Close Encounters of the Krasinski Kind

It turns out that some of the sound guys that were working this film are sound guys from The Office. I talked to them for awhile and they were really cool guys. I think they were geeking out about the show as much as I was. You could tell they really love working on the show.

I was on-call from Thursday to Sunday and I finally got the call to go in on Sunday. I had such a fan-freakin-tastic time! I got to shoot all day … and I wasn’t even an extra. We were the people they were shooting. Now, I had no idea what we were going to do when we arrived.

At first, I thought we were going to be stand-ins where we just sit there while they figure out lighting so the real actors don’t have to stand in the sun or light while they do that, but you’re never on camera. When I got there, I found out that we were, in fact, their “photo doubles”. So, then, I thought they were just going to take pictures of us. In reality, what we did was we actually shot scenes as them.

It was pretty cool. All of our scenes were car scenes. The car that the couple is driving in Phoenix is an orange Aveo. So, we were shooting scenes, as the actors, driving this car around downtown Phoenix and the Biltmore area. It was pretty cool because we had police escorts and they were blocking off the streets while we roamed around. I got to run red lights and go down one-way streets going the wrong way. It was exciting. I felt like a real actor.

We had a walkie talkie with us, so when we were on our marks the director would yell “Aaaaaaaaaction” over the talkie and we would go. Downtown was empty, as you would imagine it would be early on a Sunday morning. That’s what they were going for.

By 9am or so, people started filling the streets, so the PA’s and the police were trying to keep people from walking in our shots. We were still allowed to run red lights but they said, “Run the red lights while we’re filming but if you see pedestrian walking across, don’t hit them.” … Uh, yeah, I think we had that covered. We shot about seven scenes in seven different locations around Phoenix. I kind of felt like a celebrity because they drove us around to every location.

I thought that was the end of my stint on the set. The following Monday, I did have to go to set to fill out some paperwork. As I walked on set, the agent called my name and was excited to see me. I thought that was odd but she ran up to me and told me she was getting ready to call me. It turns out that filming had been pushed out for another day and the girl who had been Maya’s stand-in couldn’t do the extra day, so the agent asked if I could do it. There’s no way I was turning that down.

The agent had to go find my paperwork, so I just hung around in the background watching John and Maya film some scenes. When the agent returned with my paperwork, I figured I should be getting back to work to my real job, so I sat in the back and filled out my paperwork.

Pages: 1 2 3

75 comments

Pages: [4] 3 2 1 » Show All

1. 
   75. SarahPlain&Tall  Tue. Mar. 17, 2009 | 1:49pm

   Wow! What an amazing experience! You are so lucky. I am so jealous! Haha. One of the things on my “List of Things to Do Before I Die” is to visit a movie set. Thanks for sharing your experience with us! I can’t wait to see you in the movie!

2. 
   74. fabio  Sun. Sep. 14, 2008 | 11:22am

   That is simply amazing! And you just thought you were going to be an extra! Holy crap!

3. 
   73. GHalpert  Wed. Aug. 27, 2008 | 9:35am

   Wow, that whole experience sounds incredible! I’ve dreamed so much of what I’d say to John Krasinski if I had the chance, besides “Will you marry me?” which would be a little foward. I always imagined him as a person that you could talk to and be cool with. You got to talk to him a few times, with time for some cool conversation. I’m jealous! It’s so nice to hear that one of my dream men is a normal down to earth guy. Can’t wait for the movie.

   PS- has the title changed from “Farlanders?” I think I saw a title change on the imdb website.

   PPS-John, do a movie in Cincinnati PLEASE! : )

4. 
   72. LuluPanda  Sun. Jul. 6, 2008 | 10:13am

   Oh. My. God. I am SO jealous! Go you for not stuttering like an idiot around John, as I’m positive I would have done! I am so glad to know that he is just as nice in real life as he is in the show. It just makes me love him even more! *swoon*

5. 
   71. paulina  Sat. Jul. 5, 2008 | 12:39pm

   that is so amazing! thanks for sharing :)

6. 
   70. LittleTuna  Sat. Jul. 5, 2008 | 11:51am

   Un. Be. Liev. A. B. Le.

7. 
   69. Caroline  Fri. Jul. 4, 2008 | 8:34pm

   Wow, how amazing! Thanks for the awesome account. And you do look a little like Maya, you know!

8. 
   68. kelsey  Fri. Jul. 4, 2008 | 4:36pm

   You are so lucky! I am so jealous!

9. 
   67. jkrasislove  Fri. Jul. 4, 2008 | 10:18am

   high fives from John?! a Really good week?!?

   there are no words to describe my jealousy :)

   thanks for this awesome report!

10. 
    66. Tiffany  Fri. Jul. 4, 2008 | 7:31am

    I’m pretty darn happy that we get more John in theaters :D

    Congrats, lemonade! I think it is fantastic that you were chosen as a stand-in… Your account is fantastic! I can’t wait to see your part in the film.

    Can I just say that John has a great mountain man look? Seriously. It’s just. Awesome.

11. 
    65. Zac  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 10:09pm

    I’m going to prove that I’m a total geek by saying that I would’ve been more excited to talk to Sam Mendes than John Krasinski only because American Beauty is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen and would love to talk to him about it.

    Talking to John would’ve been awesome too!

12. 
    64. Emma  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 6:59pm

    Great report! I’m a little jealous though! :)

13. 
    63. Muffy  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 6:58pm

    Thanks for “taking us along” on your awesome experience! I would have been totally tongue tied trying to converse with John. You did it! Congratulations on what must have been an amazing week.

14. 
    62. JAM  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 5:15pm

    sexxy.

15. 
    61. Pam Scherbatsky  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 12:45pm

    Wow! You are one majorly lucky girl. I really don’t know what else to say.

16. 
    60. Mexicanity  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 11:58am

    I’m so glad you had such a great experience!!! Thanks for sharing :o)

17. 
    59. Mimi  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 9:37am

    Congrats! I would have just geeked out and fainted or something! Thanks for sharing in detail, this really helps when we are months away from seeing him on TV again :)

18. 
    58. MIntdwight?  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 8:01am

    Out of control awesome. I kept looking at the photo, and wondering if it was the real Maya–so it’s no doubt you made the B team. And time with John and his sweet self. Way to go for staying cool. I could have talked Celtics with him in my best “one of the guys” attitudes, but after that, I would have Kelly Kapoor-ed all over him.

    Maybe there is more Maya stand-in work in your future?!? How exciting.

19. 
    57. Kitty  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 5:08am

    That is so cool!

20. 
    56. Cayce80  Thu. Jul. 3, 2008 | 12:25am

    How awesome! My fantasy life goes something like that (with a few extra scenes thrown in). ;)

    Thanks so much for sharing that with us!

Pages: [4] 3 2 1 » Show All

Add a comment

Please follow the comment policy. Thanks!

Add an icon to your comment