I really didn't expect to be chosen as only 8 would be afforded the opportunity and I figured the Seniors in our major (which has upwards of 200) would be the likely candidates. I just really wanted to be able to observe and would have been satisfied just being able to do that. I didn't hold my breath. In the meantime, I found out the film was currently shooting at Princeton and there had been an incident wherein Russell Crowe flicked off some female student who was taking pictures of him. I also did my homework, going to imdb.com.

A week later (on April 10) my phone rang. I picked it up and on the other end was an unfamiliar voice asking for me. It was Phil Cardillo (Conference Operations Office), asking if I would be able to attend a meeting the following Wednesday in the Rutherford Room of the Rec Center pertaining to the film. He was unaware, and surprised to find out, I hadn't yet been informed that I was one of the 8 selected to work as a P.A. He told me to bring my driver's license and a copy of my social security card because, "you want to get paid, don't you?" I never expected to get paid. To be on a major motion picture set was good enough, to get money for it on top of that was awesome. I told no one as I didn't want to jinx it.

Sometime in between (I believe it was Wednesday the 11th at 2 or 3PM), I attended a general information meeting open to the whole campus. There I first met Phil, and all attendees received information guides. I don't recall if it was from this meeting or from my own homework that I learned that Jennifer Connelly (best known for Labyrinth), Ed Harris (who would be playing Russell's nemesis), and Judd Hirsch were also starring. It was here, however, that I was informed Jennifer would be playing Russell's wife and that they would both definitely would be on campus. At the time, it was unknown if the others would be there as well. It was confirmed that they would be shooting in the Mansion (Great Hall & Lenfell Hall) and behind the Mansion (the Mansion Gardens). We were also informed that our Mansion would be serving as the Massachusetts' State Governor's Mansion, where a party was to take place in an "integral scene in the film." We were told that, in an effort to keep our campus undisturbed from swarms of reporters and spectators outside the FDU community, a press release would not be made until well into the second and last day of the shoot.

On April 18th, I headed to the noon meeting. There I found out who the seven other selected were (some I knew, some I didn't). We met with Patty Carey, Assistant Location Manager for Beaumind Productions Inc. She reviewed what our actual jobs were going to be- we were to be at posts serving as security guards. We would be rotated as much as possible, and they'd try to have us positioned close to set at least once during the course of the night.

We filled out our contacts and were broken into to groups of 4- one group to work Thursday, April 26 (the inside shoot), and the other to work on Friday the 27th (the outside shoot). I was to work Friday. I don't remember if it was here or sometime earlier that we were told we would be paid $100 for the day. The meeting place & time would be the rock in front of the mansion at 4PM each day. We each would be called the day before we were to work to confirm. We were also told that the only stars that would be on campus were Russell and Jennifer. Again, I told no one as I didn't want to jinx it.

On Wednesday the 25th, the crew started setting up. Two tents were set up on the lawn between the Mansion and the library- one to serve as a changing room for the extras (or background as they are now called. I don't know about you, but I think "background" sounds more derogatory and insulting. I much rather be called an "extra") and one to serve as a "holding"/food tent for the extras. Many of the windows in the mansion, especially on the first floor, were "blacked-out." Classes were still held all week on the second and third floors (though students had to use a back entrance and staircase), and admissions, normally on the first floor, was relocated to the Rec Center.

I headed back to my room to drop off my bookbag. Then I debated over what I wanted to do. I decided I'd take the shoulder strap of the camera and conceal it under my jacket. When I wanted to take a picture, I turn the camera on flash-off mode, and take the picture while the camera was still under my jacket. Just point and aim. As I never tried this before, I knew the pictures would probably come out like shit (and they did).

At around 7:30PM, a helicopter was heard in the distance and many joked "it's Russell Crowe." The helicopter eventually came into sight and started circling around overhead as if preparing to land. As everyone was staring up at the helicopter (and my camera took a picture of the sky and not the helicopter) a SUV with tinted windows came down the main road and pulled past everyone into the sanctuary of the mansion. Though I did not see it my self, I was later told that after exiting the vehicle, Russell stood on the mansion steps and flashed the crowd (he was wearing a Princeton sweatshirt). At this time, everyone began taking pictures, and I decided to join the crowd.

