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Film Maker's Blog
Final Bit of Casting
Jun 08, 2006 06:47AM
No, really. I'm using the word final. Actually, I should amend the title to be Final "Initial" Casting, since we were casting right up until the last moment. Geoff had worked on a movie with
Sonja Bennett and Matthew Currie Holmes, stars of The Fog, with their nomination plaques for Worst Picture at the Videomatica Alternative Oscars
Even though the movie was maybe not so fun to work on, these two were awesome, says Geoff. He and Matthew Currie Holmes engaged in some serious film nerd kinship bonding and email addresses were exchanged. Here is the highly nuanced transcript of how we cast Matthew:
G: Wanna do it?
MCH: Sure.
Matthew was being cast as Celebrity Guy, who shows up in a flashback when the Diva described just how terribly celebrities can act and when they get caught doing so, it's bye-bye career. Geoff imagined a wannabe rock star and his exact direction was: "Be Kevin Federline, if he wanted to be Sid Vicious instead of a rapper."
Matthew would be great in the role because he is a rock star, being in a band, knowing about a million local bands and writing about bands in music newspapers. Yay, typecasting. But since I didn't know him at all, I did kind of worry about the commitment level of such a mover and shaker, and on the day we needed him, it could well be, "Your movie? Oh, sorry, I'm puking in a gutter while having sex with three fans. Next time?"
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt! Who's dead wrong? Me. (Lesson in this movie -- everything I thought could go wrong and took lots of care with and spent time worrying over all turned out fine and it was the things I'd never thought of that came out of left field and conked me on the ear). Matthew couldn't have rocked harder. In fact, we had a bit of eleventh hour casting, where Sonja, who we'd initially cast in the same way as Celebrity Girl, got a HUGE role in something, which offered about a month of work and could have led to a recurring role and it was all fabulous for her career but it seriously overlapped with our show. She felt absolutely terrible but because we love her and want to work with her again, we didn't want to be remembered as the people who pulled a huge guilt trip and tried to ruin a big opportunity for her.
However, we were freaking as it was THE WEEK OF and we'd lost a really great cast member who was absolutely perfect for the role and we were so busy, we'd never be able to find a suitable replacement. We both felt like puking.
However, the true professionals came through and between Matthew, Sonja and Sonja's agent*, I only needed to spending about ten minutes standing over the toilet, when they called me back, "Hey, do you know Leah Cairns?
The reason we were so happy about casting Matthew and Sonja is that they'd both were regulars on a showed called Godivas (which very, very, very unfortunately got cancelled) and we thought hahaha isn't it hilarious that our two celebrities are actual Canadian celebrities (which in Canada, pretty much means "working actor.") We were so sad to potentially lose that Godiva's connection, but then Leah came through.
I LOVE Leah Cairns. She came through with a vengeance. She called right away, and I was all, ok, well, we have to see if Sonja's wardrobe fits you, and she was all, um, I have a GIANT closet, let's go through that and we can use whatever you want and an hour after she'd ever even heard that I existed, I was sitting on her bed while she showed me different potential Celebrity Girl outfits while I played with her adorable dog.
That's right: DOG. Leah has a tiny little dog named, of all things, Godiva, and she suggested that Celebrity Girl would be just the type to have a canine accessory. I took the wardrobe photos of Leah and Godiva, knowing that Geoff was going to poo his pants when he saw the double casting coup.
So I'm not saying that Leah was a better Celebrity Girl than Sonja (because Sonja would have rocked too), but if we have to tally up all the contending points, Godiva pushes Leah to the top. And even with dog-help, Leah KILLED me in this role. She and Matthew only have two scenes in the whole movie, two goofy little cutaways, and our first indication at how funny they were was when the transfer guys at Technicolor were laughing.
There's not enough room in my heart for how much I love all our cast. All five are real live working actors, but they put everything they had into these roles and fully committed. Geoff's first movie, he had no idea how to cast, and it was such a big undertaking just putting together a movie (plus we were shooting about 1000km from any major urban centre) that we just cast people we know. And while those non-professional actors were great, this experience really taught me how rich your movie becomes when you get people with the proper training and experience to fill the roles. Perhaps if you're Steven Soderberg, you have enough filmmaking experience to use non-professionals, but when you're a new director, like Geoff, it's great to have people who can do the role perfectly.
So Teryl, Taras, Crystal, Matthew & Leah, we can't thank you enough!
*Remember I said agents were scum? This is the part of the story where I learn he opposite. Sonja asked her agent if he could help us recast, and he personally called me, treated our project as seriously as anything else and offered whatever help he could. It was so big time, my head nearly exploded.
Sonja Bennett and Matthew Currie Holmes, stars of The Fog, with their nomination plaques for Worst Picture at the Videomatica Alternative Oscars
Even though the movie was maybe not so fun to work on, these two were awesome, says Geoff. He and Matthew Currie Holmes engaged in some serious film nerd kinship bonding and email addresses were exchanged. Here is the highly nuanced transcript of how we cast Matthew:
G: Wanna do it?
MCH: Sure.
Matthew was being cast as Celebrity Guy, who shows up in a flashback when the Diva described just how terribly celebrities can act and when they get caught doing so, it's bye-bye career. Geoff imagined a wannabe rock star and his exact direction was: "Be Kevin Federline, if he wanted to be Sid Vicious instead of a rapper."
Matthew would be great in the role because he is a rock star, being in a band, knowing about a million local bands and writing about bands in music newspapers. Yay, typecasting. But since I didn't know him at all, I did kind of worry about the commitment level of such a mover and shaker, and on the day we needed him, it could well be, "Your movie? Oh, sorry, I'm puking in a gutter while having sex with three fans. Next time?"
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt! Who's dead wrong? Me. (Lesson in this movie -- everything I thought could go wrong and took lots of care with and spent time worrying over all turned out fine and it was the things I'd never thought of that came out of left field and conked me on the ear). Matthew couldn't have rocked harder. In fact, we had a bit of eleventh hour casting, where Sonja, who we'd initially cast in the same way as Celebrity Girl, got a HUGE role in something, which offered about a month of work and could have led to a recurring role and it was all fabulous for her career but it seriously overlapped with our show. She felt absolutely terrible but because we love her and want to work with her again, we didn't want to be remembered as the people who pulled a huge guilt trip and tried to ruin a big opportunity for her.
However, we were freaking as it was THE WEEK OF and we'd lost a really great cast member who was absolutely perfect for the role and we were so busy, we'd never be able to find a suitable replacement. We both felt like puking.
However, the true professionals came through and between Matthew, Sonja and Sonja's agent*, I only needed to spending about ten minutes standing over the toilet, when they called me back, "Hey, do you know Leah Cairns?
The reason we were so happy about casting Matthew and Sonja is that they'd both were regulars on a showed called Godivas (which very, very, very unfortunately got cancelled) and we thought hahaha isn't it hilarious that our two celebrities are actual Canadian celebrities (which in Canada, pretty much means "working actor.") We were so sad to potentially lose that Godiva's connection, but then Leah came through.
