The site’s back up! Big shout out to Devin Lussier, Gearworx for a great run, Dreamhost and Joker for a good future and Thomas Bartels for again putting up with me.
Still a couple kinks to work out but nothing time can’t fix.
Proper update later. Forget what month I was on.
Above pic was awesome fun. I was there. Standing behind the photographers. Crowd reaction to the trailer was awesome. Panel was quirky and fun. I wasn’t on the panel. Turns out, extensive research shows that the Comic Con crowd doesn’t want to see/hear from a co-writer. Who’d’a thunk? :)
For them what don’t know. Bill Fichtner is my friend. That is all.
And now for some of my favorite TWEETS during and after the panel.
All in all it was a great week. I did some panels. Made some new friends, saw a bunch of old friends and as icing on the cake, Thomas Jane and I buried the hatchet. It was a good week.
Now that I’m home, I find myself slightly out of sorts. Three months in Louisiana, a week at home then Australia for two weeks of research. I’ve been home for a two weeks but still feel mostly upside down. I know, woe is me. Nic Cage movie, world travel, please don’t flood me with your salty tears.
So, let’s dive into May 2010.
Lussier and Danton. That’s Glenn in the BG but we’ll come back to him. This snap was taken by Nathan Amondson back during the Tech Scout before we rolled the first camera. Director and 1st Assistant Director. Steve Danton is an excellent Assistant Director. Organized and on the ball. He moves the crew like a well oiled machine. The man worked on Lonesome Dove for crying out loud! “Crying out loud.” That’s an old southern saying. Not sure where that came from. Let’s pretend I didn’t say it and move on.
So. Here’s the catch. It didn’t start out smooth sailing. Danton is a powerhouse of an AD. I asked around. There are basically two schools of thought in the world of Assistant Directors. There’s the school that feels the 1st AD there to “assist” the director. Lunacy I know. The job description isn’t exactly hidden within the job title. Then there’s the school that believes the Assistant Director is there to keep the director in line.
Danton is of the later school.
This is actually a great thing. If your director is an idiot.
Patrick Lussier is no idiot.
It’s great if your director is scatterbrained, a drug user, egotistical, all art and no substance, a drunk, a conman. I could go on. And believe me, all of the above exist and most of them make far more money than you or I. They keep working too. Despite their assorted obstacles. And that is because of ADs like Steve Danton. The Dantons of the world come in and keep the peace.
But we had a competent director. Smart. Accountable. Likable. Our director needed an assistant, not a dictator, so, needless to say the early road was a little rocky. I’m not here to sugar coat the journey. But here’s the thing to remember, a lesser collection of strong personalities could have…and most likely would have…bled out. And as a result would have failed to producer a great movie. But our team adapted, improvised and in the end…overcame.
So, let’s talk jackets. I should have mentioned this in April but April was already pretty unwieldy. In April the 300 crew jackets Patrick and I ordered arrived. I started folding. Remember, Patrick had traded in his assistant for…I forget…a better lighting package or some production advancement. So when it came to jacket folding and distribution…enter the writer.
When it was all said and done I knew every crew member by first name and jacket size. And…we needed to order another 50 jackets in order to cover the really big teamsters as well as the post guys. Composer and team, editing, sound and a few politicals as well.
So with two weeks to go…it certainly looked like we might win although the shoot was stacked easy to hard. The roughest work was coming. Two weeks of straight nights…although much of that was on stage. See, there’s no reason to shoot stage work at night but we didn’t have the extra days to properly turn us around. So nights it was.
For the most part our masters left us alone. Our studio spies were reporting that the suits were thrilled although the gatekeepers never bothered to tell us this.
Most weekends I would join team editorial for breakfast. But work never ended. Every moment we discussed the film. What we could do differently to overcome what we didn’t have and utilize the small resources that we did. There was hardly ever a moment to just chill out.
Patrick and I were also preparing pitches on other gigs by night. There was apparently some Drive Angry buzz back home so we were receiving some scripts. Most were dismal. I hate kicking my brother writers in the balls so I’ll blame the development process but we were sent some of the worst scripts ever written. Some great ideas dismally executed. So we worked up some fixes and pitched.
Mel and Nana kept me knee deep in Izzie pics and it helped keep me going.
One thing that both annoyed and fascinated us was that we didn’t have the time nor money to cheat. We couldn’t throw big money at the screen to cover up or distract the audience from our challenges. We had no choice but to THINK our way out of problems. It’s funny but all movies should start with a story. What saved us at every turn was focusing on story. Relying on story telling always bailed us out of any problem where the cats with big money and lots of time rely on big explosions and massive CGI fixes.
In case there’s any confusion, yes. I am bragging. :)
See them boots? Them is Frank’s boots. And now, my boots. I played Frank. Frank wore them in the movie. I wear them now. Our Costume Designer, Mary McLeod found them. She dressed us all. Kept us all warm. Along with Andree (who was also essential to our crew jackets conquest). This wasn’t your normal group of clothiers. Tough as nails these gals.
I don’t understand the hierarchy of world costumes but it seemed as though Susan and Sarah ran the truck. Dena was Nic’s personal costumer. Bunny and Frank (great gals both) kept us clothed on set. And toward the end, Bunny’s man, Paul dropped in to help when Frank shot down to New Orleans on another gig. Paul also gifted me with the jar of Tennessee moonshine above. They really should pack that stuff in the barrels them St. Bernard’s carry. Stuff heats you from mouth to crotch in less than 5.4 seconds.
When I saw them standing there, I announced, “Three of my favorite fuckers all standing together.” And I meant it too. Left: Randy Kinyon, Transportation Coordinator. If it had an engine or wheels then Randy was your guy. Here’s an example. Nic was not completely thrilled with one of our cars. Didn’t like the look. Came back to us with a photo of the look he was attracted to. It was LATE in the game to make a switch. But. We showed Randy the pic. He said without the slightest hesitation. “I know where that car is. Five minutes from here” Said car is now in the movie. And as a side note, Randy’s wife had a screenplay optioned during the shoot. Not easy to do in today’s world.
Middle: Captain Dan Sumner. Dan ran basecamp. Got trucks and trailers from point A to point B. Got Actors from Hotels to set and back again. Dan became a fundamental part of Patrick’s ritual. Patrick could not leave at the end of the day without finding and talking with Dan. Dan was Patrick’s shutoff switch. There was a calm about Dan, a peace. Only need to chat with him for 5 minutes to feel it. Like a walking Fountain of Youth. The Holy Grail with feet. Of course, not all would notice this. Not all could. You’d actually have to have a heart in your chest to notice. We had some that didn’t have one of those.
Finally Erik Vonhoff ran Bandit Rentals in Simi Valley. Erik provided the 69 Charger(s) which as it turned out, my character Frank owned in the movie. Erik and I did a few video’s together to discuss the cars. They should hit the net at some point.