About 10 to 15 minutes later, he again headed our way- straight to the kid that had been asking to be in the movie earlier, looking like he was going to beat the shit out of him. I missed the first part of what Russell said, something to the affect "you willing to work all night?"... I caught the next part of the conversation, "If you're messing with me, I'm going to kick your fucking ass." Then he pointed to the background tent and said something to the affect, "Go over to the extra tent and tell them I sent you." Russell then began signing autographs a second time. After receiving one, a girl kept calling his name and told him she wanted to take his picture. He finally replied as he continued signing autographs, "You can take my picture... but I'm not posing."

I then had a chance to take a really nice picture as I was standing right next to him. But being the nice guy I am and not wanting to piss him off, I put the camera in the flash-off mode so it wouldn't go off in his face. This requires the shutter going off at a slower speed and, as a result, it picked up the motion of him moving his head. Damn it. If I wasn't such a good guy, you could tell I would have had a great picture.

Little by little, the crowd dispersed and it grew dark. It was now about 9:15PM Jennifer Connelly came out of her trailer and I zoomed (the camera) in for a picture. The flash went off and, being one the few spectators left and probably the only one with a camera out, I was the prime suspect. Right after I took the shot, one of the "real" P.A.'s came over and said, "First we asked you not to take pictures, then you took down the sign, now I'm going to have to ask you to leave." With my camera in my right hand, I gave him a salute and walked off. I had gotten what I wanted after all and was about to leave on my own accord anyway. As long as he wasn't confiscating my camera or film, I was happy.

As a sideline, I still hadn't told anyone about being selected to work. My roommate only found out Thursday evening. Well, I guess that isn't entirely true. During my Human Bio Lab on Tuesday the 24th, my lab partner Meredith directly asked me if I'd be working and I didn't want to lie to her (but I didn't go into detail either).

So, on Friday, April 27th, I headed to the rock to await my fate. A little after 4PM, we were greeted by Phil's assistant (for the movie) Eric (from Drew University, which I don't quite get, but anyway). He came told us to sit tight and said he'd be back. Shortly afterwards, he returned with Phil and asked if we had eaten anything. We replied "no," and then Eric cleared it with the caterers so we could get something to eat. He told us we had 15 to 20 minutes and then he'd be back. I had the best hamburger I have ever eaten in my entire life. Holy shit, no joke. I don't know what the hell they put in it, but I wish I had the recipe.

We took the food back to the rock and ate there. While there, we were joined by an FDU P.A. from the previous day (not 1 of the 8, but had arranged the P.A. gig through his internship at the Newark Film Commission) who was also going to be working this day as well. Also, another one of the FDU P.A.'s from the day before stopped by and, from an approaching distance asked me, "What did you do yesterday?" I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. He continued to tell me that the night before, Phil was pissed at me and there was talk about not letting me work. I told him I figured as much and then I explained what had happened. He asked if I had seen Phil today. I told him I had and that he hadn't said anything. He replied that Phil probably cooled down and realized what I did was harmless.

I then asked him how his experience was. He told me he was at the same post all night (16 hours). He got to be on set for about 5 minutes. The up side was that a professional photographer for FDU took his picture with Ron Howard (for future FDU publications to sucker potential film majors to attend our college).

The P.A. through the Newark Film Commission was more fortunate. He was on set longer and got to wear a set of headphones while they were shooting. He informed us that Russell Crowe is a jokester, fooling around between takes but becoming very serious just before "Action" is called. He told us that Russell became "giddy" around 5AM and that he went out several more times during the course of the work day to sign autographs. He also said Russell smoked like a chimney.

At about 4:40PM, Eric came to get us and bring us inside the Mansion (having given us crew passes sometime before). On the way to the Mansion, he told us where some things of importance were and some of his experiences from the night before (like thinking, from behind, that Jennifer Connelly was a student and telling her she didn't belong there). Found out that Russell Crowe's trailer was the one that opened up right onto the Mansion's steps.

As soon as he had singled me out, I knew the fun was going to begin (I'm being sarcastic). The door to the mailroom is on the basement level. You can see absolutely nothing from down there. And so, my punishment for the night before began at 4:45PM. I alternated my activity as not to be totally uncomfortable- sit for a half an hour, stand for a half an hour and so on and so forth for six and a half hours.

