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Thursday, January 26, 2001 - Filming a touching scene at Mobile Memorial Gardens Cemetery. I was not going to go to the set this morning as no planes are involved in any of the scenes. But again I woke up earlier than normal and I get up, make some coffee and get on my computer to catch up on my movie memoirs. Around 7:00 I decide to go to the movie set location anyway. I just want to get an updated call sheet and find out about the next couple of days of filming before the whole production company leaves for New Orleans. Plus the set is located just half a mile from my house! Today they are filming at Mobile Memorial Gardens cemetery on Three notch Kroner Road. When I get there the equipment is still being set up. I see a white reflector screen in the distance up on the hill and some people around it. That must be where the set is. Props Assistant Tyler shows up, but after saying "Good morning, Frits," he gets in his car to get some freshly cut flowers at a local store down the road. He is back soon with three bouquets of flowers in case they're needed in the scene. He and I head for the catering truck to get some coffee and breakfast. There is a last call for breakfast, so I ask Head Chef Gary Miller to just keep it simple. Grits, eggs, bacon and a biscuit. I take it to the truck to eat. As I'm eating a man dressed up in a suit and long coat walks up. He has a radio in his hand. He looks very familiar and my poor brain is trying to come up with his name and where I have met him. "Hey, Frits! How's it going? I heard you were on the set here. I met you at the Battleship Memorial Park flying field a couple of months ago." "Now I remember!" But his name? We shake hands. "Norman Wilson, I'm the manager of Mobile Memorial Gardens." That explains the way he's dressed. He tells me there are six funeral services scheduled for today, and he has to deal with the movie too!... He mentions he's been trying to get to my Love Liza Movie Reports after someone told him about them but we couldn't get to them. I ask for his e-mail address. "I'll get you to my Love Liza Movie Reports", I tell him. He writes the address on one of his business cards and hands it to me. Then he leaves. Props Master Scot shows up and immediately he and Tyler get stuff together for the set. Scot gets a spool of black thread, a can of black Streaks & Tips hair spray, and a small, low aluminum chair with canvas seat and back. "Let's take these to the set", he says and hands me the chair and the spray can. "You want me to go to the set with you?" I ask. "Sure - come on." We take the long walk up the hill. Tyler carries the flowers he just bought. I look to my right as we walk. My brother-in-law, Carol's younger brother Ken, is buried about 250 foot away from the set... The scene calls for Wilson (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman) to stand by his recently deceased wife's grave. In the movie Liza had committed suicide... The bouquet of flowers on the grave gets blown over by the wind and Wilson tries to straighten the vase up several times. There is no dialog in this scene and no other actors are involved. Only key people are at this set. Besides Philip Seymour Hoffman the producers are there: Todd Louiso, Sholto Roeg and Jimi Woods. Directors Ruth Charney and Jeff Roda are present. Script Supervisor Carmen Soriano and Intern Damasia Benson are also there. Dolores Hernandez (Hair/Makeup), Jill Newell (Costume Designer) and Andrea Sweet (Wardrobe Assistant) are sitting in director's chairs. Skip Godwin, the Sound Mixer, sits in a chair in front of his equipment off to the side of the set. I truly feel special to be here as a curious bystander and I try hard to stay out of everyone's way. The camera and its dolly are already positioned on the track which is laid out with a 90 degree curve in it. Lisa Rinzler (Director of Photography), Martina Rawan (1st Assistant Camera) and Matt Gaumer (2nd Assistant Camera) are setting up the camera. A couple of grips are adjusting the screen. I have been trying hard to learn who is who in the last couple of weeks, and I know half of the crew's 80 names now, but there are a couple of people milling around whose names I still don't know... I was told there is tension on the set and I can feel it. I think they are running behind schedule. Director Sholto is walking around impatiently. He's not as jovial as usual this morning. The set is very quiet as people are working to get it in order. As Tyler, Scot and I walk up, Todd Louiso, the Director, asks what the cut flowers are for. "We like the plastic ones that are on the grave now", he says. "Just in case..." Tyler says and he puts them away. Mark Hannibal (On-Set Dresser) is fussing with the vase and the flowers. Scot gets down on his knees and starts to tie a black thread to the top of the vase. "What are you doing?" Todd asks. He seems concerned. "Rigging..." Scot replies and keeps working. He runs the thread under the camera tracks and then asks me for the can of spray. He paints the thread with the dull, black spray. Tyler takes the spool on the other side of the tracks and kneels down. Scot gives me the can of paint back and asks me to give the small chair to Carmen Soriano, the Script Supervisor. "Thank you so much!" she says. Everything is in place and everyone clears out except Philip. "QUIET on the set. Absolutely no talking - no working, no moving around. Aaaand