Blogs | Access Hollywood: Day two on the set of HSM2

Day two on the set of HSM2

Posted by Laura Saltman June 12 at 11:22 AM

Comments (35)

It's day two of my exclusive visit to the set of "High School Musical 2." While yesterday was all about rush, rush, rush to fit in my interviews with Ashley Tisdale and Zac Efron...today was all about hurry up and wait. Twelve hours after arriving to the set, I finally returned to my hotel room exhausted, sunburnt and out $115.

My crew and I arrived at the set around 9:15am. First up, we head up to the baseball field where its day two of filiming the big baseball themed musical number, "I Don't Dance" that pits Lucas Grabeel's Ryan Evans against Corbin Bleu's Chad Danforth in a baseball matchup with a message. The film's director wants to keep the details of the number hush-hush but what I can tell you is that the song has a catchy hip-hop swing beat and promises to be a fan favorite. Even after listening to it nearly fifty times during the day, I never got sick of it.

The girls arrived to the set around 10:30 am and Vanessa Hudgens spends some time learning to throw a baseball with one of the films extras. The players consist of dancers and real local high school players.

I catch up with Olesya Rulin who plays composor Kelsi out on the field. She'll be composing songs for the country club's summer show and tells me Kelsi will be breaking out of her shell a bit more this time and even stands up to Sharpay Evans.

Monique Coleman comes over for her interview. She tells me that all that "Dancing with the Stars" ballroom training helped making learning the choreography easier this time around. However, ballroom is different than this type of dancing so there is still a learning curve. At twenty five-years-old Monique, who plays Taylor McKessie, is the oldest of the bunch and certainly the most polished and poised member of the cast. Though we have to keep stopping and starting the interview as cameras are rolling behind us, she's a great interview and speaks so eloquently. She tells me it's because on DWTS she learned that if you don't give a good soundbite (i.e. say something interesting or fun during the interview) you don't get airtime. After taping tons of interviews for DWTS and never seeing them used she started to work on her interview skills and eventually got more air time. I was shocked to learn that at 25 she never learned to swim and has been taking lessons while here filming.

Next Vanessa comes over for her interview. My audio guy Rand is a familiar face as he and my cameraman, Bryan, shot behind the scenes on the HSM tour many times. Rand thrills her with some jokes and riddles and she giggles the whole time which puts her in a great mood for the interview. Again, like Monique, we are constantly having to stop and start the interview between takes due to filming. Plus, these crazy birds keep chirping and production members keep zipping by in their golf cart making noise. Fortunately, Vanessa rolls with the punches. She tells me how her life has changed since the first movie and that while she loves the attention, sometimes she wishes she could just be a regular gal again and go to the movies with friends without being followed or stared at. Like Ashley and Zac yesterday, she agrees that everyone has checked their egos at the door despite the success they have all had.

Next we head out onto the field to shoot some shots of Kenny Ortega directing. He's nice enough to let us put a microphone on him even though its a bit tense as they are behind. One of the baseball players has apparently left the set and when he returns gets a stern warning from Ortega. They film the musical number with Lucas at the pitching mound and Corbin batting at home plate. Corbin comes over and introduces himself. He's chewing gum and I wonder if its for the film. He says its a baseball guy thing to be chewing something and since this is a Disney film gum was the choice. We catch Vanessa playing around on a skateboard in the background. I'm starting to wonder if maybe she and Zac are more than just costars as I just saw Zac on that same skateboard earlier.

Ashley comes to set on her day off to hang out and watch the filming and I confirm that she does in fact have a boyfriend. He is a dancer and today dressed in a baseball uniform (number 27). He comes over to chat with her between scenes. They share a kiss or two and at one point, he playfully sits on her lap. I go over to say hello and have Ashley wake up her sleeping co-star, Chris Warren, who plays Zeke. He's less than thrilled but plays along as my dv camera rolls.

It's around this time that I learn that production is so behind we may not get Vanessa, who is scheduled to give us a tour of the housing where the cast is staying, until after 6:00pm which puts my crew into overtime and me in a quandry. This is where my $115 loss comes in. I'm staying at the Green Valley Spa, which is one of the most famous in the US. I've been told by a coworker that I must book the Rapunzel hot oil treatment. It's a hair treatment that I'm told is heavenly. I've booked it for 7:00pm figuring there is no way I'd be on set ten hours. I call to try and cancel it and find out that if I don't show I will still have to pay. I cross my fingers we will be done by then or that someone calls in to the spa and will take my appointment.

