Lost—On the Set

Terry O’Quinn invited Bart, Linda and I to visit the set of Lost. It was a nice treat on several levels.
Today’s Star Bulletin carried the story that ABC is thinking of moving it’s hit show from Hawaii because of the high costs. “Lost, with its ensemble cast, costly sound stage, office and storage space and crew expenses, arguably is the most expensive series on television, costing $2.5 million to $2.8 million an episode, several sources said. The series has cost at least $60 million to date, with 75 percent of its budget spent in Hawaii. About half of that spending is local crew salaries.” Hawaii is working hard to keep the series here.  Read the entire article
Lost is hard to find unless you happen to know that they are filming at Police Beach and you are with someone who happens to know where Police Beach is. The entrance to Police Beach is an unmarked (except for No Trespassing signs) gate today manned by a very large security guard. Bart told our story and the guard waved us in. The Police Beach property may be as big a a couple hundred acres next to Haleiwa Beach Park and is owned by the Bishop Estate. The Bishop Estate, an interesting organization, is the largest property owner in Hawaii with assets of $10 billion.
The costs for the show were apparent as we walked through the base camp with truck after truck for equipment and food and several first class trailers for the cast.
A woman wearing a headset, sitting on the back of the wardrobe trailer hailed us and asked if we were Terry’s friends. She said Terry told us to look out for some locals. Linda and my disguises are still working! She was Assistant to the Assistant Director and she was soon talking on her headset asking one of her assistants to lead us to where Terry was rehearsing a scene in the jungle. The Assistant to the Assistant Director then passed us off to her Assistant and we began to see why the costs were high. It takes a small village to make a TV show. A big, healthy girl named Melanie, dressed in shorts and hiking shoes and a tight tee led us into a realistic looking Hawaiian jungle, realistic because it was Hawaiian jungle with old, gray barked trees wrapped with vines and creepers. After a few steps we arrived at the scene of the rehearsal. A guy in shorts offered us some mosquito spray. Terry finished up and came over to greet us. He had warned Bart that he might not be in a position to be host but he had clearly made it known that we would appear and I could hear “Terry’s friends...Terry’s friends” ricochet through the jungle on the ubiquitous headsets. He said, “I’ve got to get my scar on but I’m going to take you over to where they are filming a scene.”
“Have you seen Time Magazine?” I asked as we walked past a couple of trees to where the filming was taking place. He hadn’t. “You got the only mention,” I told him. “Everyone is going to hate you.”  “Terry O'Quinn, in particular, shines as a paraplegic office drone whose ability to walk, along with his self-respect, is miraculously restored in the (airplane) crash,” said Time in naming Lost one of the best shows of 2004. In a small clearing were about thirty people, a large stand with lights on it, and some black and white screens to reflect the light. The scene they were filming involved  Hurley and the “French chick,” one of the newer characters. They brought us some of those tall director’s chairs, gave us headsets so we could hear the dialogue and sat us behind the Script Supervisor, Director and Director of Photography. It was what they call a one camera shot with the camera always on the “French chick” who had her back to us and was holding a high-powered rifle with a scope on Hurley who was breathing very hard. They’d already filmed the scene with Hurley’s face and would edit the two for the final product. They went through the scene four times trying to speed it up and get some different camera angles. There was the usual “Quiet on the set!” “Action,” and “Cut” and the little marker thing they hold in front of the camera to note the scene and its version. It’s not too boring if you are only there for thirty minutes. Might be if you had to stand around all day waiting to move some equipment. Both actors in this scene were particular good all four times.
They broke for lunch and we reluctantly turned in our headsets and wandered back out to the base camp. Our guide learned via her headset that Terry was in makeup and that she was to take us over there. When we found him he invited us to lunch which was good and plentiful and we had a nice visit before he got hauled off to do an interview. Most impressive was the friendliness and courtesy shown by all the crew members who are hoping like hell that Lost doesn't get lost.
And Terry. Is the limo picking him up? Nope. This morning he drove down from Pupukea parked at Foodland and walked the five miles along the highway to Police Beach. “Gets me looking right for the part,” he told us.