December's passing quickly, and with it comes a new year with new opportunities! I want to continue doing extra work off and on. There's an open call next week for Law Abiding Citizens extras in Philadelphia, to start work in January. I hope to increase my New York work. There's a number of shows I hope to work on next year. It's also time I get new headshots, and I feel ready to get an agent in New York, so that's what direction I'm looking towards for the new year. I will be taking an early Christmas vacation in Omaha, Nebraska in time for my birthday.
Will post again after the new year. Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Filming 30 Rock in New York
By Thomas M. Hagen.
December 2nd, 2008.
I was called yesterday by casting to work today on the tv show "30 Rock" in New York. Queens, actually. Long Island City, Queens. This was a call two years in the making. I've wanted to work on 30 Rock since it's pilot episode, and was quite elated when I got the call. Now I just have to do Life on Mars, Fringe, and all three Law & Orders and I'll be set!
This morning I took a train to New York and made my way over to Long Island City. There I reported to one of NYC's largest studios, Silvercup Studios. The Sopranos filmed from here. Now they have 30 Rock and Gossip Girls. Signed the visitors log and went to a holding area adjacent to the lobby. there's about thirty extras here today.
It felt hot in holding so I ventured down the hallways between studios, to craft services. Got some water, and saw Tina Fey for a second at the other end of craft services, chatting with crew. Not wanting to celeb-stare at her, I focused on my water. Coming back to holding I passed show actor Jack McBrayer as he was coming into the studio.
Back in holding, i got signed in and wardrobe will be here soon to give our clothes the once over. The p.a. went over the specifics of our scene. We're in a bar, the 'ninja bar' as bar patrons. Alec Baldwin and and a few other actors from the show will be in this ninja bar. Alec Baldwin's character is missing his girlfriend and is hanging out with the guys in this bar.
A half hour later, several ninja garbed extras reentered holding. All black, complete with ninja masks. These ninjas will be the bar's waiters. Two of the black garbed ninjas practiced exhibitionist sparring on the far side of holding. Very Matrix-like. Clearly, they knew what they're doing. And actor Fred Willard just walked by, looking in on our room for a moment before moving on.
The two ninjas continue sparring. I went to wardrobe for approval. they had me change shirts to a purple sweater, as if I wasn't hot enough. On my way back to holding, shirts changed, I had to wait off to the side as a gaggle of Gossip Girl extras carrying chairs passed through the hallway.
Went back through the studio hallways with a coupl extras to forage over craft services to kill time. They were filming inside the studio nearby, as indicated by the flashing red light, and the occasionl bell ringing at the cut of each take. I've never heard the studio bell for real before. In movies, yes, but not in person. On the east coast, most filming is outdoor locations, or another setting. There's no bell. I guess I haven't done enough studio filming! This is my second time in a studio.
But our filming set will actually be a bar elsewhere. First they'll break us for lunch, and then we start filming after. Sitting here as the cooks prepare sizzling cuisine and steaming pasta, it is smelling good! But we have to wait until the crew eats before we do, so I drifted off to sleep in my chair while waiting. Woke up when thewy called lunch for us extras.
I chose the sausages and potatoes, the alfreda pasta, and some smoked gouda cheese. Right after lunch, they vanned the sparring ninjas over to set. Twenty five minutes later, i was with the last group of extras to go to the bar set.
Went upstairs to extras holding on the second floor, with a balcony overhanging the table where the actors will sit. Great birds eye view! So far, I saw actor Judah Friedlander down below.
I was selected to be one of the first few extras to go downstairs when they're ready. Meanwhile, they're banging a gong downstairs, testing it. It's amazing (another gong) how it all looks like pandemonium down below. Like worker bees scurrying to and fro. So many departments. To the naked eye it looks like pure chaos, 15-20 crew talking at the same time, brushing to get past each other and equipment, the equipment clanking, and walkie's blaring. It's a film set!
I went downstairs and was placed at a bar table near the actors table. Suddenly I noticed Alec Baldwin sitting at a booth across the bar, studying his lines. So, Alec Baldwin, Judah Friedlander, and show actors Lonny Ross, Keith Powell, and John Lutz sit at the table and talk to each other for the scene. Soon the actors replaced their stand ins at the table, and filming was starting!
For the scene, my attention is directed at the stage, watching the ninjas spar Matrix-lite. They changed what the ninjas had to do. a few takes in the ninjas pick up weapons. One a crossbow, the other a japanes blade. Over the next couple hours, they covered the three pages of dialogue from many angles. A few of those angles with me in camera view.
