BEHIND THE SCENES: THE HOSPITAL UNDER SEIGE

This entry was posted on 9/14/2006 10:02 PM and is filed under production.
Besides producing this feature, the Producer and Director cook the night before most filming days.
This was a big day so we made three trays of Brooklyn style Italian Sausage & Peppers in Chianti sauce.
We also made two trays of Portabello Mushroom Ravioli with chicken and sun dried tomatoes in Alfredo Sauce.
With a salad and plenty of garlic bread. All the food comes out of my kitchen so I know it's done right.
James Mother Gerry brought down all of the food and helped set up the table to feed our Cast and crew.
 Gerry sitting with Actors Ken Chase, Stan Babola and Jay D'Andrea. in the staging area of the hospital
Makeup FX Specialist Danny Hernandez applies prosthetics to Actor Donovan Baker with FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra.
Makeup FX Specialist Danny Hernandez, Actor Donovan Baker and FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra.
Actor Donovan Baker wearing corpse makeup.
Makeup FX Specialist Danny Hernandez applies makeup to Actress Alicia Bell.
Makeup FX Specialist Danny Hernandez applies makeup to Actor Mike Distel.
Actress Zielieane Rivera out of makeup in the staging area with several others in the Makeup line.
FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra working on Actor Jay D'Andrea.
Actor Jay D'Andrea out of the makeup process.
FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra working on Actress Maxine Gillespie with Actress Teresa Shade assisting.
FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra working on Actress Maxine Gillespie with Actress Teresa Shade assisting.
FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra rigging Actress Maxine Gillespie for the vomiting effect.
Actress Maxine Gillespie waiting for her "death" closeup following the effect.

Actress Maxine Gillespie ready to get cleaned up after executing a fantastic performance.
The AMSOG guys watching Maxine's performance.
AMSOG's Shemuel-Benn-Psalms, Robb Salzmann and Quinn Kavanaugh.on set.
Actor Santiago Craig waits for his cue for ACTION!
James Arnett records Actress Maxine Gillespie.
James Arnett pulling focus on Actor Donovan Baker.
James Arnett records Actress Maxine Gillespie.
Actor Santiago Craig performing with Actress Maxine Gillespie inside the morgue.
Actor Santiago Craig performing with Actress Maxine Gillespie.and Actor Donovan Baker.
Assistant Director Paul Adkins prepping Actress Maxine Gillespie outside the morgue.
A.D. Paul Adkins with Actress Alicia Bell beside the morgue while FX Makeup Supervisor Frank Guerra prepares an effect.
Actor Santiago Craig performing over Actor Donovan Baker "dead" on the gurney.
A.D. Paul Adkins blocking the action with Actor Santiago Craig for an important pickup shot.
A.D. Paul Adkins with James Arnett waiting for his cue to bump Actor Santiago Craig.
James Arnett with AMSOG's Quinn Kavanaugh, Dan Tonkovich, Shemuel-Benn-Psalms and Robb Salzmann outside in the hospital parking lot.
AMSOG's Shemuel-Benn-Psalms, Quinn Kavanaugh, Greyson Morley, and Robb Salzmann during the meal break.
AMSOG's Shemuel-Benn-Psalms, Quinn Kavanaugh, and Dan Tonkovich on stand-by.
James Arnett with AMSOG's Dan Tonkovich and Quinn Kavanaugh on the loading dock.
James Arnett on the steadicam.
AMSOG's Greyson Morley ready to start filming.
Actor Jay D'Andrea before recording his scene.
Actor Mike Distel before recording his scene.
James Arnett lighting Actor Santiago Craig with the 4x8 foot SXT reflector.
EMTs Megan Humphries and Jason Sullivan with James Arnett outside the hospital.
Actress Zielieane Rivera with her fellow Actors.
Stuntman Robert Linden entertaining Actresses Marlena Holman and Alicia Bell before filming.
Our Cast of "blind diseased" in full makeup and wardrobe.
Actresses Marlena Holman and Alicia Bell in full makeup and wardrobe.
Actor Bruno Anthony Loya helping Stuntman Robert Linden into his costume.
A.D. Paul Adkins helping James Arnett out of the steadicam after more than six hours of filming.

