Anyone a Clint Eastwood fan?
If anyone is going to see the new Clint Eastwood pic, "Gran Torino," it opens with a funeral in a church. Once you're in the church, the first person you see is a short close-up of the organist. That man is our church organist and choir director, who happened to be in the right place at the right time!
Don was playing for a funeral at one of the local churches when casting agents came in looking for an orgainist for this movie filming in town. Evidently they hadn't lined anyone up in advance, perhaps thinking there would be someone at the church where they were filming that day. However, that weekend many church musicians were at a convention out west. So they went from church to church, looking for funerals. When they heard him play at the rather magnificent pipe organ where he was filling in for the regular organist, they asked him to bring his book of funeral music, and off he went. He played a few pieces for Clint, and one was picked. Then they had to add a bunch of makeup to his shiny head, and he spent the day playing for the funeral scene.
They paid him an 'extra' rate, and that day was the end of it, as far as he knew. A couple of months later, he got a packet in the mail. Evidently his music had made the final cut, so there were papers to sign, they had to pay him more (and he had to join some kind of film musician's union). He doesn't get a credit, but he may actually get some (miniscule) residuals!
So watch for the first person that you see in that scene. So far, the fame hasn't gone to his head, but we're having fun with it at church.
And I hope the movie turns out to be decent otherwise.
ETA: I went to see this today, and the movie is actually quite thoughtful. There is violence, but I recommend it.
Don was playing for a funeral at one of the local churches when casting agents came in looking for an orgainist for this movie filming in town. Evidently they hadn't lined anyone up in advance, perhaps thinking there would be someone at the church where they were filming that day. However, that weekend many church musicians were at a convention out west. So they went from church to church, looking for funerals. When they heard him play at the rather magnificent pipe organ where he was filling in for the regular organist, they asked him to bring his book of funeral music, and off he went. He played a few pieces for Clint, and one was picked. Then they had to add a bunch of makeup to his shiny head, and he spent the day playing for the funeral scene.
They paid him an 'extra' rate, and that day was the end of it, as far as he knew. A couple of months later, he got a packet in the mail. Evidently his music had made the final cut, so there were papers to sign, they had to pay him more (and he had to join some kind of film musician's union). He doesn't get a credit, but he may actually get some (miniscule) residuals!
So watch for the first person that you see in that scene. So far, the fame hasn't gone to his head, but we're having fun with it at church.
And I hope the movie turns out to be decent otherwise.
ETA: I went to see this today, and the movie is actually quite thoughtful. There is violence, but I recommend it.