Day the Earth Stood Still

In 1951 Earth was invaded by an alien from another planet named Klaatu. This December that same alien will invade once again. The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic science-fiction film about another race warning those less peaceful races of an impending doom that will cause their way of life to come to an end if they are not careful. I remember watching the 1951 film for the first time in Mr. Bansak’s American Cinema class and thinking what a weird experience it would be if for just one second the Earth truly stood still. Most likely not for the reasons that are mentioned in the film, but for any reason that causes time to stop and for nothing to happen anywhere for just a split second. The concept is unbelievable, but the actual experience is unexplainable, yet recently, we have all experienced just such a moment.

In 1951 director Robert Wise presented a Cold-War era world with a film to make movie goers stop and think. Although the 2008 remake has not yet been released and we do not know to what extent adaptations and updates have been used to modernize the story, we did have our own version of The Day the Earth Stood Still. It took place on this past Tuesday night. Some of you may have been at election parties, some of you may have been at bars and local pubs with friends or family waiting to hear the election results, some may have stayed home, but I was in Midtown wandering my way through production crews and mob size crowds standing on the streets of New York City. No matter how you voted that night, around 11pm EST, everything stopped. The announcement of Barack Obama as President-Elect completely changed America-- our way of life, thinking, and perhaps even ourselves. From a production world, as well as from the point of view of a young voting American, I know that my life will never be the same.

That night, I knew the city would be absolutely insane. It made me feel like I was in some huge Hollywood feature with a call of several thousand extras to completely fill Time Square. There was enough film equipment from the various television networks to have shot a scene from over a hundred different angles, and the energy of the people was electrifying. You may have seen some live footage during the election coverage, but that does not begin to express what it was like being out there on the streets.

Beginning October 29, news networks like ABC, CNN, NBC, and CBS stormed into various portions of Midtown Manhattan to set up stations. CNN completely covered Rockefeller Center along with NBC News. There were so many camera crews within that three block area that Good Morning America, 30 Rock, NBC Studios, and the additional CNN camera crews were bumping heads because there was just no more space available to fit any additional equipment or observing audiences for the various planned shoots. ABC Studios, MTV Networks, and other network crews took over Time Square with huge jib arms (a camera-mounting device that allows fluid movement of the camera while being raised, lowered, or moved horizontally) and lighting equipment that lined Broadway from 42^nd to 50^th Street. Everyone wanted to capture the emotions of the historical event that was taking place.Then the big night came.  Just moments after the election was called, a tsunami of people flooded the streets of Time Square, Harlem, Washington Heights, and every area of Manhattan with New Yorkers, visitors from all over the country and even foreign tourists celebrating the announcement of who our next president would be. And then we all waited.  We waited in excited anticipation for President-Elect Obama to take the stage in Chicago and make his acceptance speech. As the minutes rolled on even closer to midnight and the reports were coming out that he was on his way the noise continued to grow louder and louder until they announced that he was about to appear. In that moment, you could feel the energy of the enormous crowd growing with electricity as they turned to face every jumbo screen in Time Square... and then the Earth stood still.

The moment President-Elect Barack Obama stepped out onto the stage you could feel everyone’s breath catch, and then… nothing. There was no movement anywhere in Time Square. Everyone stood stone still, traffic stopped exactly where it was, angry cabbies idled motionless in the middle of the streets, and nothing was heard other than the words of Barack Obama filling the night’s air. It was an experience like no other and there will never be another quite like it. In those few minutes we, as Americas, all over the country listened to the words of a man, who, forever, changed our country’s history, and us.

