Working in the film industry can be a weird experience.

A pair of set painters we often worked with, Bob and “Twofer Tim,” were usually paired together. They were very fast, skilled and productive as a team, did the work of three or four people.

We called them “the twins.” They had worked together on many movies and TV shows and knew all the ropes and the rules, and in this business there were a lot of ropes. And a bunch of rules.

One of which was that you NEVER EVER enter a closed set.

When actors, especially stars, were shooting a nude or sex scene no one was allowed in the area except the actors, the director and the camera person. They sometimes lock down the whole building. God help you if you violate this rule.

Both in their 40’s, Bob was a cheery, plus-size teddy bear of a guy who laughed at his own really dumb jokes, bit of a goofball. Loved everybody and everybody loved him.

“Twofer” Tim (have no idea where the nickname came from) was a quiet, scrawny, little rodent looking fellow. Nervous as the Under Assistant Chief Basket Weaving Supervisor in Washington, D.C. when the auditors show up.

He seemed to have a little tick which would cause his cheek to flicker.

(I have to apologize for using the word “rodent.” Tim was a nice enough guy, but it was the only word that fit.)

The low budget movie we were working on, “The Last Recon,” was sharing a sound stage with a big money film that Sharon Stone was in.

A sound stage is a large, barn like building. Multiple sets, built from ¼” plywood framed with 2×4 wood, could be built inside one. They would be three sided, with the fourth totally open to accommodate cameras and lighting.

When you see an interior shot like an office or a bedroom, that’s what you’re looking at. The twins were there to paint the inside of an “office” for our show, which we would only use for a few hours and tear down. We only used a small corner of the sound stage.

Often, the “walls” would be mounted on hidden wheels to be moved easily when needed.

When Bob and Tim showed up, kits in hand, to paint, the place was lit up and they could hear people talking and moving around. That was very normal. There were crews doing work on sets to be used later.

The back of one of the big movie’s sets butted up to the back of ours.

Engrossed in their work, they didn’t at first hear both walls sliding away from them, revealing a paper sign that read: “Closed Set.”

Dawning on them suddenly, they leapt to their feet, paint rollers in hand.

About eight feet away, they found themselves standing face to face (as if they even noticed a face) with…

Sharon Stone.

A very naked but serene Sharon Stone. No other people around, which probably saved their butts.

She stood there and calmly looked them over with a little smirk, then turned her back and lit a cigarette.

Bob and Tim disappeared like P-Diddy’s party invite list. Nothing was ever said about it, although Twofer’s random ticks became a lot more numerous.

It was time to make appointments with a cardiologist for the twins.

Thom Caraccio ([email protected]) is a retired musician and retired motion picture scenic artist living in West Palm Beach, Florida who hails from Columbus. He graduated from S.D. Lee High in 1968 and still considers Columbus his real hometown.