The Twilight World

'New Moon' Set Visit: A Fan's Perspective

An MSN Superfan gets the chance of a lifetime as she visits the set of the 'Twilight' sequel

By Myriam Gabriel-Pollock 
Special to MSN Movies

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- It's about a month and a half into the production of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," and director Chris Weitz and crew have begun filming the highly anticipated Volturi scenes. We are in a soundstage about 45 minutes outside downtown Vancouver, and the dimly lit studio smells of sawdust. Looming almost 40 feet high and occupying most of the building is the Volturi lair's interior set. The outside of the rotunda is covered in scaffolding, but the interior is breathtaking. Two arched doorways lead into a long hall that follows the curve of the building. Beautiful statuary and ornate columns look so real -- until I knock on one and discover that it's carved and painted Styrofoam. Movie-making magic, indeed!

As a complete novice to the world of filmmaking, everything about being on a movie set was amazing to me. But because the movie is "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," the second film based on the popular series byStephenie Meyer, it was a personally thrilling and incredible visit. Oh wait, did I already mention I'm a huge "Twilight" fan? And not just your average "Twilight" fan; I'm the Twilight Superfan on MSN! So the chance to be included on this set visit was not just work for me -- it was like I won a prize.

Day 1: A First Look at the Volturi

When our tiny group arrives at the studio on our first day, it is midafternoon and the Vancouver skies are a typical gray. We are all wearing our lanyards with "USM" ("Untitled Sports Movie") clearly printed, as part of this covert operation that is the "New Moon" production.

Inside Studio B there are several actors in costume sitting in chairs waiting to go on set. As they are dressed in black turtlenecks and trousers, along with the eerie white vampire makeup, I surmise that they are some of the Volturi, the ancient Italian vampire coven. A few are in one of the black tents, while others sit around near the makeup tables. Two black-clad vampires are watching something on a Mac Powerbook, and someone nearby asks if it's the new "American Idol."

We are led to an area with director's chairs and headphones, where several people are watching the monitors that show the scene being filmed inside the rotunda, just on the other side of the wall in front of us.

The screens show Dakota Fanning as Jane and Cameron Bright as Alec, two of the most dangerous and specially gifted Volturi. Michael Sheen is off camera, but his chilling voice intones, "Let's see if she's immune to all of us. Shall we, Jane?" Dakota does two more takes of this scene, in which she has no dialogue. She spends long moments looking fiercely at someone (probably Bella) her smug smile slowly giving way to a quiet rage. In her red contact lenses, vampire makeup, and a coiled white-blond up-do, she is the perfect incarnation of a demon with an angel's face. When Fanning finishes the scene, she comes by with a quick hello before taking leave; up close, her red eyes are even more disconcerting.

Several other notable Volturi are present, in full makeup and costume. Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius is tall and lanky, with red-rimmed eyes and platinum, shoulder-length hair, and a more rock star-inspired vampire getup. Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus is also tall, with wavy dark hair, wearing a textured, gray and maroon robe and scarf; he had been in the tent reading most of the time. Sheen as Aro has long, very styled black hair and a rather well-cut black suit; if I had to guess, I'd say it was Armani.