Daily Routine
We had begun the first full week of filming in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Jackie's new American movie, The Spy Next Door . This film would be shot on location all over the Albuquerque area; there were very few scenes which needed a studio. We began at a local middle school and then moved to a resort in the New Mexico desert.
November 1 - 14, 2008
Before I tell you about our first full week of filming, I thought you might find it interesting to know what Jackie's daily routine was like, so I'll describe the procedure for a normal filming day. All cast and crew members are given what is referred to as a call sheet. This piece of paper was distributed every evening at the conclusion of filming and described in detail what the schedule would be for the next day. The most important piece of information on the sheet was our pickup time. This is the time that Jackie's driver, Walt, would pick us up at our apartment and drive us to the set. Most mornings the pickup was very early....so early that it was still dark when we left the hotel. Walt would arrive in a big Suburban and wait for us in the parking lot. I was usually the first to join Walt and then Jack Tu would appear - often laden with supplies he'd carried down from Jackie's room. Soon Jackie and Osumi would arrive and the five of us would begin our journey to the set. And in case you're curious, Jackie was never late for the pickup time - - not even once.
After saying good morning, Jackie would reach over and turn on the radio - always the country music station. Sometimes he made phone calls to China; other times he just sat quietly and looked out the window as we drove through the darkness toward the set. Jackie is always very quiet in the morning, so he didn't talk very much unless something along the roadside struck his curiosity or he felt compelled to share a dream he'd had the night before. Often we would watch the beautiful New Mexico sunrise while we drove along in the near-dark, listening to the music playing softly on the radio.
Just as we approached the set, Walt would call ahead to Shannon, the base camp production assistant, to tell her that we were arriving. Shannon would then send a message out on her walkie-talkie: "Jackie is landing!" Once Walt dropped us off at Jackie's trailer, we would unload all our gear and then Jackie would head over to the hair and makeup trailer while Jack Tu and I would go to the catering area for breakfast. Jackie usually ate breakfast in his trailer when he was done with his hair and makeup.
Although each day of filming was different - some were much longer than others - they ended pretty much the same way. Once Jackie was wrapped (finished for the day), we would head back to his trailer to pack up everything that needed to come home with us. Walt would pull the Suburban around and then drive us home. Once we got to the apartments, we would clean up and get ready for dinner. Sometimes we walked over to one of the restaurants at the ABQ Uptown, but more often we went to Chopstix, a local restaurant that made homestyle Chinese food which Jackie adored.
And that was pretty much our routine for each and every workday for nearly two months.
Dinner at Chopstix
Filming On Location in Santa Ana Pueblo
Filming at the middle school was complete so we were heading out to a resort in Santa Ana Pueblo. Upon arrival, Jackie commented on how the facility looked as though it were plunked down in the middle of nowhere and he wondered what people did when they visited. So I asked the hotel manager about this and he said that people didn't mind driving long distances to stay at the resort because there were so many activities they could engage in: golf, horseback riding, hiking, hot air ballooning, swimming in the pool, and dozens of cultural and recreation events planned by the resort staff. The manager suggested to me that I take a hike with a guide to see the Rio Grande - perhaps one of the most famous rivers in the United States. I went back to the trailer and asked Jackie what he thought of this idea; he immediately encouraged me to go "and take Jack Tu with you." So Jack and I met with the tour guide at the appointed time and began our hike through the bosque (Spanish for "forest").
The first thing we saw was a big sign urging us to BEWARE OF THE RATTLESNAKES.
"Um....excuse me," I said to the guide. "Rattlesnakes?"
"Oh, sure," she said. "But don't worry....they're probably still sleeping."
"Probably?"
After asking the guide a few dozen questions about the danger involved in our little outing, I was sufficiently reassured that we weren't going to be attacked as long as we stayed on the trail and remained alert. Actually, I was kind of wishing I was back at the trailer or on the set instead of hiking through rattlesnake country, but I didn't want to be a sissy, so I kept going.
We walked for a long (long) time eventually stopping in front of what appeared to be a large puddle in the middle of the scrubby woods. The guide swept her arms dramatically in the direction of the water and proudly announced that we had arrived at the Rio Grande.
"Where?" I asked, looking around, expecting to see a broad and sparkling river dancing and flowing through the countryside.
"There!" she said, again pointing to the tiny stream running in front of us. "There it is!"
Jack and I looked at each other, then noticed the expectant expression on the guide's face, and immediately we began making the appropriate noises to show our admiration and delight for the mighty Rio Grande. I later found out that although the Rio Grande runs over 1,800 miles from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, it is very narrow in many places and its name (which means "big river" or "great river" in Spanish) is more a description of its length than its width.
