Day Eight

It happens sooner or later on every shoot.
The long hours, the pressure from production to finish the day and stay on time and on budget…people start to lose their patience, and they get cranky.
It happened today. We’re tired, and, we’re all trying to make a “bigger” movie than the budget will allow, so I think everyone is feeling the pressure, and cracks are beginning to show.
Fortunately, everyone seems to understand that we’re all cranky, and why we’re cranky, and we haven’t turned on each other, yet. It’s the time when “please” and “thank you” go a very long way to keep us all sane, and everyone seems to be aware of that.
It really says a lot about the cool people on this crew and in this cast, that even though we’re wiped out, and the production has set some very tough expectations for us (13 pages today!)we’re all still playing on the same team.
So even though we’re all in danger of reaching Donner Party status, the work hasn’t suffered, and everyone remains supportive of each other, which is cool. We’ve even managed to work some cannibal humor into the day to lighten the mood.
I like feeling like I’m on a team, and that I’m part of something much larger than myself. On days like today, that camaraderie is really tested. Fortunately, as far as I can tell, we’re passing the test.
The scenes today were mostly between me and Maureen, and our long personal history is adding this great extra dimension to our performances. We have this great trust in each other, and we’ve been allowed by the director to improvise a bit within the scenes, so they have this great natural, conversational quality which I hope translates into the final product.
On the way home, I pulled into my neighborhood, which is swarming with children and their parents, trick-or-treating. I drove slowly towards my house, smiling and waving at numerous Spider Men, Buzz Light Years, and a few vampires.
When I got to my house, I felt really sad…Nolan and Ryan had already carved their jack o lanterns, and they were out trick-or-treating…but my insanely cool wife hadn’t carved hers, yet…because she was waiting for me. As soon as they get back, the carving will begin.
Happy Halloween, everybody!

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70 thoughts on “Day Eight”

  2. Rock on. I’m so glad you’re having fun with all the people there, even when you’re cranky…but…avoid the Donner Party business.
    And Happy Halloween! Did you dress up? I was a carhop.

  4. Keep the pumpkin handy.
    If the director or other actors start to really bug you, nothing will releive the stress better than a jack-o-lantern to the head! 🙂

  5. Everyone gets cranky when they work together for an extended period of time…I think there’s something to be said about major pressure. Be it actors or contractors—trying to work within a budget is pressure.
    Plus, then to come home and update your page on Halloween night? You so crazy.
    If Donner Party status is reached…use hot sauce.

  7. Happy Hallowe’en! My stepdad sets up a PA and a microphone and sits inside the house with his synthesizer making spooky noises. I go out as DEATH and give out the candy. We actually scared away more bigger kids than the little’uns.
    Keep truckin’ on the set. The Posse is rootin’ for you, per usual + extra Oomph since ya’lls be getting cranky.

  8. HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ME AND MY MAN TO THE WHEATON FAMILY! May your evening be filled with spooks and goblins, haha.

  10. Its cool that everyone is still working together and not at each others throats with all the stress!
    Have fun carving the pumpkin tonight with the mrs. 😉

  11. Sounds like you’d better start taking Worchestershire sauce with you to the set; it will help spice up some techie’s arm. You’ll thank me later.

  13. Happy Halloween to All!
    Thanks for sticking to the blog Wil, the tenacity is great!
    Yay Mrs. Wheaton for waiting for her husband. I love stories about the two of you as a couple, and all the nicle little things that you do for each other. It’s kinda inspiring, you know?
    Later!
    Boo!
    (did I skeer ya?)

  14. Oooooh, I was number 13, and it’s Friday here in EST, and at Wil’s it’s still Hallow’s Eve.
    Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha! Spoooky!

  16. Everyone remember that old Jack Handey thing?
    “Sometimes when I feel like killing someone, I do a little trick to calm myself down. I’ll go over to the persons house and ring the doorbell. When the person comes to the door, I’m gone, but you know what I’ve left on the porch? A jack-o-lantern with a knife stuck in the side of it’s head with a note that says “You.” After that I usually feel a lot better, and no harm done.”
    I’ve been to the site of the Donner Party cabin. It can be a creepy place.

  20. Happy Haloween Wil… tonight was the first time i went trick-or-treating in years, twas fun.. i went as a stoner (myself hehe =)… good luck with the film dude!

  22. Carving that punkin’ … did some of that myself tonight. We also went to a community bonfire put on by the fire department, which featured a brass band, food, and fireworks. Not a bad way to spend Halloween as a 30-something adult.

