My First Movie Shooting Experience!

[Ash]

Many of you might remember my previous thread about the currently in-production film, The Final Season.

I heard on the local news that the film crew needed around 2000-3000 extras to film the final scene where the Norway baseball team takes on their rivals and eventually win the state championship.
These scenes were shot at the Veterans Memorial Stadium here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Home of the Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball team.
kernels.com

My buddy Lonnie & I got there around 7:30 am and were admitted right away.
Everyone there had to fill out a release form giving our permission to put our images on film etc...
I expected there would be thousands of people there but no.
For some reason, only around 800-1000 people showed up.

Because there were so few people, they gave out a bunch of cardboard cutouts of people to put next to them.
Remember, they can't have empty seats! (of which there were many)
The guy next to me complained that it would take much longer because there were so few people.
I countered by saying that because of that, our images were much more likely to be seen on film and he agreed.

My buddy & I got front row seats!

The director, David M. Evans and the film crew were out on the field with three cameras.
An assistant with a bullhorn was there and he would tell us what the director wanted.
He would say, "Ok, in this scene I need you all to do "The wave" or "I need you to stand up and look concerned and then cheer as a home run is hit."
We all went crazy with applause as we imagined a home run being hit.

You would hear guys yell, "Everybody quiet, we're rolling...And ACTION!
We would do as told until we heard the director yell "CUT!"
Other times, we were required to boo and gives thumbs down.

They shot several Stedicam takes of a little girl walking up to the pitcher's mound to sing the national anthem and, with cameras right on us, we had to stand up, take our baseball hats off and look at the flag while she sang.
That little 8 year old girl nailed it in only three takes!

It was so cool!

We had the cameras right on us much of the time so I'm pretty sure my friend & I will appear in the film.

The only downside was that it was so damn hot!
I checked my watch...it read 9:30 am and already the sun was baking us.
They had members of the film crew going up & down the aisles handing out sunscreen and there were two women going around to tease the hair of girls in the crowd.
Remember, the movie is set in 1991 when big hair was popular with females.
Also, there were prop guys going around handing out cups to the guys and red & white pom-poms to the girls.
We were the people cheering for the heroes...the Noway Tigers baseball team.
Several people brought homemade signs.
I sat right next to an older guy who brought a big sign depicting the face of a tiger and when the director called on us to cheer, he held that sign high.
(I shouldn't be too hard to find when the DVD comes out since I'm sitting next to him)

It was so cool to actually be on a movie set as an extra!
I mean, I've watched the making of films on DVD but being there as a part of it was so much different.
I got to see the director at work and directing us as a crowd.
I got to see the sound and lighting methods of a production.
You name it...I got to see it all!

I also got to meet Sean Astin and Larry Miller!
They were both really friendly guys.
Sean & Larry both got on the mic and talked to the crowd and made us laugh.

Sean Astin was interviewed by a local radio guy and pics of him and the stadium where it was shot can be seen HERE
(scroll down to see pics of the production)
The radio interview is also on that page...be sure to listen to it.

This was an experience that I will never forget.

I'm definitely going to be at the premier when it comes out next spring in 2007.

[odinn7]

That sounds so cool Ash...by the way, did you manage to stalk Eliza for me yet?

[Ash]

Actually, Eliza dropped out of the project and was replaced by Rachael Leigh Cook from "She's All That" and "11:14".


I didn't get to meet her.  She wasn't there as far as I could tell.

[AndyC]

I don't normally watch sports movies, but I'll probably see this one just to see if I can spot you, Ash.

[odinn7]

ASHTHECAT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Actually, Eliza dropped out of the project and was
> replaced by Rachael Leigh Cook from "She's All
> That" and "11:14".
> http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/7366/69m7zv.jpg
>
> I didn't get to meet her.  She wasn't there as far
> as I could tell.


DAMN! Just my luck! Oh well...she's pretty hot too...same deal we arranged for stalking Eliza if you get a chance...

[dean]

Hey!  Nice work, and glad you had fun.  Remember to post a still shot from the movie with a big circle around your head when the film comes out on dvd.

[Fearless Freep]

I saw the tilte of this thread next to the thread about bullet proof tables so "Shooting Experience" lept out at me as something quite different then intended...

[Ash]

Fearless Freep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I saw the tilte of this thread next to the thread
> about bullet proof tables so "Shooting Experience"
> lept out at me as something quite different then
> intended...

I also thought the same thing when trying to decide on an appropriate title for this thread.
A "movie shooting" as in the filming of a movie.
Or...
The "shooting" of a character in a film by another character with a gun.

LOL!!

I was wondering if any of you would pick up on that.

[trekgeezer]

Good for you Ash! You'll have to post to remind us when this gets on DVD so we can look for you.

I generally find watching any kind of sports deathly boring, but for some reason I find sports movies entertaining (probably because they only show the interesting parts and do montages for rest).

[Derf]

Fearless Freep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I saw the tilte of this thread next to the thread
> about bullet proof tables so "Shooting Experience"
> lept out at me as something quite different then
> intended...


Funny you mention that. My one and only goal for appearing in a movie is to be one of those guys who get riddled by machine gun fire and spasm to the ground. Not that it will ever happen, even though now that I'm fat, I could take a lot of bullets.

Congrats, ASH. I tried to be an extra on Val Kilmer's The Man of a Thousand Faces, but I wasn't chosen. So I know at least the excitement of trying out. It's all pretty cool.

[Scott]

So this is what happens in Iowa..................Sounds like fun.

[Ash]

I found a few more pics from the set of The Final Season.

More pics here

I can't wait until this comes out next year!