Gino Colbert has an outdoor scene to shoot at the San Vicente Inn in West Hollywood for his latest film, Four Score, and a missing model isn't about to stop him.
It’s noon on a Sunday as Colbert and makeup man Christian head to the set. The model who had been scheduled to perform today has dropped out and Colbert must find a replacement — pronto. Being a seasoned pro, Colbert is always ready with Plan B. He immediately calls the AWOL model’s agent, who promises to email pics of three prospective substitutes. In the meantime, model Jason Crew arrives on time and full of energy. He plunks down in the makeup chair and lights up a cigarette. Christian goes to work.
The San Vicente Inn, which has been quiet as the crew prepares, slowly shows signs of life as the guests start to awaken and wander about. A burly naked man stakes out the hot tub as photographer Bay Stevens sets up for stills. Colbert goes online and looks at the pictures the agent has sent. After some deliberation, Colbert picks one, and the agent tells him the model will be there shortly.
About an hour later, model John Marcus arrives. Colbert thanks him for coming on such short notice. Marcus, who has appeared in more than 50 movies, heads upstairs to prepare. Once he is ready, he and Crew pose alone and together for Stevens.
By 3:00 p.m. they are ready to film the first dialogue scene, which involves Marcus coming out of his room and talking on a cell phone. Colbert watches and listens intently then requests minor changes. He also tells the P.A. to have the management turn off the hot tub because it’s making too much noise. Marcus flubs his lines only once or twice, and the scene is done quickly.
Then it’s on to the suite where Crew, sitting on a couch, is filmed doing the other side of this phone conversation. Marcus plays his part off-camera for Crew, who nails the scene. Colbert compliments him, and they keep moving.
By 4:00 it’s finally time to film the sex scene. Due to the chilly weather, Colbert decides to shoot indoors in a gym, so the crew begins moving the equipment downstairs. Once inside, Colbert talks to the models, asking whether they have any limitations for the upcoming sequence. They assure him that they are fine with each other and the intended action. A few cute hotel guests in towels loiter on the sidelines and flirt with the models as they rehearse. “All actors on set,” Colbert calls out. The lights are adjusted and the makeup is touched up. More dialogue is filmed, as Marcus lifts weights and Crew confronts him.
Finally, the sex begins! Crew stands on a bench, while Marcus works on his big meat. Colbert is all business at his monitor, watching the models and calling out instructions as they move on to 69 position. “Okay, tell him to suck your nuts,” he directs Crew, who obliges. “Let’s go handheld,” he tells the cameramen, who scramble to get the shot he wants. There’s a brief break for stills, then it’s on to the fucking portion.
At 6:15 Christian stands by with condoms and lube as Marcus holds on to a weight bar and Crew enters him from behind. They begin to fuck. The action is shot from several different angles and goes smoothly. After another break, Colbert decides to finish the scene on a massage table, which means that all the lights and equipment have to be moved again. Crew, facing a long ride back to San Diego, seems distressed to learn that the scene will take even longer. To relax him, Colbert throws him on the table and begins massaging his back.
After about a half hour, the new setup is ready and the models climb up onto the table. But before they really get going, the lights blow! When the lights finally return, Colbert quickly gets the models back on set for the final bang. The rest of the scene goes without a hitch, and they both pop on Marcus’ hairy chest. However, there’s one final bit of dialogue to be filmed. Crew is yawning and struggles to get through it. Colbert places the script on Marcus’ chest and tells Crew to read from it. The camera focuses on just his face. After several attempts, he gets the line out and the scene is done. Eight hours have passed, and everyone is ready to go home.
Colbert is pleased. “When all is said and done, we’re doing the same thing Hollywood is doing,” he says, “making the same kind of magic, except ours is on a much smaller scale in terms of budget.” When asked about the long day behind him, Colbert adds, “I’m happy with it. The scene turned out great because the actors had a natural connection. They looked wonderful together and were both total pros. I couldn’t have asked for a better pairing. And considering neither actor had seen the screenplay until arriving, I think they did pretty damn good.”
Gino Colbert’s Four Score will be released in February by Arena Entertainment. To order, call 800-800-3099 or visit ArenaEntInc.com.
Jason Crew, Gino Colbert, John Marcus photo by Vince Lambert.
