That's a Wrap, People!

We're done shooting the movie, which is hardly to suggest that it is finished. Any amount of scoring and editing lie ahead, but that's not my lookout. All I have to worry about is how many of my scenes land on the cutting room floor. Well, that and return my house to some semblance of normal. The crew did a good job of generally returning large things their proper places. But there are still any number of half-full water bottles to recover from the set the living room, piles of "wardrobe" to be returned to the closet and I want to take my duster to all the cobwebs I noticed during the "poor pitiful me" scene.

Here's a picture of The Hat and The Child, between takes.

It was so good to see The Hat, even though most of our interaction came from shooting each other smiley looks and sharing an aside between takes. On Saturday night we wrapped at 11pm (We had some night exteriors to shoot...none of that "day for night" nonesense for Herr Director) and then The Hat and I stayed up until 1:30am, talking. I love her.

Yesterday The Spouse woke me at 8am. We had to scramble because call time was 9 am. And this crew of ours, which I will remind you is NOT getting paid and doing this all for love, are extremely professional. If call was 9am, people would be arriving by 8:55.

I hoped up, greeted The Hat, made coffee and realized that I had my two biggest speeches left to shoot. Guess what? I couldn't remember either of them. At all.

The Hat ran lines with me when I got a chance. She was very nice. She tried very hard not to laugh at how often I stared off blankly and then asked, "Line?" She told me to do the Chicken Dance. It worked, shaking loose the lines just in time for me to actually deliver them on camera.

These 4 days of shooting have been exhausting. By yesterday morning I was beginning to feel ready to be done with all this, have a normal weekend around the casa and all that. But I confess that when I heard "This is the martini shot, people!" I got a little varkelmpt. When the Director shouted, "That's a wrap, people" and everyone started applauding, there were tears. Tears I could have used in the "poor pitiful me" scene, but tears nonetheless.

Then we all ate lasagne. I'm going to miss craft services.

Once the house was restored, sorta, to rights and the last strips on the script board were ceremoniously turned by our superfantastic AD, once idiot checks were done to be sure no bits of equipment lingered where they ought not and once everyone was properly hugged and thanked and sent on their way, I lay down to nap. For 3 hours. Then we watched dailies. Then I went to bed.

Get your fancy schmanzy clothes in order. I'll let you know when we're having the premiere.

Now I get to focus on this coming weekend's celebrations and the arrival of JP. I. Can't. Wait.