McLeod's Daughters Shoot

Will picked me up at about 2 o'clock yesterday. We drove through Adelaide and out the other side. We had instructions to NOT turn off at Gawler, which gave me a huge flashback to when the boys were here. After driving in a small circle we found the Freeling exit and then it was only a few minutes' drive to the Freeling Institute, where we had to go.

We were directed into a hall with seats around the edges of the room and a buffet table set up. The cast and crew were all having lunch in a room off the main hall. We sat down, had a chat to the other extras, and had a bit to eat.

After a while they all finished eating and started bringing out their plates and collecting dessert. Lots of crew, obviously, but also saw Michaela Banas, Luke Jacobz, and Riley Ward. They had ice-cream, incidentally, with choc/strawberry/caramel topping - just like being back at the Hall.

They all went off to do cast-n-crew type stuff, and we started doing extra type stuff. We filled in forms, then the costume chick went around the room sorting out everyone's outfits. We'd been told to wear black, or some type of Halloween costume, but not to put too much effort in, as 'we don't do that kind of thing here.' Unless you live at the Hall, in which case you do that type of thing like every week. So most people were in black, some of the guys had teeth or masks, and heaps of girls (including me) had devil horns.

I got to keep basically what I was wearing, but they wanted some more colour and I had a red top on, so they gave me a black top to keep me warm and then a red one so I could be all bright and colourful. So I had black pants, red belt, red top over black, devil horns, and a red streak in my hair. Oh and open-toed shoes. Note to self: stupid self.

Then we all got to sit around for ages.

I got the last cream biscuit.

Some crew guy came over with a page of signs (sign-language signs) printed out. Since we're associated with Deaf SA, we should know signs right? Anyway, he wanted to know if they were the right thing. They weren't, they were American. He came a bit later, to me this time, cos I was now the resident expert on signing, with another page - still not Auslan. Best of luck buddy.

Then eventually (they were apparantly running late with the days' shooting) we were off to the Gungellan Pub! We had to walk through this 'alley' which was more like a gravel path. One with no lights and lots of overhanging trees and shrubs.

Then we got to stand around in the carpark while they finishing up filming a scene inside the pub. (It is worth noting that I never actually went inside the pub.) Then they started setting up for the scene we were to shoot in the beer garden. When they were nearly finished that, the Third AD (who was going to be in charge of us now - the rest of the time we had the extras costume chick and maybe the extras casting? or casting? woman) came over to sort us out.

As we'd already been told, no phones, ask if you need to go to the toilet or faint from the cold, no photos, no autographs, watch out for the cables etc, don't look down the camera. Then he gave us a run-down of the scene. Here is my way-more-detailed run-down of the scene:

The Drovers girls have set up a movie night for the town. We're all in the beer garden watching the movie. Me and Will and a few other people were at Table One, which was the closet table to the front, with a couple of rows of chairs, and the projector, between us and the screen. The main cast was sitting on the chairs front left. On the table to our left (which later was moved to be right right next to ours) were the Heckling Boys (speaking extras).

Three extras come in late and find seats right on the grass in front of us.
Another one (an experienced one, not like us) stumbles over with three beers, hands them to his mates, then sits down.
One of the Drovers girls says something and is shushed.
Frankie (whoever the hell Frankie is...new character? waitress?) goes to the table right near the screen to collect drinks and is told to move her fat head.
The Drovers party do a round of 'who wants another one?' 'i'm good' 'i do' then Abi Tucker gets up and goes for drinks.
Luke Jacobz reaches his arm around Dustin's back to tap Michaela on the back, scaring her. She sreams, we all jump (for real, even though I knew it was coming!) and she knocks over a small table as she jumps up.
The Hecklers give her shit, but she almost manages to get the table upright. As she stumbles again, they call out 'Have another one for me, love!' and she turns around to glare at them.
Dustin helps her out, telling her to ignore them and sit back down, but she shakes him off, says 'I'm alright, I'll be back in a sec,' and storms/stumbles off.

Aaaand CUT!

It was freezing cold (even for the people who had not-open-toed shoes on).

There was some kind of problem with the DVD - there was one that had the zombie movie looped 17 times, but there was supposed to be a different one. In the end they solved it by fully blurring the screen. Round of applause for whoever thought of that.

The last lot of takes were close-ups on the main cast and hecklers, and the 3AD came by to tell us that we could 'amp up' our reactions to the Heckler Boys heckling Michaela.

I couldn't wear a Uni Hall hoodie or top unfortunately, but I did have my key lanyard looped around my belt loop and into my pocket. Unfortunately it was on the wrong side, and so was my red streak, but it can say it was on TV.

I stole a beer cup. They didn't give us real beer which was a shame. Actually all I really wanted was a bowl of steaming hot wedges, but I didn't get that either.

And that was about it. Sorry it was so long and so full of boring details. It was ... fun? Not amazingly, but it was great to be able to be on a set and see how they actually construct a scene, especially after all these classes of analysing films. And despite that, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was some kind of home movie we were shooting in someone's backyard. It will be so interesting to see what it actually turns out like, and what happens in the other 38 minutes of the episode.

Oh! And then when I got back to my room, my adoring public had already left me a box of chocolates! Actually, no, they were from Gerry and Mirinka for winning the Scav Hunt at Harbourtown.