Saturday! On the SET of Addicts Anonymous with Freddie!

It's our day on set!! We're gonna be stars!!   And I don't feel good. Sinuses are draining and got that scratchy throat feeling.  Lack of sleep and nerves and sinuses catching up with me.  I can't be getting sick, I still have a whole lot of vacation left.  I add a trip to CVS to our list of things to do today.

We have to take a little more time to get ready today because we're going to be on camera (who knows to what extent) and Freddie said that they would just touch up things they didn't like, not do full make up.

We still don't have food.  I know. Seriously.  Britt has some protein bars that she got at a 7/11 to hold her over, but we are failing in the food dept.  We're going to go to eat at Paty's today - Freddie and Alyssa said they eat there all the time - and they were actually meeting there with the rest of the cast the day before to finalize shooting schedules - so we didn't want to go then and run into them like, "Oh hey, who knew you guys were going to be here?"  - Its another of those classic diners with great food. Britt gets the build your own burger with avocado (I told you to say "yes") and I get an omelet... Protein power in the morning.

That's some avocado!

There is is couple next to us and they communicate with each other like Mr. and Mrs. Kravitz (Bewitched) ... And her voice is about that grating.  She's complaining to the waitress - the bacon isn't crunchy, so obviously it has to go back, and the egg is cold... The waitress fixes what needs to be fixed and then re-checks on them to see if they're satisfied now.  "Well honestly it's a complete disaster, isn't it?" (Her phrasing reminds me of Little Edie) "The food wasn't right, and cold and came at different times. I swear it was a complete mess.."   This is when the husband chimes in and says to the waitress (dripping with sarcasm) "Yah, a complete tragedy".  The wife's head whips around to him, "What did you say?"   And he just laughs at her - its a breakfast.  They yammer at each other for a while - and when they leave I turn to Britt to talk about it - but she missed the whole thing...  A complete tragedy I tell you..

We're aiming for an 11:00 departure and we're right on time.  Siri tells us that the place we're going is only 20 minutes away, but we don't trust her one bit.  And we are NOT being late today!  I still want to get in a trip to WalGreens - but we want to get to the college first and then look for a place nearby.  They're filming at Pierce College in the Valley - and we actually get there in just about 20 minutes.  We ask Siri for a drugstore and she finds a CVS 3 miles from us, but after we drive for a while, it's 4 miles away... And on the way to the one she found for us, we see another one.  Lies.  Siri lies.

I get my drugs and throat lozenges and we head back to the campus. We're looking for the Admissions parking lot, we have specific instructions to get there and call the assistant director John... And he will come get us.

The other girls find us in the parking lot - and we're about 15 minutes early, but I go ahead and call John.  He's coming to get us... a little while later, still no John... And I look at my phone (on silent) and see a text from him - "are you in the Valley something parking lot?"   I call him back - No.. In the Admissions.  Where we were told told to be.   Ok - he's coming... And a few minutes later we see a guy with head phones and walkie talkie.. He looks like an AD. John is super nice to us - really welcoming and talks to us a little about what to expect. This is their first day of filming and they've been here since 6 and have to be out of the space by 7.  They're filming in a new building that hasn't opened yet, but is functional enough for their use.   The main issue is that it doesn't have any working bathrooms, so we have to go to a different building for that. He explains that they're filming a scene right now, but as soon as they get it, the whole cast wants to come out and meet us and thank us.

We get in and get settled, we can see the scenes playing out on the monitors and we see familiar faces watching them.  Shawn Christian is an actor on Days of our Lives also (Dr. Daniel) and he's directing the web series.. And Nate Hartley (IMDB him) is writer and producer.. Jack Briggs is another friend of Freddie's who has been involved from the beginning. He and Freddie have been the two people that I've been in touch with about arrangements.  It's a project that they've been working on for the past 3 years, writing and perfecting, and now it's finally happening.  Their excitement is contagious.The premise of the web-series is a college based addicts support group, all have different addictions, fire, anger, risk, food.. and it's lead by a character that I would describe as a young Michael Scott (the Office), who is played by Freddie. 

It's been about 10 minutes, and we don’t want to miss the cast when they come out, but we all decide that we could really use that bathroom.  John is our primary caretaker and he escorts 3 of us over to the other building and shows us where to find them. He could have just pointed, or even just taken us over and left us to find our way back.. But he's a great host.  Really - genuinely nice and not a hint of "why do I have to be the babysitter"..

