Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 13

The 'emergency' helicopter left the scene of the TV pilot Trauma this evening, but not before flames once again shot from the stricken fuel tanker and smoke surrounded it - see previous blogs for stories

On the highway over Mission Creek it was action again. At 7 pm the helicopter's blades whirred.

Behind it the smoke that had been seen thinly all day by the tanker began to thicken, and suddenly flames burst out of the top of it.

The chopper lifted slowly off the highway and dipping its nose headed purposefully over the creek and towards the bay.

In the story, one of the victims to be ferried to hospital - there may be more - is one of a group of four young baseball players being driven by one of their mums. An interview with the boys is in an earlier blog.

Traffic was halted for a few minutes but flowed smoothly within minutes of the take-off. Filming on the highway is continuing through Wednesday.

pics by Chris

Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 12

An 'emergency' helicopter landing on the expressway over Mission Creek this afternoon left casual observers open-mouthed!

'I'm ducking for cover!' said Dave, standing there with fellow workers James and Reed as filming of the NBC pilot Trauma took on another dramatic turn - see previous blogs for yesterday's spectacular fireball and other stories

'He's way too close!' said James. The three men could scarcely believe their eyes as the blue and white chopper descended almost above our heads and appeared to barely clip the concrete sides of the highway.

But as it turned out minutes later, it was all a case of perspective. Taking a pic from another angle showed that the chopper was in fact well above the sides of the highway. Still, it will be a moment to be remembered!

As the helicopter landed, small explosions could be heard around the tanker on the film set where throughout the day thin wisps of smoke have been rising up. The pilot features paramedics rushing to the rescue of a multi-vehicle pile-up and tanker explosion.

By 3 pm the helicopter was circling the area and making a couple of low fly-pasts before landing successfully on the highway.

Traffic on the northbound Interstate 280 that runs over the creek and past the foot of Potrero Hill has mostly been slowed to a crawl today.

pics show: the helicopter has landed!; descending over the concrete; making a fly-past over the highway and creek with Potrero Hill in the background; Dave, James and Reed.

Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 11

It's been a life and death experience for these four boys today: they have been involved in a car crash with an exploding tanker and for one still to come, there is a helicopter airlift to hospital with an emergency tracheotomy performed mid-flight.

But at 5.30 pm these young actors in baseball outfits were happy and healthy along the creek at Mission Bay and waiting to see the tanker blow up - all part of the NBC Universal Media Studios pilot, Trauma, an action drama based on the heroics of paramedics - see previous blogs

The boys, pictured with supporting actress Aimee, are 'car pool' kids travelling with one of their mums when the terrible accident occurs. Their car crashes into another in the multiple pile-up around the tanker.

'It's kind of hard work, but when you're doing it it's really fun being on set with all the actors,' said ten-year-old Joseph, the one who will undergo the tracheotomy.

'It was really fun,' said ten-year-old Anthony. 'It's a good way to get out of the house for a bit.'

'It's kind of hard work. It tires you out a lot,' said ten-year-old Max. 'It can be fun at times but most of it is hard work.'

'I enjoyed it,' said 12-year-old Devohn.

The boys were working for Beau Bonnaeu Casting with three of them being picked from details sent in by their mums. Only Joseph auditioned.

Would the boys like to be actors when they were older?

They all said they would. 'I'd love to be an actor,' said Joseph.

'Most likely,' said Max, and added with a sense of realism, 'but all actors need a different job as well.'

Their favourite TV shows and movies?

For Devohn it was the movie, Dude, Where's My Car?, Anthony, Superhero the Movie, Max, the TV show Drake and Josh, while Joseph chose the movie, Taken, CSI, Nickleodeon and Disney.

Supporting actress, Aimee, had been doing some acting with the boys.

'It's been fun, it's been our first day,' she said. But she had certainly experienced the actors' trials of long drawn-out days.

'We did one scene then broke for lunch and then we've been waiting for five hours,' she said.

She didn't have much longer to wait. The helicopters were overhead and soon the spectacular fireball burst out of the tanker.

'I think that's exciting. It's so great that the boys got to be part of that,' said Anthony's mum, Diane.

After a night's rest the boys will be back on scene tomorrow, once more transformed into the traumatised victims of a horrific crash.

pic shows: Devohn, Anthony, Joseph and Max with Aimee

Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 10

At the top of the small jetty on the creek, Patrick as an amateur photographer was celebrating the success of capturing great shots of the exploding fire tanker - see previous blogs

'I got a really good shot!' he started to say.