The Rio Grande.
After spending an hour walking carefully (so as not to disturb the sleeping rattlesnakes) through the bosque and learning about the local flora and fauna from our guide, Jack and I returned and joined Jackie on the set. He was very curious about our walk, so we filled him in on all the exciting things we'd seen (or rather, hadn't seen.....like rattlesnakes).
We saw lots of scrubby bushes. Those are the Sandia Mountains in the background.
Fall foliage.
The two days filming at this location included all three of the young cast members - Maddy, Will, and Alina - so that meant lots of pranks, laughter, and silliness between shots. When the children were needed on the set, they were very professional and got right to work. But between shots they were just kids and if they weren't in school (they have an on-set tutor), they could be found fooling around with Jackie. As you're probably aware of by now, Jackie has a tremendous soft spot in his heart for kids. He's magnificent with them - teasing and joking, showing them tricks and pranks. The children adore him and whenever there's a spare moment, they seek out his company. And who could blame them? Jackie is a man who has managed to hold onto his playfulness and he's great fun to be around. He loves practical jokes and will go to elaborate lengths to set up situations that result in good natured foolery and laughs for everyone. The kids recognized this quality in Jackie immediately and were therefore drawn to him.
Here are some photos from our two days at the resort, in no particular order:
During a break in filming, Jackie teaches Will and Maddy a coin trick.
Oops....Jackie got hurt. On-set medic Jennifer administers first aid.
Although Jackie loves to joke around, he's very serious when he needs to be.
Director Brian Levant discusses dialogue with Maddy Carroll.
From all the years of doing his own hair and makeup on movie sets, Jackie is quite comfortable giving hair stylist Herb a hand.
During a break in filming, Jackie takes a walk around the grounds.
Jack Tu and Jackie raid the "crafty" cart. On a movie set there is a company hired for catering all the main meals of the day. Another company is contracted to provide snacks and beverages in between meals. This is known as "crafty."
Jackie says that if he gains weight on a movie set, it's not his fault. He jokes that he holds the "crafty guy" responsible. Here's The Spy Next Door's Don Draper who, along with his partner Perry Coomaws, keeps everyone full and happy throughout the day.
Jack Tu is caught snagging the last donut from the crafty cart.
A quiet moment for Jackie between shots.
Jack Tu.
Jackie's assistant Osumi takes a photo of the sky.
Jackie is reunited with sound mixer Bill Daly. They worked together on The Protector over twenty years ago.
Before I show you more photos, I want to tell you the story about how Jackie Chan stood in the way of my big chance to become famous. Well, okay, maybe not famous....
If you've followed these Scrapbook stories over the years, you know that I've been on film sets before. Occasionally I have been asked to appear in a movie as a non-speaking background (i.e. out of focus) extra. Since I'm more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, I've always politely declined. Well, this time I had no choice but to say yes.
Jackie and I were sitting in his trailer recording his diary when someone knocked on the door. It was one of the production assistants and he was looking for me. "This couldn't be good," I thought.
"A couple of our background extras didn't show up and we need a few people for the next scene. Can you help us out?" Since he asked me right in front of Jackie, I had no choice but to say yes. It's not that Jackie would get angry if I said no, but I know that he would not be happy. Jackie believes that making a movie is a team effort and it's vital for everyone to be a team player. So of course I said, "I'd love to."
Turns out that Jack Tu was also recruited to be an extra, so we headed over to the wardrobe trailer where we were dressed and given props (in my case, a suitcase and a purse). Since we would be far in the background behind Jackie, there was no need for makeup or hair styling. When we were ready Walt drove us up to the filming location and dropped us off. As I was getting out of the car, I saw Jackie getting into one of the vans that transport cast members back and forth from the set to the trailers. He smiled and gave my costume a thumbs up, then promptly drove away. "Hmm," I thought. "I wonder where Jackie's going?" Jack and I approached the production assistant and asked him where we should stand and what we should do. He had a very strange look on his face - - kind of a mixture of embarrassment and hesitation.
"What's wrong?" we asked.
"Well......the scene has already been shot," he blurted out. "Jackie was ready to go and you guys weren't here yet, so we went ahead and filmed it without background. I'm really sorry!"
Jack and I turned to each other and burst out laughing. Alas, my career as a famous Hollywood actress was over before it had even begun. (Jack would get another chance later in the filming when they needed a male Chinese face in the background.)
