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The parents and military got some room, but the ordinary extras were
jammed onto narrow, folding chairs arranged around long folding tables,
the kind with the masonite tops. The tables were jammed so tightly, that
it was nearly impossible to squeeze through to get out for food, to stretch,
to pick up forms, or whatever. This resulted in near chaos for the entire
shoot.
The tents were heated by kerosene heaters outside the tents, with collapsible, tubular air ducts leading in. One glitched one night, filling the tent with kerosene fumes. Of course we couldn't smoke, especially with the fumes, but when one extra persisted, an excited chatter ensued, with nearby girls screeching and chattering, pointing and screaming, until three or four burly PAs rushed in, and dragged the unwilling miscreant, his long, thin white hair flapping, out of the tent. We were also introduced to the "I Am Legend" diet. I think
production wanted us to adopt the method acting approach, so the food
was fitting for an evacuation: dogs and beans (tube steak and whistleberries).
Not just the first day, but every day we were on the set: bow-wows and
bullets. For breakfast (3:00 PM) and lunch (11:00 PM)! And the scene in
the tents was so chaotic, especially when it came to picking up time sheets
or, far worse, turning them in at the end of the night, that the real
panic and jostling in the tents was generally more extreme than the simulated
panic and jostling on the set. Doug was our Second Asst AD (let's get this right - is it second assistant,
assistant director?). I won't even try to describe his antics, except
to say that when things got really noisy, he launched off into wretched,
poorly rendered song. But to Doug's credit, it could have been far worse.
Like us, he had to work with the hand he was dealt. Bullet point: regardless whether an extra is a solitary soul, or an exuberant extrovert at home, one of the most important things for an extra to do on set is to hook up with a crew of cronies. On the "Spider-Man 3" set it was Ron Katz. On that set, Ron and I floated around set meeting up with everyone. On the "Legend" set, it was April and Laura, Zelika Chante (ZZ), Jessica Rose (the Coors promo girl), Suze (computer whiz) and Crystyl (fashion stylist/runway trainer). Greg (AyeJay G. Spraggins, but Mister Shorty 2U) and Sal Lizard (will the real Santa Claus please stand) were the wise old guys. Ray Basham (A Head Above Comics) joined us the second week. We also hung out a bit with Danny (but I never caught his last name) and Caldwell (a New York City Original). There were also two Einsteins, but we hung out with the younger, Official Einstein: Latif Rashidzada, who has worked this role with, or been featured by, CUNY, Princeton (Einstein's old hang-out), CBS, BBC News, the New York Times, among others.
This is best feature, frankly, of doing work as an extra: the opportunity to meet extremely talented, knowledgeable, interesting people. |
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The talent agencies were arranged in dog-leg fashion on tables in the northwest corner of the tent. This was entirely inexplicable, since it meant that lines to the agencies crossed, leading to pervasive confusion and flaring tempers. There were many talent agencies represented, and each handled the time sheets of their talent. Among them (and the list is probably short one or two) were Amerifilm, Actors' Rep, G+G Talent, Desiree Agudo, Hilary Beck, Talent Management, Stanley Kaplan, Universal Talent, Extra Mile and Xist Talent. Each group was assigned a PA. Phil got "D Group" comprised of extras from Extra Mile and Xist. Good choice for us. My notes aren't perfect, but we went out to location about 4:30 PM. We were called out in groups, and Phil's group was last. Phil took us on a circuitous route under the ramps of the Bridge, through the South Street Seaport, then back up South Street to the intersection with Dover Street. Other groups were arranged in front of a set of gates leading up to a pier jutting into the East River just south of Brooklyn Bridge, which towered above us.
The gates were actually under a set of highway overpasses. We were carefully spaced apart, the Director set up the shot, time passed,
and then, finally, we were given the cue to "action." We moved
forward perhaps 10 yards, stopped, and returned to our "number 1"
position. We did that all night long. Some of the extras grew impatient,
and rushed up into the gates, but that was definitely discouraged. Others
thought shooting the same action over and over was just stupid. Rank novices,
their first time on a movie set. The weather wasn't too cold Tuesday night. In the twenties and thirties.
Definitely bearable. But, again, some of the extras were disillusioned
with the repeated 10 yards forward, stop, return, and reset. There is
really no other way. Even if a scene seems perfect, there may be a little
glitch in the film that makes it unusable. It could be something in the
background. Or someone with a smirk or a smile, instead of the intended
look of panic. Or someone who gazes into the camera with a dumb grin.
Or tourists, or Chassidim in the background, taking in all the action.
In fact, there were tourists and Chassidim on set every night, and one
of the jobs of the PAs was to clear set. The religious observers were
easy to spot, but so were the tourists. They'd generally been dining at
the South Street Seaport, and wandered onto the set to be part of the
excitement. They also brandished their cameras and cellphone cameras a
little more blatantly. And the men were generally in winter wool coats
with scarf, and the women in short skirts and spike heel shoes. In other
words, not the typical New Yorkers attempting to escape the ravages of
a plague on a cold winter night. About 11:00 PM we were called in to "lunch." Stampede. Feeding 1,000 plus people is not easy under the best of circumstances.
These were not the best of circumstances. But we all eventually got our
boiled chicken breasts, runny mashed potatoes, and more dogs and beans.
Even bottled water. Good enough that we soon had neighborhood boys sneaking
in for a free dinner. About an hour for lunch and back to the set. And
number 1. More of the same routine. We were released from set at 2:30 AM that night. Another panic at the tents while everyone tried to sign out at once. If the time sheets aren't signed and submitted, no pay for that day. Finally out before 3:30 AM. Back to Hotel 17. And a shower and to bed. The morning of the 24th, I went back to the Bagel Shop at E. 20th and Third Avenue. Highly recommended: just a counter and some tables, but the bagels are good, and the toppings plentiful. Mostly populated by police, construction workers and moms (or nannies) with their baby strollers. Then to the subway, to the tents, to stake a spot at the tables.
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