Now, here’s a little unknown fact. When you buy your crew 350 jackets, Karma repays you in ten T-shirts. Seems just about every department made shirts. The Teamsters, Grips, Gaffers, PAs, Transport, Bandit Rentals, Production Design, Craft Services and the list goes in. Even the studio ended up ordering T-shirts and caps. One side of my closet is filled with Drive Angry swag.
Assistant Props Master, Wade Easley has a private conversation with Issac Amondson (Nathan’s brother), Set Dresser. Those standing near, reported the following conversation.
Wade: “Hrmph. Would you look at that.”
Isaac: “What’s wrong with it?”
Wade: “Dunno. Sometimes it just does that.”
Isaac: “Cool.”
Wade’s job was to manage the props on the truck and later he ran props for second unit. Isaac was the on set dresser. It was his job to make sure props didn’t move around. If the Gun was on the table when the scene started then it was up to Isaac to make sure it stayed there til the end. Guns, Canolis, clothes, beer, you name it.
The above conversation took place on the day we unveiled the Morgan. Only one in the US of A. Shipped to us from LA. Randy behind the wheel. I can’t tell you this story. The story of the Morgan’s journey throughout our little movie. But a good story it is. Remind me to tell you later. After the movie comes out.
What I can tell you is that the scene in which the Morgan appeared…changed. In fact, a week before shooting we did not have the scene written. But that part was easy. It’s what we do. Crunch time. Solve problems. Adapt, improvise, overcome.
But then the kind folks who allowed us to use the Morgan had to approve the new scene since it’s not what we originally presented to them. That took a little time.
Next, we had to find where to shoot it. Because we had no location. This sent team locations into a scramble…and as always…they triumphed perfectly. Although…once we had started shooting, as you can see, Sherrill from Locations…had earned a break.
The wrap party was like the moon. In constant rotation around production. At first we heard the company did not do wrap parties. There were a few rumors floating around as to why. 1. Didn’t want to spend the money. 2. Last wrap they had, folks got so drunk there were big problems, arrests and so forth. 3. Another story told was that they had a wrap party a week early and as a result the crew phoned in their last week. I’ve no clue what the real story is but by the end, the suits and masters were mostly pleased so I was hearing there would be a wrap party. First I heard it would be a week early. Then I heard it would be a few days after wrap. In the end. It was a few days after wrap. When it happened the bulk of us were already gone.
But Nathan created one heck of a flyer.
So, as we drew to near the end we were only missing a couple of elements. One, we’d had some 2nd Unit mishaps. There was one big car chase that would be in question as a result. But, Patrick did what he does. He made sure we had what he needed to have.
We were also missing a close up on Frank. Yeah. Me. Seems the A camera slid in front of the B camera during my close up. Bill Fichtner could not have been more happy as the A camera, of course, was on him. This meant I would have to done the clothes and I would have to step back into the role. Bill came with me. Bill was off screen. You’d never see him. You’d never even hear him. Jay had already recorded Bill’s side. No. This was all about me. And yet. Bill was there. Standing just a couple of feet away. Acting. Again, he didn’t have to be thee. Many actors would not be there unless they were going to be seen or heard. But the moment he heard about it, there was never even a question. He was there. At my side.
My god, I love that man.
The last night was an emotional one. I didn’t take pics. Didn’t want to. It was the only day we went into overtime. Two hours I think. When Danton called wrap, Patrick thanked the crew. His voice cracking. I found it hard to speak to those crew members I knew had bled for us.
In fact, this is Sam. Sam’s a PA. Production Assistant. She rents a room from my buddy and screenwriter, Dave Rosiak. Sam could work most people I know into the ground. PAs never stop. Never slow down. Both their bodies and minds are constantly turned on. Constantly on the move. Constantly on alert. They eat standing up.
Three or so weeks from wrap I noticed Sam limping. It hurt but she didn’t want to take time to go to the doctor. By the way, we didn’t have enough PAs to do the job. Any surprise? So they were all doubling and tripling up. Watching each other’s backs. Sometimes you’d see Sam limping to and from set and you could see the pain on her face. Sam refused to leave her team hanging. She was making crap money in a thankless job. Suits didn’t even know she existed. None of them. PA Patrick, Matt, James. They were invisible. Still they worked. Because they love their the movies. The love making movies. They loved our movie. And I guess you could say they loved us.
Upon returning to LA, Sam learned she had broken her ankle way back when. She had worked all that time atop an broken bone.
But that last night was tough. Tough to say goodbye knowing all the sacrifices that had been made. Made for the movie. Made for us. This cast. This crew. Simply amazing. Even the suits. Even the gatekeepers. I understood why they did what they did. I understood how doing what they did allowed us to make even the tight budgeted stuff we did. Well all except one gatekeeper. Who I have never mentioned. Likely never will. Other than to say I hope he gets hit by a car.
Not really.
Yes. Really.
But except for that one gatekeeper, everyone else, even those with whom I may have differing theatrical ideologies, were all striving to make a great film.
And now I’ve seen it. several early cuts anyway. It’s far from done but the movie is there and it’s the best thing we’ve ever made. By leaps and bounds.
And then there’s Patrick. This truly is a film by Patrick Lussier. He is the magic that is Drive Angry. He is the gel that held this whole thing together.
Home to see Izzie. Amazing how much she had grown. Her vocabulary was so much bigger. She was telling stories, answering questions, asking questions, communicating.
I’d missed so much.
…
I guess that may have been the hardest part.
Once she was tucked safely in bed and asleep. I walked to the office.
Figure there’s no better time than the present. Mel and I have been separated since August. Not sure that much is different. Still see her throughout the day. The two of us still break breakfast bread with Izzie every morning. Still laugh and cut up. Moving into a house right up the street. It’s going to be just fine.
So, back to the finale…we wrapped the morning of the 16th. I was home the afternoon of the 16th.
It was soooo good to be home if only for a week. And by the way, Izzie loves people. If there was any doubt, this should clear it up.
But sadly, I could not stay. I’d agreed to go to Australia to do research for a project Patrick and I were considering. Two weeks. Guess I’m nuts.
I flew to LA and hung out with Patrick in Editing, watched what he, Devin and Martin had put together over the last week.
I brought one of Izzie’s toys with me. Muno. He’s from Yo Gabba Gabba. I know. You’d really have to have kids to understand that one. Anyway, I was gonna do that thing where you travel somewhere new and take pictures of an item at every stop. Yeah. That didn’t last long.
Brian stopped by for lunch. We ate spicy Indian food. Told old war stories about running in the trenches.
It was a little surreal.
Alot surreal.
Hard to explain. I had not decompressed yet. And there I was about to fly 14 hours forward in time to Australia’s tomorrow. They are a day ahead you see.
I said my goodbyes then Jeremy was kind enough to drive me to meet BenDavid Grabinski.
I don’t really know who BenDavid is. Fellow writer. Knows everybody. Far more than I. Seemed all these people I knew, knew him. F.J. DaSanto, Kyle Newman, Mark Wheaton, Craig Perry. BenDavid had sent some very kind FB messages back during the MBV3D days. Messages of support. Had also been amazingly supportive of Drive Angry. For instance we’d announce attaching David Morse and BenDavid would make an enthusiatic comment. Nothing major but sometimes it really is the little stuff when you really need it that counts.
