AMERICAN IDOL / FORD SHOOT AT MY HOUSE -- PART 2

This is PART 2 of what happened when a film crew from "AMERICAN IDOL" / "FORD" came to my house to shoot a Commercial for the show.

So the photo above was what got me in a lot of trouble with one of the crew members working the shoot.

Here’s how it went down – I was walking around the set (my house) with two of my dogs when singing contestant Elise saw “Maui” and picked her up. Earlier I had gotten a picture of Elise with another of my dogs, "Buddha."

“I already have a picture of you and Buddha,” I said. “Can I get a picture of you holding Maui.”

“Yes!” Elise answered.

I framed the picture and fired off the first shot (which you see above). I like to snap at least two shots (working in the film business has taught me to always make sure you have a “safety” version of “the shot”) so I said, “Okay, one more… just in case…”

Suddenly, someone stepped between us -- a crew member. I’m going to show you who it was that intervened, only because, if you keep reading, you’ll see that I have nothing but compliments about what this man did --

This crew member (I don’t know his name or production position)  said, “This is a closed set. There are no pictures. Take the dog from Elise and don’t shoot anymore pictures.”

Elise handed Maui over and said, “You got the one picture, right?”

And I said, “Yes, I did. Thank you so much! It was beautiful.”

Then I did my best to hold my head up high, with Maui in my arms, as I walked with shame across my own living room carpet in front of the other contestants as I left the area like a common groupie who had somehow gotten by security only to be caught red-handed after my first few words with one of the stars. 

I ended up hiding in my master bedroom, trying to re-group mentally after my embarrassing rebuke.

It took me awhile. 

I wasn’t used to being told not to do something. Frankly, I wasn’t used to being told not to do something for years. And I was certainly not used to being told not to do something in my own house!

But while sitting there thinking, I finally remembered the time I was almost thrown off of a production set… of a film I was producing!

The production was in the middle of a financial crisis, and I was showing around a potential financier in the middle of the shoot. I was talking to this financier so loudly that the Assistant Director had to previously warn me two times before he finally said on the third time – “Mr. Finney, if you keep on talking so loudly I’m going to have you escorted from the set.”

That’s when I realized that you hire department heads of a film production for a reason – to do their job! The guy that I hired to A.D. my production was charged with supervising a film set and if it meant ejecting the Producer from the shoot to keep the production  moving forward… then a good A.D. would do exactly that… even if it meant losing his job. Because… that’s what an A.D. is supposed to do. 

But I digress…

Back to the A.I./Ford shoot at my house –

This guy, who spoke to me about a “closed set… no more pictures” watched me slink away from the room, which became suddenly quiet as I walked out. No doubt someone came up to him later (probably moments later) and said, “dude, that’s the owner of the house.”

I don’t know what his reply was, but I’m going to guess it was something along the lines of – “I don’t give a shit who that was, this is a closed set, and no one is to bother the talent.”

If I’m right then my reaction as a producer of movies is to say just one thing – “hire that man for one of my productions!”

I went into all of this detail to give you, the reader, an insight into what these contestants are being surrounded by – crew members who guard them like pit bulls and who take care of them like they are veteran movie stars!

Some people might say, “how can you allow someone to talk to you like that … especially in your own house.” My answer – I grew up in Hollywood. I worked in Hollywood. I work in Hollywood and… the TALENT is the TALENT.

I don’t care if we’re talking George Clooney… or someone working their first film… TALENT should be guarded always like they are… GEORGE CLOONEY!

Here's only one of the reasons why -- Often times the only time "talent" can relax is between shots. Or they take the time between shots to prepare for their next shot. The last thing they want is having someone come up and shove a dog in their arms and say, “let me get a shot of you two together…” There’s almost no way the talent will say, “Please, leave me alone.” 

Not in the age of “TMZ.”

So, people, like the guy we’re talking about, have been hired to say “no” for the talent. Their job is to protect them… from everyone out there who wants a piece… Including someone who happens to own the house they are shooting in!

After lunch, there was a sense of urgency in the production because the guys running the commercial shoot wanted to get as much done as possible before challenging the temper and patience of the cast and crew.

Rather than falling into a stupor after lunch, (did you know that film crews in France are allowed to drink wine during lunch? Everyone who has ever shot a film there tells me, “make sure you get all the important stuff shot before lunch) the crew hustles to get a lot shot in the next six-seven hours. Clearly, everyone wants to go home at a reasonable time and avoid a cold, pitch dark environment during the wrap.

I have a couple visit the set to watch the production during this time. I purposely made sure they attended the shoot because they are thinking of having a future indie film production use their house as a location. The couple watch the proceedings with shocked eyes. Neither can believe how the production crew has turned areas of my house upside down.

“I always tell the home owners that they should go away during the shoot, check into a hotel and forget about their house while we are shooting.”

That quote is from, Ian, the Production Manager of the commercial shoot. He’s been through these kind of situations hundreds of times. He makes the recommendation because… he’s been through these kind of situations hundreds of times.

It’s chaos during the shoot… but every time after the shoot is over, the place they work in winds up being exactly as it was before they arrived. The only difference is whether the homeowner is there to witness the shoot or not!

Okay, so after witnessing the shoot, the couple who were thinking of hosting a production… change their mind. "No way is any film crew allowed within 100 feet of their property..." They were dictating the terms of the restraining order to their lawyer as they walked away from my house.

The truth is that I drink every day… but on a day like today… I drink twice as much!

By the time I hear that the production is getting ready to shoot the last shots outside of the house… I make my way out to take a look.

There I run into several neighbors who have gathered to watch the final part of the production. Some of these people I haven’t seen in years. I don't think anyone notices the alcohol on my breath because they are so caught up in the excitement of the production. I see that most of them are eating treats from the refreshment table and feel good that they are getting something out of today’s production.

All day long the production shuts down traffic leading into the area. And there is the relentless whine from the portable generators permeating throughout the neighborhood. A couple bags of Skittles for each neighbor is the least they are entitled to!

The scope of the equipment in play is pretty impressive! The crew has a massive crane shot worked out that will capture the final shot of the Ford car pulling into the driveway and then speeding away with some of the contestants. The singers come out on the walkway... take after take... until the director gets all of the “coverage” he needs for the commercial.

Then, suddenly, everyone around me starts to move like lightening. I didn’t hear the actual “Wrap” call but someone must have said it because everyone has shifted into overdrive.

A few minutes later I walk up my driveway at the same time all the contestants file past me to get into the van that will take them away from my house… back to their hotel where they will get ready for yet another day in the “American Idol” boot camp.

“Tell me the truth” I joke with Ian later. “You selected my house only because I had a beautiful circular driveway that you could pull the Ford car up in at the end of the commercial?!”

“No, that's not true! Well, your circular driveway was a definite plus, but we loved your house… and we loved your enthusiasm. You seemed to really like the show.”

“Yeah, I love the show…”

And I still do… even after they’ve shot at my house!

In fact... I love the show more now that they've shot at my house. I feel like it will be family when they start to eliminate the contestants...

Oh… wait… sorry… here’s who I think is going to win this year… 

Every time I would shoot him he would make the same face. Maybe because I never got the chance to explain to Phillip Phillips the power of the Hawaiian Mojo that my beautiful Maui could have blessed him with!

Despite my best efforts to get closer and explain things to him, there was this creepy guy with a mustache always watching everything I was doing…