The Hughie Diaries... Part 12

After a few weeks of filming in Texas at different locations the crew made their way across the country back to L.A. I found L.A a little unsettling at first, but soon got into the vibe of things. LOS ANGELES JULY 12, 1996 A new book begins. It is 3:05 am and I'm situated in an alleyway between Romaindi (I think that is how it is spelt) and Willoughby St. A half-speed rehearsal for Joanna Going who is to be mugged by Steve, the stunt man. I am standing about 10 feet from Joanna's starting position. Steve looks like the ideal guy for the part. Sort of weedy looking. "Another half-speed rehearsal." Maria, the lst AD's voice crackles through the Walkie Talkie. The two actors walk back up the the dark alleyway, towards me, to their starting positions. Joanna to her truck and Steve to hide in a stairwell off to the side of the alley. Base camp is in the grounds of a school. On the gates of the school are signs to say that students are to be searched for weapons before getting in to the school. Not something, I hope, will ever need to be carried out in Australian schools. ...I just witnessed in the sky above L.A, what is seen here as a part of every day life. A helicopter hovering, with spotlight trained on the arse of some badguy, who hasn't got a chance in Buckley's of getting away. If that sort of thing happened in Australia it would be in all the papers. Over here no one, but me, seems to notice. "One more rehearsal," calls Jim Robinson, the Director, "...and action" Joanna's feet walk at a normal pace, then a bit quicker as she detects that she's being followed. Faster and faster until the noises of a scuffle as her attacker grabs her from behind. This shall be one of the first scenes in the movie. It is pretty eerie watching a mugging, even though it is only being acted out. "Watch your backs" ...as the water truck comes through and wets the street down. "Last looks" is called so that the make up and costume departments can come in and touch up the actors. Beverly, Suzanna and Tin are the wardrobe girls in L.A. Blanquita Cullum was a set costumer in Texas. Always good for a yarn or laugh are the wardrobe gals. Maybe even a cigar on a ferris wheel. Early in the morning and I'm feeling fine. "Hear we go... this is picture." calls Maria "This is picture -- This is picture..." the PA's relay the message to the crew across the set. "Quiet please..... and rolling sound." "Rolling sound. Rolling sound. Rolling sound." "Action." calls the Director She walks, notices her pursuer, faster, he chases and once again a scuffle. The attacker has a suggestion. Beside the corner of the building, where he grabs at Joanna, is a telegraph pole. He says to the Director, Jim, that it would give a dramatic effect if he were to lunge at his victim between the telegraph pole and the wall. When he grabs for Joanna he, at the same time, slams against the telegraph pole. The Director agrees that he should give it a go. She walks, notices her pursuer, faster, he chases and he hits the pole, reaching, desperately, but just misses. His hitting the pole seems to give a feel of desperation to the attack. "Action" She walks, notices her pursuer, faster, he chases and-- "Going again." She walks, notices her pursuer, faster, he chases and-- he misses once more. this time he grabs hold and a struggle takes place, she knees him, sprays attacker repellent in his face and runs away towards the road. "Cut" The actors and the Director watch the replay on the monitor and discuss the take. "Joanna, I think there's too much," comments the Director. The rest of the crew stands around with arms crossed keeping out the slight drop in temperature. I like working the night shoots. The crew has a much more relaxed feel about it. I have tonight, then two more nights of filming before my days as a set PA are over. The next scene is the stunt scene. After Joanna escapes and runs across the road to get away from her attacker, the attacker gets his shit together, stands up and runs out onto the road after her. He, at the same time, pulls out a gun. At that moment a car comes screeching around the corner and he turns, eyes widen in the headlights, and he's hit by the car. Rolling across the bonnet and smashing the windscreen. Can't be too good for you. The crew all realise that we are racing against the rising sun. Reminds me of an old Australian verse: "The rising sun just stole my girl away." It is decided that the attack scene should be filmed again. Once acted out, the Director, Joanna, Maria, Don Clark (props) and Steve, the stunt man, all huddle around the replay monitor. "I think I like the last grab better," the Director says "Let's go from the other angle." he says to his leading actress. The dolly is