My 2 seconds part 6

Second scene adventure part 2

They first shot the crowd coming into the auditorium. They selected some of us to walk in from the hall. I was selected with several others in the balcony. When they called "action" we were to find our seats. After the first take our balcony director took us aside and told us "don't everyone walk in a straight line. We want it to look like people are arriving at different times.

I was the only one who listened. When they called "action" again I meandered behind everyone else. When I got over to where Ron was sitting I pointed at my seat as if I was saying "is that seat taken?". Our balcony director started calling me "The Man".

It was interesting to me how much work was involved. They shot several different camera positions for every scene. They would shoot from the front of the stage. Then move behind the actors and shot again. Then they would move the cameras out in the crowd and shot them again. Both days we spent 12 plus hours there and it only made a few minutes of actual movie time. There was a point where the DP had them change the cameras around and Ron nudged me and said " Something caught The DP's eye".

At one point we took a short break. It was getting hot inside the auditorium, so I decided to head outside for some air. I would up at on of the side entrances with some 15 to 20 people smoking. At one point someone who worked for the school comes busting out the door. He's yelling and cussing about the smoking. He threatens to arrest everyone who is smoking. The Background Assistant Kenyon (who happens to be smoking out there) says to him "your going to arrest half the crew and cast?" He says" The fire marshal was there and he was having a fit. I'll arrest every one of you." Kenyon says" we've been here for 3 days and there hasn't been a problem yet".

Now the image that shoots into my head is that this small town of Paulsboro would have the equivalent of the 2 room Andy Griffith Show jail cell. I'm imagining 100 or so people being stuffed inside this tiny jail. Rather funny sitcomish image.

At some point in the afternoon some of the extra start leaving. This is not good. At the beginning of the day we were told that if you couldn't stay all day then they would rather you leave now. If you could be seen on camera in one shot and then you disappeared in the next, that would screw up the continuity of the movie. So many people left that by the end of the day there was no one in the balcony. They took us from the balcony and filled in where there were holes in the floor section. I wondered if there were any movies that were screwed up by extras leaving. Do they just accept that a good portion of the people will leave or do they go into every scene hoping for the best?

When we were getting ready to go back to the set for the last scene, some of the extras were trying to leave. There was a group of them that were just refusing to go back. One of the crew radioed to I believe the 2nd AD and told him what was going on. He came back and said don't let them leave no matter what. One lady piped up and said pay us. He radioed back and the AD said sure whatever just don't let them leave. So that group along with the rest of us proceeded back to the auditorium. I nudged Ron and said "they bought that? Like the person on the radio had any authority to do that." I also noted when we left that they didn't have us check out so there was no way they knew who stayed and who didn't.

Some of the last stuff shot was the crowd clapping at the end of the performance. It was late and there was one woman behind us that kept (very loudly) complaining. To the point that me and Ron at several points almost said something to her.

Well this is where I'll end this story. I had a blast being an extra in this movie. In case anyone from Jersey Girl reads this, I want to express my thanks for letting me be part of it. I also want to thank all who were helpful to me getting there. Family and friends were very supportive and I thank them very much.

A lot of the articles I linked to are HERE and there are a lot more if anyone is interested in reading more about this movie and the people involved. The gentleman who conducted these interviews was also an extra in the two scenes I was in.