Greetings fellow Swamblers and Swamblerettes! Enough friendly banter, let’s get right to it. Had you been feeling slightly wrong every time you visited the site two weeks ago? Like there was a disturbance in the “force”? Perhaps like something was missing? A very, very important something? Well allow me to put you at ease: I was gone away to California and utterly and extremely gone from the message boards and blog-o-circle (I prefer my blogs in 2D). What was I doing in California, you may ask? Well, though my trip to the one and only San Jose had the immediate purpose of a visit with my father, shortly after my arrival a very tantalizing opportunity was presented to me. That’s right: I GOT INVITED TO ATTEND A BREAK A LEG SHOOT FOR THE NEW EPISODE!
Now, classifying this as one of the greatest days of my life is very fitting and I can only assume that everyone else reading this cares about my life as much as I do, seeing as how I’ve never experienced anything to contradict this idea, so this will undoubtedly be one of the greatest blogs you’ve ever had the pleasure to read. But first, a disclaimer - as much as I’m sure you’re eager to know everything and anything to do with the new episode, my blog will be free of spoilers, so don’t expect me to let slip anything about the part where David and Chase die from mistaking cyanide capsules for Grapenuts. That’s just not happening. Now, here’s the breakdown:
I arrived at Golden Gate Park at approximately 8:40 AM and after some mighty fine over-the-phone directions from Chase Cougar himself, stumbled my way out of the Mini Cooper and over to the single group of people who I would sell my soul to meet. I was greeted with hugs all around and I think it’s safe to say I seduced most of them within my first five minutes of introduction. Then, the coup de grace, I was presented with the single item I would sell my soul to own, a signed copy of the script for the BaL season finale. I know, your jealousy is uncontainable but I’m sure if you drive 658.59 miles and then wake up at 5:30 your first day being there, they’ll greet you with the same level of hospitality. And, let me also interject that I have read the script up until the final minisode in the episode, wishing to experience it along with my fellow Break a Leggers. The first shoot was the “I want us to do Peyote together” scene in the car and I got to lurk behind Dashiell as he diligently captured every bit of funny being expelled by Yuri, Justin and Flynn.
The first shoot was amazing, I watched them rehearse, shoot, and re-shoot the scene until they got every bit exactly how they wanted it (it took about 40 minutes to get all three car doors to slam in unison for a scene I’m assuming will be in the next episode) or, in many instances, took a break and complied with one of Justin’s excitable suggestions as to what order they should get in the car. But, such is their dedication to their art. I don’t think many of us realize what a huge undertaking shooting just a three minute long exchange takes (about an hour and a half of fine-tuning, not to mention the multiple camera angles), and every second of it is worth it.
Throughout the first shoot excitement levels remained high, though it might have just been the Peyote in the air and the many half-eaten donut-holes in Justin’s system. I don’t think I can remember a time in my life when I have enjoyed myself more than watching Justin flee from the car in search of his spirit animal and returning to parade around an Air Jordan sneaker on a stick that he found in the brush.
Eventually, we finished shooting the first scene and (after I got a chance to hold the boom during a take – my very own Mint moment) we moved on to the next location. The next scene shot has yet to be viewed by you the people so I shall be brief in my explanation. I will say that I got a chance to meet Miss Laura Secour and got to hold some cords so Justin wouldn’t fall on his face. After the second shoot, I forced everyone to cram together like they liked each other and humor an obsessed fan with a photo.
Then, last but not least, it was off to the most exciting shoot of the day. Located in scenic Alameda Del Prado, we arrived at the home of the Croisandwich: the one and only Burger King. There we met up with Mike (documentary extraordinaire) and the most important member of the shoot, Ayla (CAG member and the only one of us who could pull off those leopard print overalls).
And so we shot, with a baby, a dog, an expertly designed fake bomb and grenade belt placed directly outside the door of a Burger King. “If anyone asks, this is our story: You’re filming for a school project, Anna.” Yuri said pointedly. “I just hope no one thinks those are real bombs.” I added, even more pointedly. So, with an iron-clad defense and almost lethal amounts of sodium coursing through our veins from the Burger King we’d just ingested, we set to work. Here are a few pictures of said “work.”
Also, in this scene, I made my Break a Leg debut. You know the rest; I walk out, cup in hand and do my thing. Cinema gold. After being delayed two times by women exiting the restroom and asking me what I was doing, we finally got a few usable takes of me walking. I was regrettably done for the day.
So, after hours and hours of growing accustomed to being a part of the Break a Leg team, I was only minutes away from being separated from them for God knows how long. After a photo-shoot with baby Ayla, determined to capture all of her cuteness on film, we took one final picture in front of what else but the largest and most conspicuous BK logo any of us had ever seen.
So in closing, let me just say this: Break a Leg is run by the most talented and genuinely funny group of people I have ever come in contact with. They are dedicated, hard-working, and to say they are my role models and my heroes would be nothing short of the truth. Also, if you ever get the chance to hug Justin Morrison, don’t pass it up. A cougar hug beats a bear hug any day.
-St. Anna