Set Diary, Pt 3: My Life As A Blogger, Pt 2

by Dan Silk

Kate M -- the song from episode 104 played during the funeral is "Throw Me A Rope," by KT Tunstall.

Betty-Jean -- the actress who plays Tyler is Marika Dominczyk.

Now, onto more important business.

Yesterday was the final day of production for episode 118, "The Other Walker." And on the final day, they shot perhaps the most important scene of the script -- "Dan defends himself to Kevin" in set "Int. Dan Silk's Crappy Apartment."  It was around 5:30pm when they got started, and I was on hand for the rehearsal.

It was the first time I'd seen the apartment, which they built behind the Walker house on Stage 6. Denny Dugally, our production designer, Mark Lucero, the set designer, and Bryan Venegas in set dec managed to really capture the essence of my little Echo Park dump-alow without even seeing pictures. (They asked, mind you, but then, like a jazz band scoffing at sheet music, rightly concluded they could nail it better just winging it.) At first, I didn't think it was crappy enough. Something about it just seemed too... tasteful. But I couldn't quite put my finger on it, so after rehearsal, I mosied onto the set and snooped around.

If you read my previous post, "My Life As A Blogger," you'll remember that the character of Dan Silk is a skeezy, mid-twenties, hipster celebrity blogger. The kind of guy who genuinely believes Defamer isn't ruthless enough, and who's basically declared guerilla war on publicists. (That is, if any strategic aggression waged, beer in hand, from one's couch can rightfully be called a "war.")

To evoke Dan's paradoxical world, where obsession meets sloth, the art department gave him four tv sets, all of them small; three computers, a flat-screen, an old monitor and a laptop; two cameras and a camcorder; a bullhorn (!); a "bless this mess" sign (a bit freshman year, I thought); a blue, plastic replica  of Michelangelo's Moses, perched unexplainably atop the fridge next to a bottle of Bailey's; a wall-clock set to 4:20, and a cheap sculpture of a puma. There was the requisite tabloid spread open on his bed. The stove, I noticed, was sufficiently shitty and grease-spattered. The wall-lamps were Ikea, as was the dish-rack -- I know because I have the same one.

I walked back to Denny and Gloria Muzio, our director, and told them quite honestly how impressed I was. It takes strong powers of observation to read a scene in a script, get a word or two of description from the writers in a tone meeting, and then just create a character's world. Yet, as I stood by Video Village with Gloria, Denny, our producer Sarah Caplan, and the writers, Alison Schapker and Monica Owusu-Breen, I held back the feeling that there was still something wrong. And then, as Gloria yelled action and the actor playing Dan Silk, Parry Shen, took on the role of his life, I knew what it was: the art on the walls.

Parry Shen, presumably in the days before landing the "Dan Silk" role.

It wasn't anything too special -- some blasphemous photo of a nail-ravaged hand and I can't remember what else -- but it was too well-mounted. It just gave the place too sophisticated an air. This Dan Silk doesn't go to gallery openings -- not unless he knows he can catch an up-and-coming actor snorting blow in the john with a ladyboy. And even then, he certainly wouldn't buy anything! I suppose it could have been his own work, but somehow I doubt our Dan Silk has the time for art photography. He's too busy watching E! and drinking Sparks.

I didn't say anything. I am, after all, fairly low on the food chain, and what the hell does Dan Silk know about Dan Silk anyway? Fortunately, the experienced eye of our producer, Sarah Caplan, spotted the same problem instantly, and she muttered, with her trademark British charm, "Something's wrong... Take the art of the walls."

A word about Parry Shen. Perhaps not comprehending the magnitude of the acting challenge, Parry was undaunted. But while he didn't seem to be taking note of the peculiarities of my behavior, I can't say for sure he wasn't. I can say that he was quite a nice fellow and appeared to appreciate the humor of the situation. He hasn't yet chronicled the experience on his acting blog, but I certainly look forward to his side of the story.

Loose Change... I am eating a bowl of PinkBerry frozen yogurt with blackberries, and even though it's for Jenn Lence's birthday I wonder how she'd feel if my frontal lobe froze off in her honor... Between rehearsal and shooting, Gloria Muzio regaled Monica, Alison, Sarah and me with tales from the set of The Wire, where she directed an episode during the first season... Dave the PA exploded at Robbie yesterday when the latter wondered aloud about Dave's track record with missing lunch orders: "Fine! So I'm a failure, right? You wanna get into this?!"...Ben had an awful steak for Valentine's Day and won't stop talking about it... blargh.
 

Comments

[Kong Chang]

Wow, just finished episode 16 (production #118). Cutting it close again with only 2 weeks until it airs.

I can't wait to see this episode though. I want to see the what the set design looks like for Dan Silk's room. Should be very interesting.

Plus, I'm amazed Perry Shen got the part. I haven't seen him on TV or movie for awhile.

Thanks for sharing about all this though, Dan. It's great to hear about what transpires behind the scenes. :)

KC
Maintainer of Luke MacFarlane Fansite

[will]

Dan, I admire you. You have a spectacular & healthy sense of self-involvement. The world turns around YOU, you're like the Pope in the middle ages, or at least Lucy in the "Peanuts" comic strip, it's all about you.
Jokes aside, I hope the B&S team have the wherewithal to utilize your wit in the scripts. If I were running the place I'd have you polish & shine ALL writing teams final drafts. You can be out-of-left-field funny, you have a fine eye for detail & contemporary pop & are effortlessly outre. Bravura blog! Two thumbs way up!

[PT]

Weird question: There were some lamps in a recent episode that I am crazy about. Any way to send an email to the set designer to find out where they come from? I'm happy to send it blindly to protect his privacy. But I'm way crazy about these lamps.