Blind Item #13 - Stranger Things Have Happened - A Himmmm Blind Item - Part 6
I managed to impress upon the Director and department heads that we were at the edge of greatness. Rally the troops. We had to instill in the entire team a sense of pride – that we were ALL going to make history, and a film they can build their careers on. ANYTHING it took. We HAD to make them SACRIFICE and be willing to spill blood, sweat and tears. If we have to shoot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in multiple shifts – we will. The Director assembled everyone, and announced that no more off-duty antics. He mentioned Oscars, and sequels. Loyalty and sacrifice. He repeated word for word all I told him, and they were starting to get the spirit.
He showed everyone the rough footage and shots. All put to the music I'd brought back from London, like a long-form music video. I looked around the room and saw people with tears in their eyes, shocked at the genius they saw on screen. Hardly believing what they'd been doing on this little picture was so amazing. Afterwards, the entire cast and crew agreed to give it everything they had. They'd work day into night. No more partying. Everyone agreed to give everything they had to get it done. Buddy hugged me and said: "YOU did it MAN! WOW! They feel it now. See? It's the universe leading us again to something BIGGER than ourselves!", and he erupted with his raucous laugh. I looked at him with sharp eyes, and he got serious. Right then we both said, together: "Stranger things have HAPPENED!" and both burst out laughing again. Just like little kids once more.
One guy on the crew was a very close friend of Buddy, and to me. He was a rock for Buddy, and was a stuntman, double, and amateur therapist. He eventually became an A list Director in his own right many years after this film, but back then was just a crew guy trying his best. I told him that no matter what – do NOT let Buddy get an injury. Double and triple check every rigging, every harness, every line. Then check them again. A single injury could delay us even a week and derail the entire movie. This guy loved Buddy like a brother too. When you're running crews with huge stunt shots and flaming sets on double shifts? Exhausted and cross-eyed? Things easily get overlooked. The only thing worse than a drunk crew is an exhausted crew.
Buddy and I hugged goodbye as I headed to the car. It was a beautiful early Spring day on the coast of North Carolina, that Tuesday March 30th. Shooting would resume tonight, after a long day's worth of stunt shots; but I had to zip back to New York for meetings tomorrow. With a little over a week left in Principal Photography, we'd get a month of post production. I knew that I could get friends at Paramount to swallow our movie as a big MTV-targeted action film. Perfect plan.
Buddy blessed it too, and told me to bring Nin to the set with Cissy, when I return. "May as well get you two out in the open, you little punk. But at least we can pair you two up in OUR wedding now." We both laughed exhausted laughs. Since Nin and I were Maid of Honor and Best Man for their planned wedding, it was great. We were all going to Mexico in two weeks for the ceremony. The wedding was two days from Nin's birthday. Since it was planned after the film's big wrap? It'll be total timely ecstasy – a perfect kickoff to all our perfect lives all intersecting at the exact same time. NOTHING could stop us, after all, even the universe itself was on our side.
I wish I didn't know now…what I didn't know then.
He showed everyone the rough footage and shots. All put to the music I'd brought back from London, like a long-form music video. I looked around the room and saw people with tears in their eyes, shocked at the genius they saw on screen. Hardly believing what they'd been doing on this little picture was so amazing. Afterwards, the entire cast and crew agreed to give it everything they had. They'd work day into night. No more partying. Everyone agreed to give everything they had to get it done. Buddy hugged me and said: "YOU did it MAN! WOW! They feel it now. See? It's the universe leading us again to something BIGGER than ourselves!", and he erupted with his raucous laugh. I looked at him with sharp eyes, and he got serious. Right then we both said, together: "Stranger things have HAPPENED!" and both burst out laughing again. Just like little kids once more.
