Topic: Makin' Movies
Yay! It’s Daylight Savings Time today! But, booooo, we lose an hour of sleep.
Dana and I are extra-ing for “Milk” one last time today. This time it’s a recreation of part of Gay Freedom Day 1978. It’s on with the 70s clothes again.
Today we’re mostly just acting as a crowd, reacting to what’s happening on a stage set up in front of city hall. It’s supposed to be June, so we’re encouraged to go shirtless. Fortunately, it’s really nice and sunny out, so one can do so without frying. I do it, partly because the synthetic nightmare material of my 70s shirt is hot. Dana remains more demure because he has a few tattoos that don’t look authentic to the period. Not that a lot of our fellow volunteer extras seem to heed any of the instructions...I mean, a white guy with deadlocks in 1978? Gimme a break!
What’s different about today over our previous extra-ing and watching then film is that this time we actually get to see Sean Penn act. He’s giving a speech about how gay people need to come out to their families and friends and neighbors and co-workers, and repudiating the Anita Bryants of the world and those who would take right away. We cheer his words and his and boo the villains and generally make a lot of noise.
Again, I’m struck at how badly this production handles the crowd scenes. As before, their loudspeaker system is weak and a lot of people can’t hear the instructions. They don’t do proper cueing so everyone clearly know when to do what, etc.
I make a mental note as to where we are in relation to what in shots where I could be in short, so I can see if I can spot Dana and I if any of those shots make it into the film. We’re kinda in the back of the crowd, but we’re up on higher than the street. I can see the camera lens over Sean Penn’s shoulder, so I’m sure it can see me. But what’s in focus? The crowd, or Sean’s ear?
The capper of the speech Sean gives as Harvey Milk is the unveiling of the original Gay Pride flag, which is unfurled as a backdrop.
Note the people at the top...that's a big flag!
After a numbverof takes of this with several camera setups, Sean Penn stands at the microphone and doesn't delivery his scripted dialog. Oh no, he starts talking current politics, takes jabs at Fox News and the right, and get the crowd really hooting and hollering as they drop the flag one more time. Clever. He gets to make a poltical statement and get a great shot of the crowd cheering the flag dropping at the same time.
During a break between shots, I notice a woman taking a picture of Dana and me and we're being smoochy, and she comes over and says she's with the Chronicle and asks if she can have our names in case the paper uses a pix of us. We tell her, and she takes more pictures of us smooching. Guess I better read the Chronicle tomorrow...
With those scenes completed, they rearrange the extras to line both sides of the streets to get some quick shots of Milk’s arrival to City Hall in a previous scene. Sean rides sitting in the sunroof of a vintage Volvo, the car followed by supporters and a marching band. A few takes of this are done, and each time, a nun of roller-skates glides up and gives “Harvey” some flowers.
After these takes, we’re asked to move aside and be quiet as they marching band alone is brought up the street, so they can record the music clean without background noise.
Today's San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Freedom Band portraying the 1978 San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps (whew). Note the mic boom.
Finally, we’re asked to loosely gather on the sidewalk on one side of the street and do three takes of the throng walking as if we’re heading to or from the parade.
At this point, we’ve been out in the sun for 4 hours and we’ve had enough, so we call it day.
Video of this on the SF Chronicle's website here.
During this, Scott Cummins called to tell me that while it didn’t make it into the competion part of the PINK APPLE FILM FESTIVAL in Zurich and Frauenfeld, Switzerland between 30th April to 12th May, the film was selected to be screened. I guess that means good enough to be shown but not good enough to win prizes. Whatever...not bad for a 48HFP short!
After a late late lunch and a dog walk, we drop in bed and nap for a few hours. When I awake and stumble into the bathroom I see how red my face is. Oops! I forgot sun block.
I’ve gone from mere extra to extra crispy.
