The Good Life ~ Sacramento
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for Filming in Sacramento
Spells of the Season
Don’t Fear the Fun
As the mornings turn crisp and the night sky fills with wisps of smoke and moisture, you might find yourself craving the coziness that can only be found in darkness and the subtle titillations of fall’s enchantments. This Weekend, why not begin the immersion with a pinch of this and dose of that?
Go See a Play
‘The K of D: An Urban legend’ at B Street Theatre runs through October and straight into November. http://www.bstreettheatre.org/
Hit a Round for Charity
10th Annual Fairways to Fairytales takes place in Folsom this Friday, benefitting Fairytale Town. http://www.fairytaletown.org/events/fairways-to-fairytales-golf-tournament/
Celebrate the European Way
Sacramento Turn Verein’s 45th Annual Oktoberfest will melt away the stress.
http://www.sacramentoturnverein.com
Spook Yourself Silly
Old Sacramento Ghost Tours will enchant, entrance or chill to the loveley bones. http://www.historicoldsac.org/programs/programs-ghost.asp
Visit the Big Screen
Sacramento Horror Film Festival promises to get the adenaline pumping. http://www.sachorrorfilmfest.com/index.php?profile=shff
Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will expand your worldview. http://www.siglff.org/wordpress/index.php
Get Seriously Creative (or Creatively Serious)
Dia de los Muertos creative classes and colorful celebrations are cropping up all over the city. http://sacramento.downtowngrid.com/events/index.php
For more events, information and autumn enchantments visit http://www.sacramento365.com/search/results
The Mentalist, Pt. II
The Mentalist Wraps His Mind Around Sacramento
Shot around and within the State Capitol, it is amazing to see how long it can take to set up, shoot and wrap up one tiny little scene. What takes so long? Setting up the camera, configuring angle, lighting and sound; arranging the stand-ins (when the stars are off getting beautified), extras and props; rehearsing, shooting and troubleshooting the unforeseen (like a loud motorcycle passing by, fans gathering within camera range, a flock of noisy birds, etc.).
Contrary to what I always thought, the actual “acting” time is much less than the overall production of it all, with crew running around and scrambling to manage a myriad of elements at once. But this allows the rest of us – cast and extras alike – to ease up, fall out of character, stand around and take a breather… Almost like… equals.
Yes, the stars get chairs with their names of them and I’ve seen some kicking back in slippers between scenes. But I’d do the same if I had the chance. And while an extra can feel like a lowly creature with even lower wages waiting around to be herded around the set… ‘Hurry up and wait’ is just the name of the game for most who partake in such endeavors, and you’ve heard it before, but show biz is rarely as glamourous as it seems.
Still, feeling satisfied about a hard day’s work come evening? Priceless, whether you’re a crew member shoveling horse manure from a set location, star signing autographs between takes, or extra in the middle of it all.
Watch for this season of The Mentalist, starting Thursday, September 24th.
Lights, Camera, Action, Enjoy
Crest's Marqui Being Remodled
Now in its 11th year, the SF&MF has grown quite colorfully to embrace and encourage new facets of filmmaking. Two programs for local filmmakers, both in their seventh year, encourage and support community engagement. Sac Music Seen is a program that matches local filmmakers to local musicians to make original music videos, with almost 150 completed projects to date. The 10×10 Filmmaker Challenge is SF&MF’s own answer to the guerilla filmmaking phenomenon, with teams being allowed ten days to make a ten minute movie.
The Festival also partners with other longstanding community events, such as the Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. This year, one evening includes a fascinating pair of documentaries about the dangers to senior citizens in the LGBT community who sometimes find themselves going back into the closet to avoid discrimination in settings like assisted living facilities, and a film about transgendered musicians and singers.
SF&MF’s ongoing relationships allows for further interesting partnerships, including Sony, Rubios, Sacramento News & Review, Capital Film Arts Alliance and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Arts Initiative. “Our primary mission is to showcase the work of talented filmmakers, but we’re also very much a community arts event and we work closely with our partners…to promote local interest and involvement at all levels.”
Sacramento’s TV Series: The Mentalist
The Mentalist
Apparently, the television show ‘The Mentalist’ is “set” in Sacramento. Naturally, most of it is filmed in Los Angeles. But just this past week, Sacramento saw it’s ‘own’ series come to life in its own backyard, when The Mentalist and its stars came to town on Thursday and Friday. As I was fortunate enough to be cast as an Extra, I can shed a little inside light on what this was actually like…
The morning was rather cool and breezy for August, I noted as I walked past the Star Waggons lined along N Street. On the way, ‘Starsky’ passed us on the sidewalk and spouted a hearty ‘hello’. I know I was smiling at him, but think I was too stunned to respond. (Now I feel bad). Anyway, after signing in, warbrobe checks and some general instructions (and gentle warnings), wee extras took a seat in the holding area and prepared to be ignored for much of the day.
But this did not end up being the case. In fact, I haven’t worked that hard since I attempted Yosemite’s Half Dome in college. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Because sometimes, there’s just nothing like being in the midst of all the lights, camera, action. But moreso, because the degree of separation significantly narrows when one is allowed a literal glimpse into something normally so far removed from us.
I mean, there I was ~ getting to know my fellow extras while trying to keep in step with instructions, while trying not to trip over my high heels, while baking in the afternoon sun, while trying to be as natural as can be… as veteran directors and high-profile actors worked their magic right before my eyes ~ in some cases, just 2 feet from me.
If you’re the type to get star-struck, there’s just very little time to languish in your titilation. Because show biz is a serious business after all. And if you’re going to be even a fraction of a part of it, you’d better do your job well – even it’s just walking in a straight line from point A to point B.
Oh, the pressure – It very well could make or break you. Most importantly, just keep breathing (passing out on set is not the kind of attention you want to bring to yourself). And remember not to think you’re better than anyone else.
But don’t think you’re any less than, either.
P.S. The Mentalist was filmed on and around the Capitol grounds
[photo courtesy: http://www.thrfeed.com
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which it was built, the rivers that flow through, the bounty around it and the people who make the Sacramento area their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and so much more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing post-rain spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town with friends or family.
There’s truly something here for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and night-time adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
