Not so Easytoassemble...

Everything was set for me to bring the car down to LA for the shoot.

About a week early, I got a call from the Production Coordinator.

"Can we come by and pick up the car early?"  The car was in Seattle.  What? No, not possible.

I finally had to tell them me and the car were not in LA.

"We have moved the date up and need it asap."  She said.

My friend has a mountain cherry orchard and for 3 years I have helped him run a cherry business in Seattle. I had been up all night from climbing cherry trees in the desert mountains of Royal City a 3 hour drive from Seattle.  I needed a good night sleep.

A few hours sleep behind me, they called again, this time the car was packed and running in the driveway.

"Can you make it? The call time for the car is 1st thing next morning."

The car was running in the driveway, "I'll give it my best shot."  I said. It was 10:30am.

I drove and except for gas, didn't stop.

The day ended and darkness fell along I-5 just Northwest of Bakersfield.  I drove through the darkness and as I hit the Grapevine the sun eased up from the horizon.  

Early in the morning, I pulled into Santa Clarita, an hour early.

I got a text.  "Are you here?  We've pushed your call time till 3pm so you have time.

I was there and headed to a parking lot to stretch out a bit and give the car a good cleaning.

The car was filthy from using as a cherry orchard wagon and driving 1200 miles.

I waxed that old yellow wagon in the cool morning desert air to a nice yellow glow.

The shoot was at a nice Hotel in Valencia. When I arrived I felt amazing.

I checked in with the crew and relaxed in the lobby for awhile.

They were shooting scenes in one of the hallways on the third floor.

It was the typical chaos of PA's camera, lighting, actors, photographers, and caterers.

I saw Illeana just for a second moving in and out of the scenes.

The Director Micheal Kang, who is awesome and the DP came down and asked for a tour of the car.

When they saw the car, they looked amused and confused.  "This is the car?" They asked each other.

The word got out that I brought the wrong car.

She wanted the blue car but she thought it was Yellow.

All the emails said, bring the yellow car.

So thats what they got, the yellow car.

They checked out the angles for the shoot and positioned the car.

It was lunch, we all piled into a dining room in the Hotel.

I saw Justine Batemen talking with someone in the hall.

I excused myself and passed between them.

After lunch we piled into the parking lot with crew, actors and gear. 

We were supposed to be in Sweden, so they put up "green screens" behind it.

The camera was on the dash, Eric Lang and Mia Riverton were in the back seat. It was a taxi and they were on a date.  Eric is awesome and very entertaining.  Mia is beautiful and graceful and she was also very pregnant.  

As they shot Illeana was friendly, funny, full of smiles and hospitality.  

I stood by and watched. She invited me into the shoot.  I had been on set for several other shoots and was familiar with the goings on.  But she made me feel welcome in her creation.

Nice, Illeana. Easytoassemble.tv Thanks.