From my position, I could hear voices coming from the Great Hall and that's it. The shoot for the night was taking place behind the mansion so I had no clue as to what was going on (except for when the "real" P.A.'s shouted "rolling" and "action" and told the background to stop making noise). Some, no more than a total of 8, of the crew used my staircase to go back and forth.

Phil stopped by a grand total of once just to stick his head in and wave (unless you count the time in the very beginning when, accompanied by Eric, he had just finished posting the rest of the P.A.'s and was checking to make sure I was where I was supposed to be). Eric stopped by two or three times to see how I was, tell me I was doing a good job, and to "hang in there."

I stayed by my door as not to be accused of not doing my job or give the powers that be any reason to dismiss me. I know while I was down there, a photographer was taking pictures in the Great Hall. I think I heard both Ron Howard's and Russell Crowe's voices coming from above. If it was Russell Crowe, he was singing the first two words of a song. Just kept on singing, "My Lolita."

As the night went on, I began to ascend the steps. I wouldn't go any higher than the second step, then the third, then the fourth, I may have even made it to the fifth before stopping. Some time during the first half of my stay, near midpoint, an incident did occur. A guy came through the basement door wanting permission to go up. He told me he was looking for so and so and asked if I had a walkie-talkie. I didn't. He then asked if there was someone I could ask. I ascended the stairs and, fortunately, Phil was within view and I brought the matter to his attention. Ultimately, the man at the base of the stairs didn't know what department the guy that supposedly called him and asked him to come was from, nobody on the other side of Phil's walkie-talkie knew the guy he was looking for, and he was asked to go out the way he came and try out front.

In the second half of my stay there, 3 girls began to head my way. The leader had red hair. The other two were cute with dark hair, giggling like school girls as they looked in my direction. As they passed, the leader said, "We're with the movie," and gripped her pass. I nodded and watched as they passed going down the stairs. Once they went through the door I thought to my self, "they're awfully young to be with the movie." When they returned, I was going to say as much, ask them they're age (they looked my age -20- or younger, the leader being oldest) and perhaps strike up a conversion. But, alas, unlike every other crew member that went down and then came back up, they did not. Reflecting back on it, it is quite possible that they were Ron Howard's daughters. (According to imdb.com, he has three daughters- one 20 year old, and two 16 year old twins **Update 2006: Since seeing Bryce Dallas Howard on the screen in The Village, I do believe it quite possibly could have been her).

I don't know if it was before or after this incident that Eric stopped by sometime between 9:45PM and 10PM to inform me that he was about to go rotate posts and that I would finally have a change in scenery soon. Not soon enough. The time dragged on and on.

While I eagerly awaited my change in location, an extra came and sat at the top of the stairs, I would venture to say she was in her mid-30's. She said how beautiful she thought the mansion was and asked how I could study since she would be distracted by the beauty of it all. I told her we had classes on the second and third floor. She told me that when she went behind the mansion and saw the fountain that her heart pounded (she grabbed her chest in demonstration) and that she felt like she had been transported back in time. I smiled. I neglected to tell her that, while the Great Hall and Lenfell Hall are pleasing to the eye in their natural state, they had been greatly "movied" up and that all the fountains behind the Mansion are usually not turned on for us mere students.

At 11:15PM, one of the other FDU P.A.'s (walkie-talkie in hand) came to get me. Said Eric sent him since I didn't have a walkie-talkie. I was now allowed outside, in the side garden. This is where he and another FDU P.A. had been stationed. I asked him of his experience, and he showed me the extent of his view- from one section of this post, you could see the huge screens they use as bouncing boards for lighting. Other than that there, wasn't much to see.

Immediately after that, I was positioned on the opposite section of the post so they could both go down the ladder and check out the set. And shortly after that, around 11:40PM, Eric retrieved them for "lunch" and positioned me between the two columns on the right side of the front of the mansion to keep any possible intruders from entering the area with all the trailers behind me (though the first -and really only needed- line of defense was a Public Safety Officer about 150 feet away).

While I was there, the third FDU P.A. for the night came past me. He had been positioned on the second floor. He may have had one of the best experiences, as he had access to all the classroom windows that had a view of the set. He asked if I had heard what happened to him. I had not. Apparently, he had a camera incident of his own.

