Sisu Production Journal: Raul's Take: Day 08: Hospital Room

by Raul Viceral, Assistant Director

Today was a great day of shooting. I admit when C showed Andrew and me the shot list for today when we got home last night, I was dubious at best. Maybe it was the exhaustion setting in, or this cold I'm fighting off --really wish we would've found some Airborne the other night-- but I didn't think we could shoot all of the scenes we needed to while chasing the sunlight. It's been our biggest nemesis so far.

Luckily Andrew suggested blocking out all the light from the large windows entirely and using our light kits to simulate sun and moonlight whenever we needed it. I was still dubious as setting up and tweaking lights usually took up big chunks of time which is what usually put us behind schedule, and now we've got twice as many different lighting setups as previous days. However, if we were going to accomplish it, blocking out the windows was our best shot at getting all of our shots.

It was another early morning. At C's studio at 6:30 to load up equipment so we could be on set by our 7am call time.

"Gimmee the dynamite first, we'll put the nitro on top of them."

Today and tomorrow we'll be shooting all of the hospital room scenes in the movie. The thing about hospital rooms in the 1940's is that they pretty much looked like plain white rooms, nothing like the high tech rooms you see in today's hospitals. So C found a conference room at the old university building on College Avenue that will be perfect. AND it's just a short drive from the U of R campus.

Say, not bad! You can almost picture polio patients in here.

After a Kali-supplied breakfast, the crew immediately got to work on blocking out the windows with sheets of tar paper.

Today Trevor was back with us AND we had Bernie on set too. We're totally going to rock this set with both of these guys with us!

Bye bye sunshine!

Meanwhile, I drove the dogs over to Lili's house and left them in her backyard. Thanks again Lili, we sure do appreciate it!

While the room was getting transformed Clara and Candace were busy transforming Don and Geri Hack, the woman playing one of the nurse roles. Candace by the way has a full-time job. She swung by on her way to work to get the actors squared away. You're so awesome, Candace!

Don't flinch, Geri, or you might get hurt.

Besides the conference room where we're shooting the scenes, we also got access to the larger break room right next door. That's were we had makeup, wardrobe and craft services set up. It made things so much easier not having to run across grass fields and dirt roads to get to the set!

There's a really modern looking thermostat throwing everything off on the wall just above the hospital bed. Kristine fired up the hot glue gun and got to work on a fake paper cup holder to cover it up. Genius!

Check to make sure it's not set to Full Auto when you're ready to use the glue gun.

Wayne Slinn was also on set today, playing another role as Mr. Nordgren, the mental patient who wets himself. Wayne also played the minister in the Tom/Katja Wedding scene back on our first day at the Sukanen Museum. Hopefully no movie goers will notice it's the same actor.

Wayne waits for his scene while D enjoys a nutrious length of Red Rope licorice.

Soon the windows were all blocked out and we were just about set to start lighting.

Andrew says, "In your face, sun! Go ahead and set, see if we care!"

Andrew and Trevor and Bernie did a great job lighting the room. When you look through the video camera, the room really looks like it's daytime!

Dauminique admiring the lighting scheme.

C works with the actors as the crew makes some adjustments to the lights.

Hey does that bed look familiar? It's the same one we used out at Estlin on Day 2, fence planks, sandbags, apple boxes, futon and all!

If your bed is uncomfortable, help yourself to a fake paper cup! Aaaa! It's the hospital from Hell!

Besides the thermostat on the wall, we had to cover up other modern fixtures that were showing up on screen, like the bright red exit sign out in the hallway.

I hope there ain't no fire, or we're all screwed!

Geri and Don did a great job on this scene. Again, C's work with the actors during the workshops this summer really paid off.

"You're having tapioca again, Mr. Sukanen. And you'll LIKE IT!"

It was time for Mr. Nordgren's scene. Clara did a great job making Wayne look terrible. Here's the before shot... HA! Just kidding.

The makeup is laced with ebola, HIV and a hint of leprosy.

I had the honor of putting on the finishing touches on Wayne's costume, Mr. Nordgren's pivotal pee stain. The first application wasn't quite right. "No no," I said, "That ain't no pee stain! Gimmee that!"

Luckily I bottle all my urine for just such an occasion.

