Lights, Camera, D'oh!

 

On set with Lance Henriksen
in 2020

Recently I had the opportunity to get back onto a set, one of my favorite places to be. It’s been a year since I was on the set of a movie in Augusta, and even though some things have changed in the Covid era, I was excited to do it.

Will I try this particular scenario again? I don’t know.

I appreciate the lengths the production company went to ensure safety on the set. The first is getting a Covid test the day before your appearance, which is great, but not so much for me. I got up early that day, drove the 145 miles, took the five-minute test and headed back in time to get to my standardized patient job.

Leaving early the next morning was still OK as I would have time in Atlanta instead of turning right around. Twelve hours in fact.

Many things are the same; extras are shepherded in a holding area, but now are spaced out at least six feet apart and masks are required at all times; and craft services is still in full force ensuring everyone gets fed.

It was a unique experience from start to finish and I dare to say things occurred that could only happen to me.

Upon checking in, I needed to relieve myself after the long Diet Coke-fueled drive. The men’s room door was propped open, so I shut it and went about my business. Turning the door handle, I realized there was a slight issue, the door wasn’t opening. The pushbutton wasn’t engaged but it felt like a deadbolt was, and all my forceful tugging did not release me. It did however raise enough of a ruckus to draw people to my location and I was promised that someone would come to rectify the situation. After a few minutes of leaning on the sink, I was starting to get pissed. Why were they stalling? Security eventually came and in kicked in the door, which was just stuck, but had to be forced from the outside. The door remained open the rest of the day.

Timing and wardrobe would be an issue as well. I was supposed to portray a policeman, but there were too many men booked for that part and they talked to the other guy first and I was designated as a pedestrian for the day.

Extras are usually expected to bring a few changes of clothes, which I did, but I wasn’t too confident in that department as they were looking for fashion forward. I can make myself look respectable, but I’ve never been accused of being fashionable. Plus, I was counting on being in a cop uniform. I thought I had a good polo shirt and a smart-looking Untuckit shirt, but the stripes were quickly ruled unacceptable. That left me with my burgundy button-down.

I was briefly paired with a blonde woman in a burgundy dress. We were to walk by the principal actor in the scene when it was decided there was too much of that shade and I was given the boot once more.

At that point I was seeing red.

After the dinner break a few of us were sent to the next setup, but were returned to change clothes from what we had been wearing earlier in the day. I was kept back as all I had

(I thought) were the previously nixed outfits. I finally remembered that I had a solid colored T-shirt -red of course - and returned to the set when the rest of the extras were called.

Plenty of pacing back and forth marked the rest of the night as the temperature dropped to the low 50s, accompanied by a stiff, cold breeze. At one point we were allowed to get coats, which I couldn’t use as the two I brought had Bowie State and Munich written on them, respectively. Fortunately, they had no issue as I used the formerly undesirable Untuckit shirt as a top layer.

Waiting for the last scene to be shot, I leaned on a rail that had small lights on it. When called to my position, I lurched up and felt a bulb behind me smashing. I’m not sure if the string of lights were to be used in the shot, but that pretty much killed that.

My phone died shortly before we wrapped for the night, and I didn’t have directions to get back to the interstate. I had to wait for my phone to charge in the car while I waited in the parking lot. My i-Phone would not charge, but the bigger problem was just ahead. I got to the exit and inserted the prepaid parking ticket. The arm did not raise and of course the machine had sucked my ticket in for good. With weary eyes I had to look at the display a few times before it registered that it was still charging me. Thankfully it didn’t take the attendant long to release me from that entrapment. And having been in that particular section of Atlanta a few times before I was able to get back to I-20 East with little issue.

Back near Evans, just off the main street, I turned down a two-lane back road, high beams blazing as traffic was nonexistent approaching 11:30 p.m. Or so I thought. Driving a bit fast, I was still able to see the two deer ahead in my lane, slow down and start to go around them. That’s when the third member of the grazing party popped out from the left side of the road sending me into full brake-screech and swerve mode. I was so tired from my two days of driving, the rush of adrenaline that should have accompanied the situation was nowhere to be found. I did slow down the rest of the way and easily passed all the other groups of deer that were out in full force.

The best part of the whole experience came the next morning. Connor and Harper had fallen asleep in our bed during movie night and Harper made my eyes water as she woke up gleefully exclaiming, “Daddy, welcome back from Atlantis!”