We completed the first week of filming! Wow! 1/3 of the way there!

 

I have to write quickly because my battery will run out and I left my charger at the Production House. I’m very happy with how things are going and feel that, overall, I’ve been in a good mood all week long. No major catastrophes or dramas... so far.

 

The last 3 days of shooting were pretty great. Friday (Day 4) was the first day with any problems. We were shooting the kitchen in the house, and as DP, Art Director and Director came together to talk about the “kitchen table”, it became clear that something as seemingly generic as that can mean completely different things to 3 different people. We seemed to find a solution that was quick and satisfied all three of us (or at least seemed to..). We used the table that Lisa & I had imagined using, with a different orientation than we had thought, but we also had depth in the space by creating the “breakfast nook” Jason had envisioned in the back. After that tense beginning, we did four takes of two different shots... without sound. Sound was unplugged without anyone realizing. Once again, problem was easily solved because we were still in the same camera position. I think what’s helping us move through those moments is not to play the blame game, but to assess what needs to happen for us to be able to move on and just do it.

 

Saturday was a particularly exciting day because we were shooting several dream sequences, and The Sex Scene. i.e. An Unpredictable Day. You never know if you’ll get the footage you’ll need, especially when it comes to working with child actors, babies, and pretend-sex. But it went great! Definitely learned a few lessons that day. One of them: Allow for PLENTY of time to get footage you want out of a toddler. It took us three attempts throughout the day to get the baby to be rested, relaxed and playful enough to get the footage we needed. But in the end we got it, and it was perfect. Another: if they know how to handle their alcohol, it’s okay to let actresses drink some vodka before their sex scene. That way they’re relaxed and can have fun with it. Third: people are hilariously professional and poker-faced when it comes to being around half-naked actresses! Make sure to make fun of them later. :)

 

Battery is about to run out, and I want to post this before our very long Day 7 tomorrow.