Nuclear Wessels ad-libbed?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Is it true that the entirety of ST IV's Nuclear Wessels scene was shot with a hidden camera and that none of the people in it (apart from Koenig and Nichols) was aware that it was in fact a movie scene?

[Briquettes]

IIRC, the only part of that scene that was unscripted was when the extra said "I think it's across the bay in Alameda."

[T'Girl]

^ That's my understanding too, she was a hired/paid extra, and was supposed to have no lines in the shot. The director liked it and keep it in the movie.

[Briquettes]

^Which supposedly pissed off the producers something fierce because it meant they had to pay her SAG scale for that day.

[Therin of Andor]

Briquettes wrote:

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^Which supposedly pissed off the producers something fierce because it meant they had to pay her SAG scale for that day.

They weren't too worried. IIRC, the director's previous ST film had come in under budget.

[kirsten187]

Either way, I think it's one of the funniest scenes in the film

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I thought the cop, at least, wasn't in on it.

[Briquettes]

Therin of Andor wrote:

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They weren't too worried. IIRC, the director's previous ST film had come in under budget.

I should have worded that better. I didn't mean to imply they were concerned about the budget. The story I always heard was that the girl was specifically told not to speak, so the producers were angry that not only did she disobey instructions but union rules required that she be paid extra because of it. It was the principle of the thing.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If she was told not to speak, but did it anyway, why didn't they just edit her out altogether? They can't be obligated to pay her for saying lines that no one ends up hearing, do they?

Also: Was the cab driver in the Double Dumbass scene in on the filming, or was that hidden as well?

[Briquettes]

Sure they could have, but Nimoy liked her improvised line and decided to keep it. Being the director does have its perks. As for the cab scene, I believe the DVD extras contain the raw footage of it (I know I've seen it somewhere). They did a lot of takes for that so I imagine it was scripted as well.

[Kirby]

I think the cab scene would have to be scripted because you're going to throw your lead actor in front of a moving cab. Unless your director is named Bowfinger.

[MrJ]

The nuclear wessels scene wasn't ad-libbed. It was filmed with a camera crew filming out the side door of a van on the side of the street. The cop in the scene was a real cop hired by the studio for security/safety and Nimoy decided to put him in the scene. All the passer-by’s where hired extras and weren't supposed speak, and they didn‘t. However, the "I think it's across the bay..." woman wasn't an extra she was just an ordinary person walking through who didn't know she walked into a movie. As the camera, though not quite hidden, wasn't really noticeable either. As far as she knew some Russian guy and black chick just asked her for directions. Nimoy liked her reaction and decided to use it, but they found out she wasn't an extra and had to run after her down the street to ask her for her permission and pay her.

[Ian Keldon]

I thought the cop was funnier than the girl, myself. He just had that stone-faced "Ooooohhhkayyyyy...." look about him.

[Tiberius]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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If she was told not to speak, but did it anyway, why didn't they just edit her out altogether? They can't be obligated to pay her for saying lines that no one ends up hearing, do they?

My understanding is that Nimoy directed Walter and Nichelle to stand there and ask random passers by where they nuclear wessels were. None of the people they spoke to were in on ite. The woman came and gave that great answer and they loved her answer so much they signed her into the SAG so they could use her line in the film. The cop was a bodyguard, basically, in case anyone mobbed the famous Star trek actors.

Also: Was the cab driver in the Double Dumbass scene in on the filming, or was that hidden as well?

Yes. They had a bunch of drivers circling the block and they kept trying to get the timing right.

[Sir Rhosis]

MrJ wrote:

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The nuclear wessels scene wasn't ad-libbed. It was filmed with a camera crew filming out the side door of a van on the side of the street. The cop in the scene was a real cop hired by the studio for security/safety and Nimoy decided to put him in the scene. All the passer-by’s where hired extras and weren't supposed speak, and they didn‘t. However, the "I think it's across the bay..." woman wasn't an extra she was just an ordinary person walking through who didn't know she walked into a movie. As the camera, though not quite hidden, wasn't really noticeable either. As far as she knew some Russian guy and black chick just asked her for directions. Nimoy liked her reaction and decided to use it, but they found out she wasn't an extra and had to run after her down the street to ask her for her permission and pay her.

This is the incorrect story that continues to go around although Layla Sarakalo, the woman in question, has given interviews explaining why she went to the shoot (her car had been impounded, she needed the money) and was hired as an extra, told not to speak, but ad-libbed a line anyway.

No one chased her down, etc. Check her listing on Wikipedia -- it should link to her interview.

Sir Rhosis