Informant filming continues, MTV Awards

New video and photos of Matt and Scott Bakula filming The Informant on Friday at a residential location are at the Herald & Review, with photos by Kelly J. Huff. The paper has extensive coverage of the filming, including reports by extras and reader photos. A report on Friday's filming is here, including:



“Bad timing on your part; the party is obviously here in Illinois!” - Matt Damon, talking to a fan’s out-of-state friend on a cell phone after filming scenes for The Informant Friday

The whole vibe was more like a block party than a Hollywood film shoot. Obviously, when they were working everyone had to mind their Ps and Qs, but before and after it was extremely laid back.

I asked one crewmember what it was about this particular neighborhood that appealed to them. “I know they really scoured the area prior to filming,” he explained. “This neighborhood had just the right combination of a house that fit [Scott Bakula’s] character, and a layout that allows us to set the scene perfectly.”

Bakula himself strolled around after filming had wrapped. I asked him how he and the rest of the cast and crew were enjoying their time here. “We’re having a ball,” he replied. “We are truly having a ball.” His makeup artist agreed. “It’s a nice change of pace,” she said, citing the often-frenetic feel of Los Angeles.

The big draw of the day though was once again Matt Damon. And once more he proved to be nothing but aces as he again took the time to sign autographs and pose for pictures. The kicker? He actually came prepared this time with a stack of cards and Sharpie.

And when he was told he needed to get moving since they were apparently behind schedule? “OK guys,” he announced. “Just a few more, then I need to eat something and get moving. I gotta work!”

More photos from Decatur and details of filming are available at the website for radio station WBNQ. A video and report of Matt and Soderbergh filming at local TV station NewsCenter 17 is at WAND TV, with an interview with Matt and more footage promised in coming weeks.

The Informant will no longer be released by Warner Independent Pictures, as the studio has announced plans to close the specialty release division. The film had previously been attached to the main Warners studio, but was transferred in an attempt to save the struggling studio (this article from the LA Times was released a day before the announcement).

Warner Independent's most notable upcoming project is Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant," starring Matt Damon. According to someone involved with the film, "The Informant" was developed by Warner Bros. proper but has been given to Warner Independent to release in part to prop up the division.

Matt has been nominated for two MTV Movie Awards: Best Male Performance and Best Fight (with Joey Ansah). Voting is open.

From an interview with actor Chiwetel Ejiofor at the Washington Post:

That's because the more you know about an actor as a person, the harder it is to believe in the character. Some of the actors Ejiofor most respects are those whose private lives, in his words, represent "something of an enigma," despite their fame: Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino, even Matt Damon.

"It's important to live in order to do the work, I think," says Ejiofor, explaining that the ability to remain a blank slate is what makes him, or any other actor, good at the job. "A lot of acting is about living," he says simply, "as opposed to anything else."