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I also talked with a group of three NYPD. Turned out they were extras,
too. One night in the tents, someone from wardrobe came through looking
for extras who could portray police. They were looking for a tall, muscular
build - a build that would also fit the uniforms available. Two had beards
and longish hair. "Would you be willing to shave and get a haircut
if you got the part?" they were asked. "Oh, sure," they
all replied; and were shorn on the spot. I tried to get their photo, but disposable cameras are next to worthless;
I didn't even get shadows. But I did get their names: Jerome, Jon and
Robert. They'll definitely be in the movie. Filming wrapped at 3:48 AM Monday night. Check-out was faster, so I was in bed before 5:00 AM.
Tuesday was another great day. Three bridges dropped into
the East River. At least, I think they did. Clearly, we acted as if they
did. You see, I don't know any more than anyone else about the movie:
the script is a tightly guarded secret. The early Mark Protosevich draft
(which I downloaded before heading off to NYC) is available, but the Akiva
Goldsman script clearly departs from it. So I get to wait like everyone
else to see how the movie unfolds. Nevertheless, our sequence is very important to the movie, even if only runs for a few minutes. Believe me, it'll be a good few minutes. And it sets up for the movie the immediate crisis faced by Neville, and all mankind. When Tuesday's shoot was called at 3:30 AM, I felt a sense of accomplishment. We had all withstood the cold, the wind, and the occasional monotony of repeating our steps over and over. But it was fun. And so many incredible people.
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I had planned to leave the set and go directly to my Continental flight on the 31st. But by Tuesday, I knew that I needed the extra night of sleep. I stayed the extra night at Hotel 17. Wednesday morning was a great lunch at Push, an Israeli-style bar and restaurant on Third Avenue. Then I walked to MOSEX.
Photo:
lchance from Flickr.com When I saw the Gershwin Hotel down the Street as I was walking, I was sure that was it. Very weird indeed. But as it happens, MOSEX was next door! Didn't learn anything I didn't already know, but it was
still a little campy and worth the trip. Greg told me how to get out of the City and to LaGuardia
quickly, and at a minimum of cost. So it was the No. 4 Subway to E. 125th
Street, then over the Triborough Bridge on the M60 bus to LaGuardia. I
even got an earlier flight out. Money-wise, I didn't come close to breaking even on the trip. But it was a great opportunity to be in a great film with Will Smith. (Its precursor, "Omega Man" with Charlton Heston, is one of my favorite films of all time!) And maybe some day, I'll actually make it into SAG, and get a line or two. But the experience alone is still best. And crew: "Thanks!"
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