A Quick Look At Some of the Filming of “Clear History”

(Editor’s note: This was dictated so it is kind of chatty... And confounding things, I was dictating while I was watching TV, so I got some curious interpretations.)

I talked to Scoopy the other night and she said I could/should go up to watch what was going on in Gloucester. She told me to check with Jay, but I could probably park down by the Holland’s. So I did; Jay said it would be OK. I decided to take a 1 hour so out of my lunch hour to head up there to see what was going on...

At Exit 13 off 128 there big yellow and blue/black signs with “CH” on them, with an arrow pointing down Concord Street.  As I continued down Concord Street there were signs at the road to Wingaersheek Beach and at the intersection of Bard Street all pointing down Concord Street. I thought that was probably a signal to the movie set but couldn’t figure out what “CH” meant (now I know). When I got to Jebeka Lane there was a security guard and another guy.  I told the security guy that I was here to watch some of the filming at My Aunt’s House (I’m with the band). And that she said I could. The other guy came over. He was with the crew, apparently. I talked to him for a moment he said I’d have to park up here by the side of the road.  And I told him that I'd spoken to Jay, the Site Representative, and Jay said I could park down by the Holland’s, near the tool shed.  He and his walkie-talkie eventually cleared it and off I went.

So I drove down the driveway and pulled into the Holland’s driveway and parked by the tool shed surrounded by generator trailers. I was met by a Location Representative, Chris. He was a good guy; a young guy (25?). He would be my escort on-scene.

Walking towards the house, he pointed out the canteen or the cafeteria trailer which was set in the garden area.  Also, he pointed out some of the set carts and trailers (photo 1).

We crossed over the bridge and there were a lot of people milling about. A dozen or so (it’s all union). Chris took me over to an area behind the kitchen which had a tent set up and he told me that it was the audio and video supervisory area (photo 2).  There were a few small monitors set up. There were people listening on headphones and stuff like that. Chris said that the house was actually full so it would be difficult to get inside and look around. One of the sound guys gave me a wireless headset and I got to listen to what was actually going on in the house.

I asked if I could take pictures and he said that it would be fine, but I couldn’t take picture of “talent.” Hence the external photos:

1. The canteen, props area

2. The audio/visual area

3. The dining room porch (Note: this picture somehow disappeared. Baffling me. If I find it, I’ll send it along. It’s a picture of the dining room porch area covered in black cloth. Like a tent or a dark room.)

4. The director’s area

I spent some time at the A/V area watching a scene, listening on the head set. It was pretty cool to hear the banter amongst the actors as they got ready for the scene. Then everyone was called to order and the scene began. And then Larry David walked into the dining room from the kitchen grabbed a chair and sat down at the table.

Way cool!

I recognized that kitchen! I know those chairs! I know that light over the dining room table! No one tipped it. :)

Background: Chris told me that this was the final scene for the movie. Larry has just been released from prison and is visiting his buddies on their Saturday night poker game. It’s a night scene being filmed at 1pm in the afternoon. Arrangements needed to be made (photo 3). All the first floor windows were blacked out.

I asked Chris when the movie would come out.  He wasn't sure but said been through the whole film process and “theater” films could take it up to a year. But he said he'd seen some of the “dailies” and from what he had seen they've looked relatively complete. He thought the editing process would be pretty minor in this could be pretty good to go relatively quickly.  My guess is that it will be on in the spring.

We walked around to the front of the house where there was another set-up on the porch (photo 4). This was the Director’s Area. Bigger monitors, more screens. More people milling about (it’s all union).

 Up on the porch I watch (on the monitors) the fourth take of the same scene. Each one different. Larry David shows do a lot of ad lib. The characters in the scene were Larry and a bunch on Boston comedians (maybe Jonathan Hamm, maybe Kate Hudson, I don’t know). They were sitting around the table, having some drinks. Maybe they found the liquor closet.

I asked Chris about the movie and about movies in the area. He said that this was a modest film -- the budget was about $10,000,000. He'd been on Massachusetts movies with $100,000,000 budget -- a world of difference. He was pretty impressed what they were doing was going on here. And he said everyone loved the location - how can you not?

Chris and I watched a couple of retakes of this particular scene, and then the filming stopped.

At that point things are calm down for low bit and I was able to go inside the house. The living room was totally cleared out and they had blackout curtains from the TV to the fireplace. Everything inside that main part of the living room was off limits, or at least on-set.

I poked my head through the curtain and saw more people milling about in the living room (it’s all union). I got to go into the dining room, possibly brushing by Larry David (!). He was in the room. It was very crowded. It looked like the director and helper were deciding if the takes were enough. I didn’t linger. I was in the way. But it was cool to see the cast around the dining room table, sitting on the chairs, and such...

Then it was time to go.

I handed back my headset and went back to the car. Jay said they would be filming a night scene later (in actual night). But it would be a “movie night.” There was a huge flood light system down by the Holland’s that would light up the cove. Jay said that was pretty impressive. There were flood lights on the roof. That would have been cool to see.

Next time…

Maybe the sequel.