So, it was time to meet in person.
Turns out, the reason he knows so many people is that he is a genuinely nice guy. Passionate about movies.
But his fiance, Amanda, is way cooler.
So by midnight I was on a flight to Australia. More on that in June.
Wait a minute…have we caught up? No. I’d have to get June out before July’s end.
I’m currently moving into a house up the street from Mel. Next week I’ll be in LA for a premiere, meetings and diner with Fichtner. The following week is Comicon…nah…I I’m not so sure we’re gonna catch up. :)
In closing, thank you so much for the kind emails, FB messages and comments concerning last month and my young padawan, Izzie. You have all warmed my heart. Thank you.
Week 2 ended on April Fools Day. Fitting. This was also the day, Izzie and her momma boarded a plane to come see daddy. Although separated, understand that Mel and I are the best of friends. And thanks to assistant editor, Martin, and my stupidly losing my keys, I was able to borrow his car and join them later.
I might as well get this out in the open. I have debated it. Have discussed with Mel at length and we have decided keeping it a secret helps no one.
My Izzie reunion was one of absolute joy. I’m not a very good absentee father.
As joyful as it was…I could tell something was bothering Mel. She was distracted… stressed even. Because she had received news the day after I left for the Shreveport location and had sheltered me from it. She knew it would derail me. Distract me. So, she alone carried the burden. She carried it for a full month. Until Easter weekend.
Izzie. My beautiful. My perfect. My greatest accomplishment. The one creature on the planet that proved to me that I could love something more than myself…
Izzie is autistic.
Now, don’t you dare send me emails of “I’m so sorry” or “You poor dear”. Don’t you dare think for a moment that this is a bad thing. That it takes away from the perfection of my daughter. On the contrary. This makes her all the more stunning. Izzie is gifted. She can move things with her mind. She is imaginative and polite. She says please and thank you and I’m sorry. She loves to cuddle and take naps. She is friendly to strangers. Normal children are just that. Normal. There has never been anything normal about Izzie Rain.
She loves spiders and dinosaurs and ghosts and all things that go bump. She can work an iPhone, iPad or iMac like a master. She can count and knows her ABCs. Izzie is strong with the force. And thanks to Mel, we now have a team of Jedi working with her weekly to train her. To protect her.
In the world of Autism, Izzie is moderate. She isn’t Rainman. She makes eye contact. She loves people. She can communicate and wants to. While she is imaginative and can get lost in her own mind, she doesn’t get stuck there. She loves to hug, loves to explore and learn and play.
There are some speech challenges. Some motor-skill challenges. And when she, as a 3 year old, does not get her way, there’s the chance of a meltdown. Granted, all 3 year olds have meltdowns. But perhaps this particular meltdown is a little different. However it’s nothing she nor we can’t handle. As I said, we have a team of Jedi Masters working with us.
A special thank you should go to our dear friend Allen Speigel who noticed some subtle signs months ago. Not only did Allen give us a head’s up but he also made calls and helped to speed Izzie through the process that could well have taken months if not years. Were it not for Allen we would not have found out until much later. Were it not for Allen we would not have our incredible team of Jedi Masters.
And they are THRILLED by the way. Thrilled that we caught this early. While there is no fix. Just like there’s no fix for being tall or weepy at movies. There are tools to assist in living with it. We all got our baggage. You learn to work with your baggage. Learn to use it to your advantage. Izzie will learn to use hers to her advantage. Will learn to capitalize on the gifts of autism. Will learn to adapt. Improvise. And overcome the challenges of autism. I have used A.D.D. and two parts OCD to build a career.
Izzie will use her Autism to rule the world.
BUT…it may have taken me a week or three to come to this more positive attitude.
Upon learning…what I wanted to do was go home.
I did not want to go back to Shreveport.
But I did.
I went back because I have a responsibility to my crew. To my cast. And even to my masters. One of which is remarkably ungrateful. Not to mention I have a partner. I was not about to abandon him. Life happens. You deal with it. Drive Angry was our biggest opportunity to date. Opportunity that could benefit both our families. I would be there to support my director. To be his assistant. To do whatever needed to be done for him, for the crew, for the cast without complaint. To run as much interference as I could. To shield Patrick from distracting drama as Mel had shielded me. It wasn’t much but it was part of my job. Granted a job for which I was not being paid as harsh as my burden, Patrick carried the full weight. Anything I could do to lessen that load, I would. Without hesitation.
You’d think that masters would appreciate my willingness to work for nothing. No. Not all. Monday morning, within five minutes of seeing one of my masters, he/she joked about how my staying at the Holiday Inn was a waste of production money.
I did my best to keep Patrick’s schedule, though I’m not as tough as he. Up two hours before call. In bed two hours after dailies. My body was bruised from stunts. My brain was numb from lack of sleep. I wrote, put out what fires I could not to mention I’d been recently kicked in my autistic balls. Yet on top of it I had to put up with rude behavior from one who was supposed to be protecting me and the project.
I laugh about it now. Not so much then.
The thing is, I can live with the tight budget. I can adapt to the tight schedule. That’s business. But the rude behavior? The rude behavior proves it isn’t just business.
Week three took us to a farm, a church and a bridge.
It was also the time Patrick and I figured we’d better start talking crew jackets. We had been told early on that Millennium doesn’t do crew jackets so Patrick and I decided to provide them.
I researched and was quickly reminded of how much I suck at research. I needed help. I asked for it from Andree Fortier in costumes. She had worked with us on MBV and started researching jackets and printshops.
Nathan Amondson our production designer, thankfully joined forces and provided the designs. We used my Skywalker Fireman jacket as a prototype. Nathan worked his magic and suddenly we had me wearing the prototype. We settle on a charcoal color. Removed the charger and placed an order for 300 jackets. Later we would add an additional 100 to cover the post production crew. Editing, Composer and Skywalker Sound.
Back in California Mel and Nanna continued to send me updates and pics of Izzie. I was back into the swing. And Mel said Izzie was doing great.
While shooting on the farm I learned just how amazing a perfect team of PAs could be. Ours worked so hard. They ate standing up. They ran, they biked. They came early and they stayed late. They worked for crap money and they worked as locals so no per diem. They multi-tasked. Here, PA Patrick, was on his way to deliver coffee, stopped to hump my leg while answering a call over the radio.
That same week I also got to meet David Morse and loved him. It’s a great role which he made so much better. It serves purpose. Plot, character and just plain cool. But the weight he brings to the role takes it well beyond what we ever dreamed. When the man speaks, you believe him.
Met David’s wife and boys. They’re not Hollywood. It’s kind of refreshing. David is quiet but professional. Steel and velvet.
