‘Gone Girl'

We didn't know what to expect when Hollywood came to town.

Sure, we got a glimpse several years ago when the makers of "Killshot" (which never made it to theaters) took over Main Street. But we were told from the start this outfit would be different, not so open to the masses. We were told they wanted to do things a bit more discreetly. Our newspaper, despite many attempts, couldn't even get confirmation of "Gone Girl" filming here even as a casting call was announced.

But what we learned over the last several weeks is fascinating. We learned while the stars were relatively, and understandably, protected, the movie makers weren't standoffish at all. As time went on, we were given more access to those behind the scenes, and we want to thank everyone who took the time to talk with us for the stories we've published and some still to come. Everyone was friendly, gracious and warm.

We also, and perhaps most importantly, learned some of the best entertainment talent in the world has assembled here under the 20th Century Fox banner.

Of course, it all starts with acclaimed director David Fincher, who seems to be a talent magnet at this point in his career. Described by those who have talked to him as being very down-to-earth, it seems what Fincher needs to make a movie, Fincher gets. It's not just the actors. Cape Girardeau, as we would expect, was enthralled with well-known names like Ben Affleck, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry and Rosamund Pike. But the talent was so much more extensive than the A-listers.

For instance, did you know the head of the makeup and costume department, Trish Summerville, also did the costume work for "The Hunger Games"? "The Hunger Games," a blockbuster series based on the popular book trilogy, makes future fashion a central part of the storyline. Summerville also worked with Fincher on "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo."

There's also Cean Chaffin, a producer and longtime partner of Fincher, who handled so much of the behind-the-scenes booking.

The talent reached deep into the entire moviemaking infrastructure. Even the food preparers For Stars Catering is known as being one of the best in the business.

We also learned, just a bit from our outsider position, about the many layers that go into making a film. A lot of filming took place close to our newspaper office. We would notice some activity in the area and expect filming to happen in a day or two. Some orange cones would be placed outside of buildings. Trucks would pull up, then away; people would move about the area, scurrying in and out of buildings, all looking very busy. But it took many days, in some cases weeks, to prepare each scene. Set workers spruced up the gazebo in the park on Lorimier Street long in advance of any filming, for instance. After one team rolled out, another one rolled in. More than 30,000 feet of electric cables were run. Security had to be organized. Extras were screened, contacted, scheduled, brought in and trained. There was a clear orchestration to the process that was interesting to observe from afar. Some sets, such as The Bar, had to be remodeled weeks before the stars' arrivals. Scouts have been eyeballing our city for months, working with property owners to secure rights to locations. And then, scenes had to be shot around the stars' schedules. Neil Patrick Harris worked his scenes around hosting the Emmys and other television work for "How I Met Your Mother."

As for the extras, what fun it was for those who had the opportunity to be on set. Certain scenes, we're told, were shot more than 30 times over long days and nights.

We've talked to hundreds of people, read many posts on social media. Cape Girardeau wasn't just star-struck. Our residents and participants were impressed.

Impressed by the professionalism and talent. Impressed by the communication from the directors, managers and producers. Impressed by the work from all the people who laid the groundwork for the movie.

Judging by the producers' and cast's comments in various media outlets, including ours, the moviemakers likewise were charmed by our community.

Cape Girardeau didn't roll out a red carpet. But we put out a welcome mat. In turn, we hope our Hollywood friends had a good time working here and will consider a return trip. They spent a ton of money and gave us all something to talk about.

We can't wait until the movie comes out.

In the meantime, we'll miss all the buzz around town when "Gone" is indeed.