DAY 19: Friday, July 23, 2010
Stephen Gyllenhaal showcases his mastery of an underrated directing device today: faking out the extras. The high-stakes election scene calls for various collective reactions from them, but hours standing in front of the Re-Bar stage in sweaty solidarity takes it toll.
The cast members have the director’s focus much of the time, so natural distraction and tiredness seep into the crowd of background actors. But everyone in the room snaps to attention when disorder appears to have overtaken the set.
The camera does not start rolling when necessary. “What’s going on?” Stephen asks. The camera crew says there is a problem with the drive.
Gyllenhaal appears uncharacteristically flustered, asking Joel what the next line is. Joel says he does not know. The extras become silent and look absolutely bewildered. Bingo! This is exactly the look Stephen needs. The camera was rolling the whole time.
At 11 p.m., the Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band plays a secret show at the Healthy Times Fun Club just outside the bounds of Capitol Hill Block Party. “En Fuego,” the song they mimed playing on the Grassroots shoot, earns its name making the room, (already wet with sweat and squirt gun water produced in the previous performance by Brite Futures, formerly known as Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head), pulsate to its syncopated rhythm.
This booze-free venue is so homey that shaving equipment lies on the bathroom counter and audience members graze on lentils fresh from its tiny kitchen. Unfortunately, lead singer Benjamin Verdoes informs me that this concert will serve as a farewell to the HTFC, which is now closing. And the Grassroots shoot says goodbye to the ever-talented Tom Arnold, who wraps today, and the Re-Bar. We’ve enjoyed taking over this amazing Seattle bar for the past four days.
As an extra that day, all I can say is that trick was frieking BRILLIANT!!!!
friday was a great day and that scene was excellent! I learned a lot as a film maker on this set. All the cast and crew were really great, helpful, kind and fun to work with. Thanks for everything!!! It was an honor to work with every single one of them.
It was awesome having y’all at Re-bar and buying us out of coffee and food at the Starbucks across the street every day during your shoots! It’s almost lonely with everyone gone on to the new filming locations!