I LOVE Leah Cairns. She came through with a vengeance. She called right away, and I was all, ok, well, we have to see if Sonja's wardrobe fits you, and she was all, um, I have a GIANT closet, let's go through that and we can use whatever you want and an hour after she'd ever even heard that I existed, I was sitting on her bed while she showed me different potential Celebrity Girl outfits while I played with her adorable dog.
That's right: DOG. Leah has a tiny little dog named, of all things, Godiva, and she suggested that Celebrity Girl would be just the type to have a canine accessory. I took the wardrobe photos of Leah and Godiva, knowing that Geoff was going to poo his pants when he saw the double casting coup.
So I'm not saying that Leah was a better Celebrity Girl than Sonja (because Sonja would have rocked too), but if we have to tally up all the contending points, Godiva pushes Leah to the top. And even with dog-help, Leah KILLED me in this role. She and Matthew only have two scenes in the whole movie, two goofy little cutaways, and our first indication at how funny they were was when the transfer guys at Technicolor were laughing.
There's not enough room in my heart for how much I love all our cast. All five are real live working actors, but they put everything they had into these roles and fully committed. Geoff's first movie, he had no idea how to cast, and it was such a big undertaking just putting together a movie (plus we were shooting about 1000km from any major urban centre) that we just cast people we know. And while those non-professional actors were great, this experience really taught me how rich your movie becomes when you get people with the proper training and experience to fill the roles. Perhaps if you're Steven Soderberg, you have enough filmmaking experience to use non-professionals, but when you're a new director, like Geoff, it's great to have people who can do the role perfectly.
So Teryl, Taras, Crystal, Matthew & Leah, we can't thank you enough!
*Remember I said agents were scum? This is the part of the story where I learn he opposite. Sonja asked her agent if he could help us recast, and he personally called me, treated our project as seriously as anything else and offered whatever help he could. It was so big time, my head nearly exploded.
Yup, Still Casting
May 31, 2006 05:42PM
We had our leads at this point, and we still needed to cast the panhandler who sets off the whole incident which threatens to topple the Diva's perfectly maintained public image. Geoff had someone in mind and we set about trying to contact her. Of course, he hadn't talked to her in years and when we talked to our 1st AD who had just worked with her, we learned that she doesn't have a cellphone or email, and tends to go off travelling without letting anyone know. So things didn't look promising.
For Geoff, that is. The problem with the panhandler is that she is temporarily mistaken for someone else, a little, recently post-tween actress the Diva just worked with on a movie. I really liked the actor Geoff was thinking of, but I didn't think she could convincingly do the grungy Olsen twin style part of the role, which was so important fo the whole set-up to work.
You know, all our casting choices were daunting from the beginning. Let's find a very experienced actress who would be willing to come out and work for free, a giant with a friendly face and now someone who can equally play starlet glam as convincingly as down and out?
Clearly, the answer was for one of us to get a daycall on the set that had already cast the perfect actor in the role they were going to play previous to ours. That turned out to be me on this movie which was amazingly fun to work on and I unexpectedly did quite a few days. I mean, one of my IDOLS Andrea Martin had a big role in it. (Andrea Martin is awesome, by the way. Totally owns up to my idolatry).
The rest of the cast was played by sorority age kids, and if you ever want to feel like an old fuddy duddy, get a job on a show with a group of young actors. You'll be waving a rake and yelling, "Get off my property, you hooligans!" in no time.
Not to say that the cast wasn't all cool, but there are different levels of coolness. Here's my little chart, outlining a very simple set of signs indicating whether it's crew thumbs up or down for an actor:
GROSS Sends 3rd assistant director, who has a million other things to fetch lunch, has sent to trailer
JUST AS GROSS BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY: Gets self to line, but butts in front, orders and has sent to trailer.
UNDERSTANDABLE: Waits in line, turns down offered cuts, but eats in trailer, but perhaps to study lines
AWESOME: Eats with the crew.
Geoff and I will come home after a workday and have this sample conversation: "Hey, I worked with This Actor today" "And?" (smart nod of approval)"Eats with the crew." "Eats with the crew" is pretty high praise.
So when Crystal, whom I'd only spoken with briefly on set, and just by accident, plopped down in the chair in front of me in the lunch tent and started chatting, she automatically got cool points. I wasn't even thinking of the panhandler role when I was talking to her, but when I went home and looked up her website, I barely recognized the girl from set. Hello, chameleon! (In that movie, she has a pajama no-make-up look and when she models, she gets super dolled up).
I made the suggestion to Geoff, and then we went straight to the most powerful person on set an indie wannabe like myself can get to: Crystal's make-up artist.
Me: Do you think Crystal would want to do this? It's not very glamorous.
Make-up Artist: Actors LOVE this stuff. But I'll play "Monster" in the trailer when I give her the script, just to remind her what non-pretty roles can do for a career.
And YAY! Crystal called me that night! She would love to do the role! And of all our actors, even though Crystal had only one day on main unit, she had to do a lot more for us, like a weird, last minute second unit shot I wrangled from another set, where I couldn't find hair or make-up artists and she did her own, and looked perfect, and also came down on another day to get a denture prosthetic fitted. Never, ever, ever did I think we would be casting a model in this role, let along a bikini model, but Crystal Lowe is one cool chick and serious professional.
What is the lesson in this whole scenario? All our "first" choices fell through. But it was a really great lesson in casting, a way to look differently at what you wanted in the role. I have sat in on casting sessions for other movies, and they all worked out, but it was neat that on this one, we all just came across our actors on our own and got to watch how they conducted themselves on other people's sets.
Other lesson still being enforced: make-up artists rock. They're going to get their own post.
Unbelievably, I still have one more casting story, but I will leave by posting a picture of Crystal in her down and out look. Then check out her website to get just how hot she really is.
Crystal as "Chipped Tooth"
photo credit: Maurice Woodworth
For Geoff, that is. The problem with the panhandler is that she is temporarily mistaken for someone else, a little, recently post-tween actress the Diva just worked with on a movie. I really liked the actor Geoff was thinking of, but I didn't think she could convincingly do the grungy Olsen twin style part of the role, which was so important fo the whole set-up to work.
You know, all our casting choices were daunting from the beginning. Let's find a very experienced actress who would be willing to come out and work for free, a giant with a friendly face and now someone who can equally play starlet glam as convincingly as down and out?
Clearly, the answer was for one of us to get a daycall on the set that had already cast the perfect actor in the role they were going to play previous to ours. That turned out to be me on this movie which was amazingly fun to work on and I unexpectedly did quite a few days. I mean, one of my IDOLS Andrea Martin had a big role in it. (Andrea Martin is awesome, by the way. Totally owns up to my idolatry).
