On Location

It’s a familiar sight to anyone who’s spent time in Los Angeles--the film crew and its white trucks and trailers cordoned off from neighbors and passersby hoping to glimpse their favorite screen stars. But usually all that onlookers really see is equipment and people who appear to be just standing around. What goes on at a location shoot? And exactly what is in those big trailers?

Since the early 1900s, when film pioneer Mack Sennett shot the Keystone Kops on San Fernando Valley streets, sites in Los Angeles and the Valley have been popular with film crews. For example, about 125 TV and film projects were shot last week on city streets. Recent shoots in the Valley include the TV shows “JAG” (at the Naval and Marine Reserve Center in the Sepulveda Basin) and “Nothing Sacred” (Canoga Park), and the upcoming film “Mighty Joe Young” (Ventura Boulevard).

Location shoots involve more setting up than actual filming--one day of shooting may produce only six or seven minutes of finished film. Actors might spend a good part of the day in their trailers, which range from austere to plush. Star Waggons in Sylmar even leases a top-of-the-line, three-level trailer called the Mega Star, complete with kitchen, bathroom, two televisions, 7-foot ceilings and skylights.

A film crew on location is completely self-sufficient--it brings everything it needs for a typical 12-hour shooting day. Equipment is adapted to roll off the trucks, and sometimes sets are built on site. It’s a uniquely mobile industry, said “JAG” second assistant director Brian Faul at a recent location shoot: “We set up our factory on people’s front lawns and play lots.”

Shooting in a residential area can be disruptive, but since the city and county film offices merged in 1995, forming the nonprofit Entertainment Industry Development Corp., more of an effort is being made to notify neighbors before a film company starts shooting.

“I think people are beginning to recognize how important an industry this is for our economy,” said the corporation’s Michael Bobenko. “People want to keep filming in the city, but filming must be done responsibly. It’s a balancing act.”

LIGHTS...CAMERA...ACTION

A typical location shoot has an array of trailers, including some or all of those shown below. Some trailers are owned by the production company, but many are usually leased--seven to eight months for a TV show and an average of 10 weeks for a movie.

* Star trailers are used by the production’s top actors. Amenities vary from basic mobile dressing room to plush trailers with leather sofas, stereo, TV and VCR, and kitchen. Cost: $300-$1,400/week.

* Honey wagon has up to eight dressing rooms for background extras, usually with television, stereo and sink, as well as bathrooms for extras and crew. Cost: $900-$1,400/week.

* Wardrobe trailer has closets, drawers and usually double rails to hang costumes. Steamers, irons and cleaning materials are also available. A tailor is usually on hand to make last-minute adjustments. Cost: $650/week.

* Hair and makeup trailer has up to six makeup stations, bowl for washing hair, and storage drawers and cabinets. Cost: $1,100/week.

* Catering truck serves full meals to crew usually twice a day for a 12-hour shoot. Craft services truck provides snacks between meals.

* Grip truck holds set equipment such as ladders, diffuser screens and tracks that cameras roll on.

* Electrical truck carries lights, cables, generators and any other equipment required to light a scene.

* Prop truck contains any objects held, manipulated or referred to by actors in the script.

* Special effects truck is a “workshop on wheels,” containing items such as torches, blanks, fake fire hydrants, presses, grinders and anything needed to blow things up and create rain, smoke or fog.

* Camera trailer is the smallest and most mobile. It holds expensive sound and camera equipment such as spare camera bodies, Steadicams and walkie-talkies. Many even have a darkroom on board for loading and unloading film magazines.

The Film Crew

* Gaffer is in charge of lighting

* Best boy is assistant to gaffer

* Grips move equipment around

* Key grip is head grip

* Sound mixer records sound, adjusts levels of actors’ voices, mixing in background sound to create impression of a real place.

* Boom operator holds boom microphones above actors’ heads

* Background extras

* Director supervises on-camera action

* Assistant director (AD) is manager of the set, writes up cast and crew schedules

* Script supervisor follows along in screenplay, making detailed notes about how things look and sound, called “continuity”

* Crane is used for aerial shots

* Scrims or silks are screens that diffuse or reflect light

Top Valley Filming Sites

Frequently filmed locations in the Valley from June 1995-Jan. 15, 1998:

Days:

Location: Cadillac Jack, (motel and restaurant) Sun Valley

Days: 64

Location: Private residence, Orion Street

Days: 51

Location: Woodley Park, Tillman Plant

Days: 45

Location: Whiteman Airport, Pacoima

Days: 36

Location: Private residence, Agnes Avenue

Days: 9

Location: Hansen Dam

Days: 8

Sources: Entertainment Industry Development Corp.; Chloe Entertainment Inc.; El Monte RV Studio Rentals; Star Waggons; Bragman Nyman Cafarelli; “JAG” assistant director Brian Faul. Researched by JULIE SHEER/Los Angeles Times.

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Film Shoots

Last year, on-location shooting was almost double what it was five years ago.

Out-of-studio Production Days

(in thousands)

Includes feature films, commercial, student, photography, television, music and miscellaneous.