Woo-hoo! Three hours of sleep!

I slept three and a half hours this morning. Yesterday was our third day of shooting. We wrapped at 4 in the morning. Today is everyone's day off.

For the first shoot, we were on location, at a house near school. We shot three scenes, all exteriors, so the crew was freezing cold. My job was pretty easy--keep continuity, record the takes that the DP and director liked, and make a lined script, which the DP (Slate), taught me in two minutes. It was pretty confusing, but when I got home I got out my filmmaking textbook and looked it up to make sure I was doing it right. I draw a line from the top of the script down. When there's dialogue or a person that's off camera for that shot, then I draw a squiggly line over that dialogue.

I hung out with the sound recordist and the 2nd AC, B. and Scooter, respectively. I showed Scooter how to do slate because he hadn't done it before. He was so funny. Whenever he'd call slate, he'd make up a different word for the shot, which is labeled with a letter. So for Scene 9B he'd go, "SCENE 9, BATTLEBOTS, TAKE 1!". We'd crack up everytime with each new word he came up with. Three scenes that day.

The next day, we were on Portola, overlooking the city. It was the afternoon. It was too cloudy, so we ended up not shooting there that day. Sucks, but that's what happens. The actors were pissed. We drove over to Alameda and shot a scene at a playground. I also became 2nd AC since Scooter couldn't make it to the shoot. It was cold again, so I brought my Holden hat. I took it out and gave it to B. who was pretty cold. Everyone loved the hat on him, but he told people that it was mine. It was late. Maybe 10, and lights weren't set-up yet. We didn't get a permit! When lights were finally up, a police car came by and a policewoman came up to talk to us. She said she was getting calls about strange lights (our lights), but that no one was complaining. We were pretty quiet. Slate sweet talked her, and we got to stay there till 12. Awesome. We got our shots. The complaining girl actor left, and we were tearing down everything. B. was getting room tone (just the ambient noise of a location). We had to stay quiet for a minute. We just stood in the dark on that playground surrounded by all this film and lighting equipment. The moon was out, and I was watching the clouds pass by it. Slate was getting footage of it. B-roll. It was so cinematic just standing there, not saying anything.

Sunday's shoot. Back at the house. We did three scenes, two of them interior. It went okay. I was 2nd AC again. My "mentors" from Cinema Collective, Scarf and S.M., came by to help grip. It was awesome seeing them. They came from an all day shoot for a music video. That's dedication. They said I do slate like a pro. I was taught by pros! The last scene was outside, in the cold again. My hat got passed around again. This time Scarf put it on. Everyone looks good in that hat. We were done around 4 in the morning. We got our shots. They were pretty good. I was hanging around the monitor since P. wanted me to watch each shot on the monitor. For one of the slates I said, "SCENE 9, BOLLYWOOD, TAKE 1!" During that take Scarf came up to me and whispered, trying not to laugh, "Did you just say Bollywood?"

All in all a good three days of shooting. It's nice being the only girl surrounded by amazing guys. My dream come true. Oh, and I get to work on film shoots and help make a film. Two dreams come true. It was hilarious because whenever some guy said a dirty comment or joke he'd go, "Oh...Uh, sorry Elaine." They kept apologizing to me for being the dirty guys that they are, but they weren't always nasty. Good times were had by all. I'm really glad we got this day off. I need to get some homework and studying done!

Tomorrow, we shoot at the playground in Alameda again. Later friends!