We get back just in time and the whole cast comes out.  This project is different because it was completely backed by fans - so they're all super grateful when they're chatting with us, they make us feel completely welcome and part of the action.  Freddie and Alyssa are there.. Shawn Christian, and Molly Burnett (she played Melanie on Days), and we recognize other faces from the website.  

You can see lots of pics on their facebook page --- including pics of us... http://t.co/DV0COgu51o

Brittany is so great and she's being my video camera girl, capturing all of this.  But Shawn notices and says that she needs to get in the picture too.  He takes the camera from her and films the whole interaction for us! Super nice.

 

The scene has been re-set so its time for them to go in and rehearse the next scene to shoot.  The sound man gives us all headsets so we can hear what's happening .. The space is in the new library, and there is a large open floor space and then the walls are lined with offices and classrooms.   One of the classrooms is where they are filming, it has glass walls, but there are dry erase boards on wheels blocking it so that you can't see us from inside the classroom (and vice versa).  To see what's happening we have to watch the monitors.

 

They say its hurry and wait on a set and we see that process. I've been on sets before, but not live sets, and not one like this where they just run through it and take the first take.  The lights and set have to be set, then they discuss blocking for the scene, then do a couple of rehearsal run throughs, and then they shoot. And they shoot a few different versions, adding notes and direction based on what was in the last take.  There is also some adlibbing going on, and I'm not sure how they're going to pick which line to use and what gets cut. They were all cracking us up.

The crew is so accommodating, always checking in with us, and cast members come up and thank us personally through out the day.  It's a very positive and happy vibe on the set.  And they made us so happy to be a part of it.

At 1:30 they break for lunch and Freddie hangs out with us and chats more about the project and Days- he's really open and answers every question candidly.  Britt is recording (good girl) and he says that if he knows that's not going anywhere he'll tell us anything we want to know.  She explains that it's just for us, and that I'll use it to capture pictures from later..  He's satisfied with that answer and we have a nice chat at lunch.  I get in a few more of my questions.

As the day goes on, each time he gets a chance he comes and sits with us.  He has so many other things he could be doing, people he could be chatting with, and he's making us his priority.  Really just can't say enough about how much we appreciate that.

Nate's parents are on set and they are so nice!  His mother has bonded with Brittany and they've been chatting.  She's so proud of Nate and so happy that the project got funded - she wants to take pictures, but she says Nate tells her not to be a "stage mom" on set because its embarrassing.  She tries to sneak in a few pics.. She's so cute.  I help her with her camera to figure out how to capture video, and then she's trying to figure out Twitter so she can get some pics from there.  Britt refers her to me and I get her on a few places and grab some pics for her.  They have to leave soon, but they're trying to stay to watch the scene that we're going to be in (not because of us), and she was told it would be about 4... It's not...

This shoot is going to be intensive and I'm amazed at their stamina. They have 12-16 hour days for a 7 day shoot, and on the last day they'll be at a party scene shooting at a house with a big pool and a yard (frat house) from 6pm-6am.  That's not backwards - 6pm-6am.  Shooting all night after shooting all week?  Man.  Truck in the red bull.

We were told that we would be shooting our scene about 4:00... And that's obviously not happening.  But we hear them saying that they need to be out of the building by 7:00 or they have to pay more.  So we know we're not there all night.   Britt is getting sleepy, we've been sitting around the set all day and makes you groggy.  We realized earlier that we left the menus in the car, so I ask Britt if she wants to go get them now, maybe the walk to the car will help wake her up.

She's been gone for a while... And they are starting to get ready for our scene.. I'm getting nervous because I don't want Britt to miss her big debut, and I don't want to be the reason!  I text her.. But I'm sure her phone is on silent since we've been on set..  They have set
the lights, they've run through a couple of rehearsals... It's time, and still no Brittany.  I walk out of the building and see her!  She's just about to walk in!  Just in time!  Just as we're walking in, Nate's parents are leaving and she thanks us again and wishes us luck!