'That was very cool!' suddenly said a young woman tapping me excitedly on the arm as she passed by.

Patrick had had the help of the 'fire squad' who had been tuning in to the action on their radios.

'We did a countdown,' he said. 'First they said there was a fire in the hole (of the tanker), then we counted down. That's why I had my camera at the spot and was able to get the good shots.'

He flicked through his camera replay to show me.

Billowing flames exploding over the creek, the houseboats and the expressway. A one-off capturing of an event that will never be repeated here at Mission Bay.

Filming of the pilot will continue on the expressway for the next three days and around the city for another three weeks. Mayor Gavin Newsom and the San Francisco Film Commission are hoping that this $7 million pilot earner will translate into a production bringing jobs, profit and prestige to the city.

pics: more of the tanker explosions still in sequence from previous blog, and helicopters flying overhead - pics by Chris; Patrick at the top of the jetty

Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 9

They said 'fireball'. And it was!!!

All of a sudden an ENORMOUS, ORANGE AND RED FIREBALL EXPLODED OUT OF THE WAITING TANKER.

Even though we were expecting it over the creek at Mission Bay, the boom and the ferocity of flames that appeared to cover the tanker took everyone by surprise. A flock of seagulls rose over the water squawking raucously, two helicopters circled low in tandem.

This was special effects, true Hollywood style. And there were no disappointments as NBC Universal faked the crucial scene for their TV pilot, Trauma, that involves a tanker crash on the expressway with a multiple car and taxi pile-up - see previous blogs for interviews and action throughout yesterday and today.

'It was good! Fantastic! said Brad, the dad I had interviewed last night with his six-year-old son, Connor. As Brad turned to leave he said, 'That's a lot of smoke! Wow! That was amazing!' the accolades were growing by the second.

'I loved that!' said Connor.

It had been a long wait. The action had been promised for some time between 1 pm and 4 pm, but the clock ticked over the deadline - with nothing!

Then 4.30 pm passed and the gathered crowd from earlier in the afternoon dissipated. Even Jackie and Janaya who had travelled across the Bay especially to see the filming disappeared as late afternoon shadows fell over the creek.

Crew had cut a hole in the roof of the tanker for the explosives to shoot through. In final 'prep', a camera boom was seen focussing on the tanker and an NBC news van arrived on the other side of the creek, parked at a safe distance below the expressway and put up its antennae ready to catch the action for its evening news broadcast.

The first helicopter arrived sometime between 5.15 pm and 5.30 pm and circled over the creek and expressway. It was joined by the second after 5.30 pm.

At 5.50 pm, Brad, standing there with binnoculars, said, 'They're bringing in the actors. It's a lot of waiting,' he added, 'It wouldn't be the industry for me!'

Suddenly, kaboom! We were in the midst of it! Socks nearly blown off!

pics by Chris show the explosion in sequence: the first explosion timed at 5.52 pm

Film Shoot of TV Pilot 'Trauma' 8

Along the creek at Mission Bay a surprisingly small crowd of onlookers have gathered to watch the pyro-technic display of a tanker exploding on the expressway above.

Several in the crowd had heard that the action would be at 2.30 pm but at nearly 4 pm were still waiting.

By about 2.30 pm there had been some movement of vehicles. Support trucks carrying props moved away and a red and white ambulance - the ambulance
service in the USA is run by Fire Departments - manoeuvred close to the tanker.

Not too long after, three police cars formed a line behind the ambulance.

At 3.50 pm an NBC news van is pulling up across the


creek. The pilot TV film, Trauma, an action drama featuring brave paramedics to the rescue, is being made by NBC Universal Media Studios in association with Film 44.

Among the waiting crowd was Jackie with daughter, Janaya, who had travelled across the Bay Area to be here.

'It's something exciting to see!' said Jackie, as she sat on a bench by the Kayak House opposite the houseboats.

'It's something you don't see every day,' said Janaya.

'We've just moved back from LA,' said Jackie.' When we go to Santa Monica on Highway 1 we can see them sometimes filming on the beach, but we've never stopped,' she said.

So is this the closest you've been to a film shoot?

'Pretty much, yeah!' she said.

Janaya, who preferred not to have her pic taken, is a fan of drama and action movies. Her favourite TV shows are Law and Order, Criminal Intent and CSI Las Vegas, while her favourite film is Four Brothers.

pics show: the tanker with scenes being shot around it; Jackie; the end of Mission Creek by the Kayak House; and a view of the creek down towards Fourth Street