Alec Baldwin is running at a mile a minute. In between takes, he's quirky, funny, full of anecdotes for his co-actors at the table. He bases some of his character's dimensions off Lorne Michaels, who created and runs Saturday Night Live. But he could turn on a dime from joking into outspoken annoyance if he perceived his performance was being wasted and it could be avoided, which he spoke up about a few takes in.
Later on, while I was pantomiming conversation with the other extra at my table, that extra was talking above a whisper. At the end of the take, Alec Baldwin looks at us and points out there was noise coming from our corner. I just looked at my partner because I was not about to look at Alec Baldwin when he's hot!
During the takes, I had to keep taking swigs from my pint glass of what must have been O'Doul's mixed with lemonade. My partner wouldn't touch it, but I drank it to sell that I was in a bar. But it was killing my throat with all it's sugar! Three-four hours downstairs filming, and I got sent back to holding, as they weren't filming my angle.
Down below, Alec is getting very audible about getting this scene finished. I was sent back down to the bar for a reverse angle shot of the scene before. I sat at the far end of the bar away from camera so I don't mess up the scene's continuity. Having not slept last night, the fatigue was coming on, so I used the scene's 'guise' of a man leaning obver his drink, staring down at it, to let myself drift off to sleep, head above the drink. They called action or cut, I just didn't move at all. Perfect placement. I drifted off for a bit.
After that, they did an overhead shot from above the actors table. 90 degree staright down view. After that, we were wrapped!
A couple town cars were parked outside waiting for the passengers. I passed Alec Baldwin as he left the set. The other actors were getting ready to go. Went upstairs above the bar and got signed out, and took a treain back to the Philadelphia area.
Alec Baldwin is one of those actors who, like Stallone, or Nicolas Cage, feel larger then life to see them in person. He was terrific in The Hunt for Red October, one of my favorite movies, and it was exciting to work in such proximity to him! I took the day in wonder, and the shoot felt magical. The same feeling I felt the first time I did the West wing eight years ago...it's still there. And I'm glad to know it is. I never want it to go away...that extra work just becomes another day, becomes stale.
The filming we did today is for Episode 13 "Goodbye, My Friend." As a regular watcher of the show, I will be sure to see it when it airs! Two buzzwords to listen for to know it's the scene if the ninjas don't do it for you, 'mozzarella tempora' and 'hot tamales'. That's my day on 30 Rock! Thanks for reading!
December 2nd, 2008.
I was called yesterday by casting to work today on the tv show "30 Rock" in New York. Queens, actually. Long Island City, Queens. This was a call two years in the making. I've wanted to work on 30 Rock since it's pilot episode, and was quite elated when I got the call. Now I just have to do Life on Mars, Fringe, and all three Law & Orders and I'll be set!
This morning I took a train to New York and made my way over to Long Island City. There I reported to one of NYC's largest studios, Silvercup Studios. The Sopranos filmed from here. Now they have 30 Rock and Gossip Girls. Signed the visitors log and went to a holding area adjacent to the lobby. there's about thirty extras here today.
It felt hot in holding so I ventured down the hallways between studios, to craft services. Got some water, and saw Tina Fey for a second at the other end of craft services, chatting with crew. Not wanting to celeb-stare at her, I focused on my water. Coming back to holding I passed show actor Jack McBrayer as he was coming into the studio.
Back in holding, i got signed in and wardrobe will be here soon to give our clothes the once over. The p.a. went over the specifics of our scene. We're in a bar, the 'ninja bar' as bar patrons. Alec Baldwin and and a few other actors from the show will be in this ninja bar. Alec Baldwin's character is missing his girlfriend and is hanging out with the guys in this bar.
A half hour later, several ninja garbed extras reentered holding. All black, complete with ninja masks. These ninjas will be the bar's waiters. Two of the black garbed ninjas practiced exhibitionist sparring on the far side of holding. Very Matrix-like. Clearly, they knew what they're doing. And actor Fred Willard just walked by, looking in on our room for a moment before moving on.
The two ninjas continue sparring. I went to wardrobe for approval. they had me change shirts to a purple sweater, as if I wasn't hot enough. On my way back to holding, shirts changed, I had to wait off to the side as a gaggle of Gossip Girl extras carrying chairs passed through the hallway.