We chatted between set ups. One day while on an exterior shot I watched him watch Patrick. Finally he asked, “Does Patrick ever yell?” I laughed and told him, “No. Never. Yelling at cast or crew would simply never occur to him. It’s not in his wiring.”
Rene gets full credit for making David happen. Rene Besson. Rene is a suit. Works for Millennium. And mid-way through production he became a producer on the movie. He asked DeLuca and DeLuca said yes. That shows how classy DeLuca is but it also shows how deserving Rene was.
Rene is…I suppose…one of our masters. But Rene is a good man. Oh, don’t get me wrong. He can be a raging pain in the ass but at least with Rene you know what to expect. He’s a shark. When he’s hungry he eats. When he’s full he shits. Rene has a job and believes in it. I’ve met so very many who throw there weight around for reasons of insecurity or arrogance. Not Rene. He loves moves. LOVES. I happen to believe in my job as well. While the two jobs are supposed to compliment each other…they often don’t. He didn’t know what to make of us in the beginning and we didn’t know what to make of him. But eventually we figured out that we may come at things from totally opposite directions, but we are still on the same side.
For instance, if we have 100 bucks to make our movie then I want all 100 bucks. I ain’t asking for 110 or 105. But I want my 100. Right down to the last penny. If Rene can make the movie for 80 bucks then he will. I can’t argue his position. Can’t even say he’s wrong. But I want my 100. However, It’s because Rene wanted to make the movie for 80 bucks that allowed us to get more than we normally would have.
Rene fought for 3 extra days of 2nd unit…and got it. He was the toughest negotiator. Not only did he get us Morse, but he sealed the deal for Billy Burke, for Charlotte Ross, for Fichtner, for everyone we wanted. He never came back to us saying we have to cast Actor X on the foreign sales list, although I know he heard that from his masters. We all got masters. Rene may have been tough… but he still MADE the deals with our choice for each role. Patrick was there when it was happening and I saw it happen. Rene got us who we wanted. Got us the cast that was BEST for the film. Every time. And that’s huge.
And the biggest selling factor for me, Rene was always supportive of Patrick. Was never dismissive. Patrick appreciates him for that. I’d work with him again without hesitation. Rene loves movies. And that’s rare in this business, as odd as that sounds. He has a massive movie collection — and can rattle off quotes from the highest brow art flick to the most ridiculous B movie guilty pleasure. We may be different sides of the coin but together we’re a damn fine coin.
Rene was and is on the side of Drive Angry.
Nathan Amondson recently sent me a bunch of old pics from the scout. This one cracked me up. The Palomar Motel. That’s Rene, John Thompson and myself. John too, is an exec at Millennium. I like John too. He’s charming and charismatic and he worked on Once Upon a Time in the West!
Our faces should tell the whole story. The Palomar had some challenges. You DO NOT want to go in there with a black light.
But the pic sparked a debate. Millennium.
In Hollywood there are roughly two primary systems for making movies. Via the studio system the story will change because the suits will get involved in the creative. BUT, nine out of ten times there will be more money for production.
Via the Millennium system they WILL NOT change the story. You will have creative freedom as long as you stay within budget and schedule. But don’t go crying for more money.
It’s an amazing debate. Do you choose less money but creative freedom? Or give up that control in exchange for more money? Because rarely do you get both. Unless you’re Cameron.
Either way will have its pros and cons. Either way you’ll get bloody. But is there a better choice? I’m not sure there is. But I think I’d always choose creative over money. That said, I look at the above pic and I fall in love with Gary Tunnicliffe all over again.
By the time we moved to the church we were well aware of the armor needed to make a movie in and around Shreveport. Sunblock and bug spray were essential. As important as the SI and the Red.
As I’d mentioned previously we wrote the church as a back up plan for rain. But we ended up liking it better. That said we still had to block it and it was nearly time to shoot it.
So between setups, Patrick and I sped our way to the church. It was just us and PA Samantha. We walked thru the action, the dialog, we walked through the scene. It’s hard to explain it. It was exactly the same thing we do when we write. We banter and act out and watch the movie in our heads.
Most folks won’t understand our bond. Won’t understand what we do. I think Sam might. She saw it in action. She saw the process and the joy that comes with it. You don’t do it because you are paid. You do it because you have a responsibility to your cast and crew. You do it because you love the story. Because you love the journey of creation. Samantha pulled me aside after and thanked me for letting her watch that. She’s so damn cute.
Then it was back to the crew where we were shooting exterior driving. After all, it wasn’t called Walk Angry. Previously there was a scene involving Ms. Heard and a song. We had several possible songs. But Amber suggested one of her favorites. We threw the song into our machine and Holy Cow we got it. As you can see, MaxP3D, Richard, Joey and Will were thrilled.
Nearly every weekend the PAs did something entertaining. BBQs, get-togethers, or in the above instance, an evening cooked community breakfast. Pictured left to right are Wildcat, who ran base camp. John White our 2nd 2nd. Samantha who I mentioned above and PA Patrick who was photoed humping my leg earlier. Missing from the pic would be PA James, who was likely at home with his beautiful wife. And PA Matt, who was likely somewhere quietly planning to take over the world.
These kids worked their tails off. Production Assistants. They didn’t waste time telling you how hard they work. Talk is cheap. All you needed to do was open your eyes. They were competent and professional. The movie will be better because of them.
Ladies and Gentlemen. Dave Crone. Camera operator. Dave is a keeper. Dave isn’t one of those guys who talks about all his other jobs. All the celebrities he’s worked with. Dave had more physical production experience than anyone else yet you’d NEVER know it. Until you watched him work. Dave Crone is a genius. We did not have money to burn. And we REALLY didn’t have time to waste. Dave made sure we got every shot. Made sure we told the story.
Every single day Dave, Brian and Patrick would meet and talk and figure out how to survive under our particular extreme circumstances. They always met at least an hour before call. Throughout the day you’d see the three of them or any combination of two quietly chatting. They never yelled. Not at the crew. Not at each other. They would sit together at lunch. They would meet and chat after wrap. All three were at dailies. They never missed.
I would listen when they talked. And rarely had a clue what they were talking about but they knew. If you put the camera here then you can tell this while accomplishing this and we get the story in two shots rather than four. I was fascinated. And stupid. But I’m dashing and that goes a long… well that’s worthless but whatever.
I had seen Patrick and Brian do this on MBV. But with Dave it reached a brand new level of awesome.
Dave Crone. You, sir, are the man. Dave Crone, on behalf of team Beatles, please accept this warmest of invites to join the band.
Kevin Meier. Sound man. His job title was Sound Utility. I don’t know what that means. But I can tell you what he is not. He is NOT a master at pranks. I was notorious about leaving my Macbook Air and/or iPad everywhere. On a cart, on a stump, on a ladder. One particular day when I returned for the iPad it was gone. So, I walked around the set and there was Kevin. Hunched over typing away. He was writing me a Poem in Notes. It was flowery and romantic and sexy. And had I not seen him writing it, it would have been the greatest prank EVER. I would have found the note and been like What the Who? Kevin, you numbnut.
