Lights! Camera! Action!
I have had a brush with fame and fortune on the set of one of the most famous and successful movie franchises in the world. No, I have not got a part in ‘Carry on Olympics’, rather, I was almost in Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix.
The tiny cottage in which we stayed last weekend was about 5 minutes walk from the site of Hagrids cottage (the site is for filming purposes only, because although it’s quite remote, there are no actual giants in Scotland).
On Saturday morning as a minibus full of intrepid stag attendees made their way towards a death-defying day of Fun-yaking and Canyoning, we were stopped about 300 yards from our cottage in the minibus we’d hired.
“Sorry mate,” said the guy with bright yellow jacket and walkie talkie, “But would you mind popping back to pick up the rest of the props for us?”
“Excuse me?” said the designated driver, whilst I scrambled over the seats behind sensing an opportunity to get behind the scenes on a major movie production.
“The props, could you pop back and get them please, you’re not needed for a few hours yet anyway”, continued Mr Movie maker.
I was beginning to picture the riches associated with eBay sales of random Harry Potter movie paraphernalia.
“I’m sorry mate, we’re on holiday”, replied our quite-slow-on-the-uptake driver, dashing my hopes of movie stardom and eBay millions.
“Oh, sorry pal! Saw the hire van and thought you were this afternoons crew, never mind eh?”
My opportunity had drifted hopelessly away and so I prepared myself for a day of being cold and wet on the side of a mountain instead of rubbing shoulders with Best Boys, Gaffers and Dolly Grips.
No tags
greavsie · May 24, 2006 at 11:30 am
I love first unit directors.
PS –
I know what your next post can be about, how many flippin’ hopurs it takes to get the security code correct on your comments. I’ve just had to hire two monkeys and a typewriter.
Admin comment by Mr Angry · May 24, 2006 at 11:38 am
greavsie – he was a FUD was he? I don’t really know the lingo.
As for the security code, I think it would be easier to reproduce Hamlet than get it right first time. Think I may take it off this weekend…
karilyn · May 24, 2006 at 12:01 pm
yahoo! glad about the removal of the security code.
was once offered audition vital role of redhaired escaping girl in a film, i declined as it would interfer with school and work (and i diagreed with the film) but could have stared with daniel day lewis. then they filmed it in my school so had to play trunent least my face been seen as an extra.
nf girl · May 24, 2006 at 12:54 pm
Surely one of the most famous and successful movie franchises in the world could only be Jaws.
Or Dirty Dancing.
Admin comment by Mr Angry · May 24, 2006 at 1:21 pm
K – It’s gone!
NF – maybe we could combine the two? I’d pay good money to see Patrick Swizzle eaten by a Shark.
nf girl · May 24, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Good thinking. Like that scene where they learn to do the lift underwater, and then Jaws could come along (after the Jaws music starts.)
And Baby could say “Nobody puts Jaws in the corner.”
BoyOnTop · May 24, 2006 at 2:43 pm
Somehow “Dirty Jaws” doesn’t have quite the same ring. The upbeat tempo underying the do do do do do do, would quite ruin it.
Ah… bless you, no security code!
karilyn · May 24, 2006 at 2:48 pm
but what about rocky……
the goodfather ….like totally better
the godfather of rocky…. wow what an idea guns and boxing, big money earner.
thanks for removing the secutity code mr. angry, i found the writing reminded me of a bad trip and hope that you don’t get any ads for cheap viagra (but on a sunday morning there’s a pfizer factory sale in macroom in cork selling it at a discount) lol
Simon · May 24, 2006 at 4:54 pm
Fuck Harry Potter.
Well, he must be legal by now.
Admin comment by Mr Angry · May 24, 2006 at 5:13 pm
BoT – what about “shark dancing”?
Karilyn – I’ll be blaming you lot when the spam kicks in again!
Simon – Well, Hermione is blossoming rather well…
Four Dinners · May 25, 2006 at 11:43 pm
Never mind. I’m sure Dolly’s grip isn’t what it was after all these years…
US · May 27, 2006 at 7:37 am
“Dirty Jaws” – sounds like a ‘film’ I watched this week.
The Girl · June 5, 2006 at 9:58 am
That bloke wasn’t a ‘First Unit Director’. There is no such title. There is however a ‘Director’, ‘1st Assistant Director’, ‘2nd Assistant Director’ and a ‘3rd Assistant Director’ who all work on the Main Unit (described below). On the 2nd Unit (also described below), you’ll have the ‘2nd Unit Director and a ‘1st Assistant Director – 2nd Unit’ likewise, the others mentioned above.
On a feature film, there is the ‘Main Unit’ (with all the key cast and the huge crew that involves) and the ‘2nd Unit’ (usually stunt players and/or minor cast and/or shooting background/crowd scenes). On big (special effects heavy) films, there are often ‘Model Units’, ‘Arial Units’ and ‘Plate Units’ too.
The guy who was asking your minibus to pick up the props and who was wearing the fluro, was most likely from the Transport department (who co-ordinate all the vehicles); Location Department (who co-ordinate people/vehicles/equipment in and out of the filming site); or the 2nd Assistant Director (who would co-ordinate all the crowd/extra crew needed for filming that day).
Him asking you to pick up the props was a big boo-boo: he would have got his arse whipped had the ‘grown-ups’ (Producers) found out. Lucky him that your driver owned up to the mistake.
Just thought I’d enlighten you with my boring movie knowledge…
Admin comment by Mr Angry · June 5, 2006 at 10:05 am
The Girl – Hello, and thanks for the knowledge! He gave the impression of being a Very Important Person whoever he was…