Cloverfield packed theaters this January, with moviegoers feeding off the buzz of its cryptic marketing campaign. And with the film’s secrets finally revealed, we were able to sit down with Full Sail Film graduate Larry Katz, who opened up about his work as a Second Assistant Director on the surprise blockbuster.
“It was really cool the way the whole production was able to keep it all secret,” he shares. “I was really impressed that everyone pulled it off, but part of our job is discretion. I signed in blood many non-disclosure agreements, so I knew what it was about, but I couldn’t tell anybody! That was a really unique experience.”
Throughout Cloverfield’s production the team took careful steps to ensure that none of the plot details leaked to the public. This meant that many of the extras were kept in the dark about what was going on during their scenes, even when cameras were rolling. “There was the day when we were shooting that sequence where the Statue of Liberty’s head comes rolling down the street,” Larry begins. “And we had all these extras, but we couldn’t even tell them what they were reacting to. They were told that it was a meteor, and that this was a disaster movie!”
That kind of crowd control is just one of the roles Larry has as a Second A.D., with his job requiring him to keep track of all areas of a film production you normally don’t think about as a viewer. In one of the most demanding jobs on set, he spends a large part of his time arranging and maintaining schedules for talent, locations, props, and vehicles ¬– all the organizational details that keep a film shoot running smoothly.
“Ultimately the Assistant Directors have to make sure that everything is there for the director, and that all the background action is set and choreographed,” he explains. “So you have to know everything that’s going on – every camera, every piece of equipment, every piece of cable. All the departments rely on my department to know what’s happening at all times and to know what’s required of them with regards to special equipment. You have to be super-organized if you want to be on this side of the industry, but it’s really cool being in the middle of it all!”
Looking over Larry’s film credits, you start thinking about the daunting task he’s had scheduling those components not only for a project like Cloverfield, but also for the likes of Live Free or Die Hard, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and the upcoming terrorist thriller Eagle Eye. All of the films have featured intense stunt work, with hundreds of effects shots to both coordinate and, more importantly, pull off safely.
“My department is also responsible for safety on the set,” Larry says. “So with each film, everything is thoroughly rehearsed, and you try to anticipate every single thing that could happen. Also for a lot of the shots in these films, you just have one chance at it, because it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment and pyrotechnics. It’s stuff that you can only do once! So it’s kind of a controlled disaster, and I’m always really excited before a big shot!”
Not many people can say they’ve been on the sidelines of these memorable action scenes, and you can tell it means a lot to Larry as he stops to talk about these one-of-a-kind experiences. Those moments are what he feeds off of during his long days (and nights) on set – and are something he gets a healthy dose of while working Second Unit.
“I really love the Second Unit because it has a slightly different vibe,” he shares. “We handle a lot of the down and dirty work – and it’s become a niche that I really excel in. The A.D. department is also a great fit for me too, and I was drawn to it even while at Full Sail because a film can’t do one shot without the A.D. being right there and saying ‘Roll camera!’ That really appealed to me, to be right there for every part of the shoot!”