Back at the trailer, I pretended to be on the verge of tears as I told Jackie that he'd ruined my dreams of fame and fortune all because he didn't want to wait for me. He looked at me quizzically, wondering whether I was seriously upset. But I couldn't hold my sad expression; the look on my face changed to amusement and he knew I was just as happy that the opportunity had passed me by, and he laughed.
Some more photos:
Jackie can't resist the offerings on the crafty cart.
Jackie likes to have fun during the filming and there is often a lot of laughter, especially on the days when there is no action to film. When Jackie's filming action, he's very serious because he knows how important it is to make sure that no one gets hurt.
Jackie amuses the crew while waiting for the lighting to be adjusted.
The sign on Jackie's trailer door.
With Will and Alina.
Jackie amusing Alina with something on his cell phone.
Taking a walk.
Costume supervisor Claire Sandrin gives Jackie a hand.....
....and Jackie passes the favor forward.
Outside in the courtyard between takes, Jackie loved spending time with the kids.
Jack shows off some of the less healthy choices from the crafty cart. During the filming, Jack took a lot of teasing from the cast and crew for his eating habits. He has a real sweet tooth.
It was Jackie's idea to pose the children in size order for this photo. Back to front: Jackie, Will, Alina, and makeup stylist Douglas Noe's adorable son, Mac.
This is Jack Tu practicing some jumps on the lawn at the resort.
Jackie took this photo of set photographer Colleen Hayes. He said that she looked like a dancer while she was taking pictures. Colleen told us that she stands this way to maintain her balance while holding the heavy camera.
Jackie points to Colleen, who is busy taking pictures. He can't help but imitate her movements, which he thought were very graceful:
Jackie's photo of Colleen.
Jackie checks out some of his shots.
During a break in filming, Jack Tu investigates the surroundings.
Jackie is curious about the grasshopper Jack found. (Don't worry. They examined it for a few minutes, then released it back into the grass.)
Douglas gives Jackie a quick touch-up while Herb looks on.
Waiting patiently for the camera to roll.
Jackie took this photo as we were leaving the resort.
Jackie met several members of the Santa Ana Pueblo police force. The officer with the word POLICE on his hat surprised Jackie by speaking in fluent Mandarin!
Jackie couldn't resist taking a panorama of the late afternoon sky.
Here's his beautiful photo. You can see a distant rainstorm in the picture.
I wanted to show you this photo and ask if you can guess why Jackie would take a picture of his own finger. Can you guess? I will tell you the answer. You see, Jackie loves to take panoramic photos. Sometimes he takes these photos when he's traveling and when he comes back to Hong Kong and I download his pictures to my computer, it can be hard to spot a panorama among the hundreds of photos that he's taken. So I asked him to take a reference shot - - a photo of his finger to show the last shot of a series. It's kind of a signal from Jackie to me that there is a panorama waiting to be pieced together!
Of all the photos I took in New Mexico, this is one of my favorites.
Jackie photographs Brian Levant.
Jackie talking to his dialogue coach, Diana Weng.
On the way home from the location, Jackie asked Walt to pull over so he could take some photos of the beautiful sunset.
Jackie even took photos of the sky while we were driving.
Jack took this photo of Jackie.
If you've followed these Scrapbook stories over the years, you know that I've been on film sets before. Occasionally I have been asked to appear in a movie as a non-speaking background (i.e. out of focus) extra. Since I'm more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, I've always politely declined. Well, this time I had no choice but to say yes.
Jackie and I were sitting in his trailer recording his diary when someone knocked on the door. It was one of the production assistants and he was looking for me. "This couldn't be good," I thought.
"A couple of our background extras didn't show up and we need a few people for the next scene. Can you help us out?" Since he asked me right in front of Jackie, I had no choice but to say yes. It's not that Jackie would get angry if I said no, but I know that he would not be happy. Jackie believes that making a movie is a team effort and it's vital for everyone to be a team player. So of course I said, "I'd love to."
Turns out that Jack Tu was also recruited to be an extra, so we headed over to the wardrobe trailer where we were dressed and given props (in my case, a suitcase and a purse). Since we would be far in the background behind Jackie, there was no need for makeup or hair styling. When we were ready Walt drove us up to the filming location and dropped us off. As I was getting out of the car, I saw Jackie getting into one of the vans that transport cast members back and forth from the set to the trailers. He smiled and gave my costume a thumbs up, then promptly drove away. "Hmm," I thought. "I wonder where Jackie's going?" Jack and I approached the production assistant and asked him where we should stand and what we should do. He had a very strange look on his face - - kind of a mixture of embarrassment and hesitation.
"What's wrong?" we asked.