pulled off its tracks by the best big boy grip, Greg Lomas. The Second AD and the Second Second AD -- Max and Ritchie -- push each other around in a play fight that is usually carried out verbally over the Walkie Talkie airways. "Wake up Spankie and put down the crack pipe, etc., etc. Jeff Schweickert and Josh, the P.A, amuse themselves popping bubble-wrap, which doesn't seem to amuse the sound guys at their cart. "Joanna, Steve, we need to line this up." calls the First A.D to the actors. "Is she going camera right or camera left?" Steve asks the Director as he holds onto Joanna's sleeve before she tries to make her get away. Steve holds the gun out in my direction in preparation to shoot the leading actress as she makes her get away. 3:45am; 1 hour and 45 minutes 'til sunup. It's an amazing process, this Making Movies. I'm constantly in awe how Jim and the rest of the crew keep their heads in creative mode at this time of the morning. All decisions made now will later have a bearing on what is shown in the cinemas. I don't know much about editing but have been told that a lot of changes get made at that point of a movie's production. "How you doin', Hughie?" Mikey, the P.A, grabs my arm and gives it a warm squeeze, looks at me through tired red-rimmed eyes, and smiles. He is such a nice guy. I got to have a good chat to him for the first time tonight. His usual occupation is as a stand-in parent for six orphaned children. He and his wife live in a house with the kids. The shadow of his face falls across the page I'm writing on. His whistled breathing through his nose reminds me of the sound my little brother used to make as he slept, below me, on the bottom bunk bed when we were kids. "Watch your backs." Greg Lomas comes through with the dolly camera, and Mikey and I move out of the way. The rumbles of discussion between the crew rise to a high enough level of volume that First AD Maria calls "quiet on the set," and all of us PA's repeat. "Quiet on set. Quiet on set. Quiet please." Jim and Joanna debate a point of contention. "A little more to camera right." John Thomas makes his voice carry over the whispers of the crew in early morning conversation. Anticipation of getting to bed. 4:00am... ...and from Highland street, out of the darkness, come the first workers of the day at the American Linen company. They enter the door marked NO ADMITTANCE APPLY AT OFFICE. The women are uniformed as are the men. "Rehearsal," calls Maria. A dude on a bike stops behind me and calls out "What's the movie?" "I'm trying to get the attention of the man in the hat," he continues. "Do you know him?" asks Ari from Locations "I just want to ask him sumpin'." It seems that the guy is on drugs and everyone decides to ignore him. Jim pulls up a director's chair, slumps into it and yawns. The dude on the bike is now starting to get slightly pissed off. 10 minutes later... "Okay... first team rehearsal" calls the First AD. Joanna Going steps onto the footpath. "Action" she sprays her attacker in the face while running away. "I need to see the gun pointing at the lens the whole time," the Director says to the the stunt man. The dude on the bike rides up on to the pavement. He falls off and the bike drags him up the pavement. He straightens himself up, embarrassed, and makes his way into the back of the crew and watches timidly. "Action." They struggle, she gets away, he gets up and stumbles towards the camera, raises the gun and then the Gaffer, Austin Goss, shines a spotlight across the stunt man. This gives the effect of a cars headlights. The attacker gives a facial expression of one who is about to be hit by a train. "Cut." They do the same again. Dennis, the Boom man, walks over to the water container and pours a drink into a cellophane cup. "Checking the gate," Maria repeats the Director's call. 4:50am The sun is now only 40 minutes away. I have found myself in a comfortable cushioned chair, locking up a quiet spot in the alleyway. In locking up the alleyway I just have to make sure that no one walks down into the view of the camera while the camera is rolling. "Here we go. Picture is up folks-- settle please," calls Maria over the walkie. A pause, then... "That's a cut." It must have been a good one as there was a smattering of applause from the crew and some laughter. I just walked out into the schoolyard, and in the sky, like I've never seen before, was one moon, and one star. They must be in conversation with each other...
Said the moon to the star "Allow me to explain, why a star is what you are and I am by far the largest in the sky you will see. All mistakes that were made, when perfecting the moon are now stars on display. Proof to all who do not succeed in love, that you must try to love again."