I put this out of my mind and grab a quick interview with Kaycee Stroh, who had a small role as Martha the secret hip-hop loving student. This time she has a bigger role working on the country club's kitchen staff. Plus, she hints of a love interest for her. Could it be Zeke?

After lunch we return to the set only to find out Vanessa will not begin filming her scenes for another hour or so. My 7:00pm spa treatment is officially jeopardized and I make the gut wrenching call to cancel. This set visit has now cost me $115. I joke that I may start a collection plate among the cast and crew.

Kenny comes out and directs the fans in the bleachers on what they will be doing. He's full of energy and this gets them pumped up. They are all high school kids from the area and thrilled for the opportunity to be in a movie. Thus, they don't mind that its now nine hours since they arrived. The scene is fun and the music is pumping as they dance, shout and clap and this makes me less grumpy.

Vanessa and the other girls finally begin filming their bleacher scene around 6:30pm. We shoot a few shots and then head over to where the cast is living. We shoot some shots of the grounds which include a beautiful running water stream behind everyone's patios. As we do, a member of a local Indian tribe comes walking by holding and waving up and down something in his hand. Later Vanessa tells me he comes by at virtually the same time everyday to bless the grounds. Even though it's a private club the management doesn't mind the intrusion.

At 7:30pm, when I should be enjoying my heavenly hair treatment, we learn that production has decided to add Vanessa to a new scene rather than wrapping her and it may now be two more hours before we get her. As we drive back up the baseball field, I'm beyond annoyed but when we get there we are told it will only be about thirty minutes. We go up and shoot some footage of the new scene that includes all the girls bringing the baseball players hot dogs after the big game. By this time, it's dark and production has lit it to make it seem like its not dark yet.

At long last around 8:15pm, the director yells its a wrap for the day. I catch her and Zac walking down to the parking lot together looking chummy. They are stopped by a group of kids from the neighborhood who want autographs. They happily oblige. My crew and I rush over to the casitas where the cast is staying to wait for Vanessa to get back to her room. She arrives around 8:45pm and we spend ten minutes with her giving us a tour of her two bedroom casita which was nicer than most people's homes complete with a full kitchen, self-cleaning jacuzzi tubs and fireplaces in the living and bedroom. She tells me this is the first time she has been on her own without her parents but she calls her mom every night. All the cast members rooms are back-to-back and most nights they spend together hanging out in Chris Warren's room playing Playstation.

Rand the audio guy shows her some more tricks and she jumps up and down in glee. Her joyful laughs makes me laugh at how cute she is and I forget how tired I am. Its now twelve hours since we first arrived to the set as we finally wrap up.

Vanessa heads out to join the rest of the cast for dinner. My crew and I forgo dinner, too tired to do anything. Tommorow's another (hopefully shorter) day.

PS - for the record because I took some heat on this. I didn't care about the $115 or missing my spa treatment. I just thought it made for funny banter and something interesting to write about while i was there!

Comments

yay! jashley is official! i knew it!!! xxx

Posted by: Rebecca | June 12, 2007 02:53 PM

Really fun reading your blog and knowing what the cast is doing. So cute about Ashley and Jared and Zac and vanessa =)

Posted by: Sara | June 12, 2007 05:42 PM

I'll love HSM2
gosh this movie is gonna be awesome!

Posted by: Rochy | June 12, 2007 05:42 PM

Wow, your stories are so interesting, I really love your inside scoop and every single detail. It sucks that you lost the money, but Vanessa seems like such a sweetheart I'm sure she made you forget about it. And the skateboard thing was too adorable! Who's rooms were next to hers? I cannot wait for more.

Posted by: hat | June 12, 2007 07:03 PM

omg..!!

i love this..!!

is soooo cool..!!

Posted by: fanny | June 12, 2007 07:38 PM

Awesome blog... I'm really enjoying reading your HSM 2 updates. Thanks!!

Posted by: Bob | June 12, 2007 08:53 PM

I LOVE YOU VANESSA

Posted by: yashimine | June 12, 2007 09:25 PM

Wow! Sound like you had an awesome time!! I wish I could be there, can't wait for another blog :)

Posted by: Kevin | June 13, 2007 12:28 PM

love the story
we cant wait for the sequel
love the zac and vanessa moments vanessa seems to be really real and sweet

Posted by: jen | June 13, 2007 02:44 PM

This is a great blog. Thanks! Who is Ash's boyfriend??

Posted by: Lola | June 13, 2007 07:15 PM

Hahaha you rock!

