Evolution

October 24, 2000

Hoping for another fabulous experience like I had
on Episode 8, I took a day off of work to work on
DD's new movie. Call time was 5 am at Cal State
Fullerton and judging by the size of the holding tent,
this was going to be a huge call. So huge in fact, the
extras were split into 3 different call time groups to
stagger our arrival and check in. I hooked up
with some friends and settled in for a wait. While
still in holding we were all given a ticket to hang onto.
There was going to be a drawing later. This was
new to me. Extra aren't usually treated very well.

When we finally headed to the set, the Cal State Fullerton Gym, I heard someone call my name. A Phile from the net who I'd become friends with recognized me. It was fun to finally meet and hang out for a day.

Once inside we were split into two groups, those wearing red and those wearing blue. We'd been told that red would be featured so all of my friends and I were prominently wearing red. Unfortunately, wardrobe had made a mistake and it was blue who would be more featured. Oh well, at least we got hang out together and see DD in action.

The cynical people behind me noticed when DD first came in. He was wearing the classic Mulder gray T-shirt, jeans, and sandals. His hair also looked a little frosted blond on top. He watched and chatted with people while we extras were told what to do. Basically cheer for the pathetic volleyball game we were watching. We practiced actually cheering and then pantomiming our cheers. Believe it or not, this was actually difficult for many people.

We finally got to start shooting. This scene comes before the one we shot this day.

Orlando Jones, aka Harry, was the coach of the girls volleyball team. He was yelling at the team things like "Tina, you have to cover the line when Leona goes up for the spike!" and "Two hands, Liza! God gave you two hands for a reason!" and other various coach sayings. DD then comes running in the gym and tries to get Harry's attention. He's really pumped and starts telling Harry the good news.
          "You might want to sit down for this, Harry. The meteor samples are teeming with one-celled organisms. And their metabolic rates are off the charts. They're dividing at an incredible pace. Practically exponential."

Harry looks at Ira and says, "Do you have any idea how close this match is?!" he then goes back to shouting at the team, "Let's get the serve back! No mercy!"

Harry's attention is still on the game but Ira continues his news, "Harry listen. I did an NMR and an electro spectrograph on the cells. . . their DNA has ten base pairs."
          "Ten base pairs? Yeah great . . .   Tina! Cover the line! THE LINE!"
          "The DNA of all life on Earth only has four base pairs . . . "
          "So we're a few base pairs short . . . Will you let me work here . . . "
At this point, Ira grabs Harry by the shoulders, turns him so they're facing each other, looks him in the eyes and says, "Harry. These are one celled organisms from another world. They're aliens . . ."

They stare at each other for a while, Harry calls a time out then says, "Aliens. . . ? From outer space . . .? That would be major. . ."

Ira smiles and says, "Yes. World class major."

Harry then turns his attention back to his players. The team gives a shout and DD watching a few feet away gives a Toyota type jump for joy and the team runs back out on the court. I don't know if that jump will actually be seen on camera but it was really funny to watch take after take.

This was the scene we shot all day. We shot from different angels, etc. but the scene never changed. Three times while waiting for the crew to set up for the next take, they held the raffle. The winners received a volleyball signed by DD and Orlando Jones. One girl was really adorable as she ran from the bleachers to collect her prize. One time, a guy two rows in front of me won. I was going to ask to get a picture of the signed volleyball. However, after shaking hands with DD and OJ and telling an AD his name, he returned empty handed. The ADs kept the prizes until we wrapped. Couldn't have the prize ball messing up continuity of the blur of fans. <g> DD and OJ used the raffle to be funny with the crowd. Since they were pulling the tickets they decided to have a little fun with us. When it was announced that they were raffling off volleyballs, DD took the mike and said something to the effect of "Actually we're going to auction off Orlando's balls." To which Orlando replied, "Careful, I only have two of them."

That pretty much described the mood of the set, fun and lighthearted. At one point in between takes, DD started tossing a volleyball around. Ever the sportsman. Just before breaking for lunch I met another Phile from the net. I'd actually told her how to sign up to be an extra so if was fun to meet her. Turns out we have more in common than X-Files. (Hope to see you again!) My groups of friends and I were eating lunch when they announced they needed people for the next day. However, they only wanted blond hair blue eyed girls. Everyone of my friends except for one fit that description and ran off to sign up. I had the blue eyes but the wrong color hair. It was just as well though. I don't really like taking off of work, and my students hate having a substitute.

After lunch it was back to the gym for more of the same. They moved us around to make it look like the stands were more full than they really were. But since my friends and I were wearing red, we mostly got to sit and watch. I managed to get two books read, wander around Cal State Fullerton, talk to some production people we knew, score a call sheet, and find the gymnastics gym. I would have tumbled for a while to stretch out my aching back (try sitting on backless bleachers for 12 hours!) but there were gymnasts using the equipment. So it was back to the gym to watch badly played volleyball. For the final few takes of the day they finally gave the poor players a break. A PA stood on the court and raised and lowered his arms. Arms up - we cheer. Arms down - we're bummed. Arms out to the side - neutral watching of the game. This my friends is what extra work is all about. No fabulous talent needed. <G>

After 15 hours, we were finally wrapped. Walking back to holding I found a discarded prop and decided to keep it as a souvenir. The picture of it is still stuck in my camera though. Check back in a week or so and hopefully it will be added. Anybody have anything they need a picture taken of?

After the long and tiring day you'd think I head home and get ready to teach the next day. But no. A friend who I rarely see lives 2 minutes from CSF so I called him up and we went to dinner. :-)

That's all for my day on the set. It turns out that all of the friends I hung out with this day got to work the next day while I faced hormonal middle schoolers. Some of them have worked a number of days on this movie and have far more interesting stories than I.

Below is an additional scene from the movie:

INT. COMMUNITY COLLEGE - BIOLOGY LAB - LATE NIGHT

Harry and Ira are walking into the lab. Harry is finally excited about Ira's news.

Harry, "Is the Nobel Prize paid in a lump sum or installments?"
Ira, "Look, let's not get ahead of ourselves here, okay?"

They get to the lab and Harry looks into the microscope.

Harry, "I'm all tingly. . . ." (Does that remind anyone else of Scully in Dreamland? <g>)   "Wow . . . Aliens. We come in peace! . . . Uh . . Ira, I'm no biologist but how many cells do single celled organisms have?"
          "Please take this seriously, Harry. We're going to be important scientists, we have to act the part."
          "Fine, whatever. But you better take another look.

Harry steps away and Ira looks into the microscope.

"That can't be." Ira sees among the single celled organisms a few isolated multi-cellular creatures. Ira is surprised, "There are multi-cellular organisms here.
          "I know."
          "They weren't there before."
          "So they sneaked in there somehow."
          "Impossible . . . It's been isolated and sealed the entire time. And it's from deep within the meteor."
          "Well how'd they get in there?"

Ira stops and looks intently at Harry . . .

          "What? Do I have something in my teeth?
          "It's too amazing to even contemplate."
          "What?"
          "Evolution, Harry. Right in front of our eyes. . . it's crazy but it's possible . . . they're evolving . . . two hundred million years worth in just three hours. . ."

From what I understand, all this happens on Day 2 of the movie.

Why did DD leave XF again? He left TV where he works with a red headed Gillian and talks about aliens among us to do a movie where he works with a red headed Juliann and talks about aliens among us. Baby steps... ;-)