If any film ever needs stock footage of large crowds of people caught in the moment in the most natural way, that would not look staged, choreographed or rehearsed, all they would have to do is find footage of the thousands of people in Manhattan hanging on every word of the newly elected President. That moment, those images, and the experience will live forever in my memory. It was the only moment I have ever experienced where everyone, young and old, Nationals and Foreigners, Democrats and Republicans stood together amazed at what has just come to pass. I believe that this moment in time has shown that our young country is growing up. We are maturing and adapting to new ways of life, and trying to break old habits. Those imagines and footage will last forever in the multimedia world just as the election of our first African-American President will live on as part of our country’s history. Yes, history was made Tuesday night and I was lucky enough to be there and to be old enough to feel the change that occurred in our hearts and minds and I will remember it as The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

The last week has been one unexpected event after another, with one consecutive theme… a playlist. By now, many of you have probably seen trailers for the new teen flick Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and after I saw it the concept hit me; New York City has a soundtrack all of its own. You have the angry taxi drivers honking, bike bells ringing, tourists yelling for each other, and all the sounds that create the music. I have been trying to block out the city’s soundtrack, and now that I look back at everything I have done it and it feels as though I have created my own personal movie soundtrack. I have a song that starts my day, a song to drown out the subway noises, mellow music to keep me calm at work, and soothing music at the end of the day. It was only something I vaguely considered before, but with the craziness that I have experienced in preparation for the Video Music Awards (VMAs) I have felt the concept being reinforced even more, and this week the work soundtrack was the Bumblebee theme as we hurried to prepare for the big event. Now, not only do I have a play list, but I am also racking up footage for special features with an ever growing and interesting blooper reel.

When I first moved into my apartment I had the immediate image of a classic Hollywood film shot in Harlem. I pictured the fire hydrants opened and water filling the streets and the neighborhood kids playing in the water to stay cool; and when I turned the corner walking down my street I couldn’t help but laugh. What I pictured from my movie references was exactly what I had just walked into. Films are not always that off from real life and it brought a new energy and feel to the life I had been living before NYC. I even found myself walking down 49^th street, and crossing paths with the filming of a mini-series making me feel my life had become like a feature film. Unfortunately, life throws mysterious curve balls from time to time that can complicate any given situation, or even add a sense of screw-ball comedy to an otherwise ordinary life.

I watch films for their bonus features to see what happens behind-the-scenes and to see what types of mistakes make the blooper reel cut. My personal blooper reel consists of experiences and incidents that are beyond my control. It includes a mishap that occurred on the set of a feature film. On this set we were working a shoot at the Burlington Mall during regular operating hours with equipment, cast and crew on the first level, and the second floor open to anyone who was in the mall for the day. As 250 extras were shoveled into a tent in the parking lot and shuttled in large groups indoors for shoots you can only imagine the type of chaos that the production assistants experience while handling such a large number of people. When we finally started shooting we were told to run from point A to point B and left with no other instructions or information regarding what the scene was. When the director called “action” we set off in the direction of our mark. 100 extras ran through the center of the mall next to Santa’s Village. What we didn’t know was that the actors involved in the scene were hidden among the set. Suddenly we had 5 actors with weapons running towards us. I was taken by surprise as one attacked from the left with a skateboard as though he was going to hit me over the head, and another came in from the right carrying a gun. I threw my hands over my face and in the process quickened my pace. I knew that there was an older lady next to me who abruptly disappeared. What I did not know was that in the “organized chaos” that the director was looking for, I had accidentally knocked her to the ground-- Production was paused to make sure she was OK and to inform ‘us’ that ‘we’ were not to actually push people out of the way to escape the criminals we were running from. Had they mentioned that before hand, the incident may not have happened. But, film in all its glory is always “Organized Chaos”, and we are but pawns in the Director’s Vision; oblivious to what is happening around us until after the story is told.

