Producer's Log: Production - Day 4
9:00am - Quarry day. It's the most ambitious scene of the script. A gunfight in a quarry. The quarry is 3/4 mile up this small mountain. No electricity. No running water. And the road is so uneven, it takes about 15 minutes to get up or down by car. The location will look great on film, but its a logistical nightmare.
As I start driving to the location, I get a phone call. It's Nat. He's at the Quarry location and we're screwed! Either because of a mis-communication or just bad luck, the entire Quarry crew is at work today. Buzz saws going. Compressed air/water. It's a disaster. We can't shoot at the planned location. I floor the gas and speed to the location.
10:30am - Things have seemed to work themselves out. Luckily, there is a third quarry location farther up the mountain. Nat thinks the new location can work, and I breath a sigh of relief. The show must go on!
11:00am - Cast and crew has arrived and gotten set. Things are moving slowly, but that's to be expected. It's hot. The location is remote. And we were shooting late last night.
1:00pm - It is SO HOT and SO SUNNY, I practically delusional. Hopefully these pictures will help communicate. Nat's family had the foresight to bring tons of water and hats for everyone. It's difficult to keep the energy up. But we push on.
3:30pm - We've had some equipment malfunctions due to the heat. We need to cool it down. I turn on Al's prop car and blast the A/C. The video monitor sits on the passenger's side.
5:00pm - Sun is setting. Losing light. The temperature is getting more bearable. We've finished the main shootout/conversation. I think we've gotten everything we need. Now onto Al's big performance. This is a huge moment in the film; Al sings a song to reveal his soul and save his life. And we're asking Al to do this after a full day out in the sun. Yikes!
We setup the dolly and get into position.
6:00pm - Even though I'm dead tired, I can feel a bit of magic in the air. I think the crew feels it too. The setting sun provides a lovely orange glow. Everyone is quiet. The environment is quiet. Al's singing fills the quarry. It's the perfect way to end the day's shoot.
6:30pm - Whoops. Not done yet. We still need to pick up a shot of Al arriving at the quarry. This involves him driving up the hill in his shitty car. Al goes to start the car. Wrrr.... wrrr.... wrrr....... you're kidding me......... Nope....... the car won't start. Shit!
We drive over one of the trucks. Jump the car. It starts, but the engine is sputtering. Al puts the car in drive, hits the gas. It stalls. Won't start. We jump the car again. Al tries again. No luck. Again we try. Then again. The sun is setting. Shit, shit!
Nat leads the charge and rallies the crew. Four guys get behind the shitty car. "Roll Camera!" They start pushing the car up the gravel hill..... Okay, now I have to repeat this fact. We've been on top of a mountain in record setting 102 degree weather all day, and now the director and crew are pushing a car UP a hill to the quarry base. I-N-S-A-N-E.
But we get the shot.
8:00pm - We're packed up and heading slowly down the mountain. It's been a hell of day.
As I start driving to the location, I get a phone call. It's Nat. He's at the Quarry location and we're screwed! Either because of a mis-communication or just bad luck, the entire Quarry crew is at work today. Buzz saws going. Compressed air/water. It's a disaster. We can't shoot at the planned location. I floor the gas and speed to the location.
10:30am - Things have seemed to work themselves out. Luckily, there is a third quarry location farther up the mountain. Nat thinks the new location can work, and I breath a sigh of relief. The show must go on!
11:00am - Cast and crew has arrived and gotten set. Things are moving slowly, but that's to be expected. It's hot. The location is remote. And we were shooting late last night.
1:00pm - It is SO HOT and SO SUNNY, I practically delusional. Hopefully these pictures will help communicate. Nat's family had the foresight to bring tons of water and hats for everyone. It's difficult to keep the energy up. But we push on.
3:30pm - We've had some equipment malfunctions due to the heat. We need to cool it down. I turn on Al's prop car and blast the A/C. The video monitor sits on the passenger's side.
5:00pm - Sun is setting. Losing light. The temperature is getting more bearable. We've finished the main shootout/conversation. I think we've gotten everything we need. Now onto Al's big performance. This is a huge moment in the film; Al sings a song to reveal his soul and save his life. And we're asking Al to do this after a full day out in the sun. Yikes!
We setup the dolly and get into position.
6:00pm - Even though I'm dead tired, I can feel a bit of magic in the air. I think the crew feels it too. The setting sun provides a lovely orange glow. Everyone is quiet. The environment is quiet. Al's singing fills the quarry. It's the perfect way to end the day's shoot.
6:30pm - Whoops. Not done yet. We still need to pick up a shot of Al arriving at the quarry. This involves him driving up the hill in his shitty car. Al goes to start the car. Wrrr.... wrrr.... wrrr....... you're kidding me......... Nope....... the car won't start. Shit!
We drive over one of the trucks. Jump the car. It starts, but the engine is sputtering. Al puts the car in drive, hits the gas. It stalls. Won't start. We jump the car again. Al tries again. No luck. Again we try. Then again. The sun is setting. Shit, shit!
Nat leads the charge and rallies the crew. Four guys get behind the shitty car. "Roll Camera!" They start pushing the car up the gravel hill..... Okay, now I have to repeat this fact. We've been on top of a mountain in record setting 102 degree weather all day, and now the director and crew are pushing a car UP a hill to the quarry base. I-N-S-A-N-E.
But we get the shot.
8:00pm - We're packed up and heading slowly down the mountain. It's been a hell of day.
posted by Patrick at
10:06 PM
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