"Well......the scene has already been shot," he blurted out. "Jackie was ready to go and you guys weren't here yet, so we went ahead and filmed it without background. I'm really sorry!"
Jack and I turned to each other and burst out laughing. Alas, my career as a famous Hollywood actress was over before it had even begun. (Jack would get another chance later in the filming when they needed a male Chinese face in the background.)
Back at the trailer, I pretended to be on the verge of tears as I told Jackie that he'd ruined my dreams of fame and fortune all because he didn't want to wait for me. He looked at me quizzically, wondering whether I was seriously upset. But I couldn't hold my sad expression; the look on my face changed to amusement and he knew I was just as happy that the opportunity had passed me by, and he laughed.
Some more photos:
Jackie can't resist the offerings on the crafty cart.
Jackie likes to have fun during the filming and there is often a lot of laughter, especially on the days when there is no action to film. When Jackie's filming action, he's very serious because he knows how important it is to make sure that no one gets hurt.
Jackie amuses the crew while waiting for the lighting to be adjusted.
The sign on Jackie's trailer door.
With Will and Alina.
Jackie amusing Alina with something on his cell phone.
Taking a walk.
Costume supervisor Claire Sandrin gives Jackie a hand.....
....and Jackie passes the favor forward.
Outside in the courtyard between takes, Jackie loved spending time with the kids.
Jack shows off some of the less healthy choices from the crafty cart. During the filming, Jack took a lot of teasing from the cast and crew for his eating habits. He has a real sweet tooth.
It was Jackie's idea to pose the children in size order for this photo. Back to front: Jackie, Will, Alina, and makeup stylist Douglas Noe's adorable son, Mac.
This is Jack Tu practicing some jumps on the lawn at the resort.
Jackie took this photo of set photographer Colleen Hayes. He said that she looked like a dancer while she was taking pictures. Colleen told us that she stands this way to maintain her balance while holding the heavy camera.
Jackie points to Colleen, who is busy taking pictures. He can't help but imitate her movements, which he thought were very graceful:
Jackie's photo of Colleen.
Jackie checks out some of his shots.
During a break in filming, Jack Tu investigates the surroundings.
Jackie is curious about the grasshopper Jack found. (Don't worry. They examined it for a few minutes, then released it back into the grass.)
Douglas gives Jackie a quick touch-up while Herb looks on.
Waiting patiently for the camera to roll.
Jackie took this photo as we were leaving the resort.
Jackie met several members of the Santa Ana Pueblo police force. The officer with the word POLICE on his hat surprised Jackie by speaking in fluent Mandarin!
Jackie couldn't resist taking a panorama of the late afternoon sky.
Here's his beautiful photo. You can see a distant rainstorm in the picture.
I wanted to show you this photo and ask if you can guess why Jackie would take a picture of his own finger. Can you guess? I will tell you the answer. You see, Jackie loves to take panoramic photos. Sometimes he takes these photos when he's traveling and when he comes back to Hong Kong and I download his pictures to my computer, it can be hard to spot a panorama among the hundreds of photos that he's taken. So I asked him to take a reference shot - - a photo of his finger to show the last shot of a series. It's kind of a signal from Jackie to me that there is a panorama waiting to be pieced together!
Of all the photos I took in New Mexico, this is one of my favorites.
Jackie photographs Brian Levant.
Jackie talking to his dialogue coach, Diana Weng.
On the way home from the location, Jackie asked Walt to pull over so he could take some photos of the beautiful sunset.
Jackie even took photos of the sky while we were driving.
Filming at a Chinese Restaurant
Once we were done filming at the resort, the production moved to a Chinese restaurant not far from our apartments. The restaurant was temporarily closed because of a family emergency, and the production had rented it out for several days of location shooting.
As you can probably tell from looking at the photos in these Scrapbooks and in Jackie's diaries, it's important to the production that we don't show you any of the sets. They want everything to be fresh and new for the audience when the movie's released in theaters. However, we can still give you a sneak peek without spoiling anything for you.
This "crew member" is very helpful in letting everyone know where things are on the set.
JC Stuntman He Jun is lifting all three of the kids at once. During the course of filming, the children became very fond of He Jun - - and he of them.
I'm not sure whether these cups are from the actual restaurant or were purchased as props.
Brian bought a ping pong table, which everyone enjoyed....well, except for the poor guys who had to figure out how to put it together.
Did you know that crumpled plastic wrap looks like ice when you film it?
Jackie is planning a sequence. When he looks like this, everyone who has ever worked with him knows that it's a good idea not to disturb him. If you do, he won't get angry; he just won't hear a word you say to him.
Jackie took very good care of Alina on the set and they became great friends.
