To even start this blog I must go back to a few weeks ago, the 48 hour film festival is a big deal in these parts. Not only that I have some friends whose film not only won but got to go to Cannes this year. SOOOOO Here I am trying to get on a team for the Austin and San Antonio ones just as an actress. Then about 10 days ago my friend Marc shows me the 48 hr entry for Houston that they did and I decided I HAD to be on that team. Not only was the story well executed but it also was shot with great equipment. So I volunteer my services to Irony Coast. This whole time, I think , hey I get to be at least a extra and maybe just maybe I get a feature extra role. Now lets get to the good stuff...
CONCEPT - Friday at 630 we show up to the brainstorm session...At 7 pm Heather calls in the information that our film must include. We draw "Holiday Film" and decide to take it versus going with the wild card. Our character is either Pearl or Paul Brewster and they are a blogger, our prop is a banana and our line is "I never really thought about it that way". So heres the part where things get exciting, we break up into three groups, our group consists of Marc, Vic, Andy and myself...We go over a few ideas on what holiday and then Vic suggests we go look at a calender to see a over view of possible choices. Next thing you know Im shouting out Fathers day, Marc seconds it with how awesome cause we are turning in the film on Fathers Day and Andy brings up that we have minor's and within a half hour the four of us come up with an awesome concept. Once we all are back together we go last in pitching the idea, while its being pitch the others are chiming in ideas and I realized "Holy Salmon Bait, they are picking our concept" and I got really excited to be a part of it. At this point I thought "Okay so there is not a part in it I can act but hey maybe I can PA and help by something, anything". It is about this point that Vic the director looks at me and says "Can you stay for the writing team?" ....Marc says "Stay and say" so we start going over things, mostly what actors are needed and they ask me "Are you good to play Mom" ..."Uhhhh Hell YES"
OH NO - So we have our cast, John to play Dad, I am Mom, Jessica is Pearl, Marc is creepy old boyfriend, and Andy is Pa ... Jessica informs the team that she is trying to get someone to cover her shift at work, so much to the point that she even was offering others money (talk about dedicated) yet it is a no go. It literally is around 11 pm , not only do we still have no script but we now have no lead actress. Oh friggen NO! So Marc heads to the computer to Facebook casting info, Dinky and Joe go through the phones and start calling contacts and I just sit there and go back and forth ...Marc "What do you think of her?" .... Joe "We know this model, shes really cute" Dinky "but shes not an actress" ...okay lets book them all until we get solid...Then the solid comes at about midnight. A very beautiful young actress named Hilary Young. Marc passes her photo throughout and its a yes from everyone. Now if only she is on facebook this late to accept...SCORE. So now we are back to the concept, around the confrence table while Vic uses sticky notes to give us a idea of the story line. Our writing team has dropped like flies and it is now down to Dinky, Joe, Marc, Me, Vic, Ryan and Heather.
SCRIPT WRITING 101 - Yes I have informed everyone that this is my cherry popping moment writing a film, and honestly all of them ignore it. In the film industry there are these moments, that are so surreal and then BAM it hits you. Here was my first moment. The director asks a question and looks at me for an idea BAM ... Seriously the most surreal moment up to this point...me? And I go, next thing you know we have fresh brewed coffee on the table, everyones laughing and everyone is adding things and changing things and Vic is typing it out. Really here I am helping to write a script, I am the coolest person I know right now. Let me tell you a bit about this particular writing team (Ive already made this blog to long so my as well brag about us as a whole and as individuals)
Vic - He is quiet, so that in itself is scary, creative minds that are quiet are like napalm when they open their mouth, you know that as soon as they do it will be awesome but it will explode even if it is in a quite mode. He does alot of open ended questions which gives the team time to expand each others visions to create this ultimate perfect scene that will blow the competition away. Working in close quarters like this you tend to develop a friendship fast and Vic is by far one who sets the mold for how to get things done.
