Gospel Hill - First Listing in NY Times

Just got an alert this morning for Gospel Hill's official listing in the NY Times movie list. This link will be great for tracking the film's progress for its anticipated mid-2008 release.

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/450784/Gospel-Hill/overview

Hopefully, I will be seen for a few seconds in the movie with a scene where Danny Glover is giving an impassioned speech.

Gospel Hill - Movie Poster

 

Movie Poster for Gospel Hill
Starring Danny Glover, Angela Bassett and Julia Stiles
Directed by Giancarlo Exposito

Toward the middle of filming, I had a chance to shake hands and thankGiancarlo.
The movie is expected to be released in mid-2008.

Gospel Hill - "Singin' in the Heat"

 

In this scene, were are at a memorial service or celebration for the civil rights activist in this small southern town. Hundreds of people turn out to celebrate his life in ths scenee including in real life Nia Long, Danny Glover, Angela Bassett and Julia Stiles. There is a stage set up in this park. (the park was recreated for this film including a large commercial swing set that you find in city parks). In this scene a Gospel Group is singing a beautiful song celebrating his life. The crowd is singing along as well including me!...The singing was beautiful and inspirational even though this was pretend, it also felt real. I guess the tell actors to "be in the moment".

The other part which you do not see in this scene is that I am one of handful of people that actually had to wear a corporate dress suit. Even though this was taken at around 2 in the morning, I had to stand in 80 degree heat for 3 hours. (you can click on the photo to really see me sweat) There was not water available or what is known as "craft service" in the lingo. So I did what I learned from Leatherheads, (where everyone had to wear heavy winter clothes in 70 degree weather)...I boldly walked over to a production truck and asked them if I could have a bottle from the cooler set aside for the "crew".

See, on film set there is sort of a pecking order, or what I call a caste system. From bottom to top in terms of your power or position on the film it seems to be as follows

Non-paid extras to paid extras to crew to featured actors to directors to producers. (If anyone wants to correct me or add to this please leave a comment).

Well that is a long story for just one picture. We were "Singin' in the Heat' Not so glamourous is it?

Fort Mill (SC) Times Article about Filming "Gospel Hill"

This is an article with background of how Fort Mill, SC was chosen as one of the locations for filming the movie, Gospel Hlll and a detailed description of the first night of filming there with stars, Danny Glover, Julia Stiles, and Angela Bassett.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/local/story/6563721p-5842267c.html

Gospel Hill - Waiting in Extra's Holding at Midnight

 

From L to R Frank West, Kricket Morton, Dianne Gallagher, Andy Kaplan waiting in "extra's holding" for the movie "Gospel Hill" (Photo by freelance photographer Wade Nash) Frank West and Dianne Gallagher are videographer and field reporter, respectively for CN2 News in Rock Hill, NC. Kricket Morton is former sports anchor for WBTV, Charlotte, NC. Wade Nash is one of the top freelance sports photographers in the country. Frank and Wade play their real life roles in the movie. Dianne Gallagher and I play as "memorializers" for at a celebration for a civil rights activists death in a city park.
We finally went out to the set at around 1 am and filmed until the film "wrapped" at 4 am.

Gospel Hill - Picking out my "Costume"

I was told to arrive at 7 pm in Fort Mill, SC, just outside of Charlotte. This was my first night shoot for the film Gospel Hill. I drove about 30 minutes to Fort Mill after I left a business meeting where I was wearing my grey pinstriped business suit.

To prepare for the film, I spent an hour earlier in the day organizing and selecting four or five different "casual outfits" that included jeans, tan khaki pants, blue dress pants and about 5 different combinations of shirts from polo to dress. The suit was definitely too formal, so I expected to change when I arrived.

After driving through a torrential downpour on the Interstate, I arrived at the location in Fort Mill. It was an beautiful old church. The extra's holding was in the main social hall in the church. As I walked into the room, over 200 people were sitting on black plastic folding chairs. I carried my 10 lbs of clothes on hangers into to room and checked in at the desk. They handed me a legal release from that says, they can use my likeness in the movie however they want and I won't sue them. I then met Vince who was the casting director who had called me the day before. Vince is a tall, good looking charismatic executive. He collected my release form and then directed me over to see the costumer to see which "outfit" would fit the part I needed to play.

As I looked over, the costumer, was Ginger, who I had worked on with at Leatherheads. As soon as she saw me get in her line, she exclaimed good naturedly with a big smile - "Here comes trouble". Ginger had been one of the friendliest and most meticulous costmers on Leatherheads.(On leatherheads she was straightening my hat, fixing my tie, tieing my overcoat belt in a square not...an lifting up our trousers to almost wedgie proportions to so we had the 1920's look of showing our socks).

She took one look at me in my pinstripe suit and said "Perfect, you can wear what you have on." I replied somewhat pleadingly "Do you want to see my other ties?", hoping at least my hour of preparation of choosing the outfits was not totally wasted, She smiled and said "No, what you have on is fine. Go put the reat of your clothes back in your car." I walked back out into the light drizzle, put the clothes in the trunk of my car.

"Gospel Hill" Movie - I'm going to a funeral

I got a call today from the casting director (Vince) for Gospel Hill. He told me to bring 4 different outfits mostly casual and possibly a suit. We are going to be in a scene at a funeral. As a "paid" extra, he wanted me to arrive earlier than the "unpaid" extras. I was told all of the stars of the film will be in the scene including Danny Glover, Julia Stiles and Angela Bassett.

This will be my first "night shoot". It will be an interesting experience to see how the lighting and directors will work at night. I googled the directions to the shoot and the place I am to arrive at is down the street from a cemetary, so I imagine that's where it will be shot.

The exciting part is that I had a chance to work with George Clooney, John Kasinski and Renee Zellweger in Leatherheads in April and May and a month later, I am in a role with these other major actors.

Charlotte, NC and South Carolina are now attracting more movie and television production. The Legend of Ricky Bobby was filmed here and the tv show about Nascar Reality racing show called Gillette Young Guns was filmed here at Lowes Motor Speedway. Last year, the movie Cars by Disney made its debut here and Regis and Kelly did a live show from here.