Thursday, September 11th, 2008

Today is September 11th, a Thursday -- a holy day, an auspicious day. Poetically, I am facing a 747 jet that is en route from Hong Kong, bound for NYC. Behind the plane the mountains of Vancouver are a dark blue with a sheen of over them, as if they had been colored over with white chalk to make the evergreens and cut grass beyond the airline strip pop with more color and thereby deepen the perspective.

The announcements for Tokyo and Osaka stop me, soothe me...a woman's voice, the polite, careful cadences of Japanese, and the tingle of my burt's bees lip balm is having a soothing effect on me. At the security checkpoint, the airline employee reminded the older Japanese woman in front of me to take off her shoes: "Ano -- kutsu ga..." "Kutsu" are shoes. I remembered to take off mine and then felt disappointed as he spoke to me in English. I told him as much: "I wanted to speak Japanese with you." He lightened, the mask of formality slipping away again. "Arigatoo gozaimashita," I said. "Thank you very much." He laughed.

I feel remiss for not having written. There is so much that has transpired -- so many moments on-set and off. Amy Adams wrapped yesterday and I was so sad to see her go. She is not only an incredible actress with a set of skills and gifts that go Deep -- she is one of the most friendly, bright, unassuming, and infectious individuals I've ever met. Sometimes you pinch yourself when you realize your good fortune, and when I think about the opportunity I've had to observe her -- as a professional actress amidst so much pressure to perform -- I feel blessed. If I wanted this shoot to be an education, I have no doubt that it has been exactly that on so many levels.

I find myself daydreaming to my IPOD, imagining a scene and how I would shoot it. My protagonist arriving at work, as a waitress, and we see what she sees: the rubber mats hosed down from guys in the kitchen late the night before, her own sneakers stained with work shoe grind, and half a bagel overturned, facing down. She bends down to pick it up and finds a swarm of ants covering the cream cheese. She stares at the ants, fascinated by their determination and efficiency. We close in on her face in a moment of self-reflection as she looks out the doorway into the hazy LA traffic, the constant flow of life and where she falls in that flow...

I'm on my way to NYC for The Kitty Landers Show Screening at the NYTVF. I'm excited with a bag packed full of new clothes, purchased with my winnings from last Saturday. Marco and I won the 10 Dollar Saturday (usually 5 dollar Friday) and the pot was over 2000 bucks! Sunday I went shopping with Amy and she went to work on me -- like Jessica or Maggie would -- putting outfits together like a pro and not stopping until I had every accessory accounted for! What a gift to be able to pack my suitcase, knowing every day of this week will be another event or screening in the evening -- and have it all laid out. Victoria and Sherry in hair and makeup brought me into the trailer yesterday and Victoria mixed a base for my face and gave me a handful of cosmetics, after applying them with instructions for my own application. And Sherry gave me a conditioning cream for out of the shower that smells yummy and will most certainly help avoid any and all frizz. I sound silly, I know -- but what I really feel like is overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with all of the gifts.

Shawn letting me leave for the entire week is the biggest. He hugged me before he got in the car last night and wished me good luck. "Go get some business done!" Being here now, without my cell phone ringing or being on the constant alert standby -- I feel sad knowing what's around the corner: Picture Wrap. All these faces that have become so familiar -- seeing people everyday for 12 hours a day and the jokes and shared stories and secrets that slowly evolve into a kind of family. Rattler has said all along that it's a shock when it's over, and as hard as it was, you look back and long for the busy-ness, the shooting day, the grind.

