Intern Diary Part Two

After being a part of all the prep that goes into an episode, it's time for me to see first hand what goes into making a truly spooky episode of "R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour"...

Wonder who is inside these trailers?

Dec 9, 2010
It's my first real day on set visiting the cast and crew in action for “My Sister The Witch.” They've already been shooting for three days, so this is more than halfway into the production. Everything moves fast in television! Let's see if I can keep up: I've written this diary entry in real time so you can get an idea of how a day on set is really spent.

Oh, that's who!

11:00am
I've already been on set for an hour. It's not too bad- yesterday they started at 4 am! (Good thing I escaped that one!) The cast is getting their hair and make up done, and the crew is putting the finishing touches on set decoration, lighting, and all other details for the first scene.

One thing they do amazingly on set (among many other things) is feed you!

I've already had a delicious breakfast care of Doc the chef and the catering team,and my valiant chariot driver Stephen has shuttled me to the circus and back to pick up something I forgot (the circus is where all the trailers and offices are, and where everyone parks their cars). 

The transportation team can get you anywhere in no time!

Now I'm fitted with little blue booties to wear inside the house, which is a real family's home that we've rented out for the week, and I'm going to watch them set up the shot with the stand-in actors, Rhys and Bree.

So chic, right?

11:45am
I checked out inside the house and they haven't yet started filming, so I'm outside talking with the greens team. They are the people who arrange everything- you got it- green for each episode: shrubs, holes in the grass and giant tree stumps... This team of two has been working together for ten years on all sorts of productions around the city, and luckily they like to spend so much time together-they're married!
I am also walking all around the house to see how they set up lighting- through the wonder of television, day can become night, and a typical house can become one full of magic, effects and some other verrrry interesting things you're going to want to see when the episode airs.

Are they wrapping the house up for Christmas? Nope- they're just making it look like nighttime inside!

12:14pm
I just finished chatting with Darcy, the head of special effects, and his assistant Aaron. We had lots to talk about, because they have already done all sorts of exciting effects in the episodes that have been filmed (seriously- you're going to want to see their work on “A Creature Was Stirring”-wow!), AND they both love old movies like me.There's all sorts of things we can do with computer generated effects nowadays but  there's still something totally exciting about creating real, full-blown effects. It's science AND magic, and Darcy and Aaron showed me how they set up some spooky elements like fog, fire and things that spout goo- movie magic at work, people!

12:30pm
The cast just arrived!! Pete and Alice are literally in the house! Now we get to see them in action- quiet on the set! And action- we're rolling...

See? Uriah and Jodelle, getting ready for the scene.

1:24pm
I met with the stars, Uriah Jackson and Jodelle Ferland, very quickly before they start another scene. Juggling lines and school and creepy crawlies would make me want a stop time spell, but these pros have it all under control.
Random past experience acting fact I just learned from Uriah: toads pee when they're nervous. Unfortunately, Uriah learned this the hard way... yikes.

2:45pm
I'm having a hot chocolate with Anne Marie Deluise, who plays Donna, the mom of Pete and Alice. We talk a little bit about everything- acting, and family and being a mom to her own young son. She is so nice! And patient- wait 'til you watch the episode and see how she gets to spend her day today...

4:17pm

Spoooky.

It's already dark out- must be winter! And (late) lunch time! I'm going to head to the school bus that serves as our cafeteria and chat with Jodelle and Uriah about filming this episode. Stay tuned to this site and The Hub to see these special chats!

5:38pm
You wouldn't believe how spooky it is outside here! Real fog, a real sliver of moon, and real coyotes howling, plus eerie lighting and an extra bit of movie fog rolling around... it's not just the haunting hour, it's the haunting night!

Even more spooky.

6:33pm
I had a great conversation with Chad, our assistant location manager- he used to fight forest fires. A helicopter would drop him off right in the middle of the blaze, and then they would have to fight to control the burn while bombers dumped water and foam on all the fire (and the firefighters). Intense work-- prepared him for a different sort of intense workload here on set. Woo!

7:30pm
Still at it! And we've got a lot more scenes to shoot tonight...

8:03pm

I'll say it one last time- this set was spooky. The episode will be even more spooky. So watch it!

Production Assistants are the people who do all the et cetera work on a set- like making sure people passing by don't enter into scenes, moving elements around, and running errands. I've talked with a lot of them here, and I've found out it's a great way to get experience in the business. All of the smart and interesting PAs I've been speaking to have great plans for how they're going to make their mark in the movie and television business. Watch out world!

8:45pm
I'm spending some time in the green room while the upstairs filming area is too cramped to have any people watching, and here I get the chance to chat with Cindy and Valerie, Uriah and Jodelle's moms. Both are SO nice and have a lot of experience to share. We talk about all sorts of things, like traveling to new places to film, and about school, and I get to see one of Jodelle's art projects- Jodelle is very creative! Having seen her play some characters that are convincingly spooky, in real life she is the total opposite- bubbly, confident and approachable. Uriah is incredibly thoughtful, funny and friendly. And he has mad skills- black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Wu Shu, singing, scuba diving... there doesn't seem to be anything Uriah can't do when he puts his mind to it, and all at the age of thirteen!
After chatting with the stars themselves, and with their moms, I really can see why both these young actors are such clever and nice people.    I can't wait to see what they will accomplish next, because it's sure to be impressive.

9:14pm
The two younger actors have gone home and we have just a few scenes left. In the green room I also talk with Deb, Janella, Tracy and Jill, who are the lovely ladies who do everyone's hair and makeup: some of the first people on set in the morning and some of the last people to leave. They keep everyone beautiful for hours. Back in the day I've done makeup artistry and hair styling for fashion shows, but it's a whole other game in television because you have to make sure it's the same in each shot and scene. That's a lot of attention and fixing to do when your characters are in wind and fog, running and screaming!

Some say these things are orbs. I say it's the fog that was EVERYWHERE.

9:20pm
Robert Moloney plays Charles, the Harris father in this episode, and he is super cool to talk to because he has traveled all over the country to work on many different film and television projects- and he's from the same hometown as me! Good thing he's seen all the different types of weather this country has to offer- because he's about to go film a scene outside and it is pouring rain...

10:00pm
Well, my time on set is coming to a close. As I am driven back to the circus, final shots are being taken and then the set has to be tied up for the night until shooting begins again tomorrow. I can't believe how exhausted I am, and I've just been talking and watching all day.
Thanks to all the people on set- everyone was so friendly and informative and hardworking. It takes a lot of work and creativity to make a television show, but it's all worth it in the end when you get to see the magic you've made!

Now I really, really can't wait for everyone to see this episode on The Hub Network in the new year. “My Sister The Witch” is sure to bewitch everyone, and the rest of "R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour" will send chills down your spine, too-
so don't forget to tune in to our premiere on The Hub Network December 25th!