Yes, that's Jackie pushing the camera dolly. Jackie loves each and every aspect of filming and will always help if he can.
A quick game of ping pong during a break.
Jackie talking to executive producer Ira Shuman.
Jackie has a moment with a little costar. That's George Lopez in the background.
Cooling off on the set.
Playing hackey sack with his stunt team in the parking lot of the restaurant. Jackie's presence caused a bit of commotion when people driving by recognized him.
Jackie and Alina.
Here's Jackie on the set helping Alina and Maddy with their cue. He climbed up on a ladder and held his hand up to signal to them when they should begin walking.
Alina and Maddy react to something Jackie says.
Jack Tu, eating again.
Poor Alina was bitten by the turtle.
Once we were done filming at the resort, the production moved to a Chinese restaurant not far from our apartments. The restaurant was temporarily closed because of a family emergency, and the production had rented it out for several days of location shooting.
As you can probably tell from looking at the photos in these Scrapbooks and in Jackie's diaries, it's important to the production that we don't show you any of the sets. They want everything to be fresh and new for the audience when the movie's released in theaters. However, we can still give you a sneak peek without spoiling anything for you.
This "crew member" is very helpful in letting everyone know where things are on the set.
JC Stuntman He Jun is lifting all three of the kids at once. During the course of filming, the children became very fond of He Jun - - and he of them.
I'm not sure whether these cups are from the actual restaurant or were purchased as props.
Brian bought a ping pong table, which everyone enjoyed....well, except for the poor guys who had to figure out how to put it together.
Did you know that crumpled plastic wrap looks like ice when you film it?
Jackie is planning a sequence. When he looks like this, everyone who has ever worked with him knows that it's a good idea not to disturb him. If you do, he won't get angry; he just won't hear a word you say to him.
Jackie took very good care of Alina on the set and they became great friends.
Yes, that's Jackie pushing the camera dolly. Jackie loves each and every aspect of filming and will always help if he can.
A quick game of ping pong during a break.
Jackie talking to executive producer Ira Shuman.
Jackie has a moment with a little costar. That's George Lopez in the background.
Cooling off on the set.
Playing hackey sack with his stunt team in the parking lot of the restaurant. Jackie's presence caused a bit of commotion when people driving by recognized him.
Jackie and Alina.
Here's Jackie on the set helping Alina and Maddy with their cue. He climbed up on a ladder and held his hand up to signal to them when they should begin walking.
Alina and Maddy react to something Jackie says.
Jack Tu, eating again.
Poor Alina was bitten by the turtle.
After filming at the restaurant was completed, Jackie invited the entire cast and crew to have dinner with him. We went to a nearby restaurant which closed its doors to regular customers to accommodate our party (which took up the whole place, by the way). Since the only people in the restaurant were the owner, his wife and son, and the cooks in the kitchen, Jackie's staff served all the meals and drinks. Having his staff take over the serving makes Jackie very happy; he feels like he is in his own home hosting friends. Jackie is a wonderful host and he was right in there with the rest of us, pouring wine, delivering food, and clearing tables. It was a terrific evening and it enabled everyone to spend some time together when they weren't under the pressure of filming. Here are a few pictures we took that evening:
In this photo, Jackie is swinging Maddy around on the dance floor. You've probably seen him do this in some of his older movies. Maddy is going so fast that she's only a blur in the picture!
Stuntman Alan Ng playing with Assistant Director George Parra's son.
Jackie is telling Dean Cundey (Director of Photography), Mike Orefice (Gaffer), and Sandy Williams (Key Grip) about how he got started in the film industry.
In this photo, Jackie is swinging Maddy around on the dance floor. You've probably seen him do this in some of his older movies. Maddy is going so fast that she's only a blur in the picture!
Stuntman Alan Ng playing with Assistant Director George Parra's son.
Jackie is telling Dean Cundey (Director of Photography), Mike Orefice (Gaffer), and Sandy Williams (Key Grip) about how he got started in the film industry.
Back to Santa Fe
It was the weekend and everyone spent most of Saturday catching up on sleep, reading, and shopping. As I mentioned, the ABQ Uptown was right across the street from our apartments, and it was a great place to take a walk or browse through the stores.
On Sunday, Jackie decided that he wanted to go back to Santa Fe and this time he invited the kids and their moms to join us. Most of the stunt guys stayed behind, but I decided to go with everyone; I had fallen in love with Santa Fe and couldn't wait to see more of it.
We drove there in two vans and after parking the cars we went to a cafe for coffee, then spent the next several hours walking through the town. I think that you could spend a week walking around and still not see all of the gorgeous art galleries and buildings.