One guy on the crew was a very close friend of Buddy, and to me. He was a rock for Buddy, and was a stuntman, double, and amateur therapist. He eventually became an A list Director in his own right many years after this film, but back then was just a crew guy trying his best. I told him that no matter what – do NOT let Buddy get an injury. Double and triple check every rigging, every harness, every line. Then check them again. A single injury could delay us even a week and derail the entire movie. This guy loved Buddy like a brother too. When you're running crews with huge stunt shots and flaming sets on double shifts? Exhausted and cross-eyed? Things easily get overlooked. The only thing worse than a drunk crew is an exhausted crew.
Buddy and I hugged goodbye as I headed to the car. It was a beautiful early Spring day on the coast of North Carolina, that Tuesday March 30th. Shooting would resume tonight, after a long day's worth of stunt shots; but I had to zip back to New York for meetings tomorrow. With a little over a week left in Principal Photography, we'd get a month of post production. I knew that I could get friends at Paramount to swallow our movie as a big MTV-targeted action film. Perfect plan.
Buddy blessed it too, and told me to bring Nin to the set with Cissy, when I return. "May as well get you two out in the open, you little punk. But at least we can pair you two up in OUR wedding now." We both laughed exhausted laughs. Since Nin and I were Maid of Honor and Best Man for their planned wedding, it was great. We were all going to Mexico in two weeks for the ceremony. The wedding was two days from Nin's birthday. Since it was planned after the film's big wrap? It'll be total timely ecstasy – a perfect kickoff to all our perfect lives all intersecting at the exact same time. NOTHING could stop us, after all, even the universe itself was on our side.
I wish I didn't know now…what I didn't know then.
18 comments:
Chad Stahelski is the later A list director
Yup +1 @thirtyframes, was just going to comment that.
Yep. John Wick movies.
I don’t know what to say any more - I don’t even want to name all the names. It’s all so tragic and so sad knowing what’s coming. I had completely forgotten they were about to get married...
In any respect, it's been a great story to read even if the BI has been solved for the most part.
Will someone please summarize all 10 at the end for the rest of us with ADHD at work? Thank you.
Oh @himmmmm We all know what is coming but it is still a kick to the teeth. Thank you for sharing this.
I do not understand the movie making process. there was two weeks of work yet all rallied to get it done in the one week allowance. wouldn't it still cost the same, same work/film but crammed into smaller timeframe? sorry I am clueless and I know this isn't really (pardon the lame pun) big picture but I still want to understand
Yes @himmmm, thank you for writing all of this, as painful as it is.
Chad Stalhenski seems like a great guy from the John Wick behind the scenes footage.
This is so sad, we all know what happens next
I don't think I can read anymore.
@Lucy - Thank you for all your kind and funny words. RE: filmmaking: it's different for different size/genre films but in this case - the burn rate of the budget is generally the same except when you're paying crew/cast/facilities by the day. Union/guilds interpret a shooting or post "day" as a set number of hours. We had obtained a very rare guild waiver. Thus, we didn't sweat it. We could work the crews/cast/sets round the clock 24/7 and it would cost us no more than an 8 or 12 hr. day (our contracts with crews/cast/vendors stated we only pay "over-ages" if we go over a set date).
BUT - here's the BIG PRESSURE: a certain big producer on this movie HAD TO have a 1st assemblage of the movie ready for film market. That's where Big Buyers get together to bid on buying a film, kick in funds to finish, etc. Because thus far? They'd only pre-sold smaller territories. It's called Balkanization and it's a financing nightmare. SO they wanted to land a big whale to swallow the whole film for big bucks. Only way to do that was make the film market deadline. That was revealed to us in that meeting/call. And that's why we stupidly and ignorantly pushed this crew/cast to go for broke. It's dangerous and stupid. As we learned the hard way. Nothing is more expensive than regret.
Is the fact that “Stranger Things” is mentioned in the title here a clue?
Don't think it's a reference to the TV-show "Stranger things", if that's what you're asking.
Filing hell...skip
@himmmm thank you very much for explaining process to me. I understand now! thank you! :)
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