The sound boys kept me smiling.
There was also Randy Pease, Boom Operator. It was Randy’s voice you’d hear in your ear after just about every take. While Randy is a master at collecting sound, he’d certainly have a job sitting in the audience during Mystery Science Theatre 3000. His comedic timing is impeccable. He has a Masters in heckling from Stanford.
Rounding out Team Sound was Jay Meagher, sound Mixer. I don’t have a pick of Jay on this computer but he looks alot like Brad Pitt. Jay was the Emperor of sound. Randy and Kevin were Vader and Vader’s little brother Stumpy. We never made life easy on them. Between the planes, trains, autos, factories and our 1st AD’s heavy breathing…Jay and the sound boys had their jobs cut out for them but they were amazing.
I have never had better food on a set. Liz and Dottie in Craft Services took amazing care of us. The food was good. The snakes were plenty. A golden cornucopia of plenty. (That was supposed to be snacks but snakes is funnier.)
And over in Catering, Donna and Sue were my girls. I want to marry them. The food really was great. I know I’m a broken record but the crew was simply amazing. Every department took great pride in their jobs. Every department knew this one was special and wanted to be a part of it.
Tim Trella preps the car for Oakley Lehman. My bromance with the stuntmen continues. These guys were the best. Watched out for each other too. When the bombs drop. When anarchy rules, I’m joining forces with the stuntmen. And we’re gonna eat our masters first. With some Australian BBQ and a splash of Vegemite. Okay, hold the Vegimite. Stuff is nasty. Sorry Aussies. Truth.
I have mentioned the mostly thankless job of being a stand-in before. Pictured left to right are Todd, Nathan, Michelle and Will. We became friends. Like the PAs, the stand-ins were very much in the know. And I LOVED this about them. They stood quietly and watched. Listened. They were fully aware of the heartbeat of the set. I was able to put out fires before they started thanks to them. I really cannot stress how in debt to them I am.
Nathan is also a great writer. It will not surprise me to see his name in lights one day. In fact, as I mentioned in a previous post, Nic read one of Nathan’s scripts and loved it. They became buddies and took the private jet together. I was never invited on the private jet. I can only assume this is because Nathan has better hair.
I so very much love our team. I was continually dazzled by Nathan’s production design. He is the greatest gift Millennium gave us. But we will steal him from them. Nathan is getting married soon. All the very best, my brother.
I will never get tired of singing the awesome of Michael DeLuca. He has always had our backs. Always. From day one. Before that. For me, I would not have a career had he not said yes to the little movie that shot Jason Voorhees into Space.
When it came to Drive Angry, Mike got it. Completely. He was the first and only producer we met with whose only note was to go shoot it.
Then there was D-Day. Dooms Day. It was a bad day. We had so many but this was a particularly bad one. It resulted in this photo. This photo made me want to attack. Made me want to beat the living… I really don’t want to go into details. People on the outside were stupid and their stupidity ended up kicking my friend in the teeth.
DeLuca had gone back to LA for the weekend. I didn’t know who else to turn to so I wrote him an email in the middle of the night. He responded immediately. He booked a flight that instant. Next thing I knew he was on a plane to Texas which was the only way to get to Shreve. You bounced. He had our backs.
Michael DeLuca is simply astonishing. Most suits don’t understand the delicate balance it takes to both make the movie for a budget and support your creatives. DeLuca does. He’s in a league all his own. I’m curious what studio he’ll end up running. It’ll happen. Won’t be long.
Patrick Lussier is one of the best directors in the business. You saw it here first. Well, not true. Others have said it but the world will catch on soon enough.
He’s smart. Way smarter than I. He understands story and drama and tension and character but he also completely understands the technical side. He edits in his head. Knows what he needs. He will save your production money because he’ll outthink screw ups and accidents and even greed. He can adapt to any challenge. And the crew loved and loves him. Completely.
Here’s the thing. You treat my friend with respect then you earn my loyalty.
You take advantage of my friend, yell at my director, take advantage of my friend’s talent and kindness and we will be enemies. For life. I will never forget.
I love our cast. Even the day guys. Say hello to the Fuckers. Left to right, Fucking Middle, Fucking Driver and Fucking Passenger. I forget the first guy’s real name. He was great though. Con and Joe I got to know pretty well. Con is also a stuntman and a big ol’ ball of muscle. Joe had one of the most remarkable cadences I’ve ever heard. Unique in the way Shatner and Owen Wilson are unique.
Watching them reminded me how much I love Patrick and I. We wrote some great roles! There’s a fine line between arrogance and fact. But these guys took great but tiny roles and gave them life. So very proud of them.
Tom’s last day. Atkins. He is the man. He is a Beatle.
As we neared the end of April I was missing my baby girl. Mel was feeding me reports. Izzie was already showing results. She was wooing her assorted Jedi Masters. They LOVED her. Saying please and thank you and being genuinely polite goes a long way.
Her speech was already improving. Four weeks later and I could tell a difference over the phone. Our baby girl was gonna be just fine. Better than fine. Confident and perfect.
I know I posted this pic already but if you had a pic with Tom Atkins in which he was wearing a Dumbledore Dies T-shirt, wouldn’t you post it often?
Tom Atkins was wrapped. Hated to see him go. Made us want to hurry up and finish and get started on our next. Here’s hoping H3D pulls its head out of its butt and gets made because we wrote Tom and heck of a role. We wrote him an awesome role in I SAW WHAT YOU DID over at Dark Castle as well. But that’ll likely never happen. Whatever happens. You have not seen the last of Tom Atkins.
As long as Patrick and I are around. Tom will be around.
My daughter and my dad. Easter weekend 2010.
And that brings us to the end of April.
I’m sitting at Kathy and J.A.’s kitchen table in Brisbane Australia where I’m doing research on a story called The Dark Things. It’ll be another Lussier/Farmer script. Not certain yet how involved we will be beyond writing as all of that is still on the table but it’s an awesome project. And something of a financial investment as flying to Aus ain’t cheap! But too early to give out more details. Whatever happens, we keep the faith and keep writing.
Before the 14 hour flight down under I spent the day with Patrick, Devin, Martin and Jeremy in editing. The movie simply looks and feels stunning. DeLuca dropped by after me and Patrick showed him some footage to which DeLuca summed it up perfectly.
“Ah. The air that I breathe.”
Can’t wish for more than that.
And as I’m off to the Gold Coast, Rest in Peace, Mr. Hopper.
First off. Billy Burke’s new video for REMOVED is up and it’s awesome. Check him out at www.billyburke.net.
Here’s the thing, if I’m allowed a moment to brag, Drive Angry is a pretty good script. But Burke was exceptional. Wait till you see. He created an icon in this movie. So the kid can act. And as if that weren’t enough. He can sing too. His pipes are sexy. The more I get to know him the more talent I discover. I think I hate him. :)
Okay, so let’s get the Angry Driving underway. March began with a hop to LA then a stretch to Dallas and another hop to Shreveport.
