Liberty and YSU graduate has behind-scenes film role

He also worked on the set of a remake of the football movie 'The Longest Yard.'
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
A local man had a role in bringing authenticity to images of burning buildings in a new Hollywood action movie.
Todd SanSone, a graduate of Liberty High School and Youngstown State University, was a communication system technician on the set of "Ladder 49."
Starring John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix in a story about firefighters, it debuted Friday and was the nation's second-most-watched for the weekend, earning nearly $23 million at the box office.
SanSone was part of a specialty unit that provided wireless digital imaging during filming. Their work enabled director Jay Russell and director of photography James L. Carter to use a central location to receive six or more camera feeds at once during filming of real, controlled fires.
Whether they were looking at video from cameras that were positioned on the ground or in helicopters, the directors saw exactly what the cameras saw.
Communication
They also were able to communicate with the actors via some other wireless technology -- walkie-talkies that are about the size of a cigarette pack that could be easily concealed inside costumes. The actors wore ear buds, and "they could listen to what the director wanted them to do while in an environment that was completely engulfed in flames," SanSone said.
"It's something pioneering," SanSone added. "The technology is there, but people don't realize the power and potential of it." He believes it will change the way Hollywood action films are made.
SanSone performed similar work on the set of "Seabiscuit," the 2003 horse racing film. In typical filmmaking, cameras are wired to directors' monitors, "but you can't do that when horses are racing at 60 miles per hour," he said. "This way we were sending images straight to a wireless monitor."
At YSU
At YSU, SanSone created his own curriculum to prepare him for jobs in filmmaking. He's also a graduate of "the school of hard knocks," he said, noting how much he has traveled in the last four and a half years and what he's learned from the nature of film work -- 18-hour-days when you are employed, and months between jobs.
SanSone appreciates "Ladder 49" not only for the work, but the filmmakers' approach. "It celebrates the profession of a fireman," he said. "The focus is on family life as well as the work. It goes in depth. It's a very heartwarming story."
More recently, SanSone worked on the set of "The Longest Yard," a remake of a Burt Reynolds football film that stars Adam Sandler, hip-hop artist Nelly and Reynolds. SanSone also worked on a movie about motocross that has yet to be released, he said.
SanSone's father is local martial-arts studio owner A.E. Vea.
shaulis@vindy.com