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On the new thriller's set, Michiganders add atmosphere and behind-the-scenes know-how 

While cameras rolled Tuesday, nearly 100 Michigan extras walked by Richard Gere -- exactly as directed.

Although it was the seventh day of shooting for "The Double," the action on the Paradise Valley set revolved around the opening scene for the movie, a political thriller that stars Gere as a retired CIA operative who joins an FBI agent (Topher Grace) to investigate a senator's assassination. Scheduled to wrap filming in August, "The Double" isn't set in Detroit, but the entire picture will be shot here.

Off camera, Cedric N. Lee, 29, of Rochester Hills, who graduated from Ferris State University with a business degree, was wired to a headset as he looked over the transformed corner of Grand River Avenue and Centre Street. The scene flashes back to 1988 Paris, with the Coaches Corner bar made over to resemble a Paris café.

As part of the film's location team working under Hollywood veteran Ernest Belding, Lee had scouted metro Detroit landmarks for weeks before filming began, communicating with producers to secure and get clearances for the locations that fit the story and the film's budget.

"This is pretty much my dream," Lee said of his two-year-and-growing career that began with Clint Eastwood's Michigan-made film "Gran Torino." On "Torino," which was released in December 2008, Lee first worked as an intern but utilized his Hmong heritage and was promoted to a consultant for the film, which was set in a Hmong community. He also made a behind-the-scenes documentary that was included in the film's Blu-ray release. Lee has since worked on a handful of movies here, including doing stunt work in "Red Dawn." He says his goal is to become a producer and make films in Michigan for the rest of his life.

As first-time director Michael Brandt (screenwriter for "Wanted") focused on perfecting the scene, a camera crane looked down on the corner. Extras went back to their original marks as a new take was set up.

Tim Cox, 61, president of the Great Lakes chapter of the Volvo Club of America, had driven his green 1973 Volvo 1800 ES from Grand Rapids for use in the film. Cox said he was receiving $125 per day for work as an extra, plus $200 for the use of his car.

Hyde Park Entertainment CEO and chairman Ashok Amritraj, who has more than 100 film credits and has worked all across the globe, said from his Los Angeles office that bringing this production to Michigan exceeded his expectations and that everyone he has dealt with has been "professional and very friendly." Most important, he added, is that the dozens of Michigan residents working on the production have the skills needed to produce a first-rate picture on budget.

Amritraj didn't want to reveal the film's budget, but said this picture would be categorized as a high-end independent film.

Converting the script to film could've been complicated because the locations include Paris, the Soviet Union, Switzerland, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. cities. But Detroit has delivered.

"Everything about the process in Michigan has been very easy," Amritraj said. "We would come back for sure."

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