Morris

"The set was not only a communal phenomenon but also an acutely hierarchical one. Everyone had a fucntion, and the chain of command, even given the banter and boisterousness of frivolous moments, began at the top with the director, producers, and stars, moving on down through the entire assemblage to the most obscure grips and gaffers. The Hollywood phraseology could not be more specific: "Above the line" meant "talent"- directors, producers, actors, screenwriters; "Below the line" meant the technicians. This hierarchy was most tangible than any I had ever observed, even in Washington D.C., a caste town if ever there was one, and it dutifiully extended even to the specific dimensions of the private trailers always parked near the shooting area: forty feet in length, or thirty, or twenty, two-room or one-room, the director and the stars with the larger and best-appointed down to the actors of lesser stature with the more diminutive ones. A few dine privately in these air-conditioned trailers with kitchenette and bathroom and bedroom and television, while the members of the crew are outside, under a tent, serving themselves buffet. And everyone is eating well."


June 5, 2000