Vandelay Industry Trip Report ----------------------------- The Filming of "The Dinner Party" - January 11, 1994 (Scheduled to be aired February 3, 1994) (Unless you want to read some extremely detailed trivial stuff ... skip this). Prolog ------ After failing to make the cut for the September VI expedition, my family was ready to throw me out for not coming thru on those Seinfeld tickets. I went into a long depression, only mildly grinning at Kramer's antic's. I vowed as Art Vandelay was my witness that I would get three of those coveted reserved seats for "Seinfeld." With optimism, confidence and the goodwill left by VI, I prevailed. I postponed my jury duty and took the afternoon off for the 120 mile trip to Studio City (a rather brave thing to do considering an upcoming RIF next month - but we have to get our priorities in life straight). It was a warm clear So. Cal. day with mild dry Santa Ana winds blowing from the NE and hardly a cloud in the sky. The temperature was hovering above 70 when we left Escondido (30 mi N of San Diego) at 2 PM. Whenever you drive anywhere through any part of the greater Los Angeles area, you never know how long it will take. The LA freeway system may have more ways to get from point A to point B than any place else, but Murphy's law usually prevails and you get SigAlerts on every possible alternative route with 3 hour delays. Well despite going down to 0 from standard cruising speed several times, we "made great time" getting there at 4 PM. We went to the studio to check there was no last minute foul up (there wasn't) and we took a spin around the lot, but didn't see anyone we recognized. Since we were early, we went up to Laurel Canyon Dog Park to see who might there but struck out there too. On our way to eat dinner I spied a tailor on Ventura Blvd named "Richard Michaels" and made a mental note. The Studio ---------- We got there shortly after 6 with the filming scheduled to start at 6:30. Didn't recognize anyone in the audience. We found out later Jason's wife was sitting next to us. Amazingly, we sat in almost the same spot where we sat when we saw "The Pony" three years ago - far right, first row under a monitor and a mike (listen for my laugh). The guy who did the running shtick was good - forgot his name. They started by showing a bunch of clips from this and last season. Well put together - I was laughing so much my daughter says to me "Every *word* isn't funny!!" Included were "The Faked Orgasm" (correct name?), "The Sniffing Accountant", (Kramer at the bar smoking and drinking beer), "The Eyeglasses" (Kramer telling George he has women's frames, "The Bra Salesman" (Geo's dad telling him about A, B, C and D), "The Hand Model" (MOMD scene), the air conditioner falling out the window, "The Masseuse" (Jerry keeping her hands on his neck and Kramer sprawled out on Jerry's sofa). "The Outing" and "The Contest" were not included. Then they introduced the cast, Michael, Jason, Julia and the Mascot Jerry. Jerry came up and took the mike and did a little impromptu monolog. Not very good. Heard almost of it all before many times. Airplanes - why is every thing small, the soap, the bathroom, a little late - why does the pilot tell us where he is - maybe I'll go knock on the cockpit door and tell him I'm eating the peanuts now. Only one new set of lines. The emcee guy made a point of asking no applause or audience response when anyone enters, because it throws off their timing. The Filming ----------- NO SPOILERS FOLLOW !!!!!!!!! ( enough ! Elaine ?) There is nothing here any sane person could call a spoiler. "The Dinner Party" was as much about nothing as an episode could be. It made "The Stall" look like it had as much plot as "War and Peace." I'll give a TV Guide description of what happens that will not reveal anything funny. The Fab Four are going to a dinner party and they stop off on the way to get a few things so they won't walk in empty handed. The story took only about one hour of story time, so there were no costume changes (who in Illinois is complaining this is a spoiler?). This shortened the total filming time to about 2 1/2 hours. We were out of there just after 9. Very little time was spent in Jerry's apt. There were three new sets never seen before: a bakery, a liquor store and a newsstand. There was also time spent driving in a car (I won't tell you who drove) which had been filmed earlier but was reenacted to get audience reaction. There were about 8 bit part actors, never seen before. Each scene was shot twice. In some scenes they varied the dialog