Two big days on Smallville

Last Friday I got a call to go out and work as a PA on Smallville’s 2nd unit this week. I thought “2nd unit? Piece of cake”. You see, normally, 2nd unit stuff is easier – a smaller crew, a lot of pick ups and stuff not using any actors and often no sound etc. I didn’t take into consideration in my calculations leading to my cakewalk analysis that Smallville has a lot of action involving huge stunt sequences and special effects. So, what I saw when I arrived on set blew me away.

What I saw over the past two days: A 300 foot scorched gouge in a field leading to a 50 foot wide crater containing a steaming and glowing UFO complete with aliens. A Sherrif’s helicopter flown by a Viet Nam war veteran stunt pilot and containing a SWAT gunner buzzed the set for a number of shots. The guy was no more than 30 feet off the ground and flying very fast. At the same time as the helicopter was swooping around (and I was ducking) stunt drivers drove Sherrif’s vehicles and black Yukons speedily into position and SWAT teams (supplied by Def Con 5 talent who’s military advisors were ultra cool) and sherrifs popped out blasting away (using sidearms, shot guns and MP5’s) at the aliens who had an injured Lana Lane (played by Kristin Kreuk) in their clutches.The bullets did absolutely no damage to the aliens who then shot back with ‘heat vision’ creating huge explosions and destroying the vehicles.

Burning vehicles, a UFO, burning and smoking meteor craters, air ram stunts with stunt folks flying through the air, massive amounts of gun fire, blood and gore, a helicopter too close for comfort, dirt and dust, running around like a maniac, numerous massive explosions and two long days in the sun with little shade and rare breaks equal Mike Browne looking like a scungy sunburnt old hobo:

On a sad note, the stunt man who doubles for Clark Kent was hurt badly in a freak accident with the main unit yesterday and had to be airlifted from the set to Royal Columbian Hospital in New West. As a result of the media fenzy surrounding this kind of thing the jackasses in chopper 9 from CTV decided to buzz our set numerous times during our final prep for a huge shot involving an explosion that was to flip a police cruiser. Hello media dorks your nosing around to get a story on an injury is causing another safety issue. Anyway, the publicist called and complained and the chopper left after 10 expensive minutes of us all on hold waiting for them to depart. What a bunch of maroons.

Even though I could have worked today I took the day off to interview for an Assistant to the Casting Director on Davinci’s City Hall the spin off series of Davinci’s Inquest. Tomorrow I start on the new Nicolas Cage remake of a great 70’s film called Wicker Man. I’ll keep you posted.