Saturday, May 29, 2010

Movie makings in Austin

The Coen brothers are making a new version of True Grit. Part of it is set in Austin. Jeff Bridges will star as Rooster Cogburn. Matt Damon is also involved. We spent part of yesterday watching the process - now we understand why movies are so expensive to make!

We arrived early to find an empty set at the Austin Club on 9th Street.


This old-timey building would serve as a train station in the movie. In front were a bunch of buggies - sans horse.


This club has lots of old-timey detail, along with the veranda on the second storey.


Street signs had been removed, along with any sense of 20th century, even though the movie was to be set in 1903. Two trailers of horses and a giant generator were in evidence.


The horses (and their keepers) had tons of patience. They needed it, as it took hours to get anywhere near shooting.


The area was well-protected, mostly by motorcycle cops. This guy apparently has enough seniority that he get cushy gigs like this frequently. He had the shade and an entire cooler full of cold drinks.


After a couple of hours the horses came out to eat their lunch.


Even though this was a short scene without the stars (unfortunately we did not know that until later), it had tons of staff involvement. There were lots of trucks around from the Film Fleet (an Austin group that is part of Paramount Pictures).


A giant truck pulled in at the far end of the scene. Six guys swarmed around it while the lift gate came down. This fake gas light was bundled out of the truck. Two ladders appeared. Four guys stood around drinking soda and coffee while two guys put the light on the post. Then they went away.

Shortly after ward they reconvened, brought back the ladders, and took the gas light down. The light disappeared, along with the ladders. Two guys stuck around to move the post a couple of feet.

Then, eventually, some guys reappeared and put the light back up.


No wonder movies cost so much...

One of the guys waiting around had a wife involved in the production (as an extra). She was texting him the whole time, so he reported to the surroundings.

"Fifteen women still to be made up."
"Four women still to be made up."
"Oops, they are serving us lunch now."

Meanwhile, in true Japanese Just-In-Time fashion, this arch had been transformed from raw plywood to the appearance of sandstone.


Parts of the film gear were starting to accumulate.


Guys were walking around spraying sand slurry to make the asphalt street look like a dirt street to the cameras.


People in period costumes started appearing.


More and more trucks appeared, with more and more complicated equipment.


The horses started suiting up,


and were led onto the scene.


Then they were put in the traces on the various carriages.


Finished with their lunch, several busloads of extras dressed in period costumes appeared.


Some got into the carriages...


others milled around on the street.


The gas lamp looked just right.


But some extras were caught in our world, waiting to walk into an imagined one.


More and more equipment appeared,


while the local news crew set up a camera.


Then, unfortunately, we had to leave. Our van was needed for the last bit of household moving. You can see the Coen brothers and cameras in this piece from Austin360.com.

1 comment:

  1. Right you are about why movies cost so much at the box office after seeing just some of the upfront costs. It must have been fascinating to have seen "up close"...well almost.

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