  23. I really like hearing about you & Anne. It’s so refreshing to see a couple that are making “it” work. Maybe she could write an entry sometime? Then we could meet her.
    I haven’t carved a pu’nkin for a couple years now. It was always a favorite activity when I was little.
    Now I’m looking forward to seeing this movie (if I can get my hands on a copy) to see you & your friend working together. It sounds like you’re both having a great time, even if everyone’s getting a little crabby.

  25. Happy halloween everyone. If you’re looking for ideas on what to do next year, here’s what I did. It’s not too scary or anything, but it’s still kinda fun for me anyway.
    I hung up a sheet on the porch, kinda loose though so it would flap in the wind, and set up my projector in the office so that it shines out the window onto the sheet. Then I hook up a video camera to my video input, point it at a flickering jack o’ lantern and run effectv.
    If you’ve got a video4linux compatible capture card, check out effectv.sf.net — it’s pretty dang cool.

  26. I wish we had the same Halloween spirit in our neighborhood…we were out for at least an hour and only found two people offering candy. What’s up with that?!?

  30. “Still no sign of the end. How long is it?”
    “That’s a rather personal question sir.”
    “You stupid git. I meant how long has it been on this movie set? You’ve destroyed the atmosphere now.”
    “I’m sorry”
    “Shut up. Start again.”
    “STILL no sign of the end. How long is it?”
    “33 days sir.”
    “Thirty-three days?”
    “We can’t go on much longer … I didn’t think I destroyed the atmosphere.”
    “Shut up.”
    “Well, I don’t think I did.”
    “‘Course you did.”

  32. I only had 10 customers last night 🙁 I didn’t even wear my wizards hat, since there was only a knock at the door once every half hour. Sad, but now….
    I’m swimmin’ in chocolate bars!!! woo hoo!!
    Hey Wil, when my drama-guy used to think that we were approaching hate time, he’d let us bitch at each other in a debate forum, or he’d make us lay down and roll on top of each other ’til we laughed so hard we were friends again….whichever you prefer…

  33. Happy Halloween to you, too, Wil! I’m sure those pumpkins look awesome. 🙂 I saw about half a dozen Spider-Men last night at a fall festival I went to…it was so cute!

  34. Happy Halloween!
    Well, sorry i’m late, but i hope everyone had one. So was the cannibal humor made because it’s halloween?

  35. Happy Halloween!
    Well, sorry i’m late, but i hope everyone had one. So was the cannibal humor made because it’s halloween?

  36. Happy Halloween!
    Well, sorry i’m late, but i hope everyone had one. So was the cannibal humor made because it’s halloween?

  37. hey wil, did you notice that your last two posts, from the last 2 days were both posted at exactly 8:11pm?
    pretty nifty….

  38. I felt like I got the dregs of the trick-or-treaters… kids with Hefty bags and very little in the way of actual costume. I draw the line at no costume, though. OK, maybe I would give them one piece of candy. A kind I don’t like – maybe I should keep that really cheap-ass bubblegum around just in case. You know, the kind that looks like it might be taffy or some actual good candy but then turns out to be gum? Anyone?

  43. wil.
    why didn’t you say anything about River Phoenix? you were his friend, and he died, and i think a few words in honor of him wouldn’t have done you harm. it’s not fair, because he doesn’t deserve to be forgotten. do you really just see him as a junkie? then i feel sorry for you.

  45. Hey Wil,
    I haven’t posted in a while, but I think that you are an incredibly talented guy (and lucky, too), and I think that it’s awesome how you are managing to balance your work and home lives. That ability doesn’t come easily to as many people as you might think. I really wish that I’d gotten more of an opportunity to talk with you that night after your show/talk at the Pasadena Con Sat night… maybe someday, huh?
    Take care! Terry 🙂

  46. Adi, you are a complete troll, that is a horrible thing to say. If you knew anything about Wil, You would already know that Wil did NOT see River as just a junkie, and that he cares and is a good person. I’m sure he hasnt forgotten but is focused on the good things going on in his life at the moment.
    Wil I am glad that you are hanging in there on the set. I am sure that having you around will make it easier for everyone to get through the long days. Lots of love and good humor mojo!

  47. Happy Halloween Wil! I took my daughter out trick or treating down our dead-end street and she had filled her bucket after only about 6 houses! We don’t get many trick-or-treaters so everyone is generous. After that we drove over to my Grandma’s house and on the way there I saw at least 10 teens walking around with bags and pillowcases and NO costume whatsoever. WTF?! If they came to my house that way they’d get nothin’. I’d rather see the kids that go through the neighborhood once, change costumes, and go around again. Keep up the hard work on the set!!

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