by Katharine Schroeder

When you spend time on a film set, you grow to appreciate actors, directors, and crew for a number of reasons, the least of which may be the extremely unglamorous conditions they occasionally work under. For example, we recently spent a day at a Southern California substation filming in a cold, dark, and damp underground tunnel dressed up to look like a sewer. The  decorators and designers created a very convincing set and when we descended into the underground area, I was amazed to find that it not only looked like a sewer, it seemed to smell like one too! Surely this was my imagination...or was it? I will never underestimate the lengths that filmmakers will go to in order to create a realistic set.

Filming for Rush Hour 3 had resumed after an unplanned break due to director Brett Ratner's illness. After taking a look at the set, Diana and I went over to base camp (this is the area where all the trailers are parked together) to see what Jackie was up to. I found him in the hair and makeup trailer, sitting in his chair and happily chatting away about current events while his makeup artist Felicity got him ready for filming. The television was turned on to a news channel and Jackie listened and then commented about everything that they were reporting on. We all talked for a while and after I took a few photos, we walked over to Jackie's trailer. 

If you've been reading Jackie's diaries for these past few years, you know that he isn't one of those stars that insist on things like a fancy trailer. He is more used to the Hong Kong style of filmmaking which is usually lower budget. However, for Rush Hour 3, Jackie has been provided with a really nice trailer and although he doesn't insist on having it, he certainly does appreciate what it has to offer, particularly the 500 or so channels that he gets on the satellite television! Jackie is a channel flipper and rarely stays on one station for more than a few seconds. Later I will tell you more about watching television with Jackie.

When we arrived at the trailer, we had some time to kill before we had to be at the set, so Jackie spent a few minutes signing his autograph on several items for charity. I also reminded him that he'd promised a prize to the person who could identify the prop that he mentioned in one of his recent diary entries, so we decided on using one of the Rush Hour 3 call sheets. Jackie wrote the word "Smart!" on it and signed his name. What a great prize!

After Jackie got dressed and was all ready to leave, I noticed that he was fussing with his shirt collar. He said that there was something scratching his neck, so Dorothy ran off to the wardrobe trailer to try to find another shirt. But Jackie wanted to figure it out for himself, so he took the shirt off and we examined the collar. We noticed that there was some polyester thread which held the tag on and that was obviously the source of the itching. I looked around the trailer for a pair of scissors to cut the tag out, and when I couldn't find any, Jackie took matters into his own hands and ripped the entire tag out of the back of the shirt. In the process, he tore a 5 inch hole in the shirt itself and when we saw what he'd done, we both looked at each other like two kids who'd just accidentally broken one of our mom's prize possessions.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed. "Look what you did!"
Jackie looked down at the torn shirt in his hands, looked back up at me, and we both burst out laughing.
"What are we going to do now?" I asked, silently hoping that Jackie wouldn't ask me if I know how to mend such a rip.
"No problem," he replied. "It's only torn on the inside. No one will see; just don't tell Ric." (Ric Spencer is Jackie's dresser.)

With that, Jackie put the shirt back on and since it was only torn on the inside, it looked just fine. I still wonder what Ric thought when he eventually saw the huge rip in the shirt. He probably wondered how in the world that had happened!

When it was time to go we all got into one of the vans that transports cast and crew members from base camp to the set. Soon we arrived at the substation where we would be filming for the day. We entered into a very large and open room where there was a ton of equipment and dozens of people very busily running this way and that way, preparing for filming. In the middle of this large area there was a stairway which led down into the underground tunnel where the set designers had created a very convincing sewer.

I left Jackie and went back downstairs to look around a bit more and was again amazed at how realistic everything was, right down to the drips coming from overhead. At this point there were several dozen people downstairs and as space was limited, it was important to keep out of the way. I walked around looking at everything, and I took a few photos (I can't show you the pictures, however). I was very happy that I had worn warm clothing since it was quite cold and damp underground. Several times during the day I saw Jackie and the other cast members huddling around the lights trying to get warm.  

Off to the side I noticed an actor practicing his lines. He was very serious and focused and it was obvious that it would not be a good idea to disturb him. I asked someone who he was and they told me that his name is Hiroyuki Sanada. He had just arrived from Buenos Aires where he was filming with Anthony Hopkins. He'd also just survived a serious car accident, coming away with eight stitches in his head. He looked very elegant in his suit, although he looked somewhat out of place walking around a sewer dressed all in white. Soon he went upstairs to prepare and I followed him back up to the light and warmth.

All around me people were busy and I did my best to stay out of the way. By now, most of the cast and crew were used to my presence and ignored my camera as I snapped away and scribbled notes in my notebook. After looking around a bit, I noticed that there was a snack bar stocked with lots of good food. Although we had just eaten breakfast, here was a whole array of fruit, muffins, coffee, tea, and cereal for the taking. I could certainly get used to this.

Jackie was practicing his dialogue with Diana and in between he was clowning around with other cast members. As I watched him, I was struck by how much more relaxed he seemed on this set than he had on the set of Rob-B-Hood. Here on a Hollywood production, he has less stress because he has less responsibility and although he complains about the waiting and the down time, he seemed to be enjoying himself entertaining everyone within earshot with his stories and jokes. For me it was a real treat because everyone was speaking English and I could listen and appreciate all the things that Jackie was saying on the set. Although my ability to understand Cantonese is steadily improving, it's tough to follow the flow of conversation sometimes, particularly when Jackie is working.