slightly, both to find which lines were funnier, and to have scenes of different lengths for later editing. Much of the filming went back and forth between the Bakery and Liquor Store (I'd tell you who went where, but some nitpicker in Georgia might object). The liquor store was at the far right and the bakery was at the far left. They kept rolling the camera's from one end to the other. The atmosphere on the set was light among the cast and serious among the staff. In one scene the clapper board guy slammed the thing down real hard right next to Jason, who joked if it was loud enough for everyone to hear (crew laughter). The next take the clapper guy did it real quiet (more crew laughter). In several scenes, Julia and Jason were standing on their marks on the floor and Larry David asked them to move. They joked "but I'm on my spot." In one scene, Michael came up with a good ad-lib. I hope they keep it in. Overall, some good lines, some lead balloons. Good, but not a classic. It is hard to judge how it will all come together, seeing about 24 minutes of story spread over 2.5 hours. The Emcee and Audience Questions -------------------------------- There was an 8 year old daughter of someone who was very well connected who was given a photo of the cast signed by all four during one of the breaks. Apparently, she then asked for one of the "Seinfeld" crew jackets. The emcee turns to the crew and asks, if anyone will trade their jacket for an 8 year old girl. No one, of course responds. The guy sitting behind me mumbles "I'm sure Jerry will!" One observant nitpicker wanted to know what kind of special effects were used in "The Airport." The plane started out as a 737 then was a DC9 and then a 737 again. The answer - who cares (laughter). A 10 years old kid asked why the bakery and liquor store were at the opposite end of the set (necessitating all the camera movement). They could have switched the bakery and newsstand and eliminated most of the camera shuffling. The emcee, knowing the kid had him in a corner, came up with "Because they are at opposite ends of town." "What about the future of the show?" - It was renewed for new season. "Will Kramer get his own show?" - Vague answer "Where do they get Kramer's clothes?" - Any place they can. "How did Larry David's start his career?" - Career? Do I have a career? "Who are all those people on the set and what are they doing?" technical (filming, lighting, sound), wardrobe, props, makeup, director and asst's, etc. "Is Jerry talking to Howard Stern?" - No answer More info on "The Dinner Party" ------------------------------- ** References To Other Episodes * hundred dollar bills * kasha * vomiting * bubble-boy We find out why Kramer never carries a wallet. Jerry breaks his longstanding no vomit record. ** A comment by and about Jason It's winter and they are wearing coats. George has what looks like a VERY warm coat, which he wears almost all night. Someone asks Jason if it's hot in the coat. He says "I have a little man blowing in here to cool it off." The emcee says "That's why he has a smile on his face." ** A Quote From Elaine What kind of name for a cake is a Napolean?' He was a ruthless warrior. Might as well name a cake after Mengele ... Autograph's ----------- Michael and Jason were both friendly and signed my Rolling Stone and gave my daughter autographs too. I ask Michael if he knows about the tailor, Richard Michaels. He does. I wish I thought of this at the time, but I didn't -- *** Maybe you should ask him for a discount - only suckers pay retail.*** Jerry was aloof, Julia disappeared. The Trip Home ------------- Leaving the studio, the winds picked up and the temperature had dropped to around a frigid 50. It was brutal, the cool dry winds sucking the moisture out your skin. After getting in the car we wondered why it takes the heat so long to come on in a car. You'd think with modern technology someone would build a car heater worked immediately. The freeways were now empty. After 2 diet pepsi's with dinner and an espresso at a pastry shop (the bakery scene's made us hungry), I was wired on caffeine. I didn't even see the motorcycle cop come up behind me when I was doing 78. But he just flew on by. We made reeeeeaaaallllllly great time on the way back. (Thanks to my wife, Mary Clare, for jogging my memory). =============================================================================== Steve Schlesinger 619-485-3528 steve.schlesinger@SanDiegoCA.ncr.com January 12, 1994 ===============================================================================