More recently you witnessed a mishap that neither myself, nor the ‘Town Common’ newspaper had any control of . . . We all know that technology has a mind of its own, like the Hal computer in Stanley Kubrick’s, 2001: A Space Oddysey. Even though there are times when we can prevent things from happening, there are other times when technology tells us “you have no control”. Unfortunately my last article, ‘The Wizard’s Curtain’ fell victim to the Sirens of such technology. Even embarrassing bloopers have made appearances. I recently had a conversation with actor Kal Penn (House and Harold and Kumar), I mentioned that I had a hula boy on my dashboard that I named after his comedic character Kumar. I don’t know what possessed me to share this information, but he was such a nice guy and the conversation was so casual . . . and then the story slipped out. Granted, the memory was of a very fun time with a girlfriend I had not seen in many years and seeing Kal Penn made me think of her, but I probably should have kept the story to myself. I will only say that his reaction made me feel much better about sharing. He laughed and enjoyed the story. But I will probably be remembered as “that girl with a hula doll named Kumar”. Not my fondest moment.

Unexpected events happen all the time; embarrassing, stressful and sometimes life altering. But, it is how we deal with the outcome of these events that separates an amateur from a professional. Smile and laugh it off if it is something embarrassing. I feel horrible that I knocked over a fellow extra, and that I divulged information about my hula boy, but shit happens. I laugh about it now and share the stories with friends and family, and I hope it won’t happen again. But I’m sure it will. Even those mistakes involving technology whether it is a misprint or a message sent to the wrong person via text or an email to a friend that you accidentally send to your boss.

Things happen. Life happens . . .

Take every experience and make the most of it. If the outcome is not quite what you hoped for work to improve it the next time around, or in my case I hope to improve my moments of utter klutziness through physical movement and verbal expression. Like Forrest Gump says… “Life is like a box of chocolates. Never know what you’re gonna get.” So pick a chocolate and take a bite.

Wizard's Courtain

In November 2005, a year before Boston became the next "it" shooting location, Providence, Rhode Island was the hottest place to shoot feature films and television series. Granted, a lot of series using Providence as their main location were actually shot in Los Angeles on sound stages, using Providence only for those exterior shots that could not be recreated in the studio. TV shows like Providence, Showtime’s Brotherhood, and Waterfront were just a few of the shoots that locals were seeing around town, but, November brought heavy hitting actors like Wesley Snipes and Sybil Sheppard into the New England area for an independent film directed by Mario Van Peebles.

In the fall of 2005, I was a first semester sophomore at Fitchburg State. I asked a few professors on campus what they would suggest I do to try and get some work experience, and they suggested a website that had a classified section for all things in the New England area. One night, during a research session, I stumbled upon a listing for office interns for the production office for the movie Hard Luck, which is now out on DVD. I applied for the position and was asked to come in the following Wednesday night for an interview. A week later, around 5 pm, I drove down to Providence as soon as I was out of class and two hours later I walked into the film office. I was completely taken off guard because I was not prepared for what I saw. Everything having anything to do with this movie was contained on two floors in a rented office building in down town Providence. Every department imaginable: casting, accounting, executive producers, location scouts, set design teams, wardrobe and make-up teams, as well as the production management teams consisting of those individuals who acted as liaisons between movie set(s) and business offices. I was so unfamiliar and so not ready for the world that I had just entered. I felt like I had stepped through my television into a world that was now black and white. Luckily, due to my film classes, I at least had some (though very little) knowledge and understanding of how productions are to work and what each team is responsible for, but seeing it right before my very eyes was like stepping into an alternate universe. This was a real culture shock!
I was so overwhelmed by everything that was taking place I offered to work the night just to test my own performance in this kind of environment, but also, I hoped to get familiar with the confusion and super warp speed of production work. By 2am my tasks for the evening were completed and I was asked to return. I was so excited that I quickly agreed to work a 5 day week-- but mainly to cover the weekend shoots Friday into Sunday evening.

