Paramount Studios: On The Set of Three Rivers

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The early days of Hollywood’s Paramount Studios boasted an A list of names which included director Cecil B. DeMille, stars Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford and Clara Bow. Wings, Paramount’s 1928 release, received the first ever Academy Award for best picture. To this day the sound stages, lots and even parking spots are still buzzing with movie-making crews and casts. Three Rivers, which made its debut on Sunday, October 4th 2009, on CBS is a show about transplant surgeons, organ donors and the recipients of those organs. I had a chance to be on the set for the making of episode six at Paramount Studios.

Four fifteen in the morning, no traffic in sight, can either be a tiresome and lonely journey on the freeways of Los Angeles or a surprising peaceful one. Gratefully, my son and I experienced the latter on our way to Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Call time was 7:00am. Parking was inside the famous Gower Structure across the street from the studios. We made it to Stage 19 for wardrobe by 6:15am. That left us ample time to join the crew and a kid named Drake (who was guest starring on Three Rivers) for breakfast.

The production company provided two teachers for the minors, my son included. School was in session by 7:30am inside of Stage 21. However, thirty minutes into their lessons the production assistant, Marcin Borkowski, interrupted and brought the kids to the set—a small parking lot inside Paramount Studios with the streets of New York just beyond. (Paramount has thirty sound stages, nine exterior sets and more than thirty production service departments.) 

Two toddlers, two babies held by their make-believe parents, ten rowdy teenagers and a cast of extras were instantly transported to a small town county fair somewhere in Pennsylvania. Real popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs and pretzels were devoured whenever the director shouted “rehearsal” and “action!” Hay stacks, trash on the ground, a Ferris wheel, a couple of carousels, and a roller coaster, added to the reality of a county fair.

After a short speech by a carnival expert about safety, the kids were put to work. Parents were shuffled around the set, away from the rides, movie equipment and camera views. It seemed there was no room for us anywhere. Finally we were herded behind the monitors. But even there we were not quite out of the way and the director, with a smile, asked us if we could be used as extras. No one complained; we were happy to do it.

Kids Background Talent, the management company for all the kids, got word that we were working as extras. Apparently that is somewhat forbidden, or at least, frowned upon by management companies like Kids Background. By the end of the day they had commissioned all parents to work for them. Each parent filled out a non-union voucher which meant we were now on the payroll.

My acting debut consisted of waving to children on rides, walking from one end of the fairgrounds to the other, eating popcorn, pretending to talk and eventually looking horrified while pointing at a pile of wood and shrapnel. If I stood out at all, it was only because I was holding a stuffed baby whale.

Plot for the day: a young child, Dylan, is trapped under the wreckage of a fallen box car when part of the roller coaster comes undone. After numerous amounts of takes the director informed the children (who were either very good actors or really worried) that Dylan was indeed not under the pile of wood and steel.

A little more chaos was added to the scene as the actors driving the ambulance and police cruiser had very little room to maneuver between carnival rides, cast members, extras, and crew. But they managed.

Eventually, around noon or so, lunch was served. Paramount Studios provides a few restaurants or cafeterias with side walk tables and chairs—very quaint. Three Rivers chose to feed their cast (extras included) and crew inside Sound Stage 21. Catering is always a plus; craft services a blessing, and their employees, courteous.

After three hours of work, the babies and toddlers were sent home with their real parents. Minors under sixteen went home after 8 hours on set and it was a wrap for my son one hour later.

The cast of Three Rivers include Australian-born actor, Alex O’Loughlin (who recently laid to rest the vampire Mick St. John from Moonlight), Daniel Henney, Christopher Hanke and Alfre Woodard. Julia Ormond, sadly, was dropped from the cast. Furthermore, because CBS did not like the pilot, episode two was used as the season opener.

When future movie goers and television watchers read the history of Paramount Studios, perhaps Alex O’Loughlin, Daniel Henney, Christopher Hanke and Alfre Woodard will be included amongst the stars of Paramount Pictures on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.