Saturday, August 20, 2011

Shooting Just Shoot Me

Here's an episode I directed that I'm particularly proud of. It's for JUST SHOOT ME, written by Andy Gordon and Eileen Conn. I had a lot to wrestle with that week, including an orangutan, rushing water stunt, and glow-in-the-dark paint effect. I'm sure you'll recognize the guest star. It's Lisa Edelstein from HOUSE.

The last scene was particularly wild. It was quite complicated and required numerous pick-ups. Problem was, I was fighting the clock. The issue wasn't going overtime and running the budget up. It was that the orangutan had a bedtime and if he wasn't in bed in time he got mean and would start biting and attacking people. I needed an hour for the pick ups. I got ten minutes. Happy to say mission accomplished and no humans were harmed during the filming of this show.



11 comments :

  1. Were any of the writers former magazine people? The characters and situations always felt very realistic to me.

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  2. I don't get it. Why did the monkey need to be there for the final scene? Shoot the monkey-bits, send the monkey to bed, shoot the human-bits?

    Am I a genius, or (much more likely) blatantly showing my complete lack of understanding of how television works?

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  3. Looks like the pre-Modern Family roster was running that show. Never watched it very often, can't remember why. Was hoping to see Laura San Giacomo wearing a wet outfit but a phosphate bath was not exactly what I had in mind. What's happened to Laura? Good episode - I enjoyed it. I also thought that the monkey played his/her role better than the cowboy did his. Coincidentally, saw a Frasier episode last night with guest star Lisa E. Excellent!

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  4. well directed sir, but i could do without David Spade - or without my arm, for the rest of my life.

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  5. I must admit that "Just Shoot Me" was one of a number of shows I missed out on - but I enjoyed this episode and laughed aloud a number of times.

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  6. That was the original first season opening, correct? Did they change it during the run or just for cable/syndication (the version I know, where the prologue doesn't have cast credits, then a five second clip of the cast shown in strips of photographic film, then just the title, and all front credits in the first minute or so of Act One)?

    I also love the line of Erin's I have never heard before...'I said faster, he said later-he was right"

    I, for one, am sorry you didn't get the opportunity to direct Finch's head being stapled to a wall.

    And how much more of Nina's purse can't be taken on an airplane today?

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  7. Have to admit that the only reason I watched Just Shoot Me was Wendie Malick.

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  8. Not the only reason, Dw, but certainly the "Take me, I'm yours!!" reason.

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  9. Jim, Cheers Fan8/20/2011 8:31 PM

    Wendie Malick was the main reason I watched, but George Segal had some great moments, too. And Brian Denehy as David Spade's father.

    I remember the cast appeared on some VH1 talk show, and you could feel the tension between Segal and Laura San G through the screen.

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  10. Anything that keeps George Segal employed is jake in my book. The man can do no wrong.

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  11. Please! When is the rest of the Just Shoot Me series coming out on DVD?

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