One important mission we were on was to go back to a gallery we'd visited the week before so that Jackie could purchase a pig sculpture. He'd spent a week considering whether or not he wanted to buy it. A few times over the past week, he would ask me what my thoughts were about the pig. Often his questions would come out of the blue while we were walking through a store or eating dinner.
"Why should I buy the pig?" Jackie would ask.
After a moment of confusion, I would realize what he was referring to and I'd be able to formulate an answer.
"Well," I'd begin, "It makes you smile, right? And you have so many dragons and horses. You really need a pig to....oh, I don't know....to balance things out."
"Hmm," Jackie would say thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I should have a pig. But not just any pig. That pig. I think that pig will make everyone happy when they see it."
Or......
"It's a really big pig," Jackie would spontaneously blurt out.
"Um......wha...?"
"Where would I put it?"
"You'll find a good spot."
I don't think for a minute that anything I said influenced Jackie to buy the pig. He'd fallen in love with it the moment he saw it and I believe that he'd decided immediately after seeing it that he should have it. I think he just wanted a little encouragement; after all, it was a gigantic brass pig.
Truffles the Pig
Jackie is a man who appreciates art, and he does it from an instinctive level. He's never taken an art survey course and he didn't visit museums and art galleries when he was growing up. But over the many years of traveling and seeing beautiful things, he came to know what he liked and he began collecting the things that he thought were beautiful or whimsical. I hope that someday all of Jackie's art will be shown in the Jackie Chan Museum. I think that when you see the things that Jackie has collected, you will get a better feeling for the person that he is.
Here are some photos from our second trip to Santa Fe:
Jackie took this photo in the cafe where we had coffee. It's a loaf of bread in the shape of an animal. Do you think it's a crocodile?
This sculpture is called "Rock, Paper, Scissors." It's a good example of the kind of whimsical art that Jackie likes.
Jackie was impressed by the size of this tree.
You can see more of Jackie's photos from Santa Fe in the 2008 Photo Albums.
This is Maddy Carrol posing with a set of sculptures we saw during our walk. Santa Fe is a great place to take children to introduce them to art. Everywhere you walk throughout the town you will run into sculptures right out on the sidewalk.
After spending the day walking up and down the streets of Santa Fe we stopped at a local restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious dinner. Alas, it started to get late so we had to return to Albuquerque to begin our second full week of filming.
Back to Work
On Monday morning we drove to an airport hangar somewhere near Albuquerque for some indoor filming. I couldn't take many photos inside the studio, but managed to sneak a few:
Do you remember when Jackie wrote in his diary that he thought he'd be spending most of this film shoot carrying Alina around?
Do you recognize the book that's sitting on one of the utility carts at the studio? It's Jackie's autobiography "I Am Jackie Chan."
Snacktime.
If you think that someone left a wad of hundred dollar bills sitting on a cart at the studio, you'd be right. But this money won't buy you anything - - it's prop money.
Jack thought he could hide in Jackie's trailer to enjoy more snacks but we found him. Actually, Jack Tu is in excellent physical condition and the photos that make it look like he's constantly eating junk food were taken as a joke.
Outside the hangar where they were filming, the view was spectacular. Jackie took this great shot:
Here's Jack Tu posing with the mountains in the background. Out in the desert the land seems to go on forever and the sky looks enormous.
Jackie admires the view.
It was the weekend and everyone spent most of Saturday catching up on sleep, reading, and shopping. As I mentioned, the ABQ Uptown was right across the street from our apartments, and it was a great place to take a walk or browse through the stores.
On Sunday, Jackie decided that he wanted to go back to Santa Fe and this time he invited the kids and their moms to join us. Most of the stunt guys stayed behind, but I decided to go with everyone; I had fallen in love with Santa Fe and couldn't wait to see more of it.
We drove there in two vans and after parking the cars we went to a cafe for coffee, then spent the next several hours walking through the town. I think that you could spend a week walking around and still not see all of the gorgeous art galleries and buildings.
One important mission we were on was to go back to a gallery we'd visited the week before so that Jackie could purchase a pig sculpture. He'd spent a week considering whether or not he wanted to buy it. A few times over the past week, he would ask me what my thoughts were about the pig. Often his questions would come out of the blue while we were walking through a store or eating dinner.
"Why should I buy the pig?" Jackie would ask.
After a moment of confusion, I would realize what he was referring to and I'd be able to formulate an answer.
"Well," I'd begin, "It makes you smile, right? And you have so many dragons and horses. You really need a pig to....oh, I don't know....to balance things out."
