How close have you gotten to a movie set?

While comming home from classes at Mt. San Antonio Community College; I noticed some events going on.

Turns out they were filming "Chronicals/Zodiac" at my College Campus

It stars Robert Downy Jr.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/
http://www.ioncinema.com/beta/movie.php?id=305

I think the director, David Fincher, also did the movie "Fight Club"

In SoCal, you stumble across them once in a while. They filmed the some of movie "Evolution" (the stinker with David Duchovny and a radioactive meteorite) over at Cal State Fullerton a few years ago.

That's one of the fun things about Washington DC. An average schmo like me runs into this sort of thing all the time. Nichole Kidman was just filming near my work building, plus I've eaten in resturants sitting right next to all manner of government officials and other famous persons.

The down side is you get pretty jaded about it too.

I was working at a Bellsouth central office when one of the directers of Miami Vice came with a film crew to do a short segment. I got to see Don Johnson make an *** of himself at the crew.

I walked around on the outdoor "downtown" set of Christmas Story when they were filming. Saw a lot of old cars parked on the streets and I saw the window display with the Red Ryder and the other toys in it. Also saw the floats they used in the parade.

They filmed a scene for 8MM with Nicholas Cage about 6 blocks from me. I was riding my bike one day on the LIE service road and noticed bright lights on the service road in the other direction. I went home and told my mom it looks like they're filming a movie nearby. We got in her car and parked near the spot. We watched what was going on for about an hour. Apparently around then filming wrapped up for the day. We actually saw Mr. Cage leaving the set. It was a very interesting experience to say the least.

You see them filming in downtown SF once in a while. It's fun to watch and see if you can figure out which show or movie. I've seen them cordon off a block or two at a time.

I wonked on a project that included selling Paramount Studios on using high speed data lines for dialies and post production. We had meetings at the Paramount lot, complete with a quick walking tour of a few sets. We actually had a meeting/presentation in one of the old screening rooms used in the 40s and 50s. That was rather cool.

I've worked on a movie set. A real film movie. A student short, but it was shot on film so it counts right? I was on the camera crew. I was the Second Assistant camera. I clapped the slate and kept track of witch takes the director wanted printed. Pretty awesome experience.

Pictures

I worked as a extra on a short film before.

They filmed part of the movie benchwarmers (coming out next year I think) at a park across from my high school, they had all of the film crew park on one of our football fields.

I think that they filmed an episode of "the biggest loser" on our high school track.

They used to film the TV show "Dr. Quinn, medicine woman" at a ranch 15 minutes from my house, I saw them film a couple episodes.

I tied a christmas tree on Richard dean Anderson's(the guy from stargate and MacGyver) car last christmas.

If you drive 20 minutes down to the beach in malibu, there are always movies and comercials being filmed there. Like that comercial for Coke that has the girls and guys roller skating in a parking lot on the beach. Thats the beach that I usually go to in the summer.

Or there was the time that my dad and I ran into mel gibson and his son at the shooting range. He had about 4 revolvers that they were shooting

My personal opinion is that they just get in the way of every day life.

Mt. Sac, eh? I went there in the early 90's! Well, the closest I got was when I was a kid, they were filming an episode of "Knight Rider" here in Covina. They actually shot some scenes right outside my elementary school and I could everything from the playground. The restaurant "Manny's El Loco" has pictures of David Hasslehoff eating at the restaurant during that time. Mmmmm....El Loco..... Also, that series Roswell was also filmed here in Covina, or at least parts of it were. (shots of it? !)

Cool, Mt. SAC is only 10 minutes away from my house, might take some classes during summer to get some pre-req's out of the way. Anyways, the closest I've been to a movie set is the 'CostPlus' warehouse that Mr. and Mrs. Smith was filmed in.

Where's that CostPlus at?

Back in the early 80s I was a long haul trucker - 24 hrs a day, 362 days a year. You have to understand that it's a subterranean world that you can't experience unless you're there. It's your life.

So I pull into the 76 in Ontario, CA one night (they used to run the hookers in with large RVs and we all had fun insulting the customers on the radio) and it's obvious something funny is going on. I note it, but follow my usual pattern and go get some grub.

On the way out, after wandering through the store (it's a rule - you have to wander through the store) there's all these lights and people and general weirdness going on. I note it, and keep going. Some guy grabs me and says I can't go out there, that they're filming.

I wasn't rude or arrogant or uppity or anything, but he grabbed me, and me the truck driver, and me the driver who was on the job, and me the driver who was on the job at a truck stop. And he's, you know, a movie guy. So I just sort of nodded and kept going. That's when Terri Garr and Howard Hessman came rolling in driving a RV. They were obviously having this huge argument, and I felt bad, because I liked them both quite a lot then, and it upset me that they weren't getting along. Then I realized, oh, it's a movie - they're acting. Cool. So I stopped to watch.

Except everything ground to a halt and all these people were yelling and talking on their radios. Then the guy comes up again and tells me I'm in the scene. Ah.

The weird thing was, the fake drivers they had to walk in the background didn't look anything like drivers. They sort of looked like movie versions of lumberjacks - all plaid coats and big beards. I remember being kind of insulted by that. It was fun to watch though - they wouldn't let Howard drive the RV back out for next takes, he could only drive it in. And they hosed down the pavement before each take (they still do this - check the pavement in most car scenes or ads.)

You ruined a take! Awe man! You have any clue what it costs just for film stock alone?

Trashman- The old Ikea in City of Industry was transformed into 'Costplus' for filming before they tore it down.

I was walking through Chicago Ohare one time and they were filming something. I never did find out what it was though.

-Mike

Heh - I live in NYC - we go through movie sets so often it's not funny - drove through a set on Sunday in fact - don't know what they were filming - had to leave the local diner one day so they could film Law and Order - but I don't think TV counts for me (I work for one of the networks) - sitting in the "Green Room" talking with the guests is always a bit fun - got to meet (briefly) Mellisa Ethridge the other week - but they usually don't like us to do that - but sometimes the guests approch YOU, so then it's OK

I really know your on a movie set when you sneak a cup of coffee or some food off the catering truck - and your NOT part of the crew

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention....

I've been ON many sets!! (I went to Universal Studios)

I accidentally upstaged Andrew Jackson once. I walked in front of a camera that was on the air while trying to retrieve something on the set. The director almost had a cow.

Hmm. I worked in Harvard Square when they were filming bits of "Good Will Hunting" there, but my best one is that they set part of "The Sixth Sense" in the house that I grew up in, and which my parents still own. Really odd to be in a movie theater and watching Bruce Willis walking across my street and onto my yard!

Oh, and the inventor of the Steadicam went to my high school about the same time my parents went there, and I have met him multiple times. Does that count for something?