The Filmmaking Experience "Killing Lawrence" Part 1

Behind the scenes with filmmaker Steve Moon as he works on his fourth feature film, "Killing Lawrence". One day of peering into the process of making a movie with the problems and successes of the cast and crew. Today's shoot is from Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005 in Hoover, Alabama.

There was a called start time of 11:00 a.m. A couple of the crew had arrived at the gym early and waited for some other people to show up. A few actors arrived a little after 12 noon and stood around and talked. About 12:30 p.m. Steve Moon drove up. He explained that one of the producers didn't make certain phone calls like he should have and that's why there was a mix up on the start time. In addition to not phoning the crew, the producer didn't call the gym owners about filming this intended scene today, they were currently inside doing some renovation work. Steve went in to evaluate the situation.

The intended room for one of the scenes was being painted and carpeted and was going to be unusable for today. Steve re-assess the rest of the gym and decided to use a front room as a replacement location for the scene. There was a little bit of discussion as he worked out some blocking with the actors. Steve and Jeremy, a crew member, bring in shelves and arranged an impromptu bedroom. There was then some setup with the camera and some reflectors.

By 1:30 p.m. the room had been dressed and the actors were rehearsing their lines. Steve worked out a microphone placement with a crew member. The lighting was going to be largely overhead fluorescent with an ambient fill from the reflectors. Steve has the camera set up pointing across the room for the first series of shots. A TV monitor has been hooked up to see what's on the camera.

By 2:00 p.m. everything is ready for the first filming. Steve Moon discusses the scene with his actors Joey Duke, Patrick McCarty and Frankie Carra.

STEVE MOON: We're going to start with him going from that bag [carry bag on the floor] over to your space. You're going to hear him walking in. Nolan (character name) you're already out of the shot this shot. You're going to walk in...action.

The actors Joey and Patrick go through the scene...Steve interrupts.

STEVE MOON: Nolan (character name) walk in one more step. Right to there, there's your mark.

The actors resume their lines and continue with the scene for a minute or so until Steve stops them.

STEVE MOON: Alright, we're good. Alright this is where we take the one. Let's take it from a ah, DJ (character name), from the middle, where you reaching into that bag, and you're going to walk back over. Nolan (character name) come get in your place where y'all just were and you go back to that line, and line, alright, Nolan (character name) you're going to start from there, bend back down. And we'll start from.. bend down.. hold that.. And rolling, rolling, Steve's cell phone goes off with a musical song, he grabs it quickly, Action!

Joey and Patrick go through the scene until Joey hits a punching bag.

STEVE MOON: Alright let's cut. Let's do that again. Ah Joey, what's your second line? Once you get back over there. ' I've packed up Lawrence's stuff ', what do you say after that?

JOEY: I say ' what are you doing ' and I say my second line is ' where's he going ' , ' I don't know '.

STEVE MOON: Oh. it's ahh..' did you not see that fight the other night ', ahh.. remember the fight, remember what you saw, get a little bit more emotional, it didn't really bother you, that tore you up, so you're thinking back to that. I like the ' time bomb waiting to explode ' , sell it just a little bit more. You're bothered, you're bothered by your brother, he's came back and lost his mind. Let's do it again, take it from the top. No not the top, from this here. Go back to the back.

Ok, I'm rolling..action!

The actors start the scene again. Steve stops them.

STEVE MOON: Cut. Hold what you've got, don't move. Ah, Nolan (character name) give your line again, the same, about the brutality of taking a life. Ah, DJ (character name) while he's giving you that line, for giving him the line you've got right before that I want you to turn around and put your hands on that top shelf like you're thinking about it. Then when Nolan (character name) gives his next line you turn around ' yeah like before '. I think I've got that in the right order. He's [another crew member] got half of the scripts so I'll tell you where it is.

They confer about the script.

It's gonna be, ahh, I'll tell you now it'll probably be.. amm.. let's see ' come on did you see him hit that guy the other day, there's something wrong with him, he's not the same ', turn back around, kind of put your hands back like your thinking about it... on the top shelf, just turn around. Then Nolan's (character name) gonna do the line and say ' what, from before, before the war ', as soon as he say 'before the war' you turn around and look him. And then your next line is ' yeah it's wasn't like that after desert storm ' , and we can pick it up from here.

JOEY: You want me to continue with my...

STEVE MOON: Yeah continue with.. I just want to see you... ' come on did you see what he did to that guy the other day, there's something wrong with him, he's not the same ', and then you turn around. And he's just ..you just think about it for a while. He continues with his line until he says ' back before the war ' . Then he say ' war ' and turn yourself with you and you turn around, then y'all just continue.

JOEY: Pick it up from...

STEVE MOON: Right from..' I'm saying that '. Nolan (character name) your line is here ' did he say that '.

PATRICK: ' Did he say that? '

JOEY: ' I'm saying that '.

