week two of shooting and going strong

I'm Brian Harvey "Doc" to fans of the film

In our second week of shooting, this was my BIG week....got to kill two men, chop off a leg, and drink booze.

Ah, the life of an actor.

I didn't know what I was going to get into when I auditioned for this.  Now that we are well into production, I can tell you that not only are my fears completely gone, but, I could not ask for a better set of actors to work with, or a crew that treats each and everyone of us like a personal friend.

Yesterday, I had the privilege to work with Weston Cody.  Don't want to give too much of the plot away, but, let me tell you, don't come to see this "Doc", when you are infected.  Bad for you...and for Weston.  We got to do an intense scene.  We did this scene, maybe six maybe seven times.  Wes is one of those actors, that can make even me look good, and I thank him for that.

Being that this is an ensemble show for the most part, I don't get to interact, on film, with one character more than another.  But I have another scene coming up in the shoot to come that will help with that.  

I wrote and spoke to the director.  I wanted another scene written for me and Ashton who plays Jacob.  This guy can act Lawrence Olivier under the table.  Very intense in his work.  Very quiet on the set, I guess I'm the class clown, and it shows in his performance.  I even told him that with every take we did, he got better and BETTER.

I haven't done a straight dramatic role like this for a month of Sundays.  I'm a comic.  I try to tell jokes between takes, make faces in the camera after it was slated, and am always ready for a laugh. (wait until the cast and crew see the latest app I downloaded on my iPhone THIS weekend).  I don't have any trouble making an audience laugh, I just hope, they take me as a serious actor.  I guess I am my own worse critic.

I was scared on the 16th.  We we about to do a scene.  When I realized the page numbers we were about to put on film....I freaked.  I STUDIED THE WRONG SCENE!!

I'm hoping, Meagan, the director and Chris, the writer, were not too disappointed in me.

As for the rest of the cast, well, I guess I'm the father figure of the group, being the oldest.  My birthday is on the 19th, and AARP is not only walking up the sidewalk, they are banging the door down!  OY!

Even though there is such an age difference between myself and the rest of the cast, I feel that they are treating me as one of them (young I mean).  Although sometimes, I have to stop and say, "What does that mean"?

Well, I don't understand all the lingo.  I guess I put my parents through the same thing.

The cast has been great.  Especially David and Pierce to me.  I'm forever making fun of...the way they talk and where they are from (England and Canada respectively).  I'm sure I'm getting on their nerves, but they joke along with me.  And so far, no punches have been thrown.  (Although, Pierce DOES carry his rifle and squints his eyes at me.......hmmmmm)

As for the crew.....every day they are looking out for our needs and wants.  Especially Stephanie, our craft table person.  I'm Jewish and there are certain things I won't eat.  She goes out of her way to make sure that EVERYONE is taken care of.  I have been on sets before, and if they are serving ham, and you don't eat it, then you starve.  Not so with this crew.

I so can't wait until the latter part of November or the early part of December, for the screening of this show.  Every shoot day, I get more and more excited to see the end result.  I am sure I will be the worse one up there (worse critic, remember?), but I am anxious to see it.

Hope I haven't bored everyone

Will have more to say in the coming weeks

Brian

brianharveytheactor.com