Staff Writer: Angelina Burnett
Entry #3

Day two started at the Banks Home with a scene between Ben and William in his truck. It’s a simple scene but one I like very much as we see William make the choice to be a dad and not a friend. As the child of divorce myself, I know how easy it is for that line to become blurred between parents and children and it was satisfying to watch Benjamin play the conflict. Because, really ladies, Mr. Bratt does silently conflicted rather well, don’t you think?

The scene also offers the opportunity to share a little trivia: thanks to movie magic we shoot all the house exteriors on stage. So, in reality, they’re interiors. Due to sound issues, and possibly fumes, rather than have the truck actually pull up to the house, it’s easier to leave it in neutral and have some folks push it. That’s where our awesome grips come in, anything that needs locking down or lifting or shoving or hanging is handled by the grip department. (They’re also kind enough to build elaborate structures for us ladies at video village so we’re shielded from the elements when shooting outside. Monica, our amazing Script Supervisor, and myself thank them.) Here they are, makin’ it look like William’s driving…

See? Magic!

Speaking of Monica, the Script Supe is a writer’s best friend. Monica has worked on shows where you’d have to get approval to change one word of what was written. I’m not quite so precious with my work (don’t really have cause to be) but Monica protects my words like a lioness. If any of the actors is even syllable off, she turns to me and asks if I care. If I do, she runs in after every take giving them the right line until they get it right. I rarely ask her to do so. But keeping the lines straight is only a small part of Monica’s job. It’s her responsibility to back the director up, making sure we get every shot and every angle we need and that everything matches up with what’s come before and what will come after. Being that TV and film is shot out of order, a script supervisor is our final defense between chaos and clarity and Monica’s great at her job.