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Secrets of the Movies: Thoughts from The Fault in Our Stars Set

2013-09-10 · letter vlog · John, Ben Richardson, Josh Boone, Isaac Klausner, Nat Wolff, Ansel Elgort, Shailene Woodley · 3:53 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing (also: Personal life) · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, guest or collab, community lore, self promotion, recurring series

John thanks Hank for an original Aero Fighters ('Nerd Fighters') arcade game as a birthday present, then shows light behind-the-scenes moments with cast and crew on the Pittsburgh set of The Fault in Our Stars movie.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Hank's birthday present: the original 'Nerd Fighters' (Aero Fighters) arcade game arrives at the office; John's mock retirement from writing

  • ★★★ John says that although the brothers agreed Hank wouldn't get him a birthday present (since John got Hank nothing), the original 'Nerd Fighters' arcade video game arrived at their office. — 00:00:00 · Hank Green

00:00:33 — Back on the TFIOS movie set in Pittsburgh: cinematographer Ben Richardson on one camera filming seven angles; Deb and the slate; Indiana license plates

  • ★★ John says he is back in Pittsburgh on the set of the TFIOS movie, hundreds of miles from the arcade game. — 00:00:33 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)
  • ★★ John says he thought a shot seen from several angles used several cameras, but it turns out to be one very expensive camera filming each angle in turn. — 00:00:36 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)
  • ★ Ben Richardson: Cinematographer Ben Richardson agrees, and explains that a second camera would be visible in the shots they had just filmed. — 00:00:52
  • ★ John jokes that one of the weird rules of moviemaking is that nobody may do anything until Deb hits the slate. (playful) — 00:01:08
  • ★ John wondered why the cars on set had Indiana license plates, then remembered it is because of the movie. — 00:01:18 · Indiana, The Fault in Our Stars (film)

00:01:24 — Moviemaking is mostly a construction site, except the fancy porta-potties; free food and Atomic Fireballs with Josh

00:01:57 — With Isaac and Alex: John as stand-in for Ansel ('I am Gus'), the Olsen twins; Nat Wolff making trouble in the background

00:02:20 — Real teen cancer survivors cast in the support group; John thanks them

  • ★★★ John says one of his favorite things about the movie so far is that real teen cancer survivors were cast for the support group; he thanks them for taking part and sharing their experiences. — 00:02:20 · The Fault in Our Stars (film), cancer

00:02:34 — Shailene's fake phone call gag

00:02:48 — Quick Question Tuesday with Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley: have you read the book?

  • ★★ John does a quick Question Tuesday with Ansel Elgort, who plays Gus, and says viewers can submit questions so that maybe they will do another one with real questions. (hedged) — 00:02:53 · Question Tuesday, Augustus Waters
  • ★★ Ansel Elgort: Asked whether he has read the book, Ansel Elgort says yes, jokes that it was all right, then says he loved it. (playful) — 00:02:59 · The Fault in Our Stars
  • ★★ Shailene Woodley says she has read the book multiple times; it is in her top two favorite books ever, alongside 1984, which she really loves. — 00:03:22 · The Fault in Our Stars

00:03:41 — Shailene and Ansel's sign-off to Hank

In the description and comments

  • ★★ John's description: Hank gave him Aero Fighters, the arcade game that created the word nerdfighter, for his birthday. — video description · nerdfighter

Humor (significant)

  • John announces his retirement from writing to become a full-time Nerd Fighters player while playing the game. — 00:00:23

    “because as soon as I announced my retirement... I lost.”

  • John says the only glamorous part of moviemaking is the porta-potties, filming inside one. — 00:01:35

    “I mean, Hank, I've lived in apartments smaller than this porta-potty.”

  • Shailene Woodley answers a pretend phone call and John turns the camera away out of politeness. — 00:02:42

    “because you're such a good actress that I thought you were really on the phone.”

  • Standing in the road with Ansel's hand on his shoulder, John imagines they are about to be hit by a car. — 00:03:16

    “What's your last memory? Ansel Elgort's beautiful hand on my shoulder.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Aero Fighters · Ansel Elgort · The Fault in Our Stars (film)

Also: People: Ashley Olsen · Ben Richardson · Isaac Klausner · Josh Boone · Mary-Kate Olsen · Nat Wolff

Works: Nineteen Eighty-Four · The Fault in Our Stars

Organizations: TMZ

Rituals: Question Tuesday

Concepts: cancer

Places: Indiana · Pittsburgh

Characters: Augustus Waters · Monica (character, “The Fault in Our Stars”)

Products: Atomic Fireball

Taking part: Shailene Woodley

Only in the description or credits: Fox Entertainment Group · Hazel Grace Lancaster · Isaac (character, “The Fault in Our Stars”) · nerdfighter

Also centred on Ansel Elgort: Puppies, Pegasi, and TFiOS Casting: It's Question Tuesday · Q&A with Ansel Elgort and Mike Birbiglia from The Fault in Our Stars Movie Set

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