They set up a quick scene in the same narrow alley where Michael met Tom in an earlier season. Posters were hung, boxes were strewn, and a hose was used to add an extra layer of wet dinginess.
A slight woman in a black jacket and a grey hood pulled over her head repeatedly ran down the alley as a camera crew atop the Thomas building filmed her from above. She knocked down a stack of boxes as she ran, which would then be carefully set back up.
The HPU email suggested a woman would be chased, screaming, down the alley (and to therefore not be concerned). But I must have missed the screaming.
A smaller blue Dodge sedan was then positioned on the street behind Sawyer’s car, and a stand-in dressed the same way as the running woman sat in the driver’s seat.
They set up a dolly to film a zoom-in-to-tight shot of Sawyer in his left-side rear view mirror. Holloway then threw himself violently around behind the wheel, as if rear-ended hard.
Finally, the actors cleared out to set up for a stunt scene. The silver car was swapped out for an identical one, but with a camera in the back seat and a meticulously polished back window. The blue Dodge was backed up about 20 yards, and a large black SUV was added to the mix. Sawyer’s stand in and the woman’s stand in were briefed by Jack Bender as things were put into place.
An all-hands meeting was called in the middle of the street, then everyone took their places. Sawyer’s stand in, with his coffee cup, got into the silver car. So did, it appeared, Miles’ stand-in. The hooded driver got into the blue Dodge, another man in a white tee got into the police car, and the SUV driver got set as well.
And… action!
The blue car sped down the street. The black SUV passed on its left, then cut in front, causing the blue car to swerve and hit Sawyer and Miles’ car.
They filmed the stunt more than once. The first time, the blue car just gently crunched into the silver car’s driver’s side door. So the crew just pulled out the dents, spray painted the scratches, and buffed out the evidence.
The second take was much more solid, the blue car slamming into the back of the silver car, apparently as planned.
Standing by, an identical pair of silver and blue vehicles. They were apparently going to do it until they ran out of cars. But I had run out of time.
A friend said more filming was going to take place until evening on nearby streets, perhaps to depict the car chase that preceded the crash, or a foot chase that follows.
Though these scenes were shot out of sequence, I’d guess it unfolds as follows: Sawyer flags down Miles, and they sit in a car, sipping coffee and looking over photos. Suddenly, a blue car involved in a chase with the police crashes into them. The driver, a hooded woman, takes off down an alley.
Throughout the mythology of “LOST,” car crashes have been a major nexus for our characters’ encounters. Miles and Sawyer together is interesting, but who is the woman on the run?
I’ll give you three guesses.
For other pics,click here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/72157622727229481/