Two nights later I returned for my first weekend. I was assigned the position of office assistant to the production manager and her assisting team. I was in charge of filing all of the daily paper work, photo copying redrafted scripts and prepping these scripts for distribution to those who needed them. I was also in charge of prepping the sides (specific scenes pulled from the script that were on the schedule to shoot the following day) and creating the next day shoot packets for distribution. It was a lot of general busy work, but it allowed me the opportunity to see the type of preparation that goes into the planning and prepping of daily shoots on a professional set.
One night, while prepping the sides, the assisting manager asked me if I would deliver the packets I had prepared to those needing them for the next day. Delivery was to be to the individuals’ specific rooms at a hotel that was on my route home. I agreed that there would be no problem and I’d be happy to do it. She handed me the distribution list of names and the address for those on the list. I did not think much about the list at first, but as I began going through the names and copying them onto their respective packets, I came across a name that caused me to immediately freeze. (I felt like Toby Maguire in Pleasantville when he was standing on the street and a tree suddenly burst into colorful flames.) The first sign of what "real" life looks like in this black and white world was the sudden realization that I was no longer in Kansas. I had finally crossed the yellow brick road into the World of Oz. The people on my list of deliveries are not people from my world, but from the world that only Hollywood can create. They are the people we only dream about meeting, and I would be walking right up to their doors and delivering packages of shooting information directly into their hands! (How intimidating is THAT?) That night was the moment I knew my life would never be the same. I was Dorothy in Oz, granted, not following the same yellow brick road that all of the stars follow, but the more heavily traveled path that the production teams walk everyday, leaving black scuff marks in their wake from the equipment they have to drag behind them along the way, hoping to have an audience with the wizard who will recognize their hard work and their talents and hopefully allow them to work behind the curtain with him.

I was such a nervous wreck as I walked down the 11th floor hallway to room 734. The man behind the door is someone I have always admired for his talents as an actor, but I never thought that this early in my schooling, let alone my career, that I would be able to meet him, even though I was only a runner and not much higher on the industry’s food chain than the person who runs for coffee all day long . . . I knocked on the door of his room and waited-- When the door opened, I was greeted by a frustrated agent, but I could hear the voice of Wesley Snipes just behind the door. At the time, I did not understand why the agent looked so angry and I did not want to listen to the loud ranting that was taking place, so I nodded to the man, handed him the packet, and left as quickly as I could.

I know that this is not the most glamorous story, but truth be told, most of my encounters with stars have been anything but glamorous. They are the glam, but not the way the press and media hype them up. In my few encounters, the one thing I have learned is that the stars appreciate more than anything to be treated like an everyday person. Just like the wizard, the stars are just regular people working behind a curtain. Of course, their curtains are more like shower curtains and we are able to see their every more, but if you ever see a star on the street, I guarantee they will be friendlier if you acknowledge them as you would anyone you know.
We are all walking along a yellow brick road in search of the Emerald City. Some of us lack a heart, some a brain and some courage. But once we arrive, we discover we are all regular people, even those who have been chosen to work behind the wizard’s curtain. Pull it back, and you will see our fears, weaknesses and desires. Right now my path is leading me to the emerald city of Hollywood. I know I am lucky enough to be given the opportunity to act as a production assistant for “VMA Weekend” and will be working on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles, and witness the magical work of the wizard that I now know as MTV. So follow your heart, bring your brain and collect your courage as you start off down your yellow brick road as you create your own realization to your dreams.

Living In Oblivion

To be involved in the world of movies, an unknowing person may believe it to be a dream come true. From the first time you set foot on set you feel it is like something straight out of a fairy tale. The scale of everything is larger than life. Even as the lowest person on a set (an extra), you feel as if you are royalty and there is no comparison to real life. From the pampered treatment you receive from the make-up and hair artists between takes, to the sometimes extravagant sets and wardrobes, and the unbelievable meals provided, but can occasionally be strictly an "eat at your own risk" adventure. Each of these experiences in and of itself can be like a dream come true, but, it is the audition process that is a treacherous path that not everyone journeys safely through.