I shot a scene this past Saturday, too! As many people commented, it was truly my lucky day. I got dressed as the Secretary having been fitted by Marlene and Courtney in a sexy yet professional get-up. Got to the set and went straight into hair and makeup. They screamed when they saw my hair was still wet but I pleaded innocence: "I washed it last night like you said!" My hair is so thick it still wasn't dry so they blow dried and feigned disbelief, but it was all in fun. Then -- we blocked the scene just like I've seen Shawn and the camera team do a million times. I was in my comfy clothes with hair and makeup done as Jason Props gave me a few items to be busy with. I don't know when I said the line first, but I said: "Whatever the household Crisis, Use Daley Devices," in my best Brooklyn accent -- and I think it was Zulu who said: "Gina, that's good." So then I said it again, and Rattler heard it and he liked it. And then it stuck. Chris Potocki strikes again with the perfect line for the perfect moment. When we shot the scene, Ben is making his way out of his office toward the factory space, about to do his walk and talk with Ed Helms. I've got a clunky headset on and I say, as if it's the 100th time that day: "Whatever the Household Crisis, Use Daley Devices, can I help you?" And then Larry emerges on his way out -- at which point I was supposed to hand him his messages. We did a bit where he places some spreadsheets down and says: "Hey Gina, have Stewart check these, I don't trust the Math.." and at first I said: "Of course, Mr. Daley -- your messages!" and hand him the messages. But after a few times at this, there was a little congestion at the desk because he didn't want to get stopped. We weren't shooting specials -- it was one continous shot pulling out and then steadycam all the way down the hall.

So instead, the scene ended up playing like this: I answer the phone in the Brooklyn accent, Larry comes up and puts the paper down asking me to check the math, I hand him the messages and say: "That guy called again." That part was actually Ben's idea and it was cool to watch what he did because his response, as he walks with Ed is one of annoyance. "Again?" Larry says to his secretary. Then, as he walks and talks and reads the message, he crumples it up.

When I saw Don Zimmerman on Monday night (Rattler cut some scenes with editorial after our first day shooting Times Square) he said: "Well, you're on celluloid, and that's forever." Hearing Don put it that way made me realize that I had never done a film before. Short films, tv shows that were shooting on film, but that was my very first feature film role part. IF it makes the movie! But even if it doesn't, what a thrill. I'm probably on screen for 5 seconds, but what an exhilarating feeling, being in it, waiting for Rattler to call "ACTION!" switching it up a dozen times.

Then, on Monday night, we had been shooting all day in a parking lot close to where we did Air and Space (fast cat -- over the lion's gate bridge). Rattler and I went back to Mammoth to shoot a tag with 2nd Unit. Without giving anything away, I got to do the off-stage voice. It was all very rushed as I came into the stage and put my bags down, anxious that Rattler would be late for his 6:45pm conference call. Instead of asking me for gum or water, Rattler said: "We need to get you mic'd," and then he told me what he wanted me to say as the unseen, off-stage character. I kept switching the order of saying "Joey," or "Joseph," so Rattler wrote it in pencil on one of the 2x4's bracing the set. It was like being off-stage, as I looked down and saw Bullet's cursive handwriting "Joseph" was first, "Joey" came second. Seeing the handwriting also reminded me of how he wanted it to sound.

Writing about it now is making me miss what's going on today! George Foreman today and next week Owen and Steve. Today is Ben's last day. I'm worried about Marco being alone but I know he will do great. I think the hard reality is that Rattler is such an animal on every level -- from his attention to his family to his 20 projects in development to directing and producing a huge tentpole movie -- he needs 6 arms (or, 2 assistants). I know there is back-up...Kim Sutton for everything computer related (printing, script revision, etc) and the AD's at this point are familiar enough with Bullet and Marco that teamwork is never a question...but there is a part of me that feels slightly guilty for leaving before the shoot is over. If anything -- I know I will be out of things when I come back (with only 4 shooting days left!).

Diane lent me her suitcase for the trip, and last night, while I was packing (with no energy to focus and a bit of the blues over the imminent ending of this ride) I opened her suitcase to find a card with my name on it. On the front it had a rabbit's tail for luck, and on the inside it said: "Hell, take the whole bunny!" with a pic of a bunny. With a little bit of luck and the right bit of schmingling, we may be able to get some gas in the old Kitty Caboose. Kirsten in the Art Department put together the most amazing poster from a design Chris came up with -- and a flyer for teachers we know in NYC to distribute to their classes.

I have so many gifts to think about and get actualized.