When I got there, the crew was busy setting up along a one-block length of the sidewalk. There were people milling around everywhere, including a girl carrying a UC Sunnydale notebook and three guys dressed like janitors doing a dance routine with big push-brooms. Hmmm... could it be that they're shooting the musical today?
I circled around a small park where the trailers were sitting, and that's where I found... Shanie! There were other fans lurking around as well. As we stood there, we saw Anthony Stewart Head walk out of his trailer. For those who are fashion-conscious, he was wearing a dark green shirt and... uhhh, I can't remember what color his pants were. Next came Nicholas Brendon, wearing a pale yellow-green shirt with these rust-colored maple-leaf thingies on it and green cargo pants. He also had a brown leather jacket that he wore during takes.
We circled around and crossed Culver Boulevard, where we had a full view of the action. ASH and Nick were there, as was Emma Caulfield, wearing a gray sleeveless dress. There was also this guy running around in a burgundy baseball shirt and a blue baseball cap (oh yes, and pants, too, but again I wasn't paying attention to them). It was none other than... Joss! And he was busily trying to get everything in place.
They were only working on one shot in all the time we were there, but it was an incredibly complicated shot. Giles, Xander and Anya walk down the street. At the start of the scene, Xander says, "It's a nightmare! It's a plague! It's like a nightmare about a plague!" Then he says something more and Anya tries to interrupt him, and he replies, "And my eyes are not beady!" or something like that. We couldn't hear any more of the dialogue, but as they walk down the street, they pass a woman singing to a traffic cop who's writing her a ticket, a couple dancing and then the three janitors with the push brooms. Several other people walk in and out of the shot as well.
As I said, an extremely complicated shot. Lots of different things that could go wrong. In one take, a loud truck rolls by. In another, the camera runs out of film. In another, Joss doesn't like something about the dancing janitors or the singing lady getting a ticket. Nick was having a lot of his trouble with his lines, too. One time he whipped off his leather jacket and whapped it against the ground in disgust. Another time there was much loud cursing.
Still, Nick was also friendly when he wasn't feeling frustrated. At one point he saw us (Shanie and me, plus this other woman and a young woman from Finland who I'd met at the Willow Street shoot) and he gave us a wave and a "hang loose" sign.
Oh, and there will be PICTURES! Ironically, this was one shoot where I could have gotten away with my regular camera and big lens, but I didn't bring them. I did have one of those little disposable cameras with me, though. I shot half the film today and saved half for next week's shoot at Kenneth Hahn Park, so if all goes well I'll have pics of both by the end of next week. Fuzzy pics, in all likelihood, but pics nonetheless. Best I can do until I get my own digital.
All in all, another fun shoot. The musical looks like it'll be a real hoot.
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Remember the Kitten Board Mantra: "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"
To hope is to risk frustration. Therefore, make up your mind to risk frustration. Do not be one of those who, rather than risk failure, never attempts anything. - Thomas Merton
[This message has been edited by BBOvenGuy (edited October 04, 2001).]