The rest of the cast was played by sorority age kids, and if you ever want to feel like an old fuddy duddy, get a job on a show with a group of young actors. You'll be waving a rake and yelling, "Get off my property, you hooligans!" in no time.
Not to say that the cast wasn't all cool, but there are different levels of coolness. Here's my little chart, outlining a very simple set of signs indicating whether it's crew thumbs up or down for an actor:
GROSS Sends 3rd assistant director, who has a million other things to fetch lunch, has sent to trailer
JUST AS GROSS BUT IN A DIFFERENT WAY: Gets self to line, but butts in front, orders and has sent to trailer.
UNDERSTANDABLE: Waits in line, turns down offered cuts, but eats in trailer, but perhaps to study lines
AWESOME: Eats with the crew.
Geoff and I will come home after a workday and have this sample conversation: "Hey, I worked with This Actor today" "And?" (smart nod of approval)"Eats with the crew." "Eats with the crew" is pretty high praise.
So when Crystal, whom I'd only spoken with briefly on set, and just by accident, plopped down in the chair in front of me in the lunch tent and started chatting, she automatically got cool points. I wasn't even thinking of the panhandler role when I was talking to her, but when I went home and looked up her website, I barely recognized the girl from set. Hello, chameleon! (In that movie, she has a pajama no-make-up look and when she models, she gets super dolled up).
I made the suggestion to Geoff, and then we went straight to the most powerful person on set an indie wannabe like myself can get to: Crystal's make-up artist.
Me: Do you think Crystal would want to do this? It's not very glamorous.
Make-up Artist: Actors LOVE this stuff. But I'll play "Monster" in the trailer when I give her the script, just to remind her what non-pretty roles can do for a career.
And YAY! Crystal called me that night! She would love to do the role! And of all our actors, even though Crystal had only one day on main unit, she had to do a lot more for us, like a weird, last minute second unit shot I wrangled from another set, where I couldn't find hair or make-up artists and she did her own, and looked perfect, and also came down on another day to get a denture prosthetic fitted. Never, ever, ever did I think we would be casting a model in this role, let along a bikini model, but Crystal Lowe is one cool chick and serious professional.
What is the lesson in this whole scenario? All our "first" choices fell through. But it was a really great lesson in casting, a way to look differently at what you wanted in the role. I have sat in on casting sessions for other movies, and they all worked out, but it was neat that on this one, we all just came across our actors on our own and got to watch how they conducted themselves on other people's sets.
Other lesson still being enforced: make-up artists rock. They're going to get their own post.
Unbelievably, I still have one more casting story, but I will leave by posting a picture of Crystal in her down and out look. Then check out her website to get just how hot she really is.
Crystal as "Chipped Tooth"
photo credit: Maurice Woodworth
More Casting
May 30, 2006 09:57PM
So more casting now. We had Terlene and we had Dave Geddes. It wouldn't be too hard to get anyone to take us for serious, would it?
Next up, we wanted to cast "Rudolfo," the Diva's bodyguard. We had someone perfect in mind. Dave and I had worked with him on a show and he's one of those actors the entire crew loves. Plus, he's six foot six or something, which is exactly the height difference we wanted between Rudolfo and the tiny Diva.
Serendipitatiously, I ran into said actor on a day call I was doing! The show Dave and I did with him, he was wearing a heavy make-up, and a few times, I'd run into him out on the town, he'd recognize me, but I wouldn't recognize him until it clicked, a-duh, who else do I know this large. Well this time, he didn't recognize me and I embarrassed myself by throwing myself at him and hugging him before he could figure out who I was. Smoooooooooth.
I gave him the script and we talked a bit about it, but WAAAAAAH! He was moving the second his role on this show was over. Well then, we'll fly you up. It's totally worth it. Stay in touch.
I present this point in the story as our latest tiny wispy thread we desperately we clinging to even though no one else could see it. "He'll call! Any day now! Don't worry. We'll figure it out!"
Then, closer to our shooting date, our casting agent heard that he was back in town! Yeee-hah! We wrote a very nice, very friendly letter to his agent which she forwarded for us so it wouldn't get instantly tossed in the trash. Using my typical producing strategy, the letter basically said "DAVE DAVE DAVE DAVE" with a few poppy adjectives thrown in. Yup, this was going to clinch it.
You can probably already tell that since I'm NOT using the actor's real name, there were no clinching yeses. But let's pretend this is a dramatic pause until the story twists where no one saw it going and we fast forward to less than 24 hours later when we're victim to another cliche Hollywood term: "Pass." Not even directly from actor himself. Just through the agent.
Later I would learn that agents rock. But at this point, agents are scum. We presented a completely fantastic script, with a fantastic working opportunity and it could have been a completely interesting role for your client but because we're nobodies (RIGHT NOW, Mr. Non-Forward Thinking Agent) without any money (AGAIN, SAME REASONING) you can't even bother with the time of day. Screw you.
But Geoff and Katie have molecular level vision for those wispy threads that we so desperately cling to. We would just have to find a way to get to Actor himself. That was the only solution. Clearly, Agent Jerk-Off hadn't conveyed the right information, because he never would have said no.
In the meantime, although we had decided to focus solely on our movie, we weren't about to turn down any easy, quick-paying jobs that came up. And when a camera guy I love called me for a few days work, I really couldn't say no.
It was some sci-fi show, which really doesn't interest me that much, so I wasn't paying too much attention to anything other than the basics of my job and the chatty socializing that I rock at. I didn't notice to which actors were in the scene we were blocking and suddenly, I was sticking T-mark at the foot of a giant, shirtless zombie.
Hello! Who is this? After scoping him out for a few minutes and watching him perform the only comedic part of the whole scene, I went straight to my version of Hollywood agents, the make-up artists who had applied the zombie make-up.
"That's Taras. He's sweet as pie. He'd probably love to do your project."
I got introduced, which was all anticipatey and exciting until I realized that I could barely understand a word he said, with his giant zombie teeth in place. We agreed to meet when we were wrapped and I'd get his business card.
Of course, at that point, the show got all busy, and injustice to end all injustices, I was expected to, get this, camera assist. What were they thinking when they called me out! I'm too nervous about working to not pay attention to my job, so I worked my little butt off, keeping an eye out for when Taras would be wrapped.
I mentioned to Chris that when we wrapped, I was going to run up to the make-up trailer for two minutes. He seemed fine with it, but it is a bit rude to not take your job so seriously. But then, in another little bit of serendipity, there hadn't been room for the special effects make-up trailer up at the circus, and low and behold, the Teamsters had parked it right beside the camera truck! That never happens. At wrap, when I saw my moment, I made a break for it.
I'd only seen him in the zombie make-up at this point. "Please have a nice face. Please have a nice face."
I knocked on the make-up trailer and seconds later, a giant shirtless man with a huge smile looms out the door. "KATIE! I wait for you!!"
He was perfect. When he's not smiling, he looks like the meanest guy on earth, like one of those Russian mobster who leaves, on average, the heads of three business guys a week in random hotel lobbies. But he can do amazingly subtle things with his face that just bring out the tiniest bit of emotion from this giant character.