action!" Sholto says quietly. They begin to film. Wilson (played by Philip) is standing at the foot of Liza's grave looking at the flowers. He is grieving. Tyler slowly tugs on the string. The vase falls to one side. Wilson walks over to the vase and straightens it back out. Before he gets to the end of the grave Tyler has already pulled the vase down again. Wilson turns, sees the fallen vase, and walks back and again carefully straightens the flowers up. He walks back to the other end. As he stands there for several seconds the vase "blows" over once more. Wilson's shoulders drop. He appears totally lost and devastated. He slowly turns to one side and looks helplessly across the cemetery... As I'm watching this it gets to me. Just a little over two months ago we had lost our oldest son Greg, 32 years old. The grave site Philip is standing near is a freshly recovered grave, the grass sod slightly raised. It looks just like Greg's grave the last time I saw it. I think the scene is beautiful, but for several seconds what I'm seeing is tearing me apart... "Cut!" Everything is reset. Scot has been standing next to me. He looks at me and he knows. I had told him about Greg during our first meeting at the restaurant. He touches my arm. "Are you alright?" he asks. "Yeah - I'm okay. Thanks." "You know, I thought about that," Scot says. "At first I didn't want to come to this set." I tell him. "Let's change the subject," he says. They film the same scene several more times, change lenses and do additional takes with the moving camera. Then some close-ups of Philip. I watch most of it on a color video monitor set up for the directors and producers to see what actually gets on the film. I look over their shoulders. I just know this scene will always stand out in my mind... After the final scene one of the Production Assistants, Dave Nguyen, tells everyone on the set to please stay quiet from here on out and show respect to the other people in the cemetery, because a funeral service is now in progress. Scot tells me Tyler "really rocked" during this scene. He thinks highly of Tyler and he's told me that a couple of times during the last two weeks. These props guys have to be on top of everything and seldom get nervous. They both appear cool as a cucumber on the set. But both have admitted to me before when they didn't feel good about a certain scene. When under pressure I have seen Scot and Tyler come through with flying colors. A couple of times I have heard Scot tell somebody: "Tyler's on top of it. I'm not worried. He'll get it done." Scot has been doing this for 16 years, and for him to compliment Tyler (with only two years experience), Tyler must be very good. It's coming straight from the Master! Just before the base camp breaks up my son Ryan, 26, shows up. Tyler had wanted to meet him because he liked the "The Squares" comics that Ryan draws and is trying to get published. I had given Tyler some of the strips last week and Tyler loved them! Ryan hands him a tee-shirt with one of his comic strips printed on it. Tyler loves it. Scot wants one too. Ryan says he'll get them more. Tyler tells Ryan that he can make him rich and famous if he'll move to New York. That's where Tyler is from. He has connections, he says. I just don't know if I can believe him... A few minutes later, I see Philip Seymour Hoffman accompanied by Todd Louiso coming from the set toward the parking lot. "Ryan," I say, "let's go over there and stand. They'll probably come through that hole in the hedge there and you'll get a good look at him." Perfect! They come through the hedge and Philip stops for a few seconds to talk to Leisa Adcock (Assistant Hair/Makeup). Todd walks on to where Ryan and I are standing and says: "Hey, Frits!" "Hey, Todd!" I say. Then he turns and walks back, gets Philip and now they are both walking toward us. And then Philip Seymour Hoffman looks at the two of us and he smiles and says: "Hey, guys!" "Hi!" I answer. I look behind us. Yep - it was us he said Hi to. There's nobody else near... Ryan though that was really cool! So did I! I leave the set around 11:00 o'clock. Later in the afternoon as I am sitting at my computer writing yesterday's report my cell phone rings. I look at the clock. They're still filming! Is it Scot? Now what has happened? "Hello." "Frits. Scot!" I can tell by the tone of his voice he's not in the mood for any chitchat right now. "Where are the transmitters?" I was the one who had unplugged all the rc stuff and secured it the last time. "In your truck, in the kit box." "Where's the box?" I picture him looking around in the truck. "When you walk into the truck look toward..." He interrupts me... "I found them!" I had screwed in both antennas so they would not be forgotten. I had even put the No. 2 transmitter - the one Philip had dropped on the driveway the day before - on top of the other one. "Get the No. 2 transmitter, Scot, not No. 1! I stuck two pieces of double-sided tape..." "I got No. 2! Thanks!" He hangs up. I picture Scot rushing to the set. Now I start to worry about the Zero. What are they doing to that poor plane? Let's see, where did I put that hot-glue gun? In case he calls me in the morning... I continue working on my report until Carol comes home with our granddaughter, Isabella. We had not seen her in a week and I know there will be no writing after she gets here. It'll be play time!... I have missed her and the reports can wait!... I wonder what tomorrow will bring? |
