Mountain FogHow Do You Do!
November 19th 2009 07:34
So, how do you do?
I sincerely hope a LOT better than my good self at present.
However, as a matter of introduction, here is a little about me.
I am a juvenile some of the time, at other times I act my increasingly decrepit age of 53, I know, IT IS OLD...sigh.
I am a NIDA graduate, but if you are a disgruntled former NIDA-ite, please don't hold that against me. It is a tough institution but it does train you well, in my opinion, but then, I did the technical theatre course.
I worked in theatre off and on over the years, then in film, mainly with Art Departments, as I quickly worked out they get the longest employment, with all the preproduction time. I worked on some notable Aussie films, and some truly embarrassing Yankee ones.
Film Career Highlights;
Talking to David Peoples as I drove him back to the production office one day, trying to cheer him up, an impossible task of course, as we were working on his first major directing job, Salute of the Jugger. I do not think I need say any more about that!
Seeing Lee Majors stuff up continuity, by demanding he wear the nice "red shirt" for a particular pick up scene, when he needed to wear a blue shirt, the edited result; he walks out of a room in a blue shirt and we then immediately cut to see him entering through the doorway on the other side, in a red shirt...
Now that was a big day for all of us, particularly the wardrobe mistress, who was in tears after he told her off. The big time American director (of Streets of San Francisco fame etc), was then summoned by the First AD, who got nowhere with Lee. We all waited to hear Lee being told off and to wear the right shirt... I was particularly interested, as I had already been told off twice by the director, for minor indiscretions, but more abut those another time.
Anyhoo, the result was, as Lee was not only the star, but also the Executive Producer, he got his way. The American side’s other triumph was to rename the TV series pilot, from The Hawkesbury, (the horse stud we were shooting on was on the Hawkesbury River) to Danger Down Under instead.....oh dear...
Then there was the American Producer who was very old, did nothing, hardly spoke, except once when a production runner took him to an Aussie style burger shop, instead of Maccas, and he threw a wobbly, describing how America invented the burger and only Maccas made it correctly. He ate Maccas for breakfast, lunch and we presumed dinner as well.
Then there were the Valley Girls, you know the type, "Hi, I'm from CAL EE FORN NYY AYYYY".... well that's what they looked like, as both wore fluffy cashmere jumpers encrusted with rhinestones. Their purpose was to report back to Weintraub in LA, every day, about what was happening on set, with the crew in particular.
As the crew did not take kindly to being snooped on and dobbed in, we decided to invent increasingly bizarre gossip to mislead the hapless two. The set up was simple; they always sat together, notebooks and pens in hand, usually around a corner where we were filming and/or setting up, and always within ear shot. So we took it in turns to invent terrible scenarios, for instance, a crew member who was a devil worshipper, another had a girlfriend called Millie, which was actually his Blue Healer dog etc. It was difficult not to explode with laughter as they madly scribbled it all down. Eventually they caught on, when they realized none of the names we used were employed on the crew.
One other fun pastime was to annoy Lee Major's body guard, a huge American Samoan guy, quite nice, but as Lee’s star had dulled to a low glow, and this TV pilot was his big comeback chance, we wondered why he was really needed?
One day, just after a big effort in erecting a huge American style entrance archway (on this horse stud we were filming on) we were then told to dismantle it, as "Mister Major's Winnebago", (caravan to us), couldn't get through it and he had to have it exactly five feet off set, instead of the twenty feet it would have been if the arch was left alone. We wondered, why so close?
So, feeling a little prickly about that, after every take, when he disappeared into his Winnebago, we would take turns to huddle outside under the open window and make silly piggie snorting sounds, and then run off giggling like schoolgirls. The bodyguard would be sent out to see who it was, but we always got away.
I think I've probably said quite enough, for now!
So, please stay tuned for my own take on the marvellous world of film making and film review.
cheers
fog
I sincerely hope a LOT better than my good self at present.
However, as a matter of introduction, here is a little about me.
I am a juvenile some of the time, at other times I act my increasingly decrepit age of 53, I know, IT IS OLD...sigh.
I am a NIDA graduate, but if you are a disgruntled former NIDA-ite, please don't hold that against me. It is a tough institution but it does train you well, in my opinion, but then, I did the technical theatre course.
