Extra on `Quantum of Solace` in Panama blogs his daily activity (spoilers)

21-Feb-2008 • Quantum Of Solace

An extra in the 22nd James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" filming in Panama has been blogging about his experiences on the set.

Warning: the posts below conatin spoilers

DAY 1
I am an extra in the current 007 movie, being filmed here in Panama. Today, I donât feel very Hollywood glamorous after working into the wee hours of the morning. We wrapped up the night around 4 am, we began at 4:45pm (you do the math). At present, my stomach is a little queasy at the thought that I will be doing this all over again in just a few hours time. How do actors do it?

Well, for one, I guess theyâre not extras. Daniel Craig must be an incredible actor, because his time on set probably totalled about thirty minutes with only a few takes. Where as Mathieu Amalric, who plays âDominic Greene,â was among us all night.

For all of those Bond lovers out there who want a few spoilersâ¦

Filming is taking place in Casco Viejo in a shell of an old building overlooking the Pacific waters. The building has been deemed âEco Parkâ for the scene in which the villian (iâm assuming because of his wiry looks and ominous French accent) Mr. Greene, hosts a benefit to stop global warming. The inside of the building had been turned into a swanky modern bar, with white ice cube looking lights constructing the bar and grouped throughout the floor as seats. The contrast of the decomposing building with the modern lighting and simple decor made the sight breathtaking.

Night one didnât include a ton of action. Giancarlo Giannini aka Mathis was there, with a Spanish actor dressed as a general. During Mr. Greeneâs welcome speech, Mathis, Bond and the General were in the crowd. The number of takes of this speech probably exceeded forty, Amalric had trouble with his lines all night. It was fitting the General polished his hat during it and looked down, in boredom? It seems as though after the speech a confrontation occurs between Bond and the other two, who had previously stood about ten feet apart. Tonight, hopefully more story line will be unveiled.

Filming will end on Thursday, as will my movie debut and career, at which point the location will move to Colon. Colon is located on the other side of the canal, opposite Panama City, where Free Zone trading occurs. One of the main camera men on set told me that they will shoot the chase scenes in Colon for a month.

DAY 2
Come November, after the release of the newest James Bond flick, I will probably have to get a personal assistant. That old expression, âphone ringing off the hook,â doesnât quite hold true today. Instead, Iâm picturing my cell phone exploding, gadgets popping out and whizzing by heads. For you see, my right hand had a close-up during filming last night and Iâm thinking this might be my big break into the biz- Cailey Halloran, Hand Model.

Scenes were shot on the first level of the old hotel building last night, first concluding Mr. Greeneâs speech, and then taping a close-up bar action sequence. My hand happened to be one of the selected few, as I was directed to lift a martini glass in-time with a bartenderâs hands pouring, and elbow leaning on the bar, and a back stepping away from the bar. In my opinion, it was a beautifully choreographed scene, angled just so, that the ash tray next to my drink with its Heineken logo and the bowling-pin line up of Coca Cola Zero cans behind my drink could be zoomed in on for those few subliminal seconds of movie-making magic.

While action on the first level of the building set was limited to my my right hand feeling superior to the rest of my other limbs, on the second or balcony level, Mr. James Bond filmed a scene in which he met Mr. Greene.

The highlight of my night was filming around 3:30 am (out of sequence) when directly after Greeneâs speech Bond walks through the crowd (near yours truly), up the stairs, and onto the balcony where Greene had formerly been located. Bond follows along the balcony, which leads into the upper level bar area where they then meet.

Tonight rumor has it that the action sequence will begin! Iâm hoping some stunt work will have Bond jumping from the second story down to the first.