Went back through the studio hallways with a coupl extras to forage over craft services to kill time. They were filming inside the studio nearby, as indicated by the flashing red light, and the occasionl bell ringing at the cut of each take. I've never heard the studio bell for real before. In movies, yes, but not in person. On the east coast, most filming is outdoor locations, or another setting. There's no bell. I guess I haven't done enough studio filming! This is my second time in a studio.
But our filming set will actually be a bar elsewhere. First they'll break us for lunch, and then we start filming after. Sitting here as the cooks prepare sizzling cuisine and steaming pasta, it is smelling good! But we have to wait until the crew eats before we do, so I drifted off to sleep in my chair while waiting. Woke up when thewy called lunch for us extras.
I chose the sausages and potatoes, the alfreda pasta, and some smoked gouda cheese. Right after lunch, they vanned the sparring ninjas over to set. Twenty five minutes later, i was with the last group of extras to go to the bar set.
Went upstairs to extras holding on the second floor, with a balcony overhanging the table where the actors will sit. Great birds eye view! So far, I saw actor Judah Friedlander down below.
I was selected to be one of the first few extras to go downstairs when they're ready. Meanwhile, they're banging a gong downstairs, testing it. It's amazing (another gong) how it all looks like pandemonium down below. Like worker bees scurrying to and fro. So many departments. To the naked eye it looks like pure chaos, 15-20 crew talking at the same time, brushing to get past each other and equipment, the equipment clanking, and walkie's blaring. It's a film set!
I went downstairs and was placed at a bar table near the actors table. Suddenly I noticed Alec Baldwin sitting at a booth across the bar, studying his lines. So, Alec Baldwin, Judah Friedlander, and show actors Lonny Ross, Keith Powell, and John Lutz sit at the table and talk to each other for the scene. Soon the actors replaced their stand ins at the table, and filming was starting!
For the scene, my attention is directed at the stage, watching the ninjas spar Matrix-lite. They changed what the ninjas had to do. a few takes in the ninjas pick up weapons. One a crossbow, the other a japanes blade. Over the next couple hours, they covered the three pages of dialogue from many angles. A few of those angles with me in camera view.
Alec Baldwin is running at a mile a minute. In between takes, he's quirky, funny, full of anecdotes for his co-actors at the table. He bases some of his character's dimensions off Lorne Michaels, who created and runs Saturday Night Live. But he could turn on a dime from joking into outspoken annoyance if he perceived his performance was being wasted and it could be avoided, which he spoke up about a few takes in.
Later on, while I was pantomiming conversation with the other extra at my table, that extra was talking above a whisper. At the end of the take, Alec Baldwin looks at us and points out there was noise coming from our corner. I just looked at my partner because I was not about to look at Alec Baldwin when he's hot!
During the takes, I had to keep taking swigs from my pint glass of what must have been O'Doul's mixed with lemonade. My partner wouldn't touch it, but I drank it to sell that I was in a bar. But it was killing my throat with all it's sugar! Three-four hours downstairs filming, and I got sent back to holding, as they weren't filming my angle.
Down below, Alec is getting very audible about getting this scene finished. I was sent back down to the bar for a reverse angle shot of the scene before. I sat at the far end of the bar away from camera so I don't mess up the scene's continuity. Having not slept last night, the fatigue was coming on, so I used the scene's 'guise' of a man leaning obver his drink, staring down at it, to let myself drift off to sleep, head above the drink. They called action or cut, I just didn't move at all. Perfect placement. I drifted off for a bit.
After that, they did an overhead shot from above the actors table. 90 degree staright down view. After that, we were wrapped!
A couple town cars were parked outside waiting for the passengers. I passed Alec Baldwin as he left the set. The other actors were getting ready to go. Went upstairs above the bar and got signed out, and took a treain back to the Philadelphia area.
Alec Baldwin is one of those actors who, like Stallone, or Nicolas Cage, feel larger then life to see them in person. He was terrific in The Hunt for Red October, one of my favorite movies, and it was exciting to work in such proximity to him! I took the day in wonder, and the shoot felt magical. The same feeling I felt the first time I did the West wing eight years ago...it's still there. And I'm glad to know it is. I never want it to go away...that extra work just becomes another day, becomes stale.
The filming we did today is for Episode 13 "Goodbye, My Friend." As a regular watcher of the show, I will be sure to see it when it airs! Two buzzwords to listen for to know it's the scene if the ninjas don't do it for you, 'mozzarella tempora' and 'hot tamales'. That's my day on 30 Rock! Thanks for reading!
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