Chasing Mavericks - articoli e interviste

Pare che ce la stia facendo, sta imparando

Buff Gerard Butler masters dangerous surf

By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY

It's been a toner, tanner and leaner Gerard Butler doing promotion rounds for his new film, Machine Gun Preacher, that opens Friday.

The 6-foot-2 Scotsman's new physique as well as his sun-kissed long locks can be attributed to his preparation for his next movie, a surfing biopic tentatively titled Mavericks - named for the infamous break in Northern California that has challenged many a daredevil -- directed by Curtis Hanson (8 Mile, L.A. Confidential).

"It's about a kid, Jay Moriarty (played by newcomer Jonny Weston), who became a great big wave surfer," Butler said during his recent visit to the Toronto film festival. "I play Frosty Hesson, who's now teaching me how to surf. He was Jay's hero and his mentor. He didn't want him to surf Mavericks, because it was such a dangerous surf break and he was only 15. But he took this kid under his wing and almost became like a father to Jay, basically pushing him to be this incredible big wave surfer."

Butler has been getting into shape for a while, not only doing cardio and yoga but hitting the beach almost daily in Malibu. Those who stroll by, including paparazzi, have been lucky enough to see the actor catch a wave or two.

"Or they can see me try," he says.

Butler is being a mite humble. The week before he took advantage of the fierce swells in the area -- "the biggest waves they've had in years" -- to go up against some 12 footers. "On the third day, my surfing had improved so much that I surfed out on this wave and I felt I was 50 feet in the air. I was only 7 or 8 feet. But it felt so high. Then I dropped into this wave and surfed down the line for a long time. My instructor said, 'That's surfing!'"

He also impressed another spectator: John Stockwell, the director of the 2002 surfer-girl ode Blue Crush.

" He knows I am doing Mavericks. He was there, in the water, and he was yelling, 'Dude, that's Mavericks! You just did Mavericks.'"

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/en...angerous-surf/1

Praticamente è stata 'raccomandata' da Ariel?

qui c'è il racconto di una comparsa sul set di Maveriks :

Confessions of a Movie Stand-In: The One With Gerard Butler

Last Monday night around 10pm, I got a call from a casting office to do some stand-in work on a Gerard Butler movie filming in Half Moon Bay titled "Of Men and Mavericks".

So I took the day off of work (cough cough- just kidding, I didn't call in sick, but I did use a vacation day) went to be early, and tried to get my zzzz's.

Of course I kept waking up in the middle of the night, but managed to get out the door around 8:15am to begin the all too familiar drive to Half Moon Bay from Oakland. (All my ex's don't live in Texas, but they sure do live on the coast. Apparently the coast is my "Texas").

I stopped at two public restrooms on the drive down because for some reason, I pee alot in the morning and it's all very strange. With all that iced coffee working through my system, I didn't want to be stranded in the crew parking lot with nothing but a dirty porta pottie while waiting for a van to take me to set. You can see I have done this before.

When I first pulled over in the coastal town of Pacifica, the salty air and the crashing waves made me realize I was overdue for another ocean visit. I long for the day when I can accidentally track sand into my apartment. In the meantime I settle for signs like these in coastal public restrooms:



After my second potty break inside a local Starbucks, I pulled into crew parking, saw the portapotties and was grateful I didn't have to use them. Then I was whisked away in a van to base camp to get color cover from the wardrobe department (stand-ins have to wear similiar colors as the actors for lighting purposes) and I saw this beautiful sign:


This made my heart leap.

Working on a movie set overlooking the ocean? Be still my heart, this is my idea of heaven- it really is. Creativity on the coast? Someone pinch me.

I snappped a few pics and waited in a tent with two other stand-ins before a production assistant told us to walk to the location we would be filming at, which was a house close by.

As I walked on the gravel road, I was aware that my ex-boyfriend lived maybe a half mile away. The sights and smells of Half Moon Bay brought back some memories.

We arrived at the house and waited for the actors to show up for the next scene that was taking place in the front yard. I put on my color cover (a hideous white hippie granola looking top that was way too big on me) and felt like I was wearing a tent.

The actress I was standing in for was named Abigail Spencer - who was playing the wife of a character being played by Gerard Butler, so I knew I would eventually see him that day. The first couple of scenes that were filmed outside in the afternoon, he was not in. But after a late lunch, when the sun went down, he arrived.

When Gerard appeared on set, (which had now moved inside the house for some late night scenes), I almost did not recognize him. He had newly highlighted overgrown hair and small beard on his face and looked like Matthew McConaughey. It gave him the "beach look" they were going for. He was playing an experienced surfer in his forties, who was a mentoring a much younger surfer who lived in the same town.