While he was observing from the second floor windows, he was also taking pictures in flash-off mode. He also had a walkie-talkie and, eventually Patty Carey said, "Uh [so and so]." Immediately he though to himself, "oh shit," and responded. She asked, "Taking pictures, are we?" He quickly replied, "Not anymore." After telling me the story, he continued on his way to lunch.

About midnight the P.A. who came to retrieve me from the basement returned to relieve me for lunch. I ate some nice barbecued chicken, several slices of strawberry shortcake, and drank several glasses of lemonade. I returned to my post some time between 12:20AM and 12:30AM and the P.A. that had relieved me was now on his way again.

And again, I was abandoned at my post. During my stay there, I interacted with maybe six students, the public safety officer dealing with the rest. The public safety officer expressed to me how much he no longer wanted to be there and couldn't wait for it to be over. The temperature had dropped into the mid 20's (though it had been in the 70's during the day). To be prepared, I had been wearing two T-shirts and a sweat shirt and carrying my wool-lined jean jacket and wool knit cap in my bookbag. I was still cold. Whereas I had not previously cared about being paid, I now had the train of thought that they better damn well pay me the $100.

Only two extremely minor incidents here. A group of about four or 5 students were passing by and one decided to hop the small wall and try to sneak pass me. Of course I saw him and went directly to where he was crouching. I didn't have to say anything, he knew he didn't belong there, and so he scurried over to his friends who continued walking and decided to hang out with the public safety officer. The other incident is when another student, Lacey, and a guy came by. Lacey kept reassuring me that she wasn't "a trouble maker" and was trying to peer into a window of Lenfell Hall. As they shot in Lenfell Hall the night before and pretty much cleared all the props out of it and it really wasn't more than a foot from wear I was guarding, I let her proceed.

All in all I think I was a good sport, I remained at that post for 4 hours with no one ever coming to make sure I was doing my job or reaffirming that that's where I was supposed to be. At about 4AM I heard a motorcycle in the front of the mansion, figured it was Russell Crowe, and decided to investigate knowing the Public Safety Officer could handle the area on his own.

And then the fun began... Sure enough there was Russell Crowe revving up a Harley, testing it out. I stood about 5 feet away, watching along with the P.A. from the second floor. I asked the P.A. where he had been since lunch. He laughed and said he had just been wandering around. I decided since nobody checked up on me in 4 hours and that technically no one told me after lunch that I had to stand there, that I would do the same in the remaining two hours. So we stood there for quite a while watching Russell Crowe on and around the motorcycle. Then Jennifer Connelly came by and we just acted casual, making sure we didn't stare. Stood their speechless, couldn't think of any intelligible thing to say.

The Jennifer Connelly thing all took place in a matter of a couple of seconds. No sooner did she pass us, then she was already going into the Mansion. Russell Crowe soon followed, and we followed him. We emerged from the Mansion in the back gardens, on set. There Russell and Jennifer took their places and we took ours about 50 feet away next to the sound editor. From there, we could see what was going on from the monitors, though we couldn't really hear what was going on. But still, we were on a closed movie set! Just imagine one of those "behind the scenes" HBO specials. WE WERE THERE!

This was the second to last shot of the night. The camera, which was on a crane and tracks, pans down from the flowers on the tree* to Jennifer (back facing camera) and Russell (facing camera) on the staircase, Russell standing about two stairs lower than Jennifer. On the left part of the screen is the fountain glowing an awesome blue. (This is the fountain that is usually never turned on and when it is, has a jet stream... through "movie magic" they ran a regular garden hose around the back, placed it were the nozzle is, and turned it on to get a more aesthetic sprinkling effect). They exchange words and then point to and trace the stars (which, since they weren't present, will most likely be added in post).

*Side note- great timing. That tree bloomed no earlier than a week before the shoot and all the flowers have since withered away (less than a week after). Pictures of behind the mansion are located on the VIRTUAL TOUR section of this site.

They rehearsed this several times, Jennifer wearing a big coat because she was wearing a sleeveless, open-backed dress (and, like I said, it was damn cold out). Then they began the shoot. There were probably six to seven takes. During the rehearsal and between takes, we could see Russell fooling around and heard the cast, crew, and director -Ron Howard- laughing.