"Hmm," Jackie would say thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I should have a pig. But not just any pig. That pig. I think that pig will make everyone happy when they see it."
Or......
"It's a really big pig," Jackie would spontaneously blurt out.
"Um......wha...?"
"Where would I put it?"
"You'll find a good spot."
I don't think for a minute that anything I said influenced Jackie to buy the pig. He'd fallen in love with it the moment he saw it and I believe that he'd decided immediately after seeing it that he should have it. I think he just wanted a little encouragement; after all, it was a gigantic brass pig.
Truffles the Pig
I have to tell you about the prank that Jackie pulled on Maddy Carroll, the young girl who plays Farren in the film. When we were sitting in the cafe having coffee, Jackie told Maddy that he came to Santa Fe to buy a pig. Immediately he noticed that Maddy thought he meant a real pig, so he decided to trick her. He told her how cute the pig was; that he'd seen it last week and he just had to have it. Maddy was so excited; she told Jackie how much she liked animals and she was jumping out of her seat with anticipation of meeting the little pet pig.
We left the cafe and as we approached the gallery where Truffles was, Jackie covered Maddy's eyes. He moved her right in front of the massive Truffles sculpture and then took his hand away. Maddy's scream could be heard back in Albuquerque, of that I am quite sure. She was completely startled, but after her initial horror (she thought it was a real pig!!), she laughed along with the rest of us.
Here's Jackie with Truffles and the kids.
We left the cafe and as we approached the gallery where Truffles was, Jackie covered Maddy's eyes. He moved her right in front of the massive Truffles sculpture and then took his hand away. Maddy's scream could be heard back in Albuquerque, of that I am quite sure. She was completely startled, but after her initial horror (she thought it was a real pig!!), she laughed along with the rest of us.
Here's Jackie with Truffles and the kids.
Here are some photos from our second trip to Santa Fe:
Jackie took this photo in the cafe where we had coffee. It's a loaf of bread in the shape of an animal. Do you think it's a crocodile?
This sculpture is called "Rock, Paper, Scissors." It's a good example of the kind of whimsical art that Jackie likes.
Jackie was impressed by the size of this tree.
You can see more of Jackie's photos from Santa Fe in the 2008 Photo Albums.
This is Maddy Carrol posing with a set of sculptures we saw during our walk. Santa Fe is a great place to take children to introduce them to art. Everywhere you walk throughout the town you will run into sculptures right out on the sidewalk.
Back to Work
On Monday morning we drove to an airport hangar somewhere near Albuquerque for some indoor filming. I couldn't take many photos inside the studio, but managed to sneak a few:
Do you remember when Jackie wrote in his diary that he thought he'd be spending most of this film shoot carrying Alina around?
Do you recognize the book that's sitting on one of the utility carts at the studio? It's Jackie's autobiography "I Am Jackie Chan."
Snacktime.
If you think that someone left a wad of hundred dollar bills sitting on a cart at the studio, you'd be right. But this money won't buy you anything - - it's prop money.
Jack thought he could hide in Jackie's trailer to enjoy more snacks but we found him. Actually, Jack Tu is in excellent physical condition and the photos that make it look like he's constantly eating junk food were taken as a joke.
Outside the hangar where they were filming, the view was spectacular. Jackie took this great shot:
Here's Jack Tu posing with the mountains in the background. Out in the desert the land seems to go on forever and the sky looks enormous.
Jackie admires the view.
Jack took this photo of Jackie.
After filming was over, we drove back to Albuquerque to have dinner at Chopstix. The last time we were there the owners had offered to make homemade dumplings, so Jackie told them that we'd come in on Monday night. When we got there, we noticed that there were no other patrons and that there were no waitresses - just the owners. It took only a moment for us to discover that the restaurant was closed on Mondays, but they had opened their doors to us anyway. Jackie couldn't believe it and he told the owners that he had no idea the restaurant was closed; that we could have waited until Tuesday. So all of us pitched in to help, including Jackie:
Jackie and stuntman He Jun at the stove in the tiny kitchen.
Jackie may look lost in this photo but in about 2 minutes, he knew his way around this kitchen and was cooking dinner.
Jackie making his special fried rice.
Jackie served his special dish to his guests.
The owner and his wife work alongside Jackie and the stunt guys.
Jackie and stuntman He Jun at the stove in the tiny kitchen.
Jackie may look lost in this photo but in about 2 minutes, he knew his way around this kitchen and was cooking dinner.
Jackie making his special fried rice.
Jackie served his special dish to his guests.
The owner and his wife work alongside Jackie and the stunt guys.
