First Dinner Done! (although....)

Yayyyy!!!!

I can't tell you how happy this makes me!

Scenes 7-16 are now DONE -- or, you know, what passes for "done" around these parts.  Hoorayy!!!

Them were some challenges, I'll tell you.  So many angles of five people talking, so many takes of each angle -- plus the two cameras running simultaneously for some of the tableside takes.  Plus we were sweaty and occasionally wilty (because, as you will recall if either you were there or you read previous posts, it was like 1,005 degrees).

I ended up leaving in one take of Kevin with the sweat coming through the front of his shirt - tough.  Of all the continuity issues, this will be a small one.  I mean, _eating_, for heaven's sake, presented all kinds of hands-up/hands-down issues (some one's asparagus turns into a yellow pepper at some point), and the glasses magically refill themselves and drain again, etc....  A few spots on the front of a shirt aren't going to trouble me.

One thing that does trouble me a little is the sound of metal spoons clanking against the iced coffee glasses in the living-room recognition scene.  WHY did we keep the spoons in the glasses??  Did we do that for a reason?  Because we all did it, it looks like.  I had the foresight to use plastic plates for the dinner (although they don't pass for glass, as I was hoping they would), but not to take the spoons out?  A little clanking is festive, but man, with five hot people, the glasses go up and down to our mouths a LOT -- there was a lot of clanking.

Oh well -- I don't care!  The scenes are done! 

I am hoping I can get a sound person to clean up some of the sound.  I did what I could with levels, but there are all kinds of issues.  Thank heaven for ROOM TONE.

Now, the only stupid -  really stupid - thing is that, erm, uhh, well -- the exit scene, where everyone is in Alejandro/Bill's vestibule saying good night -- including a moment, according to my notes, of Kevin looking into the camera and saying, "Hey, what's up, dog?" -- is, ahem, lost.  It's on Tape 29, which was, shudder, yes, lost.  More on that when I get to the scene with Amy and Sarah walking home from grocery shopping.  Fortunately, there was nothing KEY on it -- it was largely what some people call "B roll" (insert shots, non-dialogue, etc.), plus the good-bye at the door -- and there is an SLP-VHS copy of it, which, if absolutely necessary, might be able to fill in a hole or two. 

But let's be happy about the first dinner sequence again!

"I DO know you!"
"What?"
"You're Larry!  Larry-with-the-plastic-dinosaur Larry!  It's me:  Missy!"
"Missy?
"Yeah - Missy!"
"Oh, God!  Missy with the jelly and butter sandwiches??"
"Yes!"
"Oh my God!!"

Yayyyyy!!!!!

Oh here's a good thing -- I managed to cut a minute and a half out of the recognition scene!  As written, it's nine minutes, which is wayyyyyy too long (the script generally is "bottom heavy"), and I got it down to seven and a half.  For one thing, I cut out all references to Sarah wearing a flannel nightgown, for those who may recall Sarah's dream, which is probably none of you. 

Got some GREAT stuff from the actors!

So pleased!!!