On the first of March we found out what the Stix song “Renegade” would cost us. And it was a great price! But twice what the studio was willing to pay. So rather than continue going to our masters with a list of songs we had no idea if we could afford, we asked them to send us the bargain bin list of songs.
On the 2nd of March the tech scout began. Department heads and key crew scoured the village of Shreveport and its surrounding magical forests.
March 2nd Nathan emailed. He needed last names for Milton and Pipers Driver’s Licenses. I let him know it was John Milton and Piper Lee.
On March 3rd the day began with Tech Scout part duex. Much of the MBV clique was still together. Patrick and I, of course, but also, DP, Brian Pearson returned (pictured left). Between them, Michael Schaffer from Summit, pretended to make a very important phone call. To the right, you can just make out Jen, Head of Locations. Jen saved us. Back in November, during the original scout, Ed Lipscum was our Locations guy. But having closed zero deals, Ed dropped us three weeks out with no warning, to pursue a higher paying job. Sadly that job did not pan out for Ed. We at Drive Angry would like to extend our deepest…never mind. Ed. Blow us.
As for Jen, Jen is awesome. She picked up the ball and with three weeks to go, Jen, Sherrill and team closed a dozen deals, won over Shreveport and got us, not only everything we wanted, but a bunch of stuff we didn’t even know we needed. The movie will be better because of their efforts.
As mentioned before, Nathan Amondson, our production designer, found several of the locations that are still in the movie today. Of course if you asked the great quitter, Ed Lipscum, he would likely attempt to take credit.
Nathan, however, likely wouldn’t. Nathan doesn’t feel the need to toot his own horn. Doesn’t feel the need to prove just how fast a gunslinger he is. But having Nathan on your team brings with it a sense of security. You just know when some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, just know that Nathan will be nearby, ready to pull his hogleg and drop that sumbitch where he stands. Nathan is a keeper. If we survive this one, if we actually get to make another movie, then Nathan comes with us. Permanent teammate. One of the Beatles.
I’d love to call DeLuca one of the Beatles as well…but he’s too awesome. Has too many bands courting him. We get him when he’s not on tour, not recording a new album. He’s our Clapton playing on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. But we’ll take what we can get. And when this wraps, the three of us will team with Nic and do something else.
Once we finally got back to the office I had a call with Bryan Furst to discuss RL Stine’s “The Sitter”. A great little thriller and Furst had a nasty little approach. But there was no money and I don’t have time to pitch. Falls into the realm of “Information I could have used earlier.” Wish Furst the best though. Heck of a take.
As I sit here thinking back, I can recall the electricity in the air. And the praise. Praise for the screenplay. Odd as it may sound, the last time I got praise on any screenplay was the first draft of Jason X. It was a good script. But it changed. Alot. Drive Angry hasn’t changed. The script that got all the praise in the beginning is still the movie we’re making.
March 4th was even more tech scout.
Here. Making each day of the year. Changing my life with the wave of her hand. Nobody can deny that there’s something there. — Lennon/McCartney
I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. But I always thought that I’d see you again — James Talyor
Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again. Because a vision softly creeping. Left its seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains, within the sound of silence. — Simon & Garfunkel
By day three we’d seen just about all of Shreveport and Bossier. We’d left barely a rock unturned. Good thing too. We’d need it all and more. Couple things we didn’t plan on. One, we’d be working 12 hour days. No overtime. Ever. Even if we only needed one shot to wrap a location, the moment we hit that 12th hour, they’d shut us down. We knew this going in and had made our peace with it. Planned to plan for it. We would improvise, overcome and adapt. BUT. What was never included in the memo was that those 12 hour days included travel. Forty-five minutes to get to your locations? Then your shooting day goes from 12 to 10.5.
THAT, my friends, was a hit. But. Again. We’d work within the shackles our masters provided because we simply didn’t have a choice.
I said there were two things we hadn’t planned on. Number two was the weather. Shreveport exists in that fold within the “normal” fabric of the world. That odd place that Stephen King has built a career writing about. The weather is as unpredictable as Tom Cruise on Oprah. I think I mentioned before, but this resulted in our needing a Plan A for good weather and a Plan B for bad. It meant we would always need a backup plan for a production that barely had enough money for its Plan A. As I type this two weeks from wrap we’ve done brilliantly well. We always made the right call to flee beneath weather cover. We were smart. We were good. But if we’re being honest (and we will be) then we should give props where props are due. Thank you Mother Luck. Thank you for being there for us. Had the bond company known just how much of our production had been flung by the powers that be into a big boiling vat of luck, they would have crapped a Buick. At the time, of course, the creatives had to carry the load, the stress and the burden.
Patrick and I kept telling ourselves, if we can survive this one then we can make movies for anyone. And it’s true. But it was like preparing for battle by watching your general shoot you in the foot.
I made it through the stress because Mel and her mother kept spamming me with pics of Izzie. Amazing how one little pic can bring it all into focus. And focus I stayed. Long days and short nights. I was getting up at 4am every morning. I’d run 4 to 6 miles then work the guns. Then it was nonstop all day and most of the night. I rarely got to bed before midnight. Four hours sleep then the whole thing started all over again.
I work hard every day of my life. I work till I ache my bones. At the end I take home my hard earned pay all on my own – I get down on my knees, and I start to pray, till the tears run down from my eyes. — Freddie Mercury
Patrick and I are partners. That, and that alone is the reason I found myself in Shreveport. I am in his contract. When he’s on location, I’m on location. There are those who didn’t quite understand this. Assumed it was some sort of trick. Some slight of hand. And in their passive agressive ways would make snide comments. The sort of comment that if you called them on it they’d throw up their hands and proclaim, “Just kidding!” Before the slyest smile or grin. I don’t understand why it is fair for a man in power to use his money to destroy. While it is somehow frowned upoin if I punch the man in charge in the mouth hard enough to make him crap teeth. As it stands, I’ve yet to punch anyone. While nothing would make me happier, we still have to kiss the ass that feeds us.
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back, and scream like a banshee, make you jump out of your skin. This is Halloween, everyone scream! Won’t ya please make way for a very special guy. Our man jack is King of the Pumpkin patch. Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King! — Danny Elfman
March 9th Stunt rehearsals with Stunt Coordinator Johnny Martin. This consists of me and Johnny beating the crap out of each other. Fun and painful.
Later, Patrick and I joined with the beautiful Amber Heard and together the three of us journeyed Shreveport and Bossier to visit all the various locations. It was a wonderfully funny and laid back afternoon. It would be the very last. :)
March 10th Rehearsals and Church scouting. The Church would be a backup plan to an exterior scene. In the event of rain, we’d move inside. Easier said than done. This required a scene that could seamlessly slide in and out unnoticed. Now, this wasn’t the studio forcing our hands. Interesting thing about Millennium is that they do not Big Brother you. Just the opposite. You’re on your own. It’s adult swim all day/night long. We made this change because WE were being accountable. If the rain came…and it would…we’d be screwed if we weren’t prepared.
