My Night On The Set Of 'Perfect Day'

Here is my report on my work as a Santa extra in the movie, A Perfect Day. I reported to the set, a hotel in the city, at 8:00 pm and finished the scene around 2:30 am. There were abut 25 extras working that night. It's my understanding that the movie crew was told by police to shoot after 11:00 pm as the street where we shot the scene was covered with artificial snow and blocked off for several hours while the crew filmed the action.
They used a combination of soap bubbles and foam, and it really did give the appearance it had snowed, even though the temperature outside was about 25 C while filming. The movie crew used their own cars and some of the cars of the extras (they paid additional to any extra actor/actress who drove their car in or loaned it for the scene) and switched license plates from our state (Louisiana) to the setting of the story, Missouri.
Everyone was dressed in winter clothes that they were instructed to bring or got from make-up on the set. After I arrived I was taken to make-up and put in a Santa suit, with beard , hair...everything Santa wears. I think it will be impossible to recognize myself if I make the movie scene, as the suit covers my appearance. But everyone kept asking me for gifts while I was dressed that way. Hehe Some drunk tourists seemed confused when they walked in the snow and saw me on that warm night.
My role was to stand in the background in this scene, a 25 second opening scene in the film. It was HOT in that Santa outfit, the 25 second scene taking about 45 minutes to complete., It was filmed several times with different camera lenses. In it I rang a bell and solicited donations for the Salvation army.
The main actor, Rob Lowe (I didn't even know who that guy was until someone told me. He sat in the hotel lobby where the extras were held and did not communicate with many people), walked in the snow past me, ignoring the street side Santa who was soliciting money for the poor. The camera followed him and other extras were placed in the background or walked in the allegedly cold December street at Christmas time. After walking past me Lowe entered the lobby where the second scene shot (I wasn't in that one) was filmed. This is a made for TV movie on TBS (a big cable station in the U.S), so you may never see it where you are?
It will be released in December and is a very loose variation of the Christmas Carol story made famous by Charles Dickens. The main character is supposed to be unhappy, aloof etc., and is transformed during the holidays. I was told this script was adapted from a book of the same name. It was interesting to watch the crew work and the scene itself was fun to do, but as with every acting job most of the time is sitting and socializing with other extras.
Food was available and after our scene was done "lunch" (at 2 am!) was given to everyone. We were released after returning our wardrobes an I was back home slightly after 3 am. This movie was filmed in the heart of the city, undamaged area, but there were few tourists or residents around. I could see how much the city is suffering after the storm.
Movie crews have long loved this city because our architecture is a mix of European and American and New Orleans has (or had before the storm) a different look from any other city. A few years ago the state gave movie companies huge tax breaks and financial rebates if they film here. That attracted many movie companies and there always seems to be a movie filmed partially or wholly here. The other day a big movie studio announced a 16 picture deal to film in New Orleans and another city in my state. I enjoyed the experience as I have with other extra jobs I worked. As with all other films I worked the crew was very efficient and polite with every actor on the set. They were surprisingly in a state of organized disarray. The appearance is that know one knows quite what is to come next, but every scene and movement is well choreographed in advanced and modified as needed.
It's a shame so many movie scripts are so bad, the technical end of movie making is quite good, but movie scripts provided are geared to the young teenager and often boring to the viewer who demands depth from a film. I have know idea about this film script and will a watch to see if I made it into that movie when it was released. Santa has put away his red suit and Ho Ho Ho and returned to being weird Jim.
Anyway, since I am still in the mood form the filming- Merry Christmas!