on monday i dropped off nine rolls of 16mm super film to be developed at vision globale. in their hands are three months of my life, hundreds of my dollars, my final mark for a year long foray into film, and the hard work of a lot more people than i expected.
have you ever worked on something really hard, and put a lot into it, but not realised the magnitude of what you were doing until it happened? this film shoot blew me away. the people--everyone working for free--the costumes, the makeup, the hair, the set... last year i made a two minute film about a prostitute (not by choice). the film was awful. the set was awful; the acting was embarassing at best. the makeup was clownish and the costumes were boring and undefined. to say the least, it was a disaster.
this year we had a cast of entirely professional actors, minus my boyfriend who filled in for an actor who opted out because of surgery; we had a makeup artist, hair stylist and costume designer (who had to find clothes for a 1920s speakeasy scene) who went miles beyond anything i could have fathomed. everyone involved put 500 percent of themselves into the project with the most astonishing enthusiasm. i still can't understand why everyone was so wonderfully passionate about this project that i dreamed up over a year ago... but they were.
andreia and i began back in december when i asked her to join me in making the film i'd had lingering in my mind for some time. she came on as production manager and turned what should have been a modest student production into something of a much larger scale. it's not that i didn't think we were capable of such fantastic ambition, i just hadn't considered it. andreia brought possibilities to the project and made them happen. our one weakness was cinematography. both of us had done small amounts of photography and felt secure in our composition, but neither one of us had a lot of experience working with the bolex camera--namely camera movement. when brian separated from his group and previously ambitious project, i grasped the opportunity to bring him on to our team. as someone who has a lot of experience with cinematography, he was a huge asset. he joined. from that point on, things escalated. andreia and i held auditions for two main actors and eight speakeasy patrons, and were frankly blown away by the enthusiasm of every person who showed up.
alison, our last audition of the day was the most surprising. as a member of actra (the actors union) we had been hesitant to cast her--or any of the others--because of the amount of paperwork they demanded if their actors were participating in a student film. when she showed up she was a bundle of energy and we clicked immediately. she launched into the story of mary gallagher a prostitute from the 1800s in griffintown--the area the film is based in--who was decapitated by her best friend, another prostitute. alison had taken particular interest in the story, and by larger extent the area of griffintown. it is said that mary gallagher's ghost appears every eight years about a block and a half from where i call home. fantastic.
after talking for about twenty minutes, we had alison audition for one of the 1920s characters, having already decided on our lead female. she did a great job, and then asked us if she could audition for the main role because of her particular interest in griffintown, and in our project. she was so enthusiastic we couldn't say no. her audition was exceptionally well done, and combined with her love of the area and incredible interest in the project we decided to cast her as the lead female. it's amazing how a stranger's confidence in what you are doing can change your mind and influence what you are doing. there's no doubt in my mind that the production fared better for having alison as our lead character.
ironically, the man we cast as the lead male--a bad guy who commits a murder in the 1920s that alison, the main girl, witnesses through a hole in a wall that allows a bizarre time loop--was one of the nicest people i have ever met. alejandro was wonderfully patient, but still able to exhibit the characteristics of an evil mobster type. he brought a magnanimous quality to the film. he was understanding and kind, and put up with our student filmmaking naivety and even gently offered suggestions that improved upon our own ideas. on the last day of filming, he made breakfast for the crew and cast while brian and i were out measuring windows, cutting drywall and securing a location. and when we got back, alejandro chopped up an avocado, some spinach, onion, goat cheese and apple to make me some food as well. he also made lunch--a meat stew for all the meat eaters. it was quite the feast; alison made plantain fries (i saw mini plantains on sale at the supermarket and got excited because they were 'cute').
what struck me the most about the entire production, was the camaraderie that formed between everyone working on the film. from the first day of shooting--friday--we were all laughing and having a wonderful time, but working as hard as we could and putting all of ourselves into the project. there wasn't one person who slacked, or took the mickey out of what we were doing. we all put in our absolute effort, and i think, i hope, it shows in the film. by the last day our wits were withered and our tempers short, but we still laughed and had a wonderful time.
bare with me if this is a little bit sappy. i am just so impressed by the people i encountered this weekend. i never imagined that people could come together for no money, and to work so hard to achieve something--and at that something that i conceptualised. though i am in no way taking any credit for this, other than the original idea. i suppose i am just amazed that people actually listened to me. not that they shouldn't... but just that they haven't on a scale like this before.
anyway, the long of the short of the short of the long, short.... is that i'm super chuffed.
wrap party on thursday!
here's a few photos of the 1920s scene:
1 comment:
beauty of a set you got there, eh?! looks absolutely charming, and very professional, and like a lot of sweat and blood. good work director friend!
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