First Day on the Set - First Impressions

The party scene was a huge one for the movie. Over fifty extras and ten cast members would be involved, and they all had to be outfitted in proper attire. Meriwether Nichols and Kim Howard were stationed at Hillwood trying to pull the wardrobe requirements all together. Actors were being called to the set. Extras were being put through the cattle chute to make sure they looked right. The party scene required us to begin filming at dusk, and we would shoot long into the night and next morning. The same thing would occur the next night, but even longer. Time was a factor, lighting was an issue. There would be music and dancing and all the choreography that comes with such a scene and there was a swell of extras that needed direction. DT

Notes from John Sneed, "Jefferson Daniels" in One Came Home

My first day on set was at Davies - the party scene. I hadn't met any of the crew yet. It was dusk when I went out for my first scene. There was a slew of extras along with the cast, crew, Willy and David. The crew had already had a long day. We were getting ready to walk to the party. Willy was getting actors organized. We were losing light and things were getting a bit tense. It was a time when things could have gotten ugly. We shot and reshot a few times. And I noticed throughout the entire scene, everyone kept their cool. There were no explosions, no quips, nothing which would have indicated an ego or anything short of the utmost professional attitude. It wasn't the only time. There were some really long nights, hot weather, uncomfortable situations, and not once did I ever notice anything but a dogged determination to work together toward a common goal.