Jackie always jokes about his limited skill in cooking, but you would never know it if you tasted his special fried rice. It was scrumptious! Everyone loved it and Jackie was very pleased at the reaction.
Working Underground
Working Underground
For the next few days, filming took place underground in a tunnel. I can't tell you much about it except to say that it was very loud and unpleasant and Jackie was quite busy because much of what they were filming was action. Unfortunately, because it was so loud, he had to yell all the time and the screaming combined with the irritating smoke produced by the fog machine made for a less than fun experience. Nevertheless, Jackie did not complain; he just encouraged everyone to keep going (calling out his trademark "Ding Ding!!" when he felt everyone was ready for the cameras to roll).
During one of our breaks, Jackie chose the winners for the Decorate Jackie for Halloween contest which we feature each year on the website. Since we've begun having contests on our website, Jackie has always been involved in picking the winners if it's at all possible. He really gets a kick out of the designs for the Halloween contest and puts a lot of thought into choosing the winners. While he was looking through this year's designs, he commented on the creativity of the fans and asked me how people get the ideas for these designs. I wish I could tell you that I gave him a clever answer, but I couldn't. I just shook my head and said, "I haven't a clue."
Jackie chooses the winners.
Playing around with Willie Wonka glasses on the set.
Snacktime.
Can you guess what these props are that Lawrence Tolle is holding?
Do you recognize this man?
Gaffer Mike Orifice, Director of Photography Dean Cundy, Director Brian Levant, and Key Grip Sandy Williams on the set.
One of the actors reads a book between takes.
Jackie watches carefully while they film an action sequence.
Late at night, stuntmen He Jun and Paul made a fancy light show.
On the set.
During one of our breaks, Jackie chose the winners for the Decorate Jackie for Halloween contest which we feature each year on the website. Since we've begun having contests on our website, Jackie has always been involved in picking the winners if it's at all possible. He really gets a kick out of the designs for the Halloween contest and puts a lot of thought into choosing the winners. While he was looking through this year's designs, he commented on the creativity of the fans and asked me how people get the ideas for these designs. I wish I could tell you that I gave him a clever answer, but I couldn't. I just shook my head and said, "I haven't a clue."
Jackie chooses the winners.
Playing around with Willie Wonka glasses on the set.
Snacktime.
Can you guess what these props are that Lawrence Tolle is holding?
Do you recognize this man?
Gaffer Mike Orifice, Director of Photography Dean Cundy, Director Brian Levant, and Key Grip Sandy Williams on the set.
One of the actors reads a book between takes.
Jackie watches carefully while they film an action sequence.
Late at night, stuntmen He Jun and Paul made a fancy light show.
On the set.
Once filming was done in the tunnel, we moved to another location. In order to keep on schedule, we spent many nights working until past midnight.
Jackie is examining this stand to see how it works. He is always very curious to know what makes things (and people) tick.
Occasionally Jackie liked to drive to the set.
He wanted you to see the SND signs which were placed all over the area to help guide cast and crew to the set.
The set decorators pay attention to every small detail.
Jackie waits between shots. This was a very late night for everyone.
Mealtime.
Jackie likes to doodle.
Playing around with Colleen's camera.
This particular Five Dollar Friday drawing was very funny because the names that were drawn were all Jackie's staff members. Even Jackie's name was picked to win a prize.
You can read more about the filming in Jackie's diaries (October, November, and December 2008) here on our website.
More Scrapbook articles about the New Mexico filming will be coming.
Text and photos © 2009 Katharine Schroeder / The Jackie Chan Group
All Rights Reserved
Jackie is examining this stand to see how it works. He is always very curious to know what makes things (and people) tick.
Occasionally Jackie liked to drive to the set.
He wanted you to see the SND signs which were placed all over the area to help guide cast and crew to the set.
The set decorators pay attention to every small detail.
Jackie waits between shots. This was a very late night for everyone.
Mealtime.
Jackie likes to doodle.
Playing around with Colleen's camera.
This particular Five Dollar Friday drawing was very funny because the names that were drawn were all Jackie's staff members. Even Jackie's name was picked to win a prize.
You can read more about the filming in Jackie's diaries (October, November, and December 2008) here on our website.
More Scrapbook articles about the New Mexico filming will be coming.
Text and photos © 2009 Katharine Schroeder / The Jackie Chan Group
All Rights Reserved
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posted on Monday, Feb 08, 2010
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posted on Tuesday, Jan 19, 2010
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posted on Friday, Nov 13, 2009
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posted on Saturday, Sep 05, 2009
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posted on Friday, Jun 05, 2009
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