As a stand-in, I have the challenge of having to "be seen, but not be heard". "Be around, but be out of the way" at the same time. It's a delicate balance and as they started rehearsing Gerard's scene with Abigail, I had to watch them rehearse and then go run and hide, but be ready at any minute for when they might need me.

I scoped out my next hiding place and found a bedroom that wasn't being used. I found an outlet in the wall behind a bedside table and plugged in my smart phone that was down to 15% battery. I sat down on the carpet while charging my phone, away from set, but still within ear shot. It was the perfect spot.

When the assistant director yelled "moving on!", I jumped up. There are a few phrases on movie sets that should make a stand-in jump. They are: "Moving on!" "Checking the gate!" "Turning around!" and "Second team!" I don't have time to explain why, but let's just say it means - they will probably need me.

As I left the bedroom to see if I was needed, Abigail, Gerard, a make-up person and wardrobe assistant all gathered in the same bedroom I had just vacated. I was seeing that we would be swapping occupation of the room throughout the night.

So back and forth it went. Either they were on set filming, and I was tucked away on the floor of the bedroom, or I was on set, setting up a shot, and they were in the bedroom discussing lines and getting their hair and make up retouched.

At one point, when the lighting crew only needed Gerard's stand-in on set and not me, I remained on the carpet in the bedroom, checking Twitter on my phone, while overhearing the director discuss character details with Gerard and Abigail who were a couple of feet away from me. I tried to remain invisible in my little corner. Must be professional at all times. Look busy. Don't gawk at the actors, no matter how pretty they are. I was grateful that I had never had a crush on Gerard Butler, but mused at the thought of all of his fans who would be freaking out that I was sharing a space this close to him.

To this day, I have yet to work on a movie with a star that would make my heart stop. It just hasn't happened yet. I think I would geek out if I saw Dustin Hoffman. I would be willing to do extra work in a big crowd scene in the middle of the night, if I knew he was going to be there. But that list of movie stars I am willing to do that for, is a very short one.

Finally, many hours later, and camera shots completed, the director called it a wrap. And just like that, the crew vans pulled up, actors dispersed, sets started being torn down and I was out the door. *Poof*

I signed out, returned my baggy white shirt to the wardrobe trailer, got into my car and headed back up hwy 1 to Oakland. Tomorrow my life would return back to normal. My nine-to-five schedule, followed by taking pictures of Occupy Oakland, and then heading off to my evening dance class.

But it was fun mixing it up with Gerard Butler for a day.






http://bayareablogethunderground.blogspot....n-one-with.html

Edited by sabrinta - 22/11/2011, 23:03

Qui c'è un articolo sull'incidente di Gerry, vi posto le cose che c'interessano di più

gerard-butler-survives-maverick-two-wave-hold-down

We don't ever like to see or hear ambulances when Maverick's is breaking. It never ends up good. And at this point everybody is still a bit shell shocked from the recent death of Sion Milosky and the near death of Trette last season.
I ran down to the dock, help tie off the Zodiac, and noticed Gerard on board. He had that 100-yard stare that surfers get after a two-wave hold or near death experience. After almost 20 years at Mavericks I've seen a lot of it, but at least he was standing on his own two legs. He was then carted away in the waiting ambulance and raced off to Stanford Medical Center for observation.

Speaking with Wormhoudt on the dock he said they were all sitting on the inside bowl when a large outside set came through, swung way to the south, caught them off guard and mowed them all down. For Mel, Long and Wormhoudt it's all in a day's work.
That's why they're on the crew, but for Butler, he had no business near the bowl or taking a Maverick's set on the head. According to other eyewitnesses he was held down for a solid two-waves and took four or five more waves on the head. He was then washed through the rocks on the inside before he was finally able to be plucked out.

Although tragedy was avoided, beginners, no matter what tax bracket you're in or whom you roll with, should take note that Maverick's on any day at any size has the potential to send you to the bottom. Butler was brought to the hospital for observation, but a complete recovery is expected. That said, he may seriously consider renegotiating his contract and adding a stunt double. He'll come out of it no worse for the where, but will have one hell of a story to share at the Golden Globes.

http://espn.go.com/action/surfing/story/_/...-wave-hold-down

L'incidente è accaduto ieri.

Cmq è un idiota...ma dico io che cosa esistono a fare gli stunt se non per fare le scene pericolose? lui fa l'attore non il surfista, dimostra davvero di essere poco intelligente e maturo se rischia la vita a fare qualcosa di cui ha un'esperienza limitata visto che sono pochi mesi che si esercita....

Ma perchè gli fanno fare queste scene pericolose? Non è esperto e poteva succedergli di tutto!!