We not only found a church that would work, we started to think the scene would be better inside than out. The church gave it…undertones. Goosebumps entered into the picture. The church was no longer Plan B. Welcome to Plan A. We told Jen in Locations that it was a go. She began to work her magic. And as it turned out, one of the days we shot in the church…it rained. :)
Later in the day we get an email that we have publishing clearance to use Sandman by America as a visual/background vocal.
March 11th, the Reverend overseeing the Church wanted to read the script. There was a debate. Do we send the script as is? Do we cheat and tone it down? Drive Angry is NOT Drive Subtle. Not the sort of thing you go passing around in Bible School.
It was decided to do a little of both.
Not to deceive though. Let me es’plain. No time. Let me sum up.
Drive Angry was written in a very unique tone. In other words, the action lines are very colorful. Rather than just describe the action there’s some descriptive narrative at play. Normally you NEVER do this. Bob McKee would crap a cantaloupe. For instance, the first three characters you meet in Drive Angry are Fucking Passenger, Fucking Middle and Fucking Driver. When you watch the movie you will never hear those names spoken. You’ll never see them written. You’ll never know that’s what they were called by watching the movie. Therefore, many would argue that we should have called them Passenger, Middle and Driver. We didn’t. BUT, it was decided that I would lose the colorful metaphors in action since they were purely for the enjoyment of the reader and had no impact on the movie. The script was still dark, vulgar and offensive. But those F-Bombs dropped in description would be removed. It was sort of a silly exercise and in the end and just meant busy-work for me but sobeit. I cut a dozen wordy dirds from the action and the PDF flew via internet to the reverend at the end of the day.
Friday the 12th we had Fichtner, Katie Mixon and Jack McGee for a half day of rehearsals. Ten minutes in it was clear our movie was going to kick ass. We had a blast. Patrick and I stood together and watched with goosebumps. Our words given life in ways we’d never even imagined. Makes all the BS worthwhile. Mostly.
On the 13th Patrick and I both received remote control ’69 Chargers from our agents. Fun little gift. At the time we were sharing an office. But don’t cry for us, Argentina, it was a big office. Soon, however, our office would become trailers moved from set to set.
March 13 Nathan throws a production launch party at Grandma’s house. If’n you think Grandma’s House is a restaurant then you’d be wrong. Grandma’s house is just that. Grandma’s house. A furnished house complete with all the decore only a grandmother could provide. Nathan has rented the place on his many visits to Shreveport. With him stays most of the Art Department and Big Toe, props master. It was a great gesture on their part and a perfect way to launch the movie.
Mel and Nanna kept sending pics from home. Here Izzie paints a portrait of Momma which I can only assume is now hanging proudly on the fridge.
March 14 we get pics of Nic’s looks. His hair, which has been a big and mostly silly debate involving lots of people with way too much time and energy on their hands. Patrick and I love the look.
March 15 Day one. Email from Malek Akkad wishing us the best. Folks. I’ve said it before and I’ll never stop saying it. The man who owns Michael Myers is one class act.
Let’s take a moment to talk about Fat Lou. He’s been in every screenplay I’ve written. I don’t really know why. Fat Lou was the rail thin pilot of the Grendel in Jason X. Fat Lou was the Feed and Grain Store owner in the original script for the Messengers (nuked in the later Pang version). Fat Lou was the bar owner in MBV3D (nuked during production). But Lou didn’t get nuked this time.
Pictured are the before and after photos for Fat Lou’s Roadside Diner.
The after photo was taken just before sunrise on the first day of shooting.
We’d done it. We’d fooled them all. Per Diem had been paid. There was no going back. We were gonna make a movie, like it or not. Hell or high water. As it turned out. We got both.
But we will win and here’s why. Compassion. We love our crew. We love our cast. They are not just cogs in the machine to us. They are our air. They complete us. Our masters stare at us with confusion, scratching their heads and laughing to themselves at our silly ways. Our masters are Dexter without the code of ethics.
Insanity laughs under pressure we’re cracking. Can’t we give ourselves one more chance? Why can’t we give love that one more chance? ‘Cause love’s such an old fashioned word. And love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night. And loves dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves. This is our last dance. This is ourselves. Under pressure. Pressure. — Mercury/Bowie
We get the glory of Gary Tunnicliffe for our first day of shooting. Gary is a Makeup FX master. Quite literally. He IS the best in the business. He IS one of the Beatles. Where we go, Gary goes. That is non-negotiable. A deal breaker.
Gary has killed me more than anyone and I simply cannot stomach death by anyone else.
Not only that but he drove his own truck from LA filled with the bloody gore only Gary can make. He did this because the masters are hard and would not cut a better deal. He did this because he adores his director. His friend. There are very few for whom I would kill and/or help dispose of the body. Gary is one of them.
Gary Tunnicliffe is the best in the business and he’s my friend.
On the 16th of March I started filming the role of Frank. I don’t want to get into specifics but Frank is the hero of Drive Angry. Frank makes children laugh. Frank makes Scientists smarter. Frank makes woman feel fulfilled.
Izzie Rain. She keeps me sane. She and she alone keeps me from destroying my enemies in an way which results in my going to prison. Have I fantisized punching a couple fellas so hard I dent their foreheads? Sure. Who hasn’t? But Izzie Rain keeps me sane.
As a side note and for reasons of posterity and Historical recording…once I arrived in Shreveport Tom Jane and Tim Bradstreet upped the pressure for me to finish our old project, Devil’s Commandos. As it turned out, I had finished the script a couple months ago but due to creative differences decided to sit on it. My decision started a string of back and forth which ran the gambit of emotion. It is still ongoing therefore I will hold off on fully commenting until we have reached a conclusion. But, for the first time since Comicon, I think we might actually be able to continue as friends and partners. To be continued.
You know what? I sort of like acting. Writers, for whatever odd reason, get zero respect. I still don’t understand why. Writer slashes are treated fair better though. Nobody is kicking Patrick in the balls. But the gatekeepers here still struggle wrapping their minds around my being here. Until I started acting. All of a suddenly, I was human again. I can’t explain it. Shouldn’t have to explain it. Shouldn’t have to point out, hey, numbnuts, without my scribbling some words on paper you don’t got no job. Maybe that’s it. Maybe the jokers who supply nothing don’t like feeling they owe those that do. But, for whatever reason, while I was acting…everyone was cordial. It wouldn’t last.
Last week someone commented on my being grumpier than usual. Live with daily passive aggressiveness and it’ll drive anyone to grumpy.
Tim Trella is my friend. Whether he wants to be or not.
You see, I’m amazingly gentle. A delicate flower and I have nothing but respect for those in the profession of getting banged up on my behalf. Tim is one of those maddeningly insane hombres. A stuntman. He won’t take a bullet for me but he’ll take a shot to the ribs and that wins my frakking loyalty. He is the first of many stuntmen I will introduce on this Angry Driving journey.
