| Now that the filming has passed, I feel comfortable formally?announcing that I will be in a "real movie".?A company called Brigand?Pictures is currently shooting "Last Chance: Thick as Thieves" in the?Chattanooga area.?A few months ago, I went to the auditions being?held here in Chattanooga.?I was the very first person to arrive?there.?Wanting to put my best foot forward, I wore a suit to the?audition.?It was a very short process.?They asked a few questions?and took a picture of me.?As the days and weeks passed, I hoped to?get a call, but did not.One day I read in the Chattanooga Pulse that?all the roles had been cast.?I was disappointed but I knew the odds?of getting a part were not in my favor.?A few weeks later, I was enjoying lunch at the Pickle Barrel when my?phone rang.?I looked down and it was Brigand Pictures!?I fumbled to?answer the phone and hung up on them!?I immediately called them back?and was told they were interested in having me read for a part.?I was?ecstatic!?Even if it was a single line, it would be a single line in?a real movie!?It turns out, the part has four or five lines.?The?director told me he immediately had a part in mind for me on the first?day because I came in wearing a suit.?It pays to look your best!??After getting my lines there were two rehearsals, one off location and?one on location.?This past Thursday, it was time to film.My call sheet said I was to report to the set at 9:30 PM.?At 8:37 I?got a call from one of the producers asking why I was not there yet,?because I was suppose to be there at 8:30.?I hurriedly went downtown,?but I woudl soon learn this was most unnecessary.?Upon arrival, the?other man in the scene with me, Kelvin, said he too was told 9:30, and?had even called the producer earlier in the day and confirmed 9:30 was?the time.?I understand these guys are under a lot of pressure, so?this was no big deal.?I was taken to the makeup/wardrobe room where I?picked out a tie to wear and got a little touchup by the makeup?artist.?Following this "Hollywood moment" another Hollywood trend?would soon follow.Kelvin and I made our way up to the intersection of MLK and Broad St,?which had been closed off for filming the movie.?There we mingled?with other actors and actresses from the film while watching the scene?play out on the road in front of us.?After a few takes, all those?standing on the one corner were told to move to the other side of the?street as the camera angle changed.?We stood on this corner quite a?while, watching the same scenes be filmed repeatedly.?After a while,?we were all told it was time to move back across the street.?I asked?a pregnant lady with the sound crew if she would like help bringing?her equipment back across the street to which she rudely replied, "I? can't carry it all myself".?Despite her surly demeanor I helped her?carry it anyway, but for that one time only.?As we all sat on the?corner to continue watching the same scenes being replayed over and?over Kelvin and I discussed our favorite actors, actresses, movies and?classic cars.?During the course of standing around I met another?interesting man who builds movie props and decided he'd try his hand?at acting.?We talked a good while and I got his phone number to give?him call in the weeks to come.?Based on what he told me, he has quite?a movie prop emporium in his home and is willing to give me a tour.?Around 12:30, the exterior shots were completed and we all moved?inside the EPB building to continue filming.?I'd had a nap earlier in?the evening so I had some energy left in me.?In a bizarre move, my?final shots were filmed first.?It was now my turn to experience the?repetition of Hollywood.?Kelvin and I filmed the same scene at least?10 times, maybe more.?At this point it was approaching 2 AM and?tensions were starting to run high.?The man operating the camera was?getting more and more irritated at the director's instructions.?Some?R rated language began to come out.?It seems the pans (camera?movements) the director wanted done were not that easily carried out.??After several takes, the routine was down and that portion of my scene?was complete.?The night was not over though.The next portion of my scene also required several takes and more?frustration for the cameraman.??"They don't have marks" he complained?more than once.?Video was not the only problem.?The audio crew was?getting weary too.?When one of the producers complained about?something not being ready to test a shot, the cameraman said, "That's?an easy fix" and unplugged the cable and tossed it on the floor.?The?producer did not like this at all and asked that he please not toss?such expensive cables on the floor.?We practiced yet another scene?several times.?Some retakes were necessary due to more sound issues.??In one take, one of the sound crew members was wearing flip-flops and?the sound of them walking was picked up on the camera.?After one?completion, I dodged the boom mike the unattentive cameraman almost?hit me in the face with.?THe same producer ired at the cable toss?asked the boom mike operator not to "Hit Michael Rhudy in the face?with the microphone".?He was much more concerned about his microphone?than me.
As 4 AM quickly approached, it seemed we were not having as much fun.??Actors and crew were growing cranky and the whole production started?to feel a little more rushed.?Understandably so as most of us had to?work the next day.?I heard the producers speaking of another 9:45 AM?shoot.?The final scene filmed for Kelvin and I was done in only two?takes, where earlier shots were redone many more times.?As we were being released for the night (morning) the producer?asked if we would be available for the "call backs".?This is when?they determine later that other shots are needed and we have to come?back and re-film or do additional filming.?As long as this night was,?I know I will enjoy doing it again if need be or in another?production.?Before I left, I asked the director to keep me in mind if?he has parts available in the future.?Hopefully, my devotion to the?production throughout the night will work in my favor.??It was a?taste of Hollywood and I loved every minute of it! |
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