I have been auditioning for dancing and acting parts since the age of 5, however, physical challenges have prevented me from obtaining these opportunities. Being shy of 5' tall with an athletic build and brown hair, the dance world has turned me away from professional productions. This rejection has not prevented me from having auditioned for season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance? (turned away in the first cut) and a dancer for the Celtics (turned away during the 3rd cut). I have also auditioned for performing positions with 6 Flags, Busch Gardens, Disneyworld, as well as minor roles in various plays and films, but have never received a call back. With each rejection I have grown as a performer and have became a stronger person. I accept the challenge to enter a world that is structured around appearance, with females that are 5'6" and taller, skinny, and blonde. As a dancer, these are 3 things I lack. But I never given up! Today I continue to struggle with auditions, but I look forward to and welcome the next opportunity that will come my way and believe that one day my drive will overshadow my physical shortcomings of that “dream girl” look.

This past weekend Boston Casting held an open call for roles in an upcoming Mel Gibson and Robert DeNiro film scheduled to begin shooting in mid-August in the Boston area. I hope to receive a call back, but if I do not there is always tomorrow to try again. I live in oblivion, never knowing what to expect in life or on set. But when you do land a spot on set, that is when the madness truly begins.

In 1995 an independent film (Living in Oblivion)was released staring Steve Buschemi. This film gives viewers a comedic glimpse of what it is really like to be a filmmaker. It shows the chaotic life of an independent filmmaker and some of the circumstances that can cause a production to fall apart. This film has made a huge impact in my life and is one of the reasons why I wanted to become a part of the film industry. Some of my friend may describe me as crazy, but truth be told, you have to be a little nuts to want to work in this world. The occasional pre-Madonnas that you have to handle, the potential for extreme amounts of stress, sleepless nights, the chaos of Mother Nature, and human error are just a few things that one may have to deal with on a daily basis. Many of us have learned ways to coup with the stress, but others are driven mad by it. Anything can cause a production to halt mid-way through, and then there are things that can cause a production to fall apart before it even begins.

While in college, I produced five student projects and all of them had their moments of utter destruction. There were occasions where we were locked out of locations, lost a lead actor the day before production was scheduled to begin due to a call into active duty, lost crew mid-way through productions due to personal tragedies, and have had an entire day’s worth of footage lost due to faulty equipment or improper development of film. But, these production problems are nothing in comparison to the craziness that takes place while working on set. When producing, you can work around the situation and you have some control, or at least you feel you have some control. However, when on set, you have no control over the situation, and you can become the problem.

I have witnessed, as well as accidentally caused a few problems that can occur when on set. In the last year I have attended about a dozen auditions and was cast as a background performer in two. One, a Kate Hudson film due out in September, is such a film that experienced several delays during production. During one such shoot, they used a church for a holding area, and due to the content of the scene the church decided to kick the production out and they had to stop production until they could quickly find a new location for holding extras and equipment. Another set back they experienced was during the prom scene.

I was cast as an extra along with 150 other people in their early 20s for the prom scene. We worked three 16-hour days in a Boston high school gymnasium with no AC, cameras and lights running at all times, and only 2 fans turned up between takes so that the noise would not interfere with audio recording. During the second day, we were performing a dance scene for about 2 hours when heat and dehydration hit hard. Production was put on hold for several hours as cast and crew dealt with the toll it was taking on all of us. Lucky nothing serious had happened and we were quickly brought back on set to resume shooting once everyone had been rehydrated and given a meal. Productions experience various types of set backs in all different shapes and sizes, and you’ll never know when or what may happen.

I live in a constant state of oblivion in life and in work. I never know what is going to happen from minute to minute, but I love every second of it. Life is too short to not live out your dreams, no matter how wild or crazy they may be. No matter how many people get in your way by turning you down, or saying that you cannot do it, do not let that stop you. Work that much harder for the next opportunity that comes your way. Welcome chaos and the unpredictable nature of people and of life itself. Join me as I live in oblivion and enjoy life.