Then Ron Howard and Russell Crowe came to the monitors to review one of the shots. Either Russell Crowe is moving on up, or is a pain in the ass actor, as he has a say in which take goes to print. After they reviewed the shot, they did one more take.

We then returned to the front of the mansion to see if there was anything else we should be doing. There wasn't. Patty told us we could go back and watch the last shot of the night. As they were about to start rolling and it was a maze to get to the new area they were shooting in, we went to the second floor of the mansion to get the aerial view. When it was over, we again returned to the front of the mansion to see what we should be doing. This time we were told to pick up any garbage in or around the holding tent. Luckily, that had already been done and we again found ourselves jobless.

We were then told to do the same behind the mansion. Here I must have gotten separated from the group for less then a minute and when I returned inside the mansion, Ron Howard was just finishing giving them autographs and heading out the door. ERRR!!! Figures, the time I had come prepared for autographs I miss out. Oh well.

We returned to the front of the mansion and hung out, again only a few feet from Russell. There were now two motorcycles outside and soon there would be three. Friends of his had brought them and they were hanging out.

Soon there was an incident involving a blonde. Don't know her name and don't see her often, but I knew she looked familiar and I saw her less than a week later wandering round campus. Here's what happened. She was crying (oh please) and was being ushered back and forth between "real" P.A.'s and Public Safety in the restricted, personnel only area. When the Newark Film Commission P.A. saw her he nearly flipped out. Apparently she had already done this two or three times earlier (that evening or the night before?). So a few of us began to try ease dropping to see what the psycho's problem was.

Meanwhile, a caterer came asking if anyone wanted cheeseburgers. She took one. She then stood biting into her cheese burger while standing a few feet away from Russell's Harley. He came out and got on. While she stood there slowly chewing, a smile of excitement showed through her teary eyes. She glanced at Russell, then the Public Safety Officer, then back at Russell as if to say "Oh my God. Look. I'm standing next to Russell Crowe and I can hardly contain myself." Anyway, she was carrying on and on about, "how these things always happen to me." It was like, "Shut up bitch. You're in a restricted area, getting free food, and meeting Russell Crowe."

Apparently, from what I gathered, she took a picture of something, began walking away, and someone had thought she stole something from the set. That's why she had been crying. But we all know the real reason she was crying- SO SOME IDIOT WOULD FEEL SORRY FOR HER AND LET HER MEET RUSSELL CROWE. I guess you have to applaud her though. After all, some sap fell for it.

Shortly after that, Russell and his friends rode into the sunrise. By this time it was probably 5:25AM. Patty sent us around again to make sure there was no garbage, there wasn't, and then we met her again in front of the mansion to fill out our time cards at about 5:40AM. She then asked us to make one final sweep and that after doing so we were invited to eat breakfast before leaving. I then told her I had a question, "It's not important, and I know it's very unlikely, but I was wondering what our chances were of making the credits." She replied as I figured, "NO CHANCE." She explained that they are very hesitant to give out credits and, when they do, they are very selective. I really didn't expect to get credit for a day of work but, hey, you can't blame a guy for trying. I mean, they could have put at the end "Special Thanks to Fairliegh Dickinson University, Florham-Madison Campus" and then attached our nine names after it. (I did get myself listed on The Internet Movie Database under "Other Crew".

So we surveyed the grounds for the last time, and then the second floor P.A. and myself grabbed breakfast. I had two plates full of scrambled eggs, bacon, corn beef hash, and french toast along with lemonade. I finished at about 6:05AM and arrived back in my room at 6:10AM.

All in all it was a good experience: (1) It's good to put on my resume, (2) I got to see what only 8 other students on the entire campus got to see when I finally got on set (3) On top of that, I'm getting paid $100! and finally (4) I ate better in those 14 hours than I did the entire semester at FDU.

What happened afterwards? I went to bed about 7AM. Five and a half hours later (and those of you that know me know I don't function under 7), I was awakened by Chad's (my roommate's) phone. He was asleep and did not answer. Then my phone rang, I picked up and it was Buff (former RA) asking if I was coming to participate in "The Battle of the Sexes." I told him I was unaware that it was today and told him I'd be there in a half hour. Then Chad and I proceeded over, where the guys of 1st floor Hamilton kicked the 1st floor Hamilton girls' asses.