White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

(This is a long post, but I was so blown away by so many aspects, please bear with my rambling…) 

Since I’ve moved downtown, I’ve seen probably 2 dozen movie/TV shoots, or at least the set-up / tear-down process.  For the past 4 days, and tonite too, they are shooting a new Will Smith movie called “John Hancock” with Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman co-starring. I have heard about this movie because of traffic reports on the radio- they closed down a few miles of the 105 freeway from LAX (Sepulveda) to the 405 freeway 2 Saturdays in a row- it takes a lot of clout to be able to do that.

This is the largest production I’ve ever seen- they’ve taken over CalTrans building, putting huge concrete letters on it’s steps saying “Mercy General” (hospital), they have lights, semis, and generators parked all around both CalTrans and City Hall, and, here’s the big thing- 4 oversized cranes parked on 1st St. and Main St. Cranes? More on that later.

They also took over several parking lots - 2 for crew parking, including the one behind my building, and one just for the cars used in the movie.  There are 6 or so “fake” cop cars, 2 large firetrucks, and an assortment of other vehicles used to populate the streets.  They are lighting up all the buildings around me- LA Times and my building included (they paid $10,000 to the home owners association for the right to light the Higgins- it was very cool last night as there was a “glow” in myloft but nothing obnoxious.  Here’s letter production company left at each loft door (NO posting from FilmLA, which I don’t understand- they are not very ”proactive” like they are supposed to be with warning residents of street closures, etc.).  Letter to Higgins Residents

For 2 days I saw all the activity, mostly after 8pm in the evening, and found out they were just setting up lighting/cranes, etc and no filming was taking place (I could not tell).  Then last night, it was the real thing.  I took white dog out around 9pm and we sat in front of City Hall South and watched the action- it was incredible.  Will Smith was “flying” at 40′ high to the ground, over a 1 1/2 block length- the cranes supported the “zip line” and reeled the line in and out to move the actor- and very fast!  They probably did 10 takes while I was there, and Will Smith was very tough, having a few hard landings (EDIT: I just now read that he is playing an alcoholic super-hero so I’ll bet the stumbling/falling at end was all an act- and a good one) on the sidewalk, then getting “zipped” backwards up to the start of the line time and time again.

The REALLY cool thing for me was that I was sitting about 15′ behind the director, who was at NE corner of 1st and Main, with a Mac laptop on a folding table.  He was CONTROLLING ALL THE CRANES from that computer!!!  And it is not like the old days- everything is wireless now; even when he said “ACTION” it was into a microphone with low voice and everyone must have heard him electronically.  I would just hate for someone to “hack” the wireless frequency and start controlling the cranes- Will Smith would be flying like a rag-doll.

There are supposed to be some car crashes, etc but maybe that’s tonite.  The cranes are still here so I assume they’ll use them as they must be very expensive to rent- they are all “oversize” and take up a 1 1/2 lanes of Main St. on both sides.  I don’t stay up late (they film to 4:30 am or so) but I will be back tonite as I would like to see Charlize Theron- I’m not star-struck but she is beautiful and seems very “real”. 

These pics are of the cranes in the day time (notice the wire running from the top of the one- it runs over 1 block to another crane like it) and notice the new “Mercy General” in front of the CalTrans building.  The night shots are blurry, but you’ll see how the buildings are “lit up” and the pic with cop cars, etc. in front of CalTrans is all “fake” cars- the streets were closed.

I have a new found respect for Will Smith and how hard he works, and I can’t wait to see the movie.

2 Big Cranes for “Zip Wire” at 1st St. and Main St.

Closeup of Crane Showing “Zip Wire” leading to another crane a block away

CalTrans Front Steps With The New “Name”CalTrans Front Steps With The New “Name”

LA Times Building “Lit Up” For Movie

Intersection Of 1st and Main From My Loft- All “Prop” Cars

MTV “pre-review” of movie- it will not come out until July 2nd 2008!