry --- my stomach is eating itself. Hey, Pat, can you grab me a wrap from the cooler?”
“Number one it is not time to break yet. And number two, get it yourself, I’m changing lenses.” Pat replies. Then smiling he immediately walks over to Whit and says, “Hey buddy, you hungry? Can I get you a wrap?”
“Yeah sure. Are there vegetarian ones?” Whit replies. Then Pat walks over to Judy, “Hey hon, you must be hungry can I get you wrap?” Judy starts to get up. “No, no don’t get up. Stay where you are. I’ll bring it to you.” Pat instructs.
“That’s so nice of you, Thanks Pat.” She demurs.
Thom stands there with his mouth hanging open truly wounded. “I am so underappreciated here!”
“I appreciate you, Thom.” Eddie Joe says as he stands by the cooler munching on two wraps, one in each hand. “Maybe we can talk about those acting pointers.”
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