I worked in theatre off and on over the years, then in film, mainly with Art Departments, as I quickly worked out they get the longest employment, with all the preproduction time. I worked on some notable Aussie films, and some truly embarrassing Yankee ones.
Film Career Highlights;
Talking to David Peoples as I drove him back to the production office one day, trying to cheer him up, an impossible task of course, as we were working on his first major directing job, Salute of the Jugger. I do not think I need say any more about that!
Seeing Lee Majors stuff up continuity, by demanding he wear the nice "red shirt" for a particular pick up scene, when he needed to wear a blue shirt, the edited result; he walks out of a room in a blue shirt and we then immediately cut to see him entering through the doorway on the other side, in a red shirt...
Now that was a big day for all of us, particularly the wardrobe mistress, who was in tears after he told her off. The big time American director (of Streets of San Francisco fame etc), was then summoned by the First AD, who got nowhere with Lee. We all waited to hear Lee being told off and to wear the right shirt... I was particularly interested, as I had already been told off twice by the director, for minor indiscretions, but more abut those another time.
Anyhoo, the result was, as Lee was not only the star, but also the Executive Producer, he got his way. The American side’s other triumph was to rename the TV series pilot, from The Hawkesbury, (the horse stud we were shooting on was on the Hawkesbury River) to Danger Down Under instead.....oh dear...
Then there was the American Producer who was very old, did nothing, hardly spoke, except once when a production runner took him to an Aussie style burger shop, instead of Maccas, and he threw a wobbly, describing how America invented the burger and only Maccas made it correctly. He ate Maccas for breakfast, lunch and we presumed dinner as well.
Then there were the Valley Girls, you know the type, "Hi, I'm from CAL EE FORN NYY AYYYY".... well that's what they looked like, as both wore fluffy cashmere jumpers encrusted with rhinestones. Their purpose was to report back to Weintraub in LA, every day, about what was happening on set, with the crew in particular.
As the crew did not take kindly to being snooped on and dobbed in, we decided to invent increasingly bizarre gossip to mislead the hapless two. The set up was simple; they always sat together, notebooks and pens in hand, usually around a corner where we were filming and/or setting up, and always within ear shot. So we took it in turns to invent terrible scenarios, for instance, a crew member who was a devil worshipper, another had a girlfriend called Millie, which was actually his Blue Healer dog etc. It was difficult not to explode with laughter as they madly scribbled it all down. Eventually they caught on, when they realized none of the names we used were employed on the crew.
One other fun pastime was to annoy Lee Major's body guard, a huge American Samoan guy, quite nice, but as Lee’s star had dulled to a low glow, and this TV pilot was his big comeback chance, we wondered why he was really needed?
One day, just after a big effort in erecting a huge American style entrance archway (on this horse stud we were filming on) we were then told to dismantle it, as "Mister Major's Winnebago", (caravan to us), couldn't get through it and he had to have it exactly five feet off set, instead of the twenty feet it would have been if the arch was left alone. We wondered, why so close?
So, feeling a little prickly about that, after every take, when he disappeared into his Winnebago, we would take turns to huddle outside under the open window and make silly piggie snorting sounds, and then run off giggling like schoolgirls. The bodyguard would be sent out to see who it was, but we always got away.
I think I've probably said quite enough, for now!
So, please stay tuned for my own take on the marvellous world of film making and film review.
cheers
fog
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
some classic film making moments there, and I had to HEAVILY EDIT the story, to protect the guilty and innocent alike!!!
The story is sooo much more richer (and funnier) with the missing detail, pity....snort snort..
cheers
fog
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Nice naming of names, I have always been eager to read some of your history and you don't disappoint. '
For the record i loved Salute of the Jugger and David Peoples is a master of screenplays in my eyes.
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Screen Trek
QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
Well, its great to hear someone loved Salute of the Jugger!
I was pretty much jaded and head stuffed by then and it was my last film, by my choice.
By the way, one fun fact, I appear in Jugger! During one of the fight scenes, I am one of the downtrodden yelling and screaming at the action....they needed extras and I was press ganged into it. They did initially want me to play a bit part, but a good looking young 3rd AD got that role.
I must do a post on Jugger, all sorts of fun to be read there!
cheers
fog