But this isn’t the last you’ll hear of Tim. When making a film called Drive Angry, you’re gonna keep the stuntman profession busy. Tim beats, drives and jumps over and over and over. I’m just glad he’s on my side.
March 17th we go to splits. Half days half nights. It’s ugly. Can be anyway. But we make the best of it. The whole crew does. Cast too. It’s a necessary evil.
It’s on this day that I notice the massive guff that exists between the three entities involved in movie making. The suits, middle management and cast/crew. As a southern boy, simple thinking man, I’m stunned that it has to be so hard. Imaginary lines are silently drawn in the sand. Not only am I writing and acting, but I’m spending most of my time putting out fires started either out of stupidity or insecurity. I accept the burdens I have to bear but it is draining and goes completely unappreciated by the masters.
Our house is a very, very fine house. With two cats in the yard. Life used to be so hard. Now everything is easy. ‘Cause of you…and our…I’ll light the fire, while you place the flowers in the jars…that you bought today. — Graham Nash
Michael Wandmacher composed the music for My Bloody Valentine 3D. He’s now a daily part of my writing life. His compostions fill my iTunes playlists. He is one of the Beatles. Patrick, Brian, Gary, Michael, Nathan, with special appearances by DeLuca and more to come. Yes, our particular Beatles entity has more than the standard four man band but that’s just how we roll.
What was I saying? Oh. I was going to say, since we got word on America’s Sandman that Wandmacher had immediately started composing his Bluegrass version. His did several versions. His first with his voice and it is still, to this day, my favorite. He should get the band back together.
One of Izzie Rain’s iPhone apps allows her to design and decorate cookies. She presented this one to her mother and informed her that it was “For Daddy.” Thus momma sent it my way and I have enjoyed it many times since.
Days and nights flowed into one another. We got into the groove. We handled the daily obstacles and kept fighting forward. After week one the masters eased up a bit. Happy with the results they seemed a little less convinced that we had secret intentions of screwing them. In fact, they were thrilled. Dailies started making their way back to the suits in LA. Even the big dogs were thrilled. So we hunkered down and kept going.
Locations after location. Day after Day. Day into Night and the many inbetweens.
You remember the Matchbox Car? Did you have it? I did. So did Patrick. I remember sending Nathan a picture of that old Matchbox car and saying, “Like this.” I still glow looking at it.
By the way. While I’m thinking about it. IF you can avoid using a location that is in flight path of a military base, then you should. But the location, found by Nathan Amondson back during that November scout (which seems like a decade in the past at this point), was just to frakawesome to pass up.
I’ve said it before and I shant stop saying it. Our crew is incredible. Our money and schedule was stupid. We should have shut down and failed a week into production but we journeyed on due to Patrick’s leadership and the crew. Richard Moriarty is our “A” Camera 1st AC. Rich and Joey (not pictured) assist “A” Camera and Steadicam Operator, Dave Crone. More on Joey and Dave later.
Beyond Rich is Will Cotton. Will is a Digital Loader and part of Paradise 3D. It’s Will’s job to capture every frame and lovingly keep it safe. Will has never lost a frame and has taken an oath to put his body and mind on the line in protection of said treasure.
These guys, along with the rest of the cast and crew went above and beyond in a hot room which was forever being pumped with FX smoke by young master Will Purcell, who I gotta admit, seems to love his job a little too much. Meanwhile, pics of Izzie kept streaming in. And they kept me going. Mel, Nana and Izzie Rain would fly to Memphis for Easter where we would all crash with my sister. My brother and his wife live just down the road. My other Brother, his wife and daughter would drive down from Northern Kentucky as would my father. The pics would hold me over.
That and the video chats. Although I could only chat for a couple of minutes at most before the servers drop me. You see, my masters, in their attempt to show their dominance, put me up at the Holiday Inn. My room was a little bigger than a closet. Assistant editor and friend, Martin Bernfeld, came up to borrow some quarters and while visiting could not help from proclaiming how small my room was compared to his. Mica, the production masseuse, who came to visit as a gift from the lovely Amber Heard was unashamed to note the teeny size of my room. Apparently, of all the guests at the Inn who she had given massages, my room was the smallest. Funny. My masters, of course, as well as the other suits, cast and the rest of the above the liners were over at the Hilton. Even my own agents stayed at the Hilton during their visit. But me, nah. They stick me in the Holiday Inn. And so freaking be it. The bed is comfy for the at most six hours I see the room. The water is warm and the weight room is sufficient at 4am. The crew stays at the Inn and I’m happy to live with the crew.
Although the internet annoys me. Even now I sit in an extra room in the editing suite because fighting over internet with the porn users at the Holiday Inn is a losing battle my feeble patience cannot manage. All I really want is better internet but if I ask I’ll be told no so there’s no point giving my masters the pleasure of denying me. Let my masters pat themselves on the back. Let them continue to look down their noses at me. I feel sorry for them. You can’t sustain forever when your job is to screw your crew. Karma WILL track you down. Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.
These are just some of our stuntmen slash actors. Front from left to right. Oakley, Tim (you’ve met), Jake and Papajohn (he killed Peter Parker’s uncle, you know). The two in the back I’ll come back to later. But the four in the front I’ve grown the closest with. Oakley has beat the crap out of me. Tim has been beat up for me. Jake shoved me in a harness and threw me around…over and over and over. Papajohn has yet to hurt me but I did assist in the theft and hiding of his cellphone which is a story for another day. These four beat up, get beat up, drive fast, skid, jump and crash cars on a daily basis. They are men. They are stuntmen. They are my friends.
And then there’s Patrick Lussier. Writer. Director. Editor. And Swordsman. At the end of every 12 hour day, the moment our 1st AD calls the day’s wrap, Patrick begins his journey. He visits every department. Every crew member. He thanks them. For their hard day’s work. For all that they have to put up with. He does this because it’s the right thing to do. He does this to combat master/slave mentality enforced on us. Then he goes home, exhausted and shotlists the next day. He doesn’t do that because he’s unoriganized. He does it because we’re on such tight money and schedule that our days change every day. You cannot plan 48 hours ahead because we have no Plan B’s in the event of problems. You have to improvise on a dime. You have to adapt to any situation. You have to overcome any challenge. Because there are no heroes waiting to swoop in and save us. Patrick is the only hero we get and he’s more than up to the challenge. But at least he has the weekends to reboot. To re-energize himself…oh…wait. No. He edits all day and most weekend nights.
And all this he does with enemies around every corner. Patrick has me and DeLuca. Powerful allies if I say so myself. The masters are terrified of DeLuca. Thank the Heavens. And I figure as long as the masters are preoccupied belittling me then that’s time they aren’t annoying my director. So we all have our part to play. But by the end of week two it is clear the crew believes. They have been in the trenches before and they recognize the real deal. Patrick is the real deal.
My favorite photo of March. Jake Brake. Stuntman. Actor. Friend.
And thus brings us to the end of March. The end of Week two in the journey of Drive Angry.
