Dana Delany is probably one of the niceest people you could ever meet. Just wanted to get that said...

Multiple Sacrasms is a new indie film that Dana is starring in with Tim Hutton. It has a low budget but the cast is incredible, also including Mira Sorvino, Stockard Channing, Mario Van Peebles, Tom Skerrit, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts!

Dana was kind enough to invite me to the set on a day she was shooting. It was pretty easy finding the lot, and the guard directed me to Stage 1. I wandered in there and looked around, not seeing anyone I recognized, so I just hung out for a while. Then I decided to peek in a curtained-off area and saw John Hodgman (the "PC Guy" from the Apple commercials). So I asked a crew person what shoot this was, and sure enough, a new Apple commercial! They told me Multiple Sarcasms was next door. Oops.

I got in to Stage 2 OK. I had spoken with Dana's PA and Dana was in hair and makeup at the moment, so I watched as a Tim Hutton scene was shot. Amusingly, one of the takes had to be redone because the coffee maker at the craft-services table was gurgling really loud.

Dana then appeared, and waved to me. After she spoke with various crew, we chatted a bit. She then introduced me to the director Brooks Branch. We hung out with him as they shot some more scenes with Tim. In between some takes, Dana started singing a song asking what the title was.Turns out it was the Etta James song At Last. It sounded great, and Dana said that if she ever got married she wanted that as her wedding song.

Dana and I talked some more about various things including the web site and the forum, the internet in general and Wikipedia in particular, TV shows (these days she's watching 30 Rock, The Tudors, Sopranos, and a few others), and how reality TV is impacting the acting profession. I complimented her on sticking with her web site for so long, and she shrugged and said "Well, it's fun!"

She's got several more movie projects coming up so she's quite the busy bee, as usual!

And oh yes, Dana looked great. She seems very healthy and happy. But of course, like an idiot, I forgot my camera again. Dana offered to use her cellphone, but things got very busy and we both forgot. Ah well, maybe next time...

Dana also kindly introduced me to Tim Hutton. Very cool. Kind of funny too, as he was shooting a scene where he was in pajamas and bathrobe and unshaven. Very nice guy.

Of course, the day was pretty full, and as Dana was busy with stuff, I just hung out watching things be torn down, set up, and scenes discussed, rehearsed, and shot. The scene Dana was there for was a "fantasy sequence" where she and Tim danced a kind of angry dance (they play husband and wife), which Dana said is intended to be in black-and-white. So I got to watch as that was all set up and rehearsed and choreographed. Dana started to get the giggles a bit at one point, since she was being dipped so many times.

Of course, the giggles continued into the actual shooting, so a couple extra takes were needed. But overall, I was impressed how quickly and efficiently everything got done.

Dana and Tim had one other scene to do, which required some really specific lighting, and an unusual backdrop of a wall with a modern painting. It was a pretty dramatic scene; Dana explained later that they had originally shot a longer scene on location at a Japanese museum, but had to replace a take so they were trying to re-create it at the studio.

Dana says the movie is kind of quirky, and mentioned there is a scene with Tim dancing with tampons! (I hope I'm not telling too much) So it does look like it will be really interesting and fun.

It was an amazing experience, and of course it was great seeing Dana again. She'll be done working on it this week, then goes home. I can't wait to see the film. Hopefully we'll get hold of some promo materials as things move forward.

So, Dana, thanks again for being so kind and generous with your time, and so considerate of your fans. You're definitely the best!