Retroman
Avenger
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I know theres a Chicago thread but i found this report and it really sticks out for me not so much because of the scenes that are described or the set impressions but what this guy had to endure. It's quite an amazing story. IMO WB or whoever is behind this have gone too far.If the mods think should be merged then so be it.
From Frakking Off:
From Frakking Off:
Source Link: http://frakkingoff.blogspot.com/Sunday, June 24, 2007
Bat-Hunting
One of my goals this summer is to see some of the filming for "The Dark Knight." (sequel to Batman Begins). I want to see some of the big-name stars at work, as well as some action scenes. Unfortunately, work often leaves me exhausted at the end of the day (I often don't get back until after 8 - and then I need to cook and eat dinner), leaving little time during the week.
However, there's nothing wrong with going on the weekends. I had intended to go on Friday and Saturday night, but late night partying went on longer than expected, so I only got to go for the first time tonight. I wrestled with the choice, knowing that I had work tomorrow. Ultimately, I decided it was worth it - which is lucky for me, because I would later find out this was the last night they were filming on that particular set.
I had Edmund drop me off in the Loop on the way back home (we had both come from a dinner party thrown by our boss). This was on the block framed by Franklin, Wells, and Washington, where the filming was taking place.
The set was on the roof of a parking structure, which had all the open balconies, from first floor to the top, on the West side, boarded up. Presumably, the floors below the top were used for filming of certain scenes (I've heard stories about gunfire and firefights being heard from these sets over the past week), but the top floor was used as the GCPD roof, and was the one where everyone was working.
I started off on the street, and wandered around. There were lots of trailers, booms, mikes, camera equipment, security, PAs, and other people. Some signs were posted, indicating a shoot for "Rory's First Kiss," but I knew better, of course.
Across the corner from the block was a parking lot, completely filled with trailers for the actors and for make-up. They were labelled, and I was able to read the labels on those closest to the street. They included "Stunt Maroni," indicating Sal Maroni's presence in the movie (in the comics, he's the mobster who throws acid at Harvey Dent, thus making him Two-Face), and several "faux" characters. I'm not sure what "faux" means in this context, but I don't think it meant body doubles or stuntmen, as some of the trailers were labelled as such, without the use of the word "faux."
Surprisingly, several trailers were labelled as "Scarecrow Gang," followed by several first names. From all accounts, the Scarecrow won't be in this movie (he remained at large by the end of "Batman Begins"), but this seems to indicate differently.
I wandered by one of the streets near the set, and passed two cars on a flatbed truck. One was an old, blue, unremarkable pickup-truck. The other was a white van (a service van, like a cable company van, although it had no markings), with one side littered with six bullet-holes.
I went inside a nearby parking garage and rode the elevator to the roof. On the roof was a spotlight, used to provide illumination of the building. Each building had these massive spotlights shining onto a mirror, which aimed the light away from the block where the GCPD set was. Presumably, this was just to make sure the buildings were well-lit enough so that we can see the buildings in the background of whatever shot they were using.
There was one guy connected with the filming, in charge of the light. He was talking to a man and two kids, who had come up before me, explaining to them that they were filming for Batman. I stuck around and listened, while getting my first real view of the GCPD roof set. It was far, and I couldn't see much, but there was a LOT of activity on the roof of the set.
One of the kids recognized somebody on the set, and the three of them yelled across the street, to the set (on the other side of the next block), shouting over and over, trying to get the guy's attention.
Dumbasses.
The yelling got someone's attention, because very soon, some other ******* connected with the crew came up and told them they had to leave. The dad was arguing with the man for a good long while, so I just stuck around, watching the set. Eventually they left, and the security guy kept talking to the lighting guy.
After about five minutes, the security guy noticed me and asked if I was a part of the crew. Apparently, I looked the part. I actually did - wearing a t-shirt, shorts, a backpack, and acting like I belonged while the guy was arguing with the kid, the only thing preventing me from being able to claim myself as a member of the crew was the "RFK" ID card most of them had around their necks. Still, I said I was just watching and wasn't going to take any pictures (I actually couldn't - every single one of my damn batteries was dead. I don't know why, but every time I'm on the Dark Knight set, my batteries die instantly).
He was arguing with me, saying I had to get off the roof. It was a public area (at least, it wasn't his - the Batman crew doesn't own the structure), and he had no right to try and kick me off. I told him as such. He said it was "For my own safety," to which I responded, "It's a parking structure. It's designed for people to be able to park their cars and stand here."
So then he said something about a helicopter coming and it not being safe. Which is bull****, of course - there's nothing safe about helicopters in the air when you're on the rooftop of a different building. The UChicago Hospital helicopter comes closer to me than any helicopter they'd have. Furthermore, I'm 95% certain he was lying about there being a helicopter in the first place (I have several reasons to believe so, but they're not relevant at the moment).
Some guy came up in a golfcart and started speaking disrespectfully, threatening to bring the CPD up. I'm fairly certain it was a bluff - I wasn't breaking any laws - but then I looked at the lighting guy, who was standing in the background. He looked real nervous, like he was going to lose his job or something. He was a nice guy, he had talked to myself and the dad and kids, so I decided, for his sake, just to leave the roof.
So then I walked to the other side of the block the GPD set was on. While walking on the street, I passed a real hornet's nest of cops, standing around in uniform. It made me real nervous...
