The Mentalist

Warner Brothers studios is probably the granddaddy of all the studios out here. Sure, you have Universal, Sony Pictures, Disney, Paramount, etc...all big. But WB is massive, and I couldn't wait to get on the lot with such rich history, and who knows...maybe even catch a glimpse of the Batmobile.

Wednesday's job had me booked there for The Mentalist, as I understand it, it's about a detective who is so observant, they think he is psychic and he allows them to believe it. Anyway...I was cast as a tow truck driver, and as we were all sitting in holding I began to look around, and it became evident as to what the scene was about. There were cops, detectives, reporters, divers, and then us...the 3 tow guys.

Hmm...sounds like a crime scene by the water, and something needs fishing out perhaps?

As we all sort of did our own detective work piecing the scene together, I was already on to my next observation, which made me laugh out loud.

"Holding" as I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, is the term used for where the extras are kept, sort of a base camp. How this terminology became acceptable is beyond me, personally I laugh at it as it sounds like a term used for cattle or livestock. Which leads me back to my amusing observation about yesterday. So, we reported to the Jungle stage, which is outside, down a trail into what looks remarkably like a jungle. (think POW scenes) But here's the kicker..."Holding" in this case, happened to be inside of an old wooden barn, and I just couldn't help but appreciate the humor in it all.

We broke for lunch around 3:30 and the AD said that she wouldn't need the tow guys, as they had to use their own production tow crew for safety reasons. However, she recast us, and needed 1 more detective for the last shot, and she asked me to do it. Which meant, I would need to eat quickly, head back to wardrobe and change. I toured the lot heading towards the Commissary and got to see some of the New York streets, as well as some of Chicago (for the ER shots), pretty cool! Well, I needed an iced coffee desperately, so I went into none other than 'Central Perk' the mom and pop coffee shop they used on 'Friends', however, sorry to disappoint...it was actually a Starbucks inside. After lunch, I tried to make my way towards wardrobe but again, the lot is huge, so I was a little turned around. No matter, in my journey across the lot I ran into the 'ER' stage, and saw a few of the doctors and nurses hanging outside smoking a cigarette, drinking coffee.

I made my way to wardrobe, suited up as the new dashing detective and was carted back to set. Our suspicions were correct, once I got to see the scene...they had submerged a car in the lagoon, and this was our scene of the crime. They actually had a fire hose filling the car with water from the other end of the lagoon, so that when the tow truck pulled it out, water came pouring out like it had been entirely submerged. Funny enough, on one of the takes the hose actually burst from the hydrant and there was a massive eruption of water, but the director had us press on to get through the shot, after which he yelled "Martini!" which is an industry term meaning that the scene was complete, and we were done for the day.

Look for me as the car gets towed out of the water, I am giving a statement to one of the reporters, as the divers come ashore.