Posted by: Ginny | June 14, 2007 12:43 AM

I live in St. George! Had you let me know, I would have sent you some lunch! You're so hot!

Posted by: Ben | June 14, 2007 11:22 AM

I love Vanessa. She is so cute.
I'm glad they added her to a scene ,means more Vanessa in HSM2

Posted by: Grace | June 15, 2007 01:41 PM

loved ur blog lots of info b sure 2 tell mi friends about it

Posted by: brittney | June 15, 2007 10:56 PM

i love hsm and i cant wait to see part two my favriote THERE THE BEST AND I LOOOOVE ASHLEY TISDALES ACTING AND I LOVE CHRIS WARREN JR HE IS SO CUTE AND THE BEST ACTOR IN HSM

Posted by: Anonymous | June 17, 2007 03:47 PM

I LOOOOVE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ITS THE BEST AND I I BET WHEN I SEE IT I WILL SEE IT 1,00000000000 TIMES

PS. I LOVE ASHLEY TISDALE AND CHRIS WARREN JR

Posted by: KATHY RIVERA | June 17, 2007 03:50 PM

JASHLEY OMG I LOVE THEM TOGETHER THEY ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE SINCE WELL EVER!!!!!!

Posted by: fatima | June 18, 2007 03:03 PM

I love HSM and I think your blogs are fun. However, I was a little offended by the Native American comment, in truth its the country club and the movie that are the intrusion on sacred grounds no the other way around.

Posted by: Jessica | June 19, 2007 08:27 AM

Zac is soo hott

Posted by: marcie | June 21, 2007 10:50 AM

i love vanessa! i love how when she laughs, you forget how tired you guys are. shes just too adorable! hope you post more! thank you for this!

Posted by: sleezy | June 21, 2007 10:29 PM

Jessica - You are absolutely 100 percent correct and I apologize. The HSM 2 production and the country club are the intrusion on sacred ground. I'm thrilled its memory is being kept alive. I only wish we could save more sacred places. I can just imagine how beautiful a place it was before. Thank you for pointing this out to me!

Posted by: Dish of Salt | June 23, 2007 04:19 PM

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JASHLEY

They are soo DATING!!

No PERSON Can Deny It!!

Posted by: You Will Never Know Muahaha!!! | June 25, 2007 10:52 PM

aaaaahhhhh!!!!hms2!!!!!

Posted by: adrienne | July 5, 2007 11:36 PM

omg i love hsm 2!!!!!!!!!! icant waite to see it!!

Posted by: Gi | July 9, 2007 10:30 PM

whoooooooooo i lv
hsm2 its so cool woooooooo

Posted by: megan | August 6, 2007 10:13 AM

i am so glad you do this because it just makes people want to see HSM2 EVEN more!!what your doing is so awesome! and jashley is THE most cutest thing ever and i hope you tell her that! they are SOOOOO cute together! anywho thank you so much for doing this! keep posting more!!

Posted by: Brooke | August 12, 2007 06:26 PM

HI V and Z I LOVE HSM2!!!!!!
, but is there going to be a therid? I HOP SO !! YOUR # 1 FAN Maggie Cruz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEY!!! A.T YOU HAVE AN GRAET
VOIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND HI TO ALL THE CAST!!!!!!!!!! Maggie Cruz!!!

Posted by: Maggie Cruz | August 20, 2007 08:37 PM

Hey v &z u guys are my number one fan i love u guys so much.

Posted by: andreanna | August 21, 2007 05:17 PM

i amthe only#1 fan and no one will steel my zac efron if they do i will find them and i will tell you to back and besides i love hsm2 i already saw cause i am like really rich i saw january19 and i loved it ibough the dvd 4 weeks later

Posted by: melanie | August 21, 2007 07:17 PM

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i love hsm2 i realy hope theres going to be a hsm3 you people are my #1 fan.I LOVE YOU Zac efron and venessa.i love you All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: michelle .h. | August 30, 2007 08:38 PM

ONLY I AM VANESSA HUDGENS AND NO-ONE ELSE IS!!!!!!!! i`m her #1 fan and NO-ONE can take my place

Posted by: vanessa | September 2, 2007 05:07 PM

Hey hsm cast I love the movies and please all of you be in the third one you guys are awseum and i love you all love your number1 fan jymie

Posted by: jaymie cybulski | September 23, 2007 02:29 PM

it must be hard to deal with lots of fans since you are so popular.

Posted by: daniela | September 27, 2007 08:16 PM

yea i knew jashley was real

Posted by: Sophie | November 17, 2007 10:11 PM

Day two on the set of HSM2

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