We arranged to meet up with Geoff, who was suitably impressed and boom! We had our Rudolfo.
Still more casting. I'm really making a meal out of this, but after story, casting is up there as the most important thing you can do. We were brand new to the whole process but it worked out amazingly! Three more characters to cast.
Taras as "Rudolfo"
photo credit: Katie Yu
Next up, we wanted to cast "Rudolfo," the Diva's bodyguard. We had someone perfect in mind. Dave and I had worked with him on a show and he's one of those actors the entire crew loves. Plus, he's six foot six or something, which is exactly the height difference we wanted between Rudolfo and the tiny Diva.
Serendipitatiously, I ran into said actor on a day call I was doing! The show Dave and I did with him, he was wearing a heavy make-up, and a few times, I'd run into him out on the town, he'd recognize me, but I wouldn't recognize him until it clicked, a-duh, who else do I know this large. Well this time, he didn't recognize me and I embarrassed myself by throwing myself at him and hugging him before he could figure out who I was. Smoooooooooth.
I gave him the script and we talked a bit about it, but WAAAAAAH! He was moving the second his role on this show was over. Well then, we'll fly you up. It's totally worth it. Stay in touch.
I present this point in the story as our latest tiny wispy thread we desperately we clinging to even though no one else could see it. "He'll call! Any day now! Don't worry. We'll figure it out!"
Then, closer to our shooting date, our casting agent heard that he was back in town! Yeee-hah! We wrote a very nice, very friendly letter to his agent which she forwarded for us so it wouldn't get instantly tossed in the trash. Using my typical producing strategy, the letter basically said "DAVE DAVE DAVE DAVE" with a few poppy adjectives thrown in. Yup, this was going to clinch it.
You can probably already tell that since I'm NOT using the actor's real name, there were no clinching yeses. But let's pretend this is a dramatic pause until the story twists where no one saw it going and we fast forward to less than 24 hours later when we're victim to another cliche Hollywood term: "Pass." Not even directly from actor himself. Just through the agent.
Later I would learn that agents rock. But at this point, agents are scum. We presented a completely fantastic script, with a fantastic working opportunity and it could have been a completely interesting role for your client but because we're nobodies (RIGHT NOW, Mr. Non-Forward Thinking Agent) without any money (AGAIN, SAME REASONING) you can't even bother with the time of day. Screw you.
But Geoff and Katie have molecular level vision for those wispy threads that we so desperately cling to. We would just have to find a way to get to Actor himself. That was the only solution. Clearly, Agent Jerk-Off hadn't conveyed the right information, because he never would have said no.
In the meantime, although we had decided to focus solely on our movie, we weren't about to turn down any easy, quick-paying jobs that came up. And when a camera guy I love called me for a few days work, I really couldn't say no.
It was some sci-fi show, which really doesn't interest me that much, so I wasn't paying too much attention to anything other than the basics of my job and the chatty socializing that I rock at. I didn't notice to which actors were in the scene we were blocking and suddenly, I was sticking T-mark at the foot of a giant, shirtless zombie.
Hello! Who is this? After scoping him out for a few minutes and watching him perform the only comedic part of the whole scene, I went straight to my version of Hollywood agents, the make-up artists who had applied the zombie make-up.
"That's Taras. He's sweet as pie. He'd probably love to do your project."
I got introduced, which was all anticipatey and exciting until I realized that I could barely understand a word he said, with his giant zombie teeth in place. We agreed to meet when we were wrapped and I'd get his business card.
Of course, at that point, the show got all busy, and injustice to end all injustices, I was expected to, get this, camera assist. What were they thinking when they called me out! I'm too nervous about working to not pay attention to my job, so I worked my little butt off, keeping an eye out for when Taras would be wrapped.
I mentioned to Chris that when we wrapped, I was going to run up to the make-up trailer for two minutes. He seemed fine with it, but it is a bit rude to not take your job so seriously. But then, in another little bit of serendipity, there hadn't been room for the special effects make-up trailer up at the circus, and low and behold, the Teamsters had parked it right beside the camera truck! That never happens. At wrap, when I saw my moment, I made a break for it.
I'd only seen him in the zombie make-up at this point. "Please have a nice face. Please have a nice face."
I knocked on the make-up trailer and seconds later, a giant shirtless man with a huge smile looms out the door. "KATIE! I wait for you!!"
He was perfect. When he's not smiling, he looks like the meanest guy on earth, like one of those Russian mobster who leaves, on average, the heads of three business guys a week in random hotel lobbies. But he can do amazingly subtle things with his face that just bring out the tiniest bit of emotion from this giant character.
We arranged to meet up with Geoff, who was suitably impressed and boom! We had our Rudolfo.
Still more casting. I'm really making a meal out of this, but after story, casting is up there as the most important thing you can do. We were brand new to the whole process but it worked out amazingly! Three more characters to cast.
Taras as "Rudolfo"
photo credit: Katie Yu
Another Important Coup
May 30, 2006 06:42PM
(What's with me and the military words? Who's a little power fixated right now?)
We still had to cast all the other roles, but the next person we wanted to talk to was one of my favourite people on the planet, camera department mentor and boss of several years, David Geddes.
Honestly, when Geoff and I went to visit him on the set he was working on at the time, we were only going to ask him if he would mind mentoring us by helping Geoff with some storyboarding. That's all we were expecting. I mean, we could DREAM that Dave might DP our short, but, come on, the guy's a bit busy and a bit beyond that.
But Dave misunderstood our question. All he said when we gave him our little package with the script and Teryl's picture was,
"I'd be honored to do this. I'm so flattered you asked me."
Um...we didn't, but only because we're the biggest freaking idiots around! Never in my life have I been so happy to be misunderstood!
We got a fantastic cast together and lots of good people, but Dave really was the person attached to our crew which made people take us seriously. I joked with him that all I did to produce this movie was walk into the place where I wanted something, yell him name and wait for people to give me things. Although, it's not really a joke. Because of him, our project got taken seriously and we got GREAT deals on our camera package through Panavision and on our grip and electric package through PS Production Services not to mention a great deal and top colour timer at Technicolor.
And Dave delivered too. One reason that he's so freaking in demand is that he not only knows how to make things look beautiful, he knows how to do it quickly and simply. There are different schools of cinematography, and you'll see some DPs set up forests of stands and flags and the actors have to weave their way through this maze just to find their mark. I've heard about a DP who lights right up to the edge of frame, and the camera operator can't do any kind of compensation for actor movement, or he'll have a piece of equipment in the shot.
Then there is the Dave school, which is the one I'm "grew up" with, where you use just the light you need, and set it up in the exact perfect position. It takes a lot of talent! I was so happy with our equipment packages because we rented EXACTLY what we needed, every piece worked and we (at least from my perspective) weren't wanting for anything.
