The Sandman: Shoot 4, The Sands of Time

Hello all,

I would just like to start by saying that I just watched "The Walking Dead" on AMC and it was
fantastic!! Sundays at 10pm. Check it out!

So this shoot started off by me slamming an energy drink. I'm not sure if copyright laws count
in Blogs, so I won't say the name of it. Instead I'll make one up...How about Red..Cow. Ok, so I slammed a Red Cow on the way to the shoot. It was in San Juan Capistrano. I had worked all
day and was very tired. I assumed it was going to be a quick shoot. On the schedule it calls for the scene with my brother, the Boogieman (Jon), and I to get in an argument about a certain item he happened to acquire. This item used to belong to the Moon and it is the major cause of all of the conflict in this movie. So if I can get him to return it, then voila, roll credits!

Well, I show up to a really awesome antique store in San Juan Capistrano called The Antique Barn. Very cool place and a definite stop in for visitors to the area. I look for Boogieman (Jon) and sure enough...not there? What gives? So I go ask Nancy, the producer, and she informs me that we are in fact shooting the Father Time (Bruce) scene first. Boogieman would be later.....Ah nuts. I hadn't even looked at the Father Time lines!!!! I was actually off book and good to go with the Boogieman lines!!! Why does this always happen to me? So I introduced myself to Bruce and we began rehearsing. He was a very nice man. He had a very commanding presence. It was not hard to believe he ran the "Otherworld" as I like to call it. I informed him of what happened and he began to run lines with me. It only took 10 or 15 times through to get it (which fortunately for me is usually when the camera crew is setting up their stuff). So I didn't hold up production, which is my worst fear. That and ghosts. But luckily there shouldn't be any ghosts in the antique barn right.....RIGHT?????

“So Esmeralda is the name of the ghost that resides in this store." Nancy tells me.

Apparently the store owner warned her when she got there that the ghost will move things and
make noises in dark rooms. Then be gone when you check it out. Maybe she'll appear in mirrors
and things. Apparently she was a mistress of the original buildings owner when it was a bar in
the early century before it was converted into a store front building. I guess they hear her talking in the attic often and she takes coats a lot!!!!

Just great, I think. Here I am, locked in an old store surrounded by antique dolls and vaguely racist coconut monkeys and now I have to try and act while a ghost steals my coat!!!

The scene begins and we nail it! I guess my wariness of Esmeralda makes my performance more
realistic since in the scene I am giving Father Time my notice and asking to be given a chance to
be mortal and live in man's world. So yea, I was scared!!!

Bruce was a champ and totally kicked butt on the scene. He was surrounded by clocks and hourglasses. It was a very cool set! The shoot lasted probably a good 3 hours. Finally they wrapped on Bruce and Father time got to go home. The Sandman however now needed to go brush up on his Boogieman lines since Jon had just arrived and it was time to shoot. Good thing I had that Red Cow.

We ran the scene 4 or 5 times and hammered out the blocking (Jargon Speak: The pre set movements and actor must go through in the scene). My blocking consisted of my walking around the cameraman -- in front of the camera and then behind it. It was difficult since this all took place in an aisle of an antique store. But it worked. Then the Bar next door known as "Swallows" (get it?) got hopping for the evening. So all we could hear was a bar band playing every tune ever written by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers.

Obviously, this kind of ruined our audio for the evening. But, of course, I was exhausted so I was glad we called it a night. We will have to finish up the shots there this month sometime. I'll keep you informed!

It was a fun shoot and hanging with Esmeralda was a hair rising experience but rather fun. After all I was safe! As long as Esmeralda wasn't a ghost shark!!! Then I would have been in trouble!!!
Cuz I mean really?? A ghost shark!! That's end of the world material there!!!!

Next up we shoot at a cafe called Mollie's Diner in San Juan Cap. Stay tuned to hear about how
we pranked the waitress!

"Are you tired of sand being kicked in your face? I promise you new muscles in days! - Charles
Atlas"

Cheers,
Jesse Steele