Jennifer Aniston Watch

As we all know by now, Tuesday night’s scene on West Gay Street in West Chester, PA attracted a lot of attention. Well, I have happily had the opportunity to interview one of the many dedicated souls who stuck around to see filming in action. As a German major and film minor at nearby West Chester University, Ashley seized the opportunity to watch the production of a major motion picture, and she was rewarded for her tenacity, as she not only got to watch the work behind all that movie magic, but she also saw Jen and Owen! She was kind enough to share her experience with me, along with video footage (above) and photos (under the jump). Without any further ado, here is my interview with Ashley!

Erin: So Ashley, I’m speaking with you today because . . . you saw Jen on the set of Marley & Me yesterday! Is that correct?
Ashley: Yes, it was at West Chester on May 20, I was there from 8am-12am.
E: Wow, you’re a real trouper, staying out there so long! How did you find out where the action would be?
A: I actually found out from the great posters on Aniston Center and imdb.com, plus all the action being reported on the news and all.
E: Well done, I’ve always found Aniston Center and IMDB to be valuable resources, so that was very savvy of you. Did you initially plan to stay all day?
A: Oh yeah! I am really interested in film, since it is my area of study so I was not only there for Jen and Owen (sorry diehards), I was also there to watch the entire process.
E: That’s awesome that you were able to see something so relevant to your studies! Was this your first time on the set of a major motion picture?
A: Yes it was….and not my last.
E: I can see that it wouldn’t be your last!
A: There are more and more movies being filmed in Philly - Marley & Me, Transformers 2, The Happening….you get it.
E: Very nice!
A: So I am really excited, they are even building a movie studio a town over from me too.
A: Philly - the new Hollywood.
E: Sounds like you’ll have a lot of opportunities in the near future then!
A: I hope so.
E: So back to this particular production, what was the first thing that you saw when you got to the location?
A: I saw this weird carpet covering the ground….it was just like a weird paper carpet, and they were changing the street lights. [shows picture of ground covering]
E: Wow, that kind of looks a lot like snow! I take it that’s what it was meant to be?
A: Actually, that was just a layer so it would still appear white under the real snow they blew everywhere
E: Very cool. From what I’ve heard it was a somewhat elaborate setup, about how long would you say that it took in total?
A: Wow….all day.
A: It began last night I hear, with that white carpet thing….then it went until about 7pm. No one could walk or drive through after 2pm. Then it downpoured - all the snow got soaked, but it eventually let up…then they covered the streets.
E: When it rained, did they have to redo everything, or is fake snow more resilient than the real thing?
A: Much more, it just got squishier. It is actually just like paper and cotton and gunk.
E: Very cool! So in addition to the fake snow, what else (aside from the usual lighting and equipment) did they do to ready the scene?
A: Well, the lighting thing was really cool, they blew up this big balloon thing and put it in this tent frame looking thing then used a keylight (aka spotlight) and put it in front of the balloon thing (which was high up above the ground) and it generated a bunch of light. There were also trucks and wires all over the place. The smaller street lamps they put it were used as fill lights (because key lights create a lot of shadows, fill lights fill in the shadow).
E: Very cool. Now, when about did the actors begin to arrive on the set?
A: I heard they were going to get there around 8 pm….but Owen arrived at 9ish…Jen at 9:30. They both stayed in their trailers for 1.5 hrs and came out one at a time, Jen first then Owen. Their trailers were marked - ‘David’ (the name of the director) was Jen’s, and Owen’s said production. It was a decoy thing. At least 30 people were going in and out (including Jen’s dog).
E: Cool. Did they come out camera-ready, in costume?
A: Yup, Jen in a wedding dress, Owen in a tux.
E: Sweet! We’ve all seen the pics and I think that it can be agreed, they both looked great.
A: Jen seemed much friendlier than Owen, who seemed to sulk the entire time. Jen was way cooler though. It was weird because off camera, they were never really together. They would even walk away from each take separately.
E: Did you happen to notice who they were with when off camera?
A: A group of people. Owen was mainly by himself, usually next to one person. Jen had a flock of people, most likely for her dress.
E: Makes sense, wouldn’t want to get faux snow all over it
A: Oh, and Jen came in a black SUV, Owen in a white caddy
A: I had it (fake snow) all over myself
E: But you see, for you it’s a souvenir!
A: True true, and my videos and pics and memories.
E: Of course!
A: The weirdest thing was being there….it was cold, but not snow cold….and yet snow was everywhere.
E: That is an odd experience. I myself remember something similar during filming of The Break-Up here in Chicago - it was 60 degrees on the day that they filmed the ending, but there was snow and everybody wore winter coats. Very strange to see.
E: So during your time on the set, were there any surprises or things that you found to be particularly interesting?
A: I think it was just surreal to see a movie set in my town. Especially one this drastic - snow everywhere.
E: Anyway, congratulations on your first film set experience, and I hope that you have many, many more to come.
A: Thanks a lot, it was a great time, especially toward the end when I was hanging out the bar window.
A: Quick funny story – I was outside a bar where they were filming, I tried to get in, but my I.D. was in my car….I ran back 3 blocks to my car with all my camera stuff, my legs still hurt, got my I.D., ran back in and went upstairs and hung out the window to get my money shots….I got them on their last take! I was so excited, and hanging out a bar’s second floor window over a movie set was so much fun, believe it or not. At 12am no less.
E: Wow, that’s dedication!
A: Oh yeah, it was worth it.
E: Well, thank you so very much for taking the time to tell me all about your experience on the set, I’m sure that it’s one that you’ll remember for a long time.
A: Sure sure. Anytime, and thanks for letting me share my stories with your readers.
E: You’re welcome!

Pictures below (click for full size)