This is a key element in keeping costs down on low budget movies and when I write about shooting strategy, I'll go into more detail. It sounds simple, but I've been on other low budget projects where time and money is being wasted because people are dragging around all this equipment that they don't really need.
Finally, because of Dave, we got the most AMAZING camera department. EVER. A big budget show would be lucky to have them. I'm a little neurotic about camera, because I really understand all the things that can go wrong (and have probably been personally responsible for such mistakes at certain times...shhhh...not on your shows, Dave), but on this one, I never even thought about what was going on in the camera department. And with the splinter unit exception where I had to step in and pull focus (more on that later) our dailies were 100% perfect. Sharp, no scratches, nothing.
Thanks to: Ryan, Dean, Pete, Carol and Shane and especially to my buddy Patty whose camera assisting resume is WAY bigger than IMDB thinks but came out to push buggy when there was no way in the world I was going to find a real dolly grip and HONESTLY I kept forgetting all day that we didn't have a proper dolly grip because he was doing such a good job.
I've said it before and I want it on my tombstone:
"Technicians make your movie."
We still had to cast all the other roles, but the next person we wanted to talk to was one of my favourite people on the planet, camera department mentor and boss of several years, David Geddes.
Honestly, when Geoff and I went to visit him on the set he was working on at the time, we were only going to ask him if he would mind mentoring us by helping Geoff with some storyboarding. That's all we were expecting. I mean, we could DREAM that Dave might DP our short, but, come on, the guy's a bit busy and a bit beyond that.
But Dave misunderstood our question. All he said when we gave him our little package with the script and Teryl's picture was,
"I'd be honored to do this. I'm so flattered you asked me."
Um...we didn't, but only because we're the biggest freaking idiots around! Never in my life have I been so happy to be misunderstood!
We got a fantastic cast together and lots of good people, but Dave really was the person attached to our crew which made people take us seriously. I joked with him that all I did to produce this movie was walk into the place where I wanted something, yell him name and wait for people to give me things. Although, it's not really a joke. Because of him, our project got taken seriously and we got GREAT deals on our camera package through Panavision and on our grip and electric package through PS Production Services not to mention a great deal and top colour timer at Technicolor.
And Dave delivered too. One reason that he's so freaking in demand is that he not only knows how to make things look beautiful, he knows how to do it quickly and simply. There are different schools of cinematography, and you'll see some DPs set up forests of stands and flags and the actors have to weave their way through this maze just to find their mark. I've heard about a DP who lights right up to the edge of frame, and the camera operator can't do any kind of compensation for actor movement, or he'll have a piece of equipment in the shot.
Then there is the Dave school, which is the one I'm "grew up" with, where you use just the light you need, and set it up in the exact perfect position. It takes a lot of talent! I was so happy with our equipment packages because we rented EXACTLY what we needed, every piece worked and we (at least from my perspective) weren't wanting for anything.
This is a key element in keeping costs down on low budget movies and when I write about shooting strategy, I'll go into more detail. It sounds simple, but I've been on other low budget projects where time and money is being wasted because people are dragging around all this equipment that they don't really need.
Finally, because of Dave, we got the most AMAZING camera department. EVER. A big budget show would be lucky to have them. I'm a little neurotic about camera, because I really understand all the things that can go wrong (and have probably been personally responsible for such mistakes at certain times...shhhh...not on your shows, Dave), but on this one, I never even thought about what was going on in the camera department. And with the splinter unit exception where I had to step in and pull focus (more on that later) our dailies were 100% perfect. Sharp, no scratches, nothing.
Thanks to: Ryan, Dean, Pete, Carol and Shane and especially to my buddy Patty whose camera assisting resume is WAY bigger than IMDB thinks but came out to push buggy when there was no way in the world I was going to find a real dolly grip and HONESTLY I kept forgetting all day that we didn't have a proper dolly grip because he was doing such a good job.
I've said it before and I want it on my tombstone:
"Technicians make your movie."
Yes, there are a million elements, but if you don't have the people who know how to technically implement your vision, you should probably be content to keep your project in script form.
Next: the rest of casting!
David Geddes and Geoff discuss the next shot
photo credit: Katie Yu
*Yes, 1) Geoff's hands are so artsy fartsily featured in every shot of him and 2)I'm well aware that he should have had a stylist for behind the scenes photos and 3)his gorgeous hands do kind of detract from what a slob he looks like, don't they?
Casting, Part Two: Finding Terlene
May 30, 2006 06:41PM
So we sort of had asked our first big choice. And were hanging on for an answer. And by hanging on, I mean, Blank-Blank had probably remembered more of the sleeping pill part of the conversation than anything else, and we were clinging to the last tiny wisp of potential we could hang onto.
"She still has the script. Once they're wrapped, she'll have more time to think about this. She'll call any day now."
Yeah right.
So we were still determined to make this movie, but not quite sure where to go. We racked our brains to think of local actresses of the right age and couldn't come up with anyone. We had a whole bunch of head shots and no one seemed right. Everyone who might even be close seemed too regal or dignified to get the underlying dorkiness of the part.
We started to think about stage actresses, because nearly the whole movie is voiceover, and obviously someone with a lot of voice training would be ideal. Of course, stagework was getting even further out of our element.
And, since there are bills to pay, so we had to take work in the meantime. Geoff got a make-up call to go out on a rainy January night to work in the woods, which is pretty much one of the worst calls you can get. Rain pocket, drippy woods, maintaining a make-up when you're not a regular on the show and don't know the continuity are not fun, but Geoff felt obliged to take the work.
When I got up the next morning (because of course, I was snug in bed while Geoff was shivering in the woods) there was a message in my inbox that said,
"Do you know Teryl Rothery? I did a make-up on her last night." And he linked to her website.
No, I didn't. But I was quite alone, as based on her IMDB page and google searches. Girlfriend had a fan base! Plus, a good deal of her credits were for voicework! We had a strong lead.
Teryl was on Stargate for eons and Geoff had just finished a long make-up run on a show with Teryl's make-up artist from Stargate. Off went the email. We'll just see where it goes.
Turns out Christopher and Teryl were SUPER best friends on the show and hadn't seen each other in a while and were so excited to get in touch with each other and oh my god this script is hilarious and less than 24 hours later, Teryl had emailed Geoff back about how much she would love to do the part.
Geoff asked if I trusted his judgement and of course I did, but we went to see Teryl in a play and that cemented it for me. Not just the actor I saw on stage, but the goofball I met after. Teryl is HOT. She's stunning in person. Yet behind that glammy shiny smile, she really can convey these genuine moments of complete dorkitude, which is something I HIGHLY respect. After talking with her for five minutes post-play, I was 100% convinced.
So there we had it! Of all the possibilities we were hoping for -- someone recognizeable, someone with voice training, someone with stage experience, we got it wrapped up into one person. We couldn't be happier!
And right up to the end, she kept telling us how much she loved the part, and how much she GOT the part, which is so flattering I could cry. And she really did get it. I can't imagine another Coffee Diva now.