 

Besides the day we filmed the big Emergency Room scene, this day was just as challenging because of the complexity of coordinating so many different elements. Directing and filming at the same time is no walk in the park but doing it all under the pressure of time and money doesn't leave much margin for error so staying mentally sharp for a full work day, ignoring the fatigue of wearing an iron-maiden of a steadicam with all that coordination stuff orbiting my head at all times often blinds me to the wonders going on around me that gets everything in front of my lens like the Makeup Team, Wardrobe and the magic my Producer Gabriele Andres is performing behind me doesn't really sink in until I'm off the clock. That's when I light up a cigarette and look around with awe at all of the contributions made by those working with me on this show. My Cast and Crew pulled off another miracle day for me that day.

We had Bill Killian's driver Greg Skydell from Pima Waste of Tucson bring down one of their big rig container trucks for the corpse loading scene with the National Guard, played by the Arizona Mil-Sim Operations Group (AMSOG), with Dan Tonkovich leading Quinn Kavanaugh as the pointman, Greyson Morley as the driver, Robb Salzmann as the SAW gunner, Shemuel-Benn-Psalms as the corpse loader and Michael Teachout as the other corpse loader. We also had the fearless Robert Linden as the tossed corpse. I call Robert fearless because he had to go limp as he was tossed with blind faith that his fellow Actors would precisely hit their padded mark. I can't do that without following my instinct to break my fall and move. Robert also did an impressive roll-off from the back of a moving car several times without even breaking a sweat.

We also had quite a few Actors volunteer to take off their shoes and wrap themselves in white sheets to lay down in the back of a garbage truck to play piles of loaded corpses. Wonders like these really make this movie a joy to direct. A recurring conversation I have with my Producer is how amazing it is to constantly meet and work with so many really great people we would have not otherwise been fortunate enough to know.

On this day, Paul Adkins, my Assistant Director went above and beyond. He saved my back on several shots when I was slowed down by the ache growing more intense in my lower back from the weight of the camera and vest pressing on the same vertibrea all night. It seemed that every time I turned around, he had just finished what I was going to labor through myself which let me focus on directing my shots.

You have to see the footage to believe it. Click here and look at the heads & tails video clip of Scene 15 to see what I mean.

 

  • 9/15/2006 10:02 AM S Benn Psalms wrote:
    AMSOG had an incredible time! It is amazing to see how much work goes on behind the scenes. Before we knew it, it was 0130!
    Acting the same scene, over and over, until all of the angles were shot was really difficult. I had to midget toss that stuntman 6 times before the night was through. I was sweating so much my gas mask was steaming up.

    Our hats are off to the production team. Thanks for including us in this endevour. We hope to continue to help on this project. Please post on our forum, www.amsog.com/forum, or contact us directly.

    Name the date, time and place and AMSOG will show in force.

    Thanks again!
    Reply to this
  • 9/16/2006 4:00 PM Zelieann Rivera wrote:
    Congratulations to everyone involved in this production and most importantly to Director James Arnett and Producer Gabriele Andres. I have worked in 4 scenes of this movie so far and it has been a wonderful adventure. I had the opportunity to be a team leader and am very thankful to James for trusting me to direct a group of actors. This is what makes this production so special. Everyone is given their opportunity to shine. Everyone knows everyone and help each other. The Director and Producer are incredible human beings, very caring, talented and FUN!! The actors, the crew, EVERYONE in this production is fun, smart and did I say extremely talented?! I am pretty sure that this movie will be very sucessful because when people like James and Gabi put so much enthusiasm and love for the craft and make even the most incredible sacrificies to make it come true, the Universe conspires in their favor. You rock guys!!

    Love,
    Zelieann
    Reply to this
  • 9/20/2006 9:47 AM Liz Haro wrote:
    Gabi,
    I forgot one thing! Thank you for trusting Christina and myself to playing extras in your film. If you had not called Christina to audition, we would have never met Santiago! Who turned out to be related to us! I think this was the first most exciting part of playing an extra for Christina!
    The reunion between Christina and Santiago has been awesome!
    Please remember us and we hope you continue to use us and my family members for other feature films.
    James you are great!

    Liz Haro

 
 

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