Soon it was time for Jackie to descend into the sewer where he would spend the next several hours working on a scene. Before we went down, he made sure that Brett was warmly dressed (in a JC Action and Power down coat, of course). Although everyone else was dressed warmly, Jackie and the other actors were not so lucky - they had to wear their regular clothes and as a result, they were quite uncomfortable most of the day.

Downstairs, Jackie and Brett discussed the scene as Brett ran back and forth acting out what his vision of the sequence was. On the set, Brett is full of energy and is very hands-on, demonstrating moves and suggesting line readings. During this time, Jackie is calm and stands silently, observing. When the action gets started, however, Jackie switches into high gear and darts back and forth around the set showing everyone what he wants from them. I stood off to the side with Haishu Li, an apprentice director on the set (you can read about her here). We watched as crew members checked lighting, sound, camera focus, makeup, hair, background, and one hundred other details before Jamie, the Assistant Director, yelled, "Rolling....and....ACTION!" At the sound of Jamie's voice, we all knew that it was time to get serious and most importantly, to get very quiet. Although Jamie is a very pleasant guy, he means business and he knows that time is money, therefore we all had to pay attention so as not to waste film. The entire time I was there, not even once did they have to redo a shot because of someone talking or making noise. If anyone is not within earshot of Jamie's warning, you can be sure they'll notice the loud bell and the spinning red light that signifies the cameras are rolling. Everyone on the set respects Jamie and the red light. 

After spending several hours down in the cold and damp, it was eventually time for lunch. We all came upstairs and headed over to the food tent where they had set up a wonderful hot meal for dozens of very cold and hungry workers. During lunch I sat with Diana, her nanny Saisie, and Diana's baby Christien ("Didi"). We were joined by Jackie's dresser, Ric Spenser. You will remember him from one of Jackie's diaries, I'm sure. He's the guy who promised to give Jackie one of his dreadlocks once filming is complete. I used the time during lunch to talk to Ric and ask him a bunch of questions about his work, and I will tell you all about him in a later Scrapbook entry. He's a very sweet guy and during the course of the filming he's become good friends with Diana and Saisie.

Once lunch was finished, it was time to head back to the set. When I got there, Jackie was ready and waiting, eager to continue and we all trooped back downstairs for an afternoon of more filming. It's amazing how involved one simple shot can be. For example, if you are filming one character talking to two other characters, you must film each actor's lines and reactions separately. Then you must film from different distances, in different light, etc. It is very time consuming and every time an actor makes a mistake with a line, it is necessary to start all over again. With a director like Brett - he's a perfectionist - there may be up to two dozen takes for the same scene. He can spot tiny differences in an actor's delivery and he knows how he wants things to look. So he is always saying, "Okay! Great! Just one more time." I learned that with Brett, "One more!" means "many more" and it is only when he shouts out "Got it!" that we know a scene has been successful. He is a very supportive and encouraging director and spent a lot of time reassuring the actors that they'd done just fine but that it was he who was looking for something just a little different. Jackie has said in his diaries that he can see how Brett has grown as a director and Jackie has a lot of respect for him.

Towards the end of the day, Jackie had a break from being in the sewer, so we went outside into the sunshine and sat on the edge of a truck to talk. As he looked around he noticed all the power lines and transformers nearby and asked me whether people living near these types of stations have a higher rate of cancer. I'd read reports about such claims and told Jackie that as far as I knew, tests were inconclusive. I added, however, that one would certainly be able to find information online that would support claims for either side. "It seems like everything causes cancer," mused Jackie. "Eat this, get cancer. Drink that, get cancer." I told him that I thought the "everything in moderation" practice was probably the most reasonable and he agreed. Now if only we could all stick to that. I immediately thought back to our dinner a few nights before. Jackie hadn't liked the food at the restaurant we were at, so he didn't eat much dinner. But when the desserts came out....whoa! I'd never seen anything like it! I think Jackie ate about 5 pounds of dessert! He just kept taking spoonful after spoonful of each dessert as I sat watching him with my jaw hanging open. It was really very funny - here was Jackie Chan, a man who exercises, doesn't smoke, and eats a balanced diet, pigging out on every kind of dessert you can imagine.

As we sat taking in the sunshine, Jackie mashed up his water bottle and began a game of basketball - the garbage can was the "basket" - with several crew members who had wandered outside. And in case you're curious, after all points were tallied, it was Jackie who was the victor.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. Jackie spent some more time upstairs as the crew set up shots in the sewer. He talked to friends, signed a few autographs, and recorded some diary entries with Diana. Time and time again Jackie pointed out the lights on the ceiling in the big room we were in. "Why are they on? There's so much sunlight - it's wasting power!" and then he scampered off to try to find a light switch to turn off the unnecessary lights. (He never found it.)

As night fell and the temperature outside dropped, it was time to leave and most of us were happy to be getting back to warmer places. As we drove home, I thought back to the day I'd just spent and felt great admiration for the crew I'd gotten to work with. So many dedicated, talented, and friendly people! I feel very lucky to be here and am happy I can share these experiences with you.

Here are a few more photos from the day:

  
Jackie talks with JC Stunt team member Brad Allen.

Jackie and his assistant Dorothy on the set.

Enjoying a warm drink to keep the blood flowing.

Stunt team members Mr. Lee and Park join Haishu Li for a photo.
(Photo by Guanhua Han)

Jackie signs his autograph for a friend.

Rush Hour 3 chair.

Jackie records the diary with Diana.

Stuffed animals - a gift from a friend - sit in the original Rush Hour chair in Jackie's trailer.

Text and photos ©2006 The JC Group. All Rights Reserved.

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