Teryl as "The Diva" and Taras as "Rudolfo"
photo credit: Katie Yu
*On Teryl's IMDB page, you might notice that one of her nicknames is "Terlene." Y'all know how much Ah LUV a good Suthern axsint. I honestly can count on one hand the times since I've met her I've NOT called her Terlene and NOT in my most Dukes of Hazzard voice. Getting to use this accent was on its own enough reason to cast her.
**Lesson Number One from this whole experience is that make-up artists rock. The whole "pretty" department, in fact. More to come on that, but it is a lesson that has stuck.
"She still has the script. Once they're wrapped, she'll have more time to think about this. She'll call any day now."
Yeah right.
So we were still determined to make this movie, but not quite sure where to go. We racked our brains to think of local actresses of the right age and couldn't come up with anyone. We had a whole bunch of head shots and no one seemed right. Everyone who might even be close seemed too regal or dignified to get the underlying dorkiness of the part.
We started to think about stage actresses, because nearly the whole movie is voiceover, and obviously someone with a lot of voice training would be ideal. Of course, stagework was getting even further out of our element.
And, since there are bills to pay, so we had to take work in the meantime. Geoff got a make-up call to go out on a rainy January night to work in the woods, which is pretty much one of the worst calls you can get. Rain pocket, drippy woods, maintaining a make-up when you're not a regular on the show and don't know the continuity are not fun, but Geoff felt obliged to take the work.
When I got up the next morning (because of course, I was snug in bed while Geoff was shivering in the woods) there was a message in my inbox that said,
"Do you know Teryl Rothery? I did a make-up on her last night." And he linked to her website.
No, I didn't. But I was quite alone, as based on her IMDB page and google searches. Girlfriend had a fan base! Plus, a good deal of her credits were for voicework! We had a strong lead.
Teryl was on Stargate for eons and Geoff had just finished a long make-up run on a show with Teryl's make-up artist from Stargate. Off went the email. We'll just see where it goes.
Turns out Christopher and Teryl were SUPER best friends on the show and hadn't seen each other in a while and were so excited to get in touch with each other and oh my god this script is hilarious and less than 24 hours later, Teryl had emailed Geoff back about how much she would love to do the part.
Geoff asked if I trusted his judgement and of course I did, but we went to see Teryl in a play and that cemented it for me. Not just the actor I saw on stage, but the goofball I met after. Teryl is HOT. She's stunning in person. Yet behind that glammy shiny smile, she really can convey these genuine moments of complete dorkitude, which is something I HIGHLY respect. After talking with her for five minutes post-play, I was 100% convinced.
So there we had it! Of all the possibilities we were hoping for -- someone recognizeable, someone with voice training, someone with stage experience, we got it wrapped up into one person. We couldn't be happier!
And right up to the end, she kept telling us how much she loved the part, and how much she GOT the part, which is so flattering I could cry. And she really did get it. I can't imagine another Coffee Diva now.
Teryl as "The Diva" and Taras as "Rudolfo"
photo credit: Katie Yu
*On Teryl's IMDB page, you might notice that one of her nicknames is "Terlene." Y'all know how much Ah LUV a good Suthern axsint. I honestly can count on one hand the times since I've met her I've NOT called her Terlene and NOT in my most Dukes of Hazzard voice. Getting to use this accent was on its own enough reason to cast her.
**Lesson Number One from this whole experience is that make-up artists rock. The whole "pretty" department, in fact. More to come on that, but it is a lesson that has stuck.
Casting: The First Attempt
May 30, 2006 06:40PM
The lead character of our short film is an ageing, recognizable A-list actress. How on EARTH do you get that on a short film with no money?
It was a very difficult role to figure out how to cast. At the time, I was working on a show and had contact with a real live "A-list" actor who was exactly the right type for the part (I'm not Hollywood, so I have no idea how the star grading system actually works, but if I said the name Blank Blank, most people would know who she was). Geoff was all ASK HER ASK HER ASK HER, so I did. I got the make-up artist on the show to give her a script and let her mull it over for a bit before I approached her. I couldn't help thinking what a coup this would be, to have a real name attached to our project. I was determined to be a hardcore producer, who wouldn't take no for an answer, determined to do whatever it took to get the best for our project.
I'd chatted with her before on the show and she is as sweet as pie, so I shouldn't have been even slightly nervous when talking to her about the role, but of course I was a stammering idiot. Here is a transcript of the conversation, as best as my brain has not censored it out of retroactive embarrassment.
First Make-up Artist: Hey, Blank-Blank, do you remember the script I gave you a while back? This is Katie, who wrote it!
(She immediately vaporizes into thin air so that Blank-Blank will have no distractions while talking about the project).
Me: (so breezy that the set is in danger of toppling over) Hey, thanks so much for reading it! That's so nice of you. (Giant pregnant pause which is perfectly the right size to be filled with affirmations of how wonderful the role is and exactly how she's going to clear her schedule to do it).
Blank-Blank: Oh yeah, that! I remember reading that! Now, what did I think? You know, I read everything I get right away and I always have notes. What were my notes?
Me: (only hearing the word "notes" and thinking how big time that sounds) It was the one about...
Blank-Blank: You'll have to excuse me. I'm so tired. They've got me in (Big Hotel) and it's so loud! I never get sleep there.
Second Make-up Artist Whom I Didn't Think Was Sitting Near Enough To Be A Part of The Conversation But Apparently Is And Also Whom I Only Recently Learned Really Had a Sex Change Operation in the Seventies And That's Not Just a Rumour, And While I Try To Be All Open-Minded About Her Choice To Be Who She Is, I Genuinely Find Her Irritating, An Opinion Which Will Only Be Cemented By This Input Into Our Conversation: Oh! Big Hotel! I never get why they put people up there! You've got to take a pill when you sleep there. Did you take a pill?
Blank Blank: You know, I've had my pills stolen out of my hotel room before, so I stopped taking them!
2Nd Make-Up Artist: You've got to hide them!
Blank Blank: Or take them with you!
2nd Make-Up Artist: But then you might get mugged!
Blank Blank: It's unbelievable what people will steal!
Me: Yes, truly unbelievable. ANYWAY, we're really excited about...
First AD: First team!
Blank Blank: Yes, truly unbelievable. Excuse me dearies. (Goes to set).
2nd Make-up Artist: This one time, I was in Tijuana, and you wouldn't believe...
Me: Shut up.
Lesson: It's easy to say you won't take no for an answer, but when you don't even GET a no, it's hard to rebuke it.
I tried for the rest of the day and a few days later to be as casual and unstalkerish as possible about the script the script the script for god's sake just say anything about the script but had I pursued it any further, I probably would have been fired for disrupting the show.
So she never actually said no, but for so many millions of reasons, I'm glad we didn't get even a close to yes, because we would have been screwed. This actress is a lovely person and I still think the world of her, but I'm happy things worked out the way they did.
