Decision – Behind The Scenes

Taping (as opposed to filming) ….. the Decision mini-series was an experience …..

In the last week of taping, we lost three episodes when trying to post ….. totally lost ….. objects were being thrown around the set in shear frustration …. Option 1, Recap and The Decision …… we did our best to recreate, but I’m a little disheartened with the final product as a result of those technical glitches.

And then with Decision – The Decision, Amy had promised it’d be posted before the final episode of 24 aired for the season …. and it was in the can earlier in the day ….. but we wanted to run through a few quality control checks before posting ….. anyway …. the broadband connection went dead 90 minutes before posting deadline …. and Amy was all into watching American Idol ….. so she was of absolutely no help in doing any quality control ….. staff was scrambling to re-establish a connection and she’s on the phone arguing with Shaft about how great Clay is compared to Ruben ….. finally the connection was made at 5 minutes to deadline, but she still was not assisting in the quality control check …. so we posted anyways …. with a minute to spare …. and that was a true minute to spare. A few hours later when the local news came on, she started blabbering about how that’s the ideal time for her late night talk show and finally …. she did some qc on the episode.

Amy ??? What’s it like to work with her ??

Well, we did have some creative differences, sure ….. her tendency to ad-lib with various movie quotes resulted in many exclamations of …. CUT !

And we had to do many re-shoots because of her ability to subtly give double meanings to seemingly innocent statements …. most we wouldn’t catch on set …. but the next day we’d get a note from the network censors …. it doubled the production time …. easy. We actually started looking for whenever she’d do this cross between a smile and pout with her upper lip …. seemed to be a tell when she was trying to sneak something past us.

Those rumors about a possible intervention because of her television addiction? …. All true …. in addition to the difficulties it caused on the night of the season finale ….. she kept sneaking away between scenes and watching reruns of who knows what ….. we’d find her in the Green Room just laughing, all by herself …. it was scary.

But after all was said and done, she was truly a joy with whom to work …. dedicated, hardworking, though a bit too perky for my tastes.

“The Flux Capacitor” …. obviously ….. Amy came up with that name as the working title for Decision – The Decision episode. Who knows how she came up with it, but she said that working title more than any other. And every time it was accompanied with a giggle and sparkle in her eye. My guess ?? I think she probably just liked saying it, but knowing her, it’s code for some sort of sexual tryst she’s added to her to-do list.

Will I Work With Her Again? ….. I wouldn’t mind it …. but not right away …. they have another director lined up for the summer schedule starting today ….. and I kinda need a break from her ….. it’s hard to explain …. sometimes I can’t figure out exactly why I do some things and then I’ll see her just giggling …. it’s like she’s using some Jedi mind trick on me ….. I know …. doesn’t make sense …. forget it. I don’t know what I’m talking about. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.

But before I leave …..

I would like to thank …. the three S’s – Shaft, Sianna and Stacy; Claire, Caitlin, and Heather …. without whose comments and thoughts this could never have been accomplished.

And those who e-mailed your comments instead of posting ….. we’re not forgetting you, but out of respect for your privacy, offer you a group Thank You. And that includes Sage, Idol and Spooky (Amy said you’d each know your respective nicknames).

The Director.