The Changeling (4)

Monday was spent in holding. Tuesday was utterly amazingly awesome despite the dead bird. Today…

I got to the lot, passed the WGA strikers, (they’d learned what we were working on and started joking with us about having a good crazy day!), enjoyed my hot fresh buttermilk waffle breakfast, got into costume, hair and make-up and was shuttled to the sound stage just fine.

Once again many of us were used in the first scene of the day. I was placed second in line at the nurses station in the hallway. It was time for us to take our pills.

It seemed like I was set there prematurely because I kept being in everyone’s way. But every time I tried to move, I’d get told to go back where I was. It took a little doing, but I started to watch for when the camera guys and such were trying to frame the shot versus when I could be out of the way without being told to get back into place. That wasn’t easy. There was a lot of movement with various crew members doing several jobs and me trying to figure out when it was a good idea to not be standing where the guy carrying the ladder/lighting fixture/stand/etc. would run into me while coming around the corner. It was a hallway for goodness sake. Lots of work and not a lot of room to do it in.

At one point, we were real close to getting started. Angelina arrived and Clint was describing to her what the shot was going to look like. He was animated and right in the middle of the hallway and I wasn’t sure if I should stay where I was to help illustrate the scene or if I should clear out to make room. I ended up sort of cornered against the wall when Clint made a move to go down the hall and then come back. He landed about three inches from me as I tried to sink into the wall so as not to be in the way.

He sorta came back out of the scene and looked at me in kind of surprise. (Y’know like, “Oh hi. I didn’t see you standing there.”) I didn’t know what to do, so I do what I always do in that situation and smiled my biggest watermelon grin. Which he returned!!!!!! That made my day!

Also adding to the oddity, I’m sure, was my hair and make-up. One of the other extras said something about how every time Clint would come onto the set and see all of us the first thing in the day, he’d grin and shake his head. I gotta admit…we were a pretty motley-looking crew. You’ll see when the movie comes out. We’d been done up to look our worst and it was strange for anyone to be in a room with all of us.

The action of the scene was that the lady ahead of me would take her pill. Then I would move up and take mine. Then Angelina would fight and various defiant mayhem would ensue in this amazing tracking shot. We did the whole thing a few times in just one take, but I don’t know if that’ll make it into the finished product or they’ll have to cut a couple times.

When I was told I was to take a pill and then walk down the hall, they assured me that I didn’t have to actually take it. I could just pretend.

Well, when I accidentally swallowed the first one, I figured what the hell, why not keep going.

I ended up swallowing so many pills, I swore my stomach rattled. They tasted like nothing, but kinda looked like breath mints.

From what I could gather, at some point, they did a little close-up/insert of me. I don’t know if it was just me or if it was one of those where they start on me and then pan to Angelina, but I’m pretty sure they did at least one take like that. Maybe that’ll make it into the finished product. I dunno. By now, I was still just glad to be there and having such a great time.

Later on in the scene, while Angelina is fighting an orderly, all of us extras got to come down the hallway, shocked at what we were seeing. They even did a shot just for us! The camera went by all of us as we stared in fright. It was awesome that all of us extras got close-ups that time. I wonder if they’ll use any of them, though. It was just awesome that they even bothered with us. I mean, we’re extras, we usually only get camera time behind the principle or by accident.

Jen always asks how close I get to the celebrities. Well, today was a doosie. 3 inches for Mr. Eastwood and 0 inches for Ms. Jolie. Yeah, I was unintentionally standing in the way and she accidentally bumped me.

I spent the last scene of the day in holding before getting yet another call time while being signed out. Yeah, I was on my way to yet another day of fun and excitement!

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