Next up: Geoff's happenstance daycall!
It was a very difficult role to figure out how to cast. At the time, I was working on a show and had contact with a real live "A-list" actor who was exactly the right type for the part (I'm not Hollywood, so I have no idea how the star grading system actually works, but if I said the name Blank Blank, most people would know who she was). Geoff was all ASK HER ASK HER ASK HER, so I did. I got the make-up artist on the show to give her a script and let her mull it over for a bit before I approached her. I couldn't help thinking what a coup this would be, to have a real name attached to our project. I was determined to be a hardcore producer, who wouldn't take no for an answer, determined to do whatever it took to get the best for our project.
I'd chatted with her before on the show and she is as sweet as pie, so I shouldn't have been even slightly nervous when talking to her about the role, but of course I was a stammering idiot. Here is a transcript of the conversation, as best as my brain has not censored it out of retroactive embarrassment.
First Make-up Artist: Hey, Blank-Blank, do you remember the script I gave you a while back? This is Katie, who wrote it!
(She immediately vaporizes into thin air so that Blank-Blank will have no distractions while talking about the project).
Me: (so breezy that the set is in danger of toppling over) Hey, thanks so much for reading it! That's so nice of you. (Giant pregnant pause which is perfectly the right size to be filled with affirmations of how wonderful the role is and exactly how she's going to clear her schedule to do it).
Blank-Blank: Oh yeah, that! I remember reading that! Now, what did I think? You know, I read everything I get right away and I always have notes. What were my notes?
Me: (only hearing the word "notes" and thinking how big time that sounds) It was the one about...
Blank-Blank: You'll have to excuse me. I'm so tired. They've got me in (Big Hotel) and it's so loud! I never get sleep there.
Second Make-up Artist Whom I Didn't Think Was Sitting Near Enough To Be A Part of The Conversation But Apparently Is And Also Whom I Only Recently Learned Really Had a Sex Change Operation in the Seventies And That's Not Just a Rumour, And While I Try To Be All Open-Minded About Her Choice To Be Who She Is, I Genuinely Find Her Irritating, An Opinion Which Will Only Be Cemented By This Input Into Our Conversation: Oh! Big Hotel! I never get why they put people up there! You've got to take a pill when you sleep there. Did you take a pill?
Blank Blank: You know, I've had my pills stolen out of my hotel room before, so I stopped taking them!
2Nd Make-Up Artist: You've got to hide them!
Blank Blank: Or take them with you!
2nd Make-Up Artist: But then you might get mugged!
Blank Blank: It's unbelievable what people will steal!
Me: Yes, truly unbelievable. ANYWAY, we're really excited about...
First AD: First team!
Blank Blank: Yes, truly unbelievable. Excuse me dearies. (Goes to set).
2nd Make-up Artist: This one time, I was in Tijuana, and you wouldn't believe...
Me: Shut up.
Lesson: It's easy to say you won't take no for an answer, but when you don't even GET a no, it's hard to rebuke it.
I tried for the rest of the day and a few days later to be as casual and unstalkerish as possible about the script the script the script for god's sake just say anything about the script but had I pursued it any further, I probably would have been fired for disrupting the show.
So she never actually said no, but for so many millions of reasons, I'm glad we didn't get even a close to yes, because we would have been screwed. This actress is a lovely person and I still think the world of her, but I'm happy things worked out the way they did.
Next up: Geoff's happenstance daycall!
The Story
May 30, 2006 06:39PM
I was going to write about casting but I guess I really should start at the beginning of how this project came to be. So here goes.
Writing process? What's a writing process? I sit down and stuff comes out. Most of the time it's absolutely crap. I was garbling about something that was in my head, in this case, what it's like living in New York and having celebrities roam around freely on the streets and no one really freaks out about it. That turned into writing from the POV of a very experienced ageing actress who's been around for a long time and knows just how to maintain her image in public.
I got stuck at a certain point, so I asked Geoff to tell me where to go. He read it once and told me the answer was obvious: a very specific incident with a panhandler that had happened to us in New York was going to happen to "The Diva." First draft done.
I sent the story to a bunch of places and because it's frickin' hilarious, I was sure I was going to get a print publication. Nuh-uh! Nothing but rejections or dead air. Nobody wanted my beautiful story. And because I'm not the greatest story submitter on the planet, after the first big round of rejections, I lamely gave up.
Geoff and I have written a bunch of features together. We've pitched to production companies or funding agencies and got squeaky close (maybe, who knows really how genuine the "oh my god this is the greatest script ever and if I didn't have to shampoo my dog next week, I'd totally put it into production" reactions really were) but always got the same advice -- perhaps try something smaller first.
Both of us kind of loathed the short film format. In the age of digital, why go to all the trouble of making a short film, when, for nearly the same budget, you could make a marketable feature? We both LOATHED the term "calling card project" because almost everyone who's ever watched a movie thinks they're a filmmaker and almost no one actually possesses the necessary skills, and what's a crappy short film going to prove? No, our destiny was obvious and we didn't need to prove ourselves to anyone.
Until I came up with the idea that since we kept having our features turned down because of lack of experience, even though we were both 100% certain that experience was for losers, maybe we should just play by the rules and get some of this experience. We actually had a good story on our hands and since lack of story seemed to be the problem in most short films I saw, we would be able to subvert the system this way, get our danged "experience" and prove ourselves to be king and queen of the world. So we adapted it into a short screenplay.
While I'm taking credit for the original short story, even though Geoff provided the key element that it all hinges on, we are both taking credit for the adaptation. And it's true. Both of us contributed elements to the story that shaped it as a final product. And it was one of the best writing experiences we've ever had. Almost no fighting.
So we had a script on our hands! Next up: casting. Here's the short synopsis (that I hate and think doesn't do anyone justice):
Writing process? What's a writing process? I sit down and stuff comes out. Most of the time it's absolutely crap. I was garbling about something that was in my head, in this case, what it's like living in New York and having celebrities roam around freely on the streets and no one really freaks out about it. That turned into writing from the POV of a very experienced ageing actress who's been around for a long time and knows just how to maintain her image in public.
I got stuck at a certain point, so I asked Geoff to tell me where to go. He read it once and told me the answer was obvious: a very specific incident with a panhandler that had happened to us in New York was going to happen to "The Diva." First draft done.
I sent the story to a bunch of places and because it's frickin' hilarious, I was sure I was going to get a print publication. Nuh-uh! Nothing but rejections or dead air. Nobody wanted my beautiful story. And because I'm not the greatest story submitter on the planet, after the first big round of rejections, I lamely gave up.
Geoff and I have written a bunch of features together. We've pitched to production companies or funding agencies and got squeaky close (maybe, who knows really how genuine the "oh my god this is the greatest script ever and if I didn't have to shampoo my dog next week, I'd totally put it into production" reactions really were) but always got the same advice -- perhaps try something smaller first.
