Jeff Bridges' New Book

sorry my post isn't about JB

CMoore said:

If you are Paul McCartneys wife

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linda mccartney was a wonderful photographer and her book of cyanotypes is just beautiful.

CMoore said:

When you see Extras on the street...for example...and they are talking to each other, what is actually going on.?
Are they speaking normally, in a low voice, or are they just pretending to speak and simply moving their lips.?

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We always pantomime speaking or doing other noise-producing activities. Even in those party scenes where you think you hear us talking in the background, glasses tinkling, etc. Those sounds are added later.

Activities such as applauding are also pantomimed (hands don't actually touch), or sweeping (broom held just above the floor) or other such things. Sometimes our shoe soles are taped to prevent walking sounds on wooden floors.

Exception: Sometimes a group of extras will be directed to say something aloud as a group such as a cheer or other group reaction. This is called an omni and the extras are really verbalizing. Unfortunately, union rules exclude omnis from payment at the same rate as spoken lines would be.

And, of course, if the scene is shot MOS (no sound recording) then there is little or no concern about the noise we might make. We might even be told to make as much noise as we want to increase the reality of the scene.

BobD said:

We always pantomime speaking or doing other noise-producing activities. Even in those party scenes where you think you hear us talking in the background, glasses tinkling, etc. Those sounds are added later.

Exception: Sometimes a group of extras will be directed to say something aloud as a group such as a cheer or other group reaction. This is called an omni and the extras are really verbalizing. Unfortunately, union rules exclude omnis from payment at the same rate as spoken lines would be.

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Very Interesting.....Thank You
Unless it has been done, there might be a book in this.
LOTS of people Like/Love movies.
You might be surprised.....or i might be wrong.....how many people would be fascinating to learn about this.
Not only what happens as an extra, but the real experiences, humorous and otherwise, they you have had, or that you learn about from Friends/Coworkers in specific scenes of certain movies.
Not only your experience working, but your knowledge of things like...creating hundreds of people for a crowded stadium.
You probably know a dozen(s) interesting techniques of how movies are made.

I worked in downtown San Francisco in a few of the buildings that were used to make The Game with Michael Douglas.
It was amazing to see how it is all done and how almost nothing that you see on screen is how it REALLY is in reality.
When Douglas walks out of the back door of The City Club Restaurant to find that waitress.....they filmed IN the restaurant.....it is actually the back of a tailor shop, next door, at The Mills Building. Using THOSE stairs allowed them to set up that whole (phony) scene, in the alley, of that old guy collapsing on the street and the ambulance is called.
Anyway............just a thought.

CMoore said:

there might be a book in this.

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The thought has crossed my mind. The thing is: I may want to do some work in the future and being the author of such a book could put a damper on that.

Ricky Gervais did a sitcom about the profession called "Extras" which was both hilarious and realistic.

You probably know a dozen(s) interesting techniques of how movies are made.

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Before I worked as an extra I worked in various crew positions in low-budget productions so I was already pretty educated. But, my extra work was all "big-time" major studio stuff and I learned a lot more.

It was amazing to see how it is all done and how almost nothing that you see on screen is how it REALLY is in reality.

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Very true.

One also has no idea if the project one is working on will be a flop that never sees the light of day or the biggest thing since Star Wars. Or, if the goofball who spilled coffee on you is a local bum who wandered on the set or the next Harrison Ford.

jnantz said:

sorry my post isn't about JB

linda mccartney was a wonderful photographer and her book of cyanotypes is just beautiful.

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And the fact that her birth name was Linda Eastman was just a coincidence - no relation to George !

BobD said:

One also has no idea if the project one is working on will be a flop that never sees the light of day or the biggest thing since Star Wars. Or, if the goofball who spilled coffee on you is a local bum who wandered on the set or the next Harrison Ford.

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OK..................START The Book

CMoore said:

OK..................START The Book

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Write a proposal, try shopping it with agents and publishers, as long as you feel confident you have the material and ability to follow through. By the way, allow at least a year before you give up unless you intend to self-publish.

Don't worry ... I HAVE started the book and I have dealt with agents and publishers on other projects.

Thanks for the interest and support!

Alan Edward Klein said:

It's nice to have the access to movie sets and other famous people to photograph. It gives you a leg up. How great does your craft have to be if you can shoot the stars? No one really cares about my pictures of my Cousin Elaine regardless of how artistic they are.

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Access isn't everything. You need trust and cooperation. I once was on an assignment for a client where we were shooting (union set photographer, camera was blimped, we were at the back of the set) during the filming of a TV series. The star (a big name) was having a bad day and our presence annoyed her and we were asked to leave. At least we got a few shots in and I was able to make the ad.

Pieter12 said:

Access isn't everything. You need trust and cooperation. I once was on an assignment for a client where we were shooting (union set photographer, camera was blimped, we were at the back of the set) during the filming of a TV series. The star (a big name) was having a bad day and our presence annoyed her and we were asked to leave. At least we got a few shots in and I was able to make the ad.

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Sounds like my ex-wife.

I loved the interview. Jeff's a cool dude.

Thanks for this post! I've enjoyed his first book for quite a few years and did not know about this, his second volume. I found a brand new copy off of Amazon for $19! Paging through it, I love it!