So, our big scene is walking and talking.  They tell us that we should really be talking about something as we walk so it will look better... We see and talk to each other all the time. And suddenly we have no idea what to talk about....  We finally figure that we'll talk about what we're going to eat at the restaurant tonight (we're going with the other girls to a place where Chandler goes all the time and is said to keep his (1st) Emmy) - Britt has looked at the menu online and I really curious about what she's going to eat.  She says she won't tell me until the scene, so it's REAL.  Who know how much of us you'll really see.

The scene is in a "hallway" (against a wall) and there is a kid/nerd (played by Charlie McDermott who plays Axl on "The Middle") standing there.  Jack is going to walk by and knock books out of his hand (his character has anger issues), and then before the nerd can recover, the sex addict (played by Alyssa) pushes him against the wall and plants a huge kiss on him, then walks off. He says, "that's what girl tastes like"..

Alyssa rehearses once with Freddie (playing around, shoving and kissing), and then with the "nerd".  Freddie is of course on set and just as she's about to lay into the kiss he yells, "this is just rehearsal!!"...

Freddie calls us (yes, by name - besties), and we get our mark and our cue ("on background").  It's our job to walk down the hall, past the need, not notice him, and just be talking and walking...  We do three takes, and I have to say, we walked the hell out of that scene.  The other girls on set were walking toward us down the same hall.  Each time Alyssa kissed (like a huge kiss) the guy, Freddie's hands went to his face...but that's what you get when you cast your girlfriend as a sex addict.   I have to say that even though we were just walking, there was some pressure in that there was a time crunch, they had like 30 minutes left in the building, and it was quite possible for us to trip or not "talk" right or something.. And the last thing you want to be is the person who can't walk right and is holding everything else up.

We were going to set up the camera on a tripod to capture our work,

but one of the cast members, Rakefet Abergel (comedian) said she would film for us.  So

we got all of it on tape - very cool.  (Except that we don't - I checked the camera and none of it recorded, I guess I didn't give very good instructions).  Molly coached us and said, "Now I want to see your intent in this scene!!". Afterward we talked to Freddie and he asked what we were talking about - he's really just this big nerd (that is totally a compliment) and he loved that we actually had something we were talking about.

There was one more scene to shoot in the hallway with Molly pulling the fire alarm and running.. And then that's a wrap on day one!!   As soon as "wrap" was out of the director's mouth, Freddie's hands were in his hair, missing it (perfectly).  His character is very straight laced and wears the hair down and flat.. Very un-Freddie.  I'll show you a before and after.

 

Before (flat hair)

Normal hair

With the glasses

Jenny did a great Vine, the cast saying "that's a wrap".. But Freddie misunderstood his cue and said "on day one" instead.  But it actually made it better.  Here's the link...

 

https://t.co/OUjCQAoSDr

They're still pushed for time to get out of the building, so we don't have much time, but Freddie is spending it with the fans again.  Wants to make sure everyone gets pictures, and we get the menus out for him and Alyssa to sign. He loves that we went back for them, such a cool idea (we can be cool and clever sometimes).  He starts to write my name and I almost stop him and remind him that its "En", but he did it right on his own before I can say anything.  "Look at you with the -En!!"   He smiles all proud, "I pay attention, I know how to spell it, I read all your messages!"..   Go Freddie.  More points for the name!  He thanks me again and tells me that we'll be in touch to be sure to DM him... Now will I test that? We'll see.

Alyssa comes over and says goodbye and signs our menus.. She says that we need to find her on Facebook.  Cool beans.  (We have – and we’re both FB friends with her now.)  They're doing the final clean up and Molly left her script - so I ask if I can have it.  Score.  I love a free souvenir.

Here are some more pics... Britt does great selfies!!

 

Great day!  And now time for food. I had never heard of the Beverly Glen Deli, so it's really cool that Jenny wanted to go there.  She had a picture of Chandler eating there, and we found "his booth", but did not see his Emmy.  There were people in the booth when we got there, but they left before we ordered and our waiter was very understanding when we asked to move.  Here's a pic of him and us in the same booth.

Food was good, and it was nice to debrief on the day.  We'd all been updating Twitter with pics during the day and so there were comments to catch up on.  I love what twitter does, but I'm not on it as much as many of the other fans that I know on there.  However these past few days have been twitter filled because people know that we've been on set and at the dinner.  So many people are actively asking us for updates.. it's been pretty crazy. 

LONG Day!!  To bed... tmw we have Warner Brothers tour... In-n-Out and the flight home!!