By LISA TRAMONTANA
Advocate News Features staff
Published: Jan 1, 2010 - Page: 12-13

The day started early for many movie extras — 4 a.m. to be exact. That’s when the military and many civilians were called to the Battle: Los Angeles set in Baton Rouge one November day.

Battle: Los Angeles is a science fiction film about a marine platoon called to fight against an alien invasion. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan, it will be released in 2011. Filming in Baton Rouge began in mid-October and continued until two weeks ago.

Robin Batherson is the casting agent who hired the extras. “This is one of the biggest budget movies ever filmed in Louisiana,” she says, “and probably the biggest for Baton Rouge. We used 3,000 extras and they came from all over the state, as well as from Texas, Florida and Georgia.”

Call times on this Monday morning were staggered for the extras, who included policemen, a reporter, doctors, nurses, EMTs, and a group of children. The scene being shot is a sudden alien attack. Take after take after take required the cast to go into panic mode and run screaming down the street while soldiers aimed their guns at an invisible enemy.

The scene was filmed in a several-block area off of Florida Boulevard bounded by N. 25th Street and Gottlieb Street, but locals would never have recognized the streets or buildings. Fake (Los Angeles) street signs replaced the current ones, and unfamiliar business names adorned the front of buildings. There was something unsettling about it. It’s hard to keep your bearings straight when familiar landmarks seem just a little bit “off.” But that just added to the feeling of chaos.

The extras began their day at “base camp,” where they signed in and went to “wardrobe.” There, they were fitted and dressed accordingly. Some extras (civilians and children, for example) were told to bring their own clothing, which was then mixed and matched with wardrobe items to get the right look. Makeup for the day consisted of having thick, gray dust patted onto their faces and clothes, and into their hair. In just a few seconds, the extras were transformed. This one makeup device set an apocalyptic tone and the extras suddenly resembled refugees.

When everyone was assembled on the set (the middle of the street), the production assistants gave instructions, reminding the cast that aliens are attacking from above. In a well-choreographed rehearsal, they set the scene:

This group will run from point A to point B at a specific pace. This man will carry a young child in his arms, shielding her face as they run. A rescue team will herd a group of children from a parking lot to a nearby bus with shattered windows. These soldiers will direct civilians as they flee down the center of the street.

All the while, an enormous fan on a side street out of view of the camera churned up a thick, hazy fog that made it difficult to see, but created a sense of turmoil and confusion. Loud gunshots punctuated the air and bystanders covered their ears. (Right before the second take, a crew member began handing out earplugs.)

“The whole process is so fascinating,” said Karen Tiner, who peeked through the slats of a fence to watch her 12-year-old son Jeffrey, who was an extra. “I had no idea that so many people were involved behind the scenes.”

Indeed, the makeup crew walked around between takes, looking for those who could use a fresh dose of dirt on their faces, while other crew members constantly fiddled with wires, lights, cameras and props.

At lunchtime, the entire cast and crew walked two blocks to an empty parking lot and waited for buses to pick them up and transport them back to base camp. Passing cars slowed down to take a second look at this strange collection of armed soldiers, rescue workers and what looked like scraggly prisoners.

At base camp, a lunch of chicken friend steak, pasta, salad and brownies was assembled inside a large tent. Parents, children, crew members, extras — all grimy, dirty and tired from the long morning — enjoyed a much-needed break. After about 45 minutes, the buses returned to take cast and crew back to the set.

The afternoon shoot seemed a little more difficult now that the cast was tired. After all, by 3 p.m., the military extras had been at it for 11 hours. Several complained about the heavy boots and rifles.

The parents of the children in the film had spent the day inside a small church building on-set — busying themselves by reading, visiting with other parents, and watching the action unfold. The constant sound of bullets no longer fazed them. The children occasionally got a break to come inside for drinks of water and hasty applications of sunscreen. The breaks were short, however, and the kids immediately went back to their spots on the street to wait for the next “Action!”

By 3:30 p.m., the parents were checking their watches. Most of them had arrived before 7 a.m., so fatigue was kicking in. An assistant director poked her head in the door to say the director would like to do one more take. Will the parents allow their kids to stay just a little longer? The parents agreed.

The director seemed satisfied with the final take and excused the children. Back at base camp, they returned their wardrobe items and wiped away the heavy gray makeup from their arms, legs and faces. For this group, the long day was over.

Back on set, a group of extras discussed past and future jobs. Several said they will try to work on The Green Lantern, which is scheduled to start filming in Baton Rouge in February.

Batherson plans to work on that film, as well.

“Baton Rouge’s biggest asset is that it’s ‘confidently located,’” she says. “It’s close to New Orleans, but also to other areas like St. Francisville that provide a totally different look. And you’ve got the Celtic Media Center, a wonderful place to film. The people of Baton Rouge have been a joy to work with. I’d come back here to work anytime.”