11.09.06
Nantucket Shoot, Day Two: ‘Copy THAT!’
It was a brisk New England morning, and the crew slowly roused themselves, dealing out abuse over my loud snoring (something I would hear about for a long time…) We managed to wolf down some cheap Costco bulk muffins and I was lucky enough to have a cup of coffee before we piled in the van and followed Finn to the hospital where we’d be shooting.
We got there just as the other half of the team was setting up; makeup was being applied and Damien set out to teach me basic lighting. We spent some time setting up various lights and clipping different colored gels to them, I mistakenly grabbed the wrong color several times, much to the amusement of Damien and Gene, who busted my chops in a good-humored way.
Most of the shots we set up around an older couple in a hospital bed, speaking to each other in one-word sentences, and the majority of the work centered around moving equipment around for multiple takes at different angles.
What was interesting about this shoot was that we were in a fully functioning hospital, and the crew was a bit weirded out to learn that a patient had passed away in an adjacent room, while we were filming. There were plenty of people in wheelchairs in the hallways, and as I passed them, I would smile and say hello and hopefully brighten their day, if just by a bit. Tough to feel bad about being tired and hungover when someone next to you is carrying a colostomy bag…
The rest of the day was spent just filming, breaking down, setting up, take after take. I was complimented about how quickly I picked up on the lingo, and soon the crew started with the movie quotes, and I must admit, I got trounced, as the people study film, not just pop-culture popcorn flicks.
When we wrapped, closing up the set was quick and easy, as we were going to use the same exact location the next day, and we were assured that the rooms were reasonably safe. So we tidied up, packed stuff away and headed back to the house to clean up. Seems that the Director, Greg, was having a gathering at his house, and we would be dining there. So, after showers - we followed Finn, who I learned was the former Mayor of the Island, led us to Greg’s mini-mansion (complete with a 2 story guest house) and we quickly settled into cocktails and played with Greg’s dog, who was eager for attention. As we mingled, I was introduced to several other members of the team that I hadn’t been introduced to, including Jacqueline, the makeup artist, who had a very infectious laugh, and Cieran, our Belfastian PA, who also possessed an infectious laugh.
After an amazing dinner of lasagna with goat cheese and cranberries (yeah I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it was amazing) Greg treated us all to a recital on his baby grand, and it was one of those moments that time simply stops. Here I was surrounded by new and old friends, all of them wildly smart and creative, and I felt that I was part of something. Something with substance. Connected. Like I could stay in this moment in time for the rest of my life and be content. In fact, it was so powerful, I needed to duck out for a smoke.
I was soon joined by a good portion of the crew, and we all shared a laugh over Cieran’s antics, as he was in high spirits, and had consumed a great deal of spirits. He quickly decided that the party was wrapping up here, and that we should adjourn to the house for a nightcap and more conversation. Which we did. In spades.
Finn had had the foresight to stock the fridge with a good selection of ales, and we soon found ourselves bouncing around, outside smoking and talking in the frigid night air, inside to warm up, in front of the TV, watching Cisco’s demo reel, back outside for more smokes, until I found myself unable to keep my eyes open. I decided to spare my team members my obnoxious snoring, so I crashed on the couch. My last memory was the of Cieran, trying to wake me up for another round of ale and smokes, by climbing on top of me and wrestling me off the couch.
Trust me, there’s nothing like being teased by crew members who swear that it looked like a drunk Irishman dry-humping me at 3am….