Pause

STEVE MOON: Prompting ' What's the problem '... ' What's the problem '

PATRICK: Oh that's right..' What's the problem, you guys fighting DJ '.

The actors continue with their lines. During the scene a loud banging or thumping and pounding noise comes from upstairs as the gym owners lay the carpet down on the floor. The actors continue until...

STEVE MOON: Ok lets cut there. Let's do it one more time. It be the last take from this angle. The next thing we're going to do is. Nolan (character name) when you're given your ' I'm lost soliloquy ', you start out with your left hand on the bag. Then you came out and finished it with both hands in the air. Next one we do after this take is going to be a close up of the bag. So that's going to be really where want to sell it. Not that you haven't already.

CREW MEMBER: And work in a line about the ' ballet class ' [referring to the thumping noise during the scene] or something (slight laughter).

STEVE MOON: I was thinking, you know ahh, the line ' is you know listen to him, he's going nuts up there ' , or ' he's going nuts down there, probably beating somebody else up '. We could work in the extra sound I guess.

CREW MEMBER: Yeah (chuckles).

STEVE MOON: Alright, they need to come back to down here we're going to do the same take we just did, that'll be the last take from this angle.

JOEY: (putting clothes back on the shelf) Can you see me putting this up?

STEVE MOON: Ahhh, I just need a little bit, whoa, whoa, go back up, I just need it right there, alright, rolling, action.

The actors go through the scene again, they continue for several lines until Steve stops them.

STEVE MOON: Start over again when ' he takes off '.

Patrick picks up with ' he takes off ' line. He stumbles on a line and re-starts the scene over. He continues until..

STEVE MOON: Cut. Alright. Start with the punching bag, this is going to be a close up, everything's on you [meaning Patrick] and Joey you can relax, just be there to feed him.

PATRICK: (positions himself) Start here, ended up here.

STEVE MOON: I want you to walk in to it, where you just stop the bag from rolling so actually let Joey hit it one time. Alright.

JOEY: You said bonk to bonk. (referring to the punching bag)

STEVE MOON: I didn't know, if you'll need that. (Joey hits the punching bag)

STEVE MOON: We'll gonna start with that. If you need to get into character, if you need to feed him a line... I'll be waiting for that direction... can you stop the bag from rolling.

Alright, I'm rolling, ready when you guys are.

Joey starts the scene by hitting the punching bag. They continue. Patrick improvises a line.

STEVE MOON: Ahh, man that was awesome, you should have kept that, you should have kept that, alright keep going.

PATRICK: I can do that over.

STEVE MOON: Whatever's natural, that was good enough.

Patrick continues his lines until...

STEVE MOON: Ok cut. Let's pick it up again from the punching of the bag, where's Frankie. (calls out) Frankie! (Frankie comes into the room, Steve looks at him) Yeah you can stay in that shirt, that's cool, cause everybody here got to have their normal stuff on. Walk into the scene, when he's done cause don't you have dialog directly to him.. with this. I want to get your reaction from an over the shoulder, this way. And then we'll do it again. (to another actor) I want to get your reaction from the over the shoulder same way with Frankie.

FRANKIE: What do you want me to do?

STEVE MOON: Go stand right here where he is. Good motivation for you is to listen to what Nolan (character name) is saying, ' because I'm starting to get pissed off, don't talk about me, I'm the lieutenant, of course I gave the order, you going to question that order '.

FRANKIE: I didn't think I was in here when he was talking to him.

STEVE MOON: You're not.. 'cause you're going to walk into the scene.

PATRICK: You walk in about the time that I'm sitting there saying ' and Lawrence he was the one raving at us '.

FRANKIE: Right and then that when I say, ' yeah then I keep, I scream to keep the others going '.

STEVE MOON: You can go in with your script, you can read it, because this [camera angle] is going to be from behind you, it'll just block it.

PATRICK: Maybe, maybe go in like, ' that's right, I was, I was yelling that, telling me how to do my job '.

STEVE MOON: Go get in your spot where you just were so I can get the camera angle ready, and Frankie, I need to tell you were your going.

Alright, Frankie, walk towards Patrick... and so far, whoa, right there, right there, right there, that's where you have to be.

There's more discussion and blocking for how the characters should move during the scene. Steve positions the actors for the closeup angles and the point of view of the camera.

There's been some disturbances from people in he gym coming through the front door of the establishment. Steve persists making adjustments along the way. By 2:40 p.m. filming on the last part of this scene continues. The actors have worked down to a section in the script that calls for one of them to snap to attention before exiting the scene. There follows a good bit of discussion and blocking on how a solider would ' snap to ' and leave the presence of an officer. Steve has Patrick to try several different poses and walks. Finally Steve decides on a good movement and the last of the scene's dialog is covered. They then break down the equipment to move the camera for the opposing angles.

cont.

The Filmmaking Experience- "Killing Lawrence" Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5