...and then I noticed their hats. They weren't the crappy checkerboard **** that CPD cops wore. And their uniforms were more intense (black leather, not the light blue stuff). I stepped in closer, and realized they were Gotham City Police uniforms. They were extras, all armed and decked out in complete gear - "GC" metal tags on their collars, GCPD badges on their chest, GCPD patches on their shoulders, leather jackets, and nightsticks on their belt.
So I stuck around, watching them all get their official photos taken and talking with a few of them (they were real nice guys). There were cops, detectives, reporters, journalists, and what looked like a couple of mobsters. They were joking around about all playing dirty cops - a likely possibility.
I headed over to the other parking garage in the area, which was much closer to the set than the first. I got to the roof, where there was another light and van, with the guy working this ilght looking over the edge on the other side of the structure. I stayed on my side, behind the van, so he didn't see me. I looked down, and was almost directly over the GCPD rooftop set. However, I was much higher up than the set was (by several floors), so I snuck down a few levels, to the 9th floor of the garage.
This was the most exciting part. Because right at this moment, the real action was taking place. I was so close, I was almost standing on the set. And the big stars were at work.
For there, holding the script and talking to the crew, was Aaron Eckhart (playing Harvey Dent). At first, I thought he was talking to his stunt double, who looked an awful lot like him. Then I realized that the double wasn't wearing a tie. And then I realized that the stunt double wasn't a double - it was Chris Nolan, the director! The man who had saved Batman!
And if that wasn't enough, one of the guys in suits turned around, and there was Gary Oldman (playing James Gordon), looking right at me...it was Gordon, in the flesh!
Chris Nolan was directing the two of them, getting them to act angry and upset. I saw him coach Oldman into a very angry outburst - clearly the scene involved a big argument between Dent and Gordon, and right in front of the Bat-Signal, to boot (Yes, I saw the Bat-Signal!).
It was really awe-inspiring, seeing these big name actors, portraying these larger-than-life heroes, in real life - not just on the screen.
It was like I was actually in Gotham City, seeing Dent and Gordon for real, doing what they do, for real.
Of course, usually when Gordon and Dent meet on the roof, it's to meet with Batman (in the comics, pre-Two-Face, they form an effective triumvirate to bring down the Mafia). I'm fairly sure Batman was supposed to step out soon, because that's when the intimidation squad made their move, cracking down to make sure nobody got a view of the Caped Crusader.
There I was, watching the set, not making any noise, not taking any pictures, just enjoying myself, when this car comes ZOOMING at me from the other side of the structure. It was an attempt to intimidate me, by sending the car flying and slamming the brakes suddenly, less than six inches from my legs.
I wish there was footage of this, because this was a shining moment - I wasn't going to let these goons intimidate me. As the car approached, when I first noticed it, I turned my head to look at the driver for a brief second. It was halfway across the structure, showing no signs of slowing down, speeding towards me. And I just turned my head back and continued to watch the set.
I knew the car was about to hit me, but I didn't do anything - they knew and I knew, that if they hit me, their ass would be in a sling (even if I didn't do anything about it afterwards).
Clearly, they were frustrated by my failure to react to their scare tactics. They got out of the car and waited, and I refused to acknowledge them. After a few more seconds, having realized that I wasn't going to give in to scare tactics or pay them any attention, they came right up to me and tried to get in my face.
These guys were clearly hired based on their physical attributes. They were gigantic, muscular, bling-wearing, tough-talking black men, getting their fingers in my face and shouting at me, telling me I had to leave, immediately, or they'd haul me away. One of them was wearing a police-like badge, but it was clearly just for show - this guy wasn't a cop. A cop would know how to handle this situation, and intimidation isn't how you start. He didn't talk like a cop, and he didn't act like a cop. No, these were two thugs, hired to try and muscle people away.
Now I'll forgive the guy for not knowing who I was and treating me as such - most of my work isn't in the Loop (my business usually takes me more often to the South Side, Hyde Park, and spots of the North side). So if he doesn't give me all the respect I deserve - so be it. But the complete lack of respect, and attempts to intimidate, were insulting - even to an average person.
I attempted to explain to him that it was a parking structure, and he had no business telling me where I could and could not be if I wasn't on the set. He argued back, and started to threaten physical violence. I'd stand up to the ****er in a fight, if I had to.
Still, I kept cool - I have a lot of respect for the people making "The Dark Knight," even if a couple of thugs were representing them poorly.
I had seen Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart, close up, at work, with Chris Nolan, in front of the Bat-Signal. I had seen a car just come out of a firefight with the Joker and the mafia. And I had seen an entire squad of GCPD cops. It was getting late, and I had a long journey back home to Headquarters in front of me, before work in the morning. So I decided to walk away from the two *******s.
And so concludes my latest visit to "The Dark Knight" sets, in my hunt for Batman.
I'll probably try again next weekend, although word is that shooting on this set is done after tonight. Still, there is plenty of other shooting going on throughout the summer - and, I'm told, in two weeks, there will be some more night-shooting, this time on the streets (involving the Batmobile and/or the new Batcycle), which should be very exciting.
I also got a real good view of the ID badges the crew was wearing, so it should be easy for me to create a mock-up forgery, and walk right on the set.
And if I'm lucky, the damn anti-battery field won't be on-line, so my fully charged batteries will stay charged, and I'll be able to get some good pictures.
posted by Zaid Alawi at 11:18 PM
