Aug 08 2008
Pain and Suffering in Los Angeles
We only needed one more take of the knife fight. One more take. Laura said “Action!” We fought with our (rubber) knives. Then, my back went out and I hit the ground.
Interestingly, the camera was still rolling for that part. I’m not sure if I want to see me collapsing to the ground in pain, however. So this is why that happened.
See, I got this crazy idea in my head. It started when I heard that Toby MacGuire got the rights to make a Robotech movie, based on one of my favorite Japanese anime shows ever. My favorite character in Robotech has always been Max Sterling. I figured I’d be great as Max, and so I should play the part. I began an online campaign on a fan site saying I will get the role. So they said, “Ok, show us your Max.” There is a scene where Max meets his future wife, an alien, Miriya, in the park. She attacks him with a knife. Max fights her off and wins. I decided to recreate this scene in a park in Burbank. It was myself, Lisa (My actress friend whose picture is in a previous blog!), Laura shooting, and Dave came in later to help with the boom mic for sound. So the four of us were there at this park, on a Saturday. I must say, hardly anyone goes to parks now, it must be the internet’s fault! Only a few people blinked an eye at our cavorting around with knives.
Fortunately, this was the second to last shot we needed when I fell to the grass, and I can live without the one shot we missed. I was carried to my car. I couldn’t walk. Fortunately Dave works at a hospital and part of his job is carrying around and moving injured people. I’ve spent most of the week on the floor, resting my back. Soon I will have a look at the footage, and then edit it. It will go up on Youtube and I’ll start advertising it on forums everywhere. Who knows, maybe it will really work and you’ll see me as Max Sterling in 2010. Will it have been worth lying on the floor in pain for a week? Who knows. But don’t let anyone tell you us actors don’t suffer for our art.
Picture of the Day
On the way home from my chiropractor, I go through Hollywood. Since I was stuck in Friday traffic, I thoughtfully took some pictures for you all.
In Hollywood, we don’t need billboards… we use entire sides of buildings for our movie ads.
I think next time you ever to a shoot, you need me to stand by as the medical staff.
If for no other reason than I’m cheap, I know CPR, and I can carry you long distances when you injure yourself.
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