The Ring II

The following is an excerpt from an email I’d written shortly after the gig:

Last week, I was on The Ring II. Technically, I was on set twice, but the first day, I didn’t get used. I just sat in holding and read a book.

I think the highlight of that day was when they were about to use the extras and paraded us through to the director and along the way, there were four cute little baby skunks playing or eating (we didn’t want to get close enough to find out) near one of the buildings. Yeah, very VERY boring day. But at least I got some writing as well as reading done during all the down time.

Once we were paraded in front of the director, he chose the people he wanted for the scene and then the rest of us got sent home.

It wasn’t common for the director to hand pick people right there, but I was totally fine with it. Some people were a little grumpy after being in holding all day only to find out they weren’t going to be used. We get paid either way, so I don’t know why people complain.

Anyhow, the First Assistant Director pointed toward a group of us women and asked the director if we’d be good for the women’s shelter scene.

Usually, that wouldn’t mean a thing except that they did actually take our names down. I figured I’d believe it when I got the call. There have been several times when we think we’re going to have multiple days on a shoot and it turns out to be only the one day.

But they really meant it. I ended up working on Friday in the womens shelter scene.

Naomi Watts is not strikingly gorgeous in my opinion, but definitely girl-next-door pretty. I had no idea what to expect, but at least I wasn’t disappointed.

Anyhow, I might actually be in this movie when it comes out. They moved me around a couple times, but I ended up in a chair that they sort of turned to one side after the director walked through looking at camera angles.

His name is Hideo Nakata and according to one of the Production Assistants, he’s on the Forbes list of the 100 most influential people. The Ring came from Japan and he’s the guy who directed it there.

Anyhow, after being seated for awhile, I looked up and saw the director with his hands out, framing the shot…and I think I was in the middle of it in the foreground.

About a half hour later, I look up from my book again, and I see him doing the same thing as he’s showing the steady-cam operator what he wants.

Of course, I had a deer in headlights expression on my face because I wasn’t expecting any of this. And then to make matters in my little head worse, the director comes over and kneels down between me and a lady in another chair nearby and proceeds to tell us that the scene takes place in Seattle, it’s late afternoon, we’ve been there a very long time, we’re very depressed and down feeling.

He gets up and walks away and the other lady and I look at each other in shock. Directors don’t usually talk to extras…especially for that amount of time. It was very strange.

When they were finally shooting the scene from Naomi’s point of view, the camera was on all of us women and after the first take, the director went over to a group of women and told them some of the same stuff he’d told me and the other lady, except with a few extra directions. I guess they weren’t giving him quite what he was looking for.

As he walked past me, I looked at him as if to say, ‘was I okay?’, but didn’t actually say anything. He then told me he wanted me not to look down, but to look about three feet upward from where I’d looked in the last take. I was absolutely stunned. He could see me clear enough that he knew which way I’d been looking.

Something tells me that I really really really do have a chance at being on screen in this movie. Yaaaaay! It’s just really really rare to have this kind of thing happen. And who knows if I’ll be in the finished product, but at least I have a chance for once!!!

You betcha, I looked exactly where he told me to look during the next five takes! I really hope I don’t end up on the cutting room floor, but if I do, oh well…it certainly wouldn’t be the first time!!!!!

I will certainly be updating this Tale once the movie comes out. I’m looking forward to seeing if I actually made it into the finished product.

Well, I made it…kinda. Here’s what was in the finished product:

Ah well. I still had fun. Better luck next time, huh?

In Good Company

When I worked on this movie, it was called ‘Synergy’.

The following is an excerpt from an email sent shortly after the shoot:

I was on the set of Synergy with Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace. I was a ‘sushi restaurant patron’ and for the entire day, I had my back to the action while pretending to eat sushi and twiddling with my PDA.

Anyhow, the one time I did turn around between shots just to see what was going on, my eyes accidentally met Dennis Quaid’s eyes. WOW! Super-ultra-blue and absolutely incredible. Unfortunately, I had to turn back around so I couldn’t just stare at him…I’d’ve likely drooled as well. That wouldn’t’ve gone too nicely with the plate of half-munched warm sushi that was in front of me the entire day.

There was a real sushi chef who threw together a plate of shrimp for me which I ate during the course of about six takes…there were six pieces!

The other part of my Tale involves the guy who was sitting next to me. He started the scene seated, then got up, walked over to Dennis and Topher, said two lines, then walked off-camera.

Well, the guy played in the 1984 Super Bowl as a Defensive Back for the San Francisco 49ers. His name is Dwight Hicks and he was kind enough to show us his ring between takes. But the poor guy kept screwing up the first of his two lines [“Hey Dan-O”].

I actually hadn’t noticed because I was too busy writing nonsense on my PDA making it look like I was some kind of businesswoman preparing for a meeting after lunch.

Anyhow, after his second or third blown line, he came back to his seat and jokingly said, “Hey write ‘Dan-O’ on that would ya?” Well, I thought he was serious and seeing as how he had a line and most actors who have lines don’t talk to the extras, I pulled out my stylus and wrote in big huge letters “Dan O!”

The scene had already started by the time I was writing, but then when I’d finished scribbling, I nonchalantly tapped his shoulder and pushed my PDA toward him. He sorta snorted at first, but then it was time to go deliver his line and–wouldn’t-ya-knowit–he got it right!!!! WooHoo!

Sometimes it happens to the best of us when all we have is one line. Sometimes it’s just better to have a monologue or something longer. Dwight was really great. He joked with me and the girl that was sitting on the other side of him during lunch and the rest of the day. And I still have “Dan O!” on my PDA plus some of the other stuff I was writing… I’ll type out a few gems below:

Looking busy on the set of Synergy.

Just trying to look like I am trying to do something.

Still trying. The scent of warm sushi is getting to me. Oh boy.

I can’t believe I’m being paid to eat sushi.

Still being paid to eat, but very slowly.

The scene just keeps going and I just keep on writing.

Still going. I think I’m still having fun. I’ve lost track.

I mean, I’m still eating alone.

Oh what a beautiful day.

And on that note, I bid you farewell…