Heather - Dedicated and precise. Thats the best way to describe her. Not only did she drive to and from Austin to get the genre and such but she also stayed for writing. She is also a huge ego booster, multiple times she looked at me and remarked about how good I am fitting in and she seemed to love my ideas. She is one of those people who you would assume is spreading herself to thin, but instead of typical spread to thin where everything is half ideas this woman was able to do it all, write, organize, produce, and later feed and organize everything. By far extremely impressed by her devotion to not only this film but those involved in it.
Dinky - Wicked smart and funny. Almost everything out of her mouth cracks you up, part of it is in her delivery but part of it is her quick wit. She keeps a straight face while the rest of us are just laughing our asses off. One thing with her to is she is a straight shooter, you know what she is thinking and why which is respectable and not often found in this industry.
Joe - Extremely nice and smart just like his wife (Dinky) This was his first time on the writing team as well and I think he was just as giddy about it as I was but he was much more reserved over it. He was quick to point out ideas he approved of and you could look at him and tell if he wasnt up to the idea as he would just stare. You could see the wheels turning and tell it was a no go. Truly him and Dinky were such a pleasure to engage in conversations esp once I found out they are geeks to.
Marc - An actor like me, but also a producer and director. He was our guy who came through on casting Pearl. Very smart and innovative. Fresh outlook on things, he was able to help bring our script the comedy we wanted. Also the father to the cutest Mini-Pearl ever.
Ryan - Vics son, did not get to know him to much but Ill tell you this, that kid is smart, and quick witted and very mature for his age.
Aiden - She was our resident cutie during writing. She also took some great photos of her toys.
So that is who was in it for the long haul, about 6 am, and a few pots of coffee later I start zoning... we have been at this a long time already and due to the previous 2 weeks of filming and such I am starting to get a bit delirious. Script is winding down to a completed version and Heather is already thinking about being on set. By 7 we are all leaving, Heather to get props and due to meet on set at 930. Me Marc and Aiden head out and Aiden gets to sleep in, but we have to take this pseudo nap that leaves me much more tired then when I started.
Filming - So we arrive on set, Im not even CLOSE to ready and I am in Act 1, GREAT. I barely remember the morning. Heather some how is still alive and Vic is running around at 100 mph. This is where I meet the camera men and others from Sweet Baby Jesus Productions. WOW we have great equipment for this shoot. Im thrilled but not able to actually focus enough to figure out how to get into wardrobe. I then meet John who is to play my husband, as well as Hilary who plays my teenage daughter (wow yea I am old). We do a few dry runs through our lines and I can already tell that John will be able to make me look much better with his talent. This is good news, Im to tired to even pretend I have talent in this business.
What I find funny throughout my scenes is that the lines I helped come up with are the ones I could not get out of my mouth. I kept messing them up, stuttering around or just completely forgetting them, yet I WROTE THEM. Some how I make it through, I survived and so did everyone else. Not only that, as the day went on we all could see how well this script was turning out. I then had another BAM moment, it was right after Heather called a break for dinner, Im standing in the kitchen and I am surrounded by production crew, actors, actresses, and those who were there to support the project and thought "Wow, I just met these people and they are now family" ... We filmed until approx 10 at night and then took the cast photo and the project was wrapped from our end. Now it was time to get it edited and turned in before 7 pm the next day.
Leaving - Me and Marc start driving and you can tell we are pumped and about the same time we both had a "Wow look what we accomplished" moment and I BAM realized I learned more in the 24 hours writing and acting in this project then I ever dreamed possible. The amount of work put into this could easily span over a much longer time frame and this little group of people along with Sweet Baby Jesus Productions created what I feel will win at the festival.
To Moms - I head to my Mom's , I should pass out, I should sleep for the next three days yet what happens? I go over the remarkable time I had and start preparing for how I will react when I find out this film goes to Cannes in 2010(Yes I daydream that far ahead).
By now I have watched the film and must admit I am more impressed then before. The cut scenes, the scenes, the acting, the improv, and that credit of mine that says I wrote a screenplay.
Thank you to everyone who made me feel so valuable during this process. August 12th I hit 3 years remission and I never imagined that this is what my life would have turned into and I must say, not only am I the coolest person I know but I love this life God gave me.
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