Extra! Extra! |
| Tricks of the Trade |
The film industry, for all the talk about spending freely on movie productions, has gimmicks that are cost-effective.
Below are some of tricks of the trade used to produce “Leatherheads.”
If you would like to contribute to this list please e-mail jimfair@charter.net and it will be posted on this page with your credit.
ARE YOU SURE ALL THOSE FANS WERE AT THE GAME?
The first thing that caught my attention was the use of computer-generated images (CGI) to fill the stadium with fans. While we were filming in Charlotte I noticed that we only had 10 to 15 rows of fans in the background during the scene. I was curious so I asked one of the assistant directors about it. He told me that all of that is done with CGI and that the stadium will be completely full in the movie.
Contributed by Vince Fields
RENEE, YOUR HAIR IS SO… LONG!
Renee Zellweger’s hair was short, cut like most of the flappers in the film. She wore a long hairpiece in the film so what you will see isn’t all her real hair.
Contributed by Lisa Marie Molando
HOW MANY YARDS DID THAT PASS GO?
I thought it was very interesting that they never actually filmed the ball being thrown from Point A to Point B. It was always Point A, CUT…ACTION! Ball drops in, Point B, CUT!
Contributed by Vince Fields
WHAT’S THIS? AN EXTRA, EXTRA
Pictures of Kristen and Stephen, two of the cheerleaders, were taken to be placed in any “holes” that might appear on film.
Contributed by Vince Fields
NOTHING BUT THE BEST FOR ‘LEATHERHEADS’
I have never worked on a film with such a budget. Their equipment was impressive! I was intrigued by the quality of the cameras and monitors.
Contributed by Lisa Marie Molanda
TOO CLOSE TO CALL!
In the scene where George Clooney arrives at The Emerson House Hotel in Chicago (the Poinsett Hotel in Greenville), he drives up on his motorcycle with sidecar. Well after a total of 20 times walking past this tough looking vehicle, I noticed that it was battery powered and had a blue smoke generator in the exhaust!
It will be fun to hear what sound effects they will use for the movie.
Clooney really did drive it though, and on one of the runs where he approaches and rounds the 180-degree turn around the fountain, Clooney came within 1-foot of hitting an extra in the scene just ahead of us.
When asked why he didn't flinch when Clooney lost control and was heading for him, he replied "they told me to walk straight and don't look at the motorcycle."
We surmised that he knew he would be well taken care of, if he were to get run over by George!
Contributed by Randy Sellet
PUT THESE ON AND APPLAUD
During filming in Travelers Rest, I was asked to wear Stephen Root’s wardrobe.
Renee’s stand-in and a couple other actors and I sat in the press box for some very distant shots.
The crew was on the field filming a pan shot I think. It was a real treat to wear Suds’ wardrobe, as I’m a fan of Mr. Root.
I still remember the day Suds wrapped in Charlotte. George led the rest of us reporters to bow him out with applause.
Mr. Root was kind enough to pose for more than a few pix with the press box guys. What a cast...much talent!
Contributed by Anthony Garner
Duluth Reporter
BONG! BONG! BONG!
There weren’t enough leather helmets to go around for all the football players on the set so an order was sent for more to be made from a Los Angeles company.
Unfortunately, when the helmets arrived there was a problem. They were new, not the worn, weathered helmets the cast was using.
Lisa Glass describes how that was remedied.
“We had four dryers in the warehouse we were using for several sets. The helmets were put in them to help soften them up and look aged. We later added golf balls to help put dents and scrapes on the helmets. The golf balls bouncing around in the dryer made so much noise. We eventually got use to the sound. One day Renee walked by and heard the noise. She said, ‘I’m not even going to ask what is in those dryers!'"
Contributed by Lisa Glass
MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA?
Some of the railroad scenes were produced on a set built in a huge warehouse on Batesville Road in Greer, South Carolina.
A big piece of black cardboard with two holes cut out was of strategic importance to the traveling Duluth Bulldogs.
Although the train was stationary the scene will show the train traveling along the rails.
How?
A crew member was assigned to walk around the train with the lighted board as cameras filmed at various angles to give the perception of the train traveling at night.
Contributed by Lisa Glass
PHOTOS MARK THE SPOT
When a scene was being shot or afterwards, crew members would take photos to mark exactly where actors, extras and props were during and at the end of the shoot.
The photographs would prove to be a tactical maneuver to authenticate the scenes were perfectly cut.
If something was out of place the scene would be reshot using the photographs to identify the people and/or props and where they were when the scene was shot. Mostly the photos were used in the editing process.
Contributed by James Fair
When re-enacting the bombing of the soldiers during the flashback scene with Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) the vendor bought $20,000 of explosives.
When he proudly showed George Clooney the variety and awesome firepower of the explosives Clooney was overwhelmed, to say the least.
But it wasn’t exactly what Clooney had in mind. All he wanted was one white flare to light the sky and a small explosion to set off near the soldiers in their foxholes for effect.
According to one cast member, there were plenty of explosives to be found in South Carolina. Vendors were all too willing to exhibit their product to demonstrate their firepower – from canon-fired to rocket-fired explosives.
The cast member and associates were taken places that were well off the beaten path.
"We’re not sure that all of these explosives were legal. We were just real glad to get out of some of those places. There were some interesting characters selling explosives. I’m not sure some of them were legal in respect to the Patriot Act,” said the cast member.
Name withheld by request
CLOONEY WARMED UP TO EXTRAS
Here’s a little vignette why George Clooney is so admired by his peers and extras within the film industry.
During the shooting of the WWI flashback scene in Tigerville, South Carolina it was much colder than Clooney had expected at night. The actual filming took place in the early morning hours before sunrise. The crew dug fox holes for the extras but it no way gave them protection from the cold and rain.
Clooney kidded the extras on the first night that it was his job to make their “life as miserable as possible on the battlefield.”
The extras were shivering but didn’t complain. But Clooney noticed their discomfort.
By the next night, on orders from Clooney, the soldiers were provided weatherized lined clothing to provide warmth and protect them from the elements.
Contributed by Lisa Glass