Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Again I Say: WHEW!
....by 7:30 yesterday morning, after a brisk walk down 42nd Street in a far-too-cold-wind blowing stiffly off the Hudson River, I was in the warm white Expedition, driven by a very nice Production Assistant named Kelly, en route to the location in New Jersey where the Mt. Vernon film (named by script: HOUDON, after the French sculptor who did the most famous bust of Washington's head, and about whom my story tells in the film)...anyway, we got lost a few times, as they do not believe in putting up street signs in New Jersey, but finally made it to the lovely historic house where the crew was setting up my morning shot in an upstairs bedroom...I spent my entire shoot in that room, at a little tea table set up by the windows...
Terri Randall, the wonderful director of the project, was there and she was discussing the viability of using no artificial lights in the shot, since we had plenty of natural sun pouring in through the bedroom windows, and to get a more natural look to the film, that is just what we did: shoot in totally natural light...it looked gorgeous! I so very much like this Terri Randall. I found out that she is actually an Oscar-nominated documentary film director and writer, and her rep in the business is very good I had no idea. I do hope I can see some of her other work, since she promised to send or give me some copies over tea one day. We enjoyed working with each other a lot. And that made it very relaxed and easy.
Also, the entire shoot,production staff, set-p, atmosphere and scheduling was relaxed and thoroughyl handled, so of course that made the job very easy. Joe, the cameraman was wonderful, and believes in deep breaths before each take to get the most relaxed performances...also, since he was shoulder-holding the camera, he had to legilate his breaths while filming...another reason for the deep ones before ACTION was called...Michael , the AD, was very purposeful and kind, and kept us all in line...he held the script and helped me with lines, thought we shot in such small, digestible segments, i had no trouble remembering easily...that was aided by a script very well written and logical...it enabled me to relax into the story telling with ease and fun.
I dressed in the period undergarments and dress made specially for me, and had my hair done simply,with a large chignon at the nape of my neck...minimal make-up, and off we went! It felt good. I am looking forward to seeing it all come together. What I saw in playbacks was very beautiful looking, and i must admit, i was a spirited "Nellie Custis"...even I liked me! Terri framed everything like paintings fromthe actual period...so there was a warm painterly glow to the scenes. As I said: beautiful. Warm.
And I was actually able to get a good night's sleep last night, so I was not as worn out for my class this morning as I feared i would be...
Tomorrow, back to A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE....we will read our biographies and show our baby pictures...! I just finished going through my boxes of old photos...wow...a life...any life...is so bewilderingly full of moments...and we truly do forget most of them, don't we? If it were not for photos, and writing down our memories, we would be so bereft of recollection...I realize it's all light and shadow , anyway, but a photograph is at least some form of realler vapor than mere memory...something at least a bit more solid...though nothing really ever is...solid, I mean.
But looking through old pictures...childhood pictures...pictures of just yesterday..proves we have existed...proves all our nightmare phantoms of growing up were actual...and that lends the mere slips of shiny printed paper a sort of magic, right? Like an artful witch, the camera captures...keeps...glazes a moment of breath...and the we, humans, have the capacity to save the magic and re-experience those moments anytime we want to years later...is a powerful thing.
Also, magic.
It's all so blastedly magic!
Terri Randall, the wonderful director of the project, was there and she was discussing the viability of using no artificial lights in the shot, since we had plenty of natural sun pouring in through the bedroom windows, and to get a more natural look to the film, that is just what we did: shoot in totally natural light...it looked gorgeous! I so very much like this Terri Randall. I found out that she is actually an Oscar-nominated documentary film director and writer, and her rep in the business is very good I had no idea. I do hope I can see some of her other work, since she promised to send or give me some copies over tea one day. We enjoyed working with each other a lot. And that made it very relaxed and easy.
Also, the entire shoot,production staff, set-p, atmosphere and scheduling was relaxed and thoroughyl handled, so of course that made the job very easy. Joe, the cameraman was wonderful, and believes in deep breaths before each take to get the most relaxed performances...also, since he was shoulder-holding the camera, he had to legilate his breaths while filming...another reason for the deep ones before ACTION was called...Michael , the AD, was very purposeful and kind, and kept us all in line...he held the script and helped me with lines, thought we shot in such small, digestible segments, i had no trouble remembering easily...that was aided by a script very well written and logical...it enabled me to relax into the story telling with ease and fun.
I dressed in the period undergarments and dress made specially for me, and had my hair done simply,with a large chignon at the nape of my neck...minimal make-up, and off we went! It felt good. I am looking forward to seeing it all come together. What I saw in playbacks was very beautiful looking, and i must admit, i was a spirited "Nellie Custis"...even I liked me! Terri framed everything like paintings fromthe actual period...so there was a warm painterly glow to the scenes. As I said: beautiful. Warm.
And I was actually able to get a good night's sleep last night, so I was not as worn out for my class this morning as I feared i would be...
Tomorrow, back to A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE....we will read our biographies and show our baby pictures...! I just finished going through my boxes of old photos...wow...a life...any life...is so bewilderingly full of moments...and we truly do forget most of them, don't we? If it were not for photos, and writing down our memories, we would be so bereft of recollection...I realize it's all light and shadow , anyway, but a photograph is at least some form of realler vapor than mere memory...something at least a bit more solid...though nothing really ever is...solid, I mean.
But looking through old pictures...childhood pictures...pictures of just yesterday..proves we have existed...proves all our nightmare phantoms of growing up were actual...and that lends the mere slips of shiny printed paper a sort of magic, right? Like an artful witch, the camera captures...keeps...glazes a moment of breath...and the we, humans, have the capacity to save the magic and re-experience those moments anytime we want to years later...is a powerful thing.
Also, magic.
It's all so blastedly magic!
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