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Today we move into "splits" on our schedule. Production is generally a minimum 12 hour days of sun up to sundown ("day"), sundown to sun up ("nights"), or half day and night like today's 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. ("splits"). Since Mark needs a bright sunny day for a couple of scenes before night scenes in the neighborhood, we're starting splits at 1 p.m. We meet at the parking lot next to the post office, and a bunch of us are standing around waiting for our shuttle. Waiting and Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Julia arrives and throws some of us into her car and drives us over, since there's some problem with the shuttle. I get to the location, and the honey wagon isn't there yet, so make-up is standing around. Rosie's craft service table has the makings for peanut butter and banana sandwiches, which becomes the hit of the morning. The sky is overcast and Mark can't believe it. Wait and wait. Eventually, we shoot exteriors of Melody's [CENSORED], then Melanie Lynskey and Lisa LoCicero show up for their scene of [CENSORED]. Production assistant Trent is pulled to be Man on the Street who takes their [CENSORED], and we shoot it. Next!
So we're back in the tiniest laundry room ever, and the camera has moved so I can stand behind a dryer, which is still a lousy position to watch for continuity. I can't really see, and it's really quiet and any movement makes a racket. So we're all watching and we're not moving and we're not breathing... and the power goes out. Mark will not cry. Mark will not cry. Mark will not cry. Power back, we finish the scene, and spend the next couple of hour setting up the [CENSORED] scene. And it starts to rain. Mark can't find anyone to fire. We wrap after 1 a.m., I don't leave before 2 a.m., get home practically asleep...
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We move into another apartment building (one where Mark used to live for 2 1/2
years) to shoot in the tiniest laundry room ever. There's not even room for
me behind the washers, dryers, nor hot water heater. I'm stuck just outside
the door. This is not only chaos for lights and camera, but the art
department is ducking in and out trying to dress the set. During rehearsal it
looks like some art department guy I don't know (it's day 2 - I don't know
most of the crew yet) is about to burst in on them to put in a laundry basket
for set dressing and I authoritatively try to stop him. He nods to me like
it's okay and walks on in. I close my eyes dreading the interruption
reaction, and he starts saying lines - he's a character in the scene! Yikes!
We all work together for over an hour, eat lunch, come back, and it's bugging
me how familiar this near art department guy is. Finally I look up his
credits in my cast list - he's James Michael Tyler, Gunther from Friends! I'd even been looking forward to seeing him! Dark hair and a mustache, I didn't recognize him. He was pleased.
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