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| Introduction: Opening the Doors Cast and Crew Prelude Journal 2: ACT 1: Blacklisted! March 6 (Day 2) March 9 (Day 3) March 10-11 (Days 4-5) March 12-13 (Days 6-7) Journal 3: ACT 2: Welcome to Ferndale! March 20 (Day 9) March 21 (Day 10) March 22 (Day 11) March 23 (Day 12) Journal 4: March 26 (Day 13) March 27 (Day 14) March 28 (Day 15) March 29 (Day 16) March 30 (Day 17) Journal 5: April 2 (Day 18) April 3 (Day 19) April 4 (Day 20) April 5 (Day 21) April 6 (Day 22) Journal 6: April 8 (Day 23) April 9 (Day 24) April 10 (Day 25) April 11 (Day 26) April 12 (Day 27) Journal 7: April 16 (Day 28) April 17 (Day 29) April 18 (Day 30) April 19 (Day 31) April 20 (Day 32) April 23 (Day 33) April 24 (Day 34) April 25 (Day 35) April 26 (Day 36) Journal 8: April 30 (Day 37) May 1 (Day 38) May 2 (Day 39) May 3 (Day 40) May 4 (Day 41) May 7 (Day 42) May 8 (Day 43) Journal 9: May 10-11 (Days 44-45) May 14 (Day 46) May 15 (Day 47) May 16 (Day 48) May17 (Day 49) May 18 (Day 50) Journal 10: May 21 (Day 51) May 22 (Day 52) May 23 (Day 53) May 24 (Day 54) May 25 (Day 55) Journal 11: May 29 (Day 56) May 30 (Day 57) May 31 (Day 58) June 1 (Day 59) |
Journal 6 April 12 (Day 27) While making final arrangements for a “Career Day” seminar at the Ferndale Elementary School this morning, stills photog Nelson, as promised, walks onto the set with a handful of 11X14 color images of The Majestic movie theater set set against a deep azure sky. Frank, happily anticipating our scheduled three-day holiday weekend, loves the shot, as does writer Sloane and production designer Melton, whose marvelous recreation of a vintage movie treasure has now come alive as the film’s title character. Various crew members gather around to see what the movie palace looks like when completely lit up. It is breathtakingly beautiful and, as Melton reminds many of us, unique -- not in any of the literature and research he did does one exist exactly like The Majestic. Our day’s call-sheet once again lists three shooting alternatives -- if sunny, we repair to the cemetery for Sc. 132 -- Ext. Lawson Cemetery: Adele tells Pete he has to testify. If clouds roll in, Frank wants to continue the cemetery sequence (Sc. 121) which takes the characters and action down to Lawson’s Town Hall set for Sc. 122 -- Ext. Town Center. Of course, rain returns everyone to the fairgrounds for interiors. The day starts out sunny, so the company begins rigging at the cemetery. Frank asks all unnecessary crew to leave for a private rehearsal for Sc. 132, a three-page scene between Pete/Luke and Adele. The only folks invited to stay (in addition to Frank and his two actors) are d.p. Tattersall and camera operator Emmerichs. By 9:00 a.m., clouds extinguish the sun, and someone has to make a decision that may affect the day’s work -- stay at the cemetery under overcast skies, or move the three blocks to Town Hall to pick up Sc. 121-122. Frank, producer Behnke and a.d. Colwell confer of such schedule matters, and decide to move the few blocks over to the town square.  While the move goes on, I have gathered an assortment of cast and crew to join me at the Ferndale school for an hour-long career seminar for the entire school, where some 300 kids (plus assorted parents) crowd into the gymnasium for what I hope will be an enlightening and entertaining forum on the magic of moviemaking. Ferndale's Mayor, Jeff Farley, is the school’s Principal for a Day, and tying into that honor, we agreed to bring a few folks from the crew over to talk about their respective jobs and the movie business in general. Those attending include Oscar winner Martin Landau (thankfully, there are several parents on hand who know his work, although I remind the kids that he starred as Gepetto in the recent live-action “The Adventures of Pinocchio”). Landau, as it coincidentally turns out, is the only major cast member NOT working in the scenes today. Joining him are stillman Nelson, writer Sloane, production designer Melton, location scout Scottee Angel, set decorator Meredith McCarthy and film commissioner Jensen Rufe (plus myself, sort of the acting host). After introductions by Principal Farley, I take the microphone and praise the new principal for getting the kids out of class after only an hour on the job. What’s next, no school next week? The kids laughingly remind us that there IS no school next week, due to Spring break. With local media (TV and print) covering the event, we introduce ourselves to the entire school enrollment (minus the kindergartners), take several questions from those gathered in the gym before splitting off into four separate groups exclusively for the 7th and 8th graders. Writer Wendy Butler (the very same lady from KHSU-FM radio), tells me she will report in next week’s Humboldt Beacon, that the film’s entrance into Ferndale has cast a spell, with our month-long residency here clearly illustrating the hard work “that weaves a community into magic.” Following a Q&A in the gym for the entire school enrollment, all eight of us (paired in groups of two) repair to individual 7th and 8th grade classrooms for a more intimate chat about the specifics of our crafts. Landau and writer Sloane, commanding the dais in teacher Judy Dixon’s class, relate anecdotes about their specific talents, and both “share an excited anticipation of the people who will come together to watch the movie in December.” After wrapping things up at 11:15 a.m., I did not anticipate the mob of students who surround not only star Landau for autographs, but all eight of us. Many obtained Landau’s signature first, and it seemed awkward to add our autograph to the same piece of paper, but the kids look upon all of us as “stars,” a flattering thought indeed. Our other stars were back on the set at Town Hall, where Frank guided them through Sc. 122. A small crowd gathers a block away to observe as the day turns darker and colder with each passing cloudy hour. At 6:30 p.m., the company wraps for the long (three-day) holiday weekend, always a welcome situation when on distant location. But, not before d.p. Tattersall and three additional camera crew (the aforementioned Heather Page, Todd McMullen and William “Kirby” Washington) retreat to The Majestic for a camera test. Tattersall will actually film the movie set with various types of motion picture film, process the negatives, and view the dailies on Monday (if not sooner) to ascertain the exact stock of Kodak film he will use for the nighttime scenes outside the regal cinema. See you next week, when the show (and marquee lights) must go on...weather permitting! |
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