IRL, Hollywood is like the movies, all just an illusion … do not look beyond the frame.
Glamour? A movie set is mostly a giant warehouse filled with sets of plaster and plywood that alternates between cold, hot and noisy. There are three clusters of people on the set. the crew who works at a feverish and crazy pace for 12–14 hour days setting up, testing or moving things, get approval by the director and then standing still for the actual 5 minutes of footage that will wind up in the film. AND if the director likes that shot – then you begin to break down that set while building up the new one (props, lightning, et al) AND you have to be there hours early to set up and break and put everything back in place for the next day. If you are shooting in the desert the next day, you load up the trucks with three backups of gear. Group B – the execs or staff wander around the set all day with not much to do unless there is a sheer panic that you need to solve because it’s $200k a day … in a giant warehouse and then freeze in place when the director calls ACTION. Group C is the talent – on screen as the representative and the public face of the project, blaming you if it goes wrong OR if you’re just a supporting player – you have to perform on INSTANT CUE as a doctor or ditch digger convincingly or you will get fired in 2 minutes.
Yep, glamour.
(and yep, there’s a guy who eventually empties the septic tank of the star’s trailer – technically, he’s also in showbiz!)
These photo pretty much encapsulates Hollywood and Hollywood BTS though not actually from a movie.