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An Amazing Day

2022-04-26 · letter vlog · John, Isaac Klausner · 3:30 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, guest or collab, self promotion

On the first day of the Turtles All the Way Down movie shoot in Cincinnati, John describes life on a film set, tells how Chuck E. Cheese refused to let them film there, praises cast and crew, and says the film exists because readers cared about the book's ideas: pain is real, and there is hope.

What is said

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

00:00:00 — First day of the shoot: Cincinnati, producer Isaac, a costume change

  • ★★★ John reports that today is the first day of the Turtles All the Way Down movie shoot, in Cincinnati. — 00:00:00 · Turtles All the Way Down
  • ★ Unsure whether he may name the city, John asks Isaac, who is producing the movie, and then sends greetings from Cincinnati. — 00:00:00
  • ★★ On a film set John always feels in the way, a set being basically a large construction site, but everyone is nice about it and warns him by saying "point". (playful) — 00:00:00

00:00:44 — Things John forgets about film sets: in the way, a dumpster view, busy crews

  • ★ Films seem set in beautiful, sophisticated places, but John's view at the moment is of a dumpster. (playful) — 00:00:44
  • ★★ So many people on set are busy 12 hours a day; the only person who is not busy is John. — 00:00:44

00:01:13 — The crew's love; Chuck E. Cheese refuses filming; praise for cast and director

  • ★★★ John says it is impossibly amazing to have so many people pour time, talent and love into the story; first assistant director Mary said they are trying to 3D print his imagination. — 00:01:13

    “we're trying to 3D print your imagination”

  • ★★ Part of the book is set at a Chuck E. Cheese; the filmmakers asked to film in one, and Chuck E. Cheese refused, unhappy with John's portrayal. — 00:01:13 · Turtles All the Way Down

  • ★ John notes the Chuck E. Cheese mascot is a mouse whose full name is Charles Entertainment Cheese. (playful) — 00:01:43
  • ★★ It is a work of fiction, but John stands by most of his portrayal of Chuck E. Cheese: there probably is pee in the ball pit, as in most ball pits. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:12
  • ★★ John can't say what they are filming today, only that it's not at a Chuck E. Cheese, and thinks what is happening instead might be better; it has been the most amazing day. — 00:02:12
  • ★★★ John praises the cast and director: Isabela Merced, playing Aza, understands the character deeply, Cree, playing Daisy, is amazing, and director Hannah Marks loves and cares about the book. — 00:02:12

00:02:41 — Why the film exists and what it should spread; gratitude; sign-off

  • ★★★ John says the film happens only because many people read and cared about the book, responding generously to its exploration of anxiety, obsessive thinking, free will and other themes. — 00:02:41 · Turtles All the Way Down
  • ★★★ John says everyone is committed to a film expressing the book's ideas: people's pain is real and deserves attention and validation, and there is hope even when your brain says it isn't. — 00:03:10 · mental disorder, hope
  • ★★★ John says he is very glad he lived through some hard days so that he could have this one. — 00:03:10

In the description and comments

  • ★★ In a channel comment John notes the film is already a book, about a young woman, Aza, whose mystery-solving is derailed by obsessive thinking, and suggests reading it via a library or bookstore. — creator comment · Turtles All the Way Down

Humor (significant)

  • After a visible change of outfit mid-video, John deadpans about it. — 00:00:00

    “Pay no attention to the costume change. It's definitely not a continuity error.”

  • Crew members warn John, always in the way on set, by calling out "point". — 00:00:44

    “which is movie speak for you're about to get hit by something pointy.”

  • Films look set in beautiful places, but John's current view is of a dumpster. — 00:00:44

    “It's a very cinematic dumpster, but it is a dumpster.”

  • Defending his book on ball pits, John generalizes wildly and jokingly credits the thought to a famous songwriter. — 00:02:12

    “I think there's pee in almost everything. I think that's a Leonard Cohen lyric.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Turtles All the Way Down · Turtles All the Way Down (film)

Also: People: Cree Cicchino · Hannah Marks · Isaac Klausner · Isabela Merced · Leonard Cohen · Mary

Organizations: Chuck E. Cheese

Concepts: anxiety disorder · free will · hope · obsessive-compulsive disorder

Places: Cincinnati

Characters: Aza Holmes · Chuck E. Cheese (mascot) · Daisy Ramirez

Also centred on Turtles All the Way Down (film): On the Movies · Hello! Meet Daisy! · A Casting Announcement · Hello! Meet Aza! · Director Hannah Marks Is Nervous To Meet You · The Truth of How Books Become Movies

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