First of all, can you tell our readers who you are?
My name is Phillip Seeger, and I'm working here on Dune as a stand-in. So far mostly I've been standing in for the lead character, Alec [Newman], who's playing Paul. He's not in every scene, but he's in almost every scene. He's been very busy on this shoot. It really depends on who's in the scene that we're doing that day and at the moment as to who I stand in for. I've stood in for everybody from the little girl, Alia, to William Hurt a couple of times, who is very interesting.

Can you walk us through your typical day?
Because the actors are busy with things like getting their lines and makeup and wardrobe, they don't necessarily have time, or it's not necessarily in their best interest for them, to be standing around on set while the lighting is being done. What I've found is a lot of the hard work in making the film goes into making it look like no work went into making the film. Because if the audience is thinking, "that must have been hard to do," they're not lost in the world that you're trying to create. I do my job so that the audience doesn't have to think about it. Because the actor can concentrate on his role -- he doesn't have to be standing around while they're taking hours to get the lights just right. Which is more of the hard work that the audience doesn't have to think about.

What is the highlight of your job?
I'm learning so much every day just being on the set, liking standing next to the world's best cinematographer [three-time Academy Award-winner Vittorio Storaro] while he's working.

What's the most surprising thing about your job?
The surprise is that the actors I've met so far--that I've been working with and working for--they've all been such wonderful people. And I have to say the sets and the costumes were surprises for me--they are amazing.

Can you tell us about the size of Frank Herbert's Dune?
Everyone's aware of the huge scale. Even as a stand-in, when I walked into the Emperor's Palace set, I was taken aback by how grand it was, and just the huge scope and the detail. That gave me a sense of just how big this entire project is and the whole scope of everything we're trying to accomplish. And I think for the other people working, when they see that, I think that just seeing the scale of it makes them feel like--I know it makes me feel like--wow, I'm part of something pretty big here. It's exciting. It gives me a lot of energy. Even though my job, nobody's every going to see it, nobody's ever really going to know what I was doing, but still I feel like I'm part of a team that's creating this huge, wonderful masterpiece. So every day I'm happy to come in and do my little part.

Have you read the novel Dune?
I read the first three books in the series. It's a very interesting book. I've always loved science fiction and fantasy, and [Frank Herbert] has done a good job kind of mixing the two. Very interesting ideas. It's a very imaginative way he's designed his empire.

How close does the film follow the book?
I'm actually very impressed with the job they've done on the screenplay. It seems very, very close. There are a few details I've noticed they haven't been able to put in, but nothing important has been left out. I was very impressed when I read the screenplay how closely [writer/director John Harrison] has matched the book. Plus, when people at home get to see it, they'll see the amazing sets they've built for it that also help encompass the imagination inherent in the book. Plus all the acting I've seen here has been amazing too, so I think not only does the screenplay encompass a lot of the spirit of the book, but the sets, the set decorating and the good job they did casting people in the different roles also helps bring the imagination of the actual book to make this production of Dune more complete.

What's it like working with Frank Herbert's Dune writer/director John Harrison?
John's great. He's very detail oriented. Since he did the screenplay he knows very well what the script is, and he knows exactly what he wants. I think that all in all the people working for him really respect thatÉand they know that he respects their job, so they are going to do a good job for them. I really like working for John. He's doing a great job.