New Beginnings - From Small Town to the Big Apple

Standing in Time Square and looking around you will see promotional shoots, commercial shoots and photo shoots taking place on Military Island, you’ll see the crew of MTV’s TRL recording its weekly episodes, and of course the various feature film shoots taking place on 42^nd Street and other various New York areas. New York City is one of the hubs for the film and television industry. It is the city that never sleeps, or I should say it is the city that is sleep deprived. This is my world and I have been newly inducted.

For the last 2 months I have been working for MTV Networks in New York City, and before that I was a college student completing my last requirement before graduation. The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of events of which I can only recall bits and pieces. In the entertainment world the biggest thing you have to remember is that it is all about who you know and being in the right place at the right time. I feel that if I’m not careful my luck will run out because the last 6 months have been nothing but luck. Let me take you back a few months just to give you an idea of what I mean.

April 24 was the last day of my internship. My final evaluation was to be the following day and then I was to spend the weekend packing up my dorm room and moving back home to begin my search for “real work”. At 5:30pm I was asked to give a tour to a visiting VP and his family. No one else in the studio wanted to do it so I was happy to volunteer. The tour went relatively smoothly, minus getting scolded half way through the tour, but as the tour ended I was asked what I wanted to do when I grew up and if I was familiar with editing software. I answered to the best of my ability since I was slightly intimidated from being scolded earlier, and as this VP walked his family out the door he told me to send him my resume. That night, I didn’t think anything of the day’s event and did not send him my resume, but at 10:30 am the following morning, with my school internship supervisor standing beside me, my studio boss walked towards me with a huge grin. After introducing himself to my school internship supervisor, he informed me that I had an interview for a job with the VP from the previous day.

Today, I have just completed my first month working as the personal production assistant to this VP and beginning preparations for this summer’s VMAs (MTV’s Video Music Awards).

Six months ago, I would never have dreamed that I would have the position that I am enjoying, right out of college, nor would I have imaged that I would have an official production credit to my name resulting from my work on a special MTV program that aired June 7^th. So, a little tip to anyone reading this, never doubt yourself or the unexpected because you never know who you’ll meet some random afternoon and what impact that meeting could have on your life. Anything can happen if you go that little extra mile, put yourself out there and show honest and sincere passion in whatever area or field of work you have an interest in.

I hope in this column I can give you an inside view of what it is like to live and work inside the film and television industry. I would like to share some of my stories, some of grandeur and some of horror. But before I begin, let me officially introduce myself.

My name is Hannah and I am a member of the class of 2004 from a small Massachusetts town high school who recently graduated from college in 2008. I have always loved watching movies and sharing them with my brother, but my awareness that I had a deeper interest to make movies a part of my life began my sophomore year while sitting in an American Cinema class. We had just finished watching Bonnie and Clyde and I couldn’t get the images from the final scene out of my head. That night there was a special on Entertainment Tonight with a guy whose job it was to watch films and catch all of the mistakes and technical errors before the films are released for theatrical distribution. I thought, how amazing it is that there is a job like this in the film industry. I decided that night that I would one day be a part of the movie business production process. I give thanks to my cinema and drama teachers for giving me the support I needed during my high school days to push myself in the direction of my dreams. Looking back on my school years, I believe if it had not been for my cinema and drama classes, I most likely would not be sitting at my desk working feverishly assisting with schedules and research for upcoming MTV programs and projects. My play in the industry is something that I only dreamed of and have now come true, but getting here was not at all easy or a bed of roses, but was a long roller coaster ride, with more treacherous track to go. I look forward to sharing the wild and crazy ups and downs beginning my career from my own personal school projects, to working in the production office of a Wesley Snipes film, to being an extra in a few recent feature films, to future adventures wherever they may take me. I want to share my stories with anyone interested, and to maybe help someone find their own path into this crazy world or another, and let you know not to give up or think it can’t be done.