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Archive | Behind the Scenes

Films in the Desert

Back from California where screenwriter Mike Brody and I screened Table 47 at the Borrego Springs Film Festival.  We enjoyed the beautiful desert setting about 80 miles northeast of San Diego.           Table 47 sold out the 180 seat Performing Arts Center.  A good mystery should hold the audience and they […]

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What They Do – Key Grip

It is a position that can’t be defined by a simple title.  Jim Brennan was the Key Grip on “Table 47.”  He prepped the set, worked with the gaffer on lighting, set up the dolly track for camera shots and broke down gear at the end of the day. Jim was also our First Assistant […]

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Ready for a Closeup

Makeup artists and hair stylists play a key role on any movie set.  They are among the first to arrive as their primary job is to get the actors ready for the first scene of the day.  If the director wants the first shot at 8am, Hair and Makeup and the actors who are in […]

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What They Do – Assistant Director

The assistant director is invaluable.  He organizes every day on the set and is in charge of getting each scene ready for the director to shoot.   On Table 47, Matt Mertens was the AD.  Several days before a shooting day, Matt emailed call sheets to everyone in the cast and crew. The call sheet […]

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Score One For Us

The finishing touch on any movie is the music.  Without it a scene can seem lifeless.  With the right music a scene becomes memorable. Austin Lawrence composed the music for Table 47 after we watched the film together.  “It was very important to us to let the actors do their acting, and have the music […]

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From Scratch

The restaurant we used for most of the filming was obviously not named Gryszek’s.  We needed a logo that could be printed on the shirts worn by characters in the movie.  We also needed that logo to identify the restaurant in exterior shots. Enter Laura Brody who put her graphic design talent to work. “After […]

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The Unkindest Cut

No actor wants to end up on the cutting room floor.  That term was used when actual film was edited and unwanted scenes literally ended up on the floor or in the garbage can. Many films today, including Table 47, are shot on video and edited with computer software so the floor stays clean. On […]

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What They Do – Armorer

In Table 47, there are several scenes where one of the actors holds a gun.  It looks real, but it is a prop weapon.  When the trigger is pulled, a burst of compressed air gives the actor something to react to.  The sound of a real gunshot is added in post production. Nathan Burgun who […]

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Come and Get It

Ask anyone on a set who the most important people are and the answer you’ll always get is, “The craft service people.” Why?  Craft services is responsible for the food!  A movie set is a busy place with long hours each day.  On Table 47, that meant crew, makeup artists and actors were arriving before […]

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Music to Our Ears

When looking for a song to cover the closing credits, I wanted a piece that summed up what we had just seen and carried one character’s distinct point of view and message.  Pretty specific and not easy to find. Friends of mine who have a band had a terrific song.  It featured a male singer […]

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