Archive for March, 2008

Making Porno, Part 2: Climax
Friday March 14 2008 @ 11:50 am

It’s been a long time since the last update, I realize; over two months, to be precise. My apologies for that and the total lack of SModcast during that period. I was preoccupied. Rest assured, SModcast will return the moment the recording gear gets back to L.A.

Around two in the morning Wednesday, we wrapped “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”. Poetically, it snowed right before we rolled for the last time… just after we’d laid a bunch of fake white stuff for an exterior shot at Zack’s job. It nicely summed up the uncooperative nature of the weather we’d grown accustomed to over the course of the production.

Banks did her last scene the night before, so Tuesday became a countdown of “production wraps” (when you check the gate after an actor’s/actresses’ last shot, and if it’s good, you announce their work completion on the show to much applause). First, it was Katie. Then, Mewes. Then Ricky. Then Seth. Then Traci. Then, we moved outside, and Craig and Jeff shot the only dialogue scene we had left to shoot. And with that, the last of our amazing cast was gone, leaving us with merely two establishing shots of a building before we had to say goodbye.

The crew was wonderful. Aside from working with people I’ve worked beside on almost every show, I got to work with people I hadn’t worked with since “Dogma” in ’98. There wasn’t a weak link in the bunch.

Monroeville/Pittsburgh (and all the surrounding towns we also shot in, like McKeesport, McKee’s Rocks, Hazelwood, the Southside, etc.) were so kind and welcoming. Thanks to everyone we may have inconvenienced while in your backyards.

Some folks have asked why I’ve been so stingy with the details on this flick, as opposed to flicks we’ve made in the past, during which I was blogging and posting pics galore. There’s no conspiracy behind it, really; I just wanna try something different this time. I want folks to discover the flick for themselves, instead of me jamming it down their throats. I’m also gonna try to keep from over-selling it with hyperbole and absolutes. I’ll let you guys apply those (good or bad) when the time comes. Just know that we had a problem-free, productive shoot in which everyone was firing on all cylinders and the result was THE FUNNIEST FUCKING MOVIE WE’VE EVER MADE!!!

* ahem *

No more hyperbole starting from this point on, I meant.

I spent all of Wednesday traveling and got to sleep in my own bed last night. When I woke up, I instinctively bolted for the shower, fearing I was gonna be late for call time. When I remembered that not only were we done, but that I was over two thousand miles away from our equipment and locales, I smiled and did the next best thing: took a shit on my own toilet.

Can’t wait to share it with you.

The movie, not the shit.