Both of us kind of loathed the short film format. In the age of digital, why go to all the trouble of making a short film, when, for nearly the same budget, you could make a marketable feature? We both LOATHED the term "calling card project" because almost everyone who's ever watched a movie thinks they're a filmmaker and almost no one actually possesses the necessary skills, and what's a crappy short film going to prove? No, our destiny was obvious and we didn't need to prove ourselves to anyone.
Until I came up with the idea that since we kept having our features turned down because of lack of experience, even though we were both 100% certain that experience was for losers, maybe we should just play by the rules and get some of this experience. We actually had a good story on our hands and since lack of story seemed to be the problem in most short films I saw, we would be able to subvert the system this way, get our danged "experience" and prove ourselves to be king and queen of the world. So we adapted it into a short screenplay.
While I'm taking credit for the original short story, even though Geoff provided the key element that it all hinges on, we are both taking credit for the adaptation. And it's true. Both of us contributed elements to the story that shaped it as a final product. And it was one of the best writing experiences we've ever had. Almost no fighting.
So we had a script on our hands! Next up: casting. Here's the short synopsis (that I hate and think doesn't do anyone justice):
Reality and perception clash in the everyday activities of a Hollywood Legend. Getting your own Grande Skim Macchiato should be easy enough, but for this Diva, an unexpected encounter leads to scandalous results.
“Coffee Diva” is a funny, lighthearted script about an ageing actress and her relationship with the media.
Finally, some sleep
May 28, 2006 08:32PM
The giant project which took up all my time this past month has come to an end.* Geoff and I just finished shooting our first, for real, no kidding around, short film. I can say that without too much hesitation now because dailies have all been transferred and everything is ok.
(Ok, I was WAY too tired to make it to the 2nd night's transfer session, but Geoff went, and I heard him getting in at 2am and talking to our editor who is staying with us, plus, I did not find him hanging from the shower rod this morning, so I'm going to get all cocky and assume that everything is good).
First half of dailies looked FANTASTIC.
I've now produced three short films and while on the first two, I worked my butt off to do a good job, I wasn't emotionally invested in them. I did everything I could to give the director the tools she needed to tell her story, and I definitely wanted to make sure that the ship didn't crash and everyone got off safely on the other side, but it wasn't my business or in my capacity to make the film the most stellar product I could imagine.
That's not meant to sound mean or arrogant, but movies should have one person leading the creative. Otherwise, it just gets messy. It's the reason big budget movies which have a million producers who all have to give their two cents on what kids want to watch these days are so sucky.
But this was the one where I DID get to have creative input. And I can't say enough about the people who supported Geoff and me. Our lead, who is a real actress with lot of real fans and doesn't have to do anything for free to develop her career and just came out because she loved the script said this:
Perfect way of putting how other people support one creative vision.
As I decompress, I'll probably have lots to write about this experience, but for now, I get to actually get more than four hours of sleep a night! In my pajamas! (Twice now I've fallen asleep in my clothes and woken up confused and wrinkled.)
More to come, but bottom line was that it was a wonderful experience!
* By "end" I mean the hard scary part is over. Still lots of work to do!
(Ok, I was WAY too tired to make it to the 2nd night's transfer session, but Geoff went, and I heard him getting in at 2am and talking to our editor who is staying with us, plus, I did not find him hanging from the shower rod this morning, so I'm going to get all cocky and assume that everything is good).
First half of dailies looked FANTASTIC.
I've now produced three short films and while on the first two, I worked my butt off to do a good job, I wasn't emotionally invested in them. I did everything I could to give the director the tools she needed to tell her story, and I definitely wanted to make sure that the ship didn't crash and everyone got off safely on the other side, but it wasn't my business or in my capacity to make the film the most stellar product I could imagine.
That's not meant to sound mean or arrogant, but movies should have one person leading the creative. Otherwise, it just gets messy. It's the reason big budget movies which have a million producers who all have to give their two cents on what kids want to watch these days are so sucky.
But this was the one where I DID get to have creative input. And I can't say enough about the people who supported Geoff and me. Our lead, who is a real actress with lot of real fans and doesn't have to do anything for free to develop her career and just came out because she loved the script said this:
"I can hold the baby, but it's your baby. Tell me how to take care of it."
Perfect way of putting how other people support one creative vision.
As I decompress, I'll probably have lots to write about this experience, but for now, I get to actually get more than four hours of sleep a night! In my pajamas! (Twice now I've fallen asleep in my clothes and woken up confused and wrinkled.)
More to come, but bottom line was that it was a wonderful experience!
* By "end" I mean the hard scary part is over. Still lots of work to do!
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May 06, 2008 08:44PM
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1227527/
May 03, 2008 09:39PM
Update: The Trenton Film Festival Screening is TOMORROW! May 4th. Sorry for the short notice.
http://www.trentonfilmfestival.org/schedule.aspx
May 03, 2008 09:19PM
Coffee Diva just played in Stanford, England. We learned of it's acceptance so late, that we couldn'd post the announcement before the festival.
Upcoming screenings include: Naoussa in Greece. and Trenton in New Jersey. If these are in your area, please check them out!
Apr 24, 2008 10:03AM
Yay! Teryl was nominated for a Leo Award for Best Actress is a Short Film for Coffee Diva! When and how will all her fans be able to see the film!?!?!? We've been waiting and waiting and, well, waiting! Awesome job everyone! Kudos.
Jul 12, 2006 08:12PM
I'm a big fan of Canadian Films, (being from Nothern BC, I kinda have to) and the premises of this, it INTRIGUES me as an actor/director/stagemanager/light and sound technition/etc. So I'm actually REALLY excited to see how this turns out.
I can't wait for this to be finished; I'll make my friend show his drama classes it:)
~Melissa
Jun 14, 2006 06:40AM
No worries! We will be updating the film's progress here, so stay tuned! Thanks so much for your interest.
Jun 14, 2006 03:00AM
Hi, Now that the word is out that Teryl has done this short film, every one of her fans world wide will be wanting to see it. (Myself included of course!!!!)
Teryl is a fascinating actress to watch and learn from, from a wanna be actresses point of view, she is so versatile that she becomes and is every role she plays. Of course the story line seems to fit Teryl to a T, even without seeing it.
I can't wait to see it!
PS. I hope you don't mine but i made an icon from one of the pictures you posted with the updates.
Jun 13, 2006 07:08AM
Hey Fran! Thanks so much for your interest in our project and I'm thrilled you enjoyed reading these entries! (I'm trying to post more but I just got all busy, so I've kind of lost momentum).
Once the film is done, we will be posting both here and on the Coffee Diva website (which I'm also still working on -- www.coffeediva.net ) where you can see it! I knew Teryl was going to bring some interest to our project, but I had no idea how much! It's so exciting.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jun 13, 2006 07:06AM
Hey Malcolm! We asked her! Isn't that crazy? She is lovely and was 100% committed to this project the second she said she'd do it. I absolutely adore