All this artistry and preparation I think helped evoke a more genuine performance from our actor.

"Uuueeeeeyyyuuunh unh uunh."

By then it was time for lunch. Kali made a spicy pasta dish which was great. So far we were only slightly behind schedule. It helps when you don't have to break down equipment and haul it to another set in between scenes!

Andrew really enjoys the pasta! I mean REALLY enjoys it.

After lunch it was time to shoot the Old Vic Visits Tom scene with our friend, Brian Dueck. We had a bit of a scare when Brian thought we were shooting at the U of R campus instead of the old university building. When he was late for his call time C and D got real worried. I checked our home voicemail and Brian had left a message saying he was over at the U of R looking for us. Doh! So C sent Kevin over to find him. Oddly enough, while Kevin was heading out to his truck, he spotted Brian crossing the street. Apparently, Brian had driven up to the old university building and spotted our parked cars but didn't know exactly where to go. Hee hee. So Kevin brought him back and all was right in the world again.

"You know, they don't look it but these apple boxes are quite comfortable!"

After lunch Andrew got to work on the next camera set up.

Is that as high as it will go?

Most of the day Don spent lying in the hospital bed. Doesn't mean he wasn't working hard! But after freezing his butt off, having dirt thrown on him, walking barefoot in the prickly grass and having blood smeared on him, it was nice to give him a break for once. Don's a great sport, of course.

Don takes a peak at the last page to see how the movie ends.

This scene takes place when Tom and Vic are in their 60's so Clara had to age Brian quite a bit. This was another great scene. Both Brian and Don are wonderful, talented actors and they did an awesome job. I'm telling you, when this scene hits the big screen there won't be a dry eye in the house.

Vic breaks the bad news to Tom: "Your Field & Tractor subscription ran out."

Since we didn't have Jacquie on set with us anymore, some of us had to double up on duties. Kristine was on script duty for a while.

"The line is 'No, you're wrong Vic, Colonel Mustard did it in Conservatory with candlestick."

The next shots were a little tricky as Mama is supposed to appear to Tom as a ghost while Vic is still in the room. C works out the blocking.

"Once you say your line that's when Mama steps up and hits you with the folding chair, okay?"

Everything was working out great. Andrew's idea about blocking out the windows and creating our own light meant we weren't at the mercy of the daylight that was coming into the room. We got to work at our own pace which gave C a lot more freedom to get great performances from her actors.

It's the martini shot!

With that we were wrapped for the day! YAY! While we were shooting the last scenes, Kevin ran out and got a case of beer. Excellent! We all got to sit down, wind down and relax a bit.

Cheers!

Sadly, it was the first time during the shoot we got to all sit and have a beer together. We're usually packing up equipment by moonlight and headlights of our cars at this point.

It was a good day of shooting!

The best part of shooting here today and tomorrow is there's no packing up equipment and hauling it back to C's studio! All we have to do is leave everything where it is, lock the doors and we're done for the night! Aaah! It was only 10pm so we decided to all head over to the Cathedral Freehouse and get some dinner.

Unfortunately Brian couldn't go. He's got a couple kids who start school tomorrow so he's got to be up early and pack their lunches and send them off. He lives in Swift Current which is like a 3 hour drive. Yikes! So we had to say goodbye, he's wrapped until the Fall shoot. We had a blast having him on set.

See you in November, kiddo!

We all caravaned over to the Freehouse where it was HOPPIN'! Don't know what could be going on on a Wednesday night but the place was packed full of college kids like it was Friday. It's rare enough to find something open past 10pm in Regina, let alone a place jumpin'. We grabbed a table way in the back where it was kind'a quiet.

Dauminique, C and Trevor deciding on what to have for dinner.

Clara and Andrew listen carefully to the beer list.

We had a great time over dinner. We've all been going 100 mph (or 160 kph) every hour of the day so it was nice to be able to relax and chat with everyone. What a great bunch of people. I'm definitely going to miss everyone when this is all over.

Soon it was time to go. Besides, more and more people were coming in AND there was a huge crowd waiting to get in like it was Club 54 or something. Crazy!

We got to check out Trevor's bicycle which has got to be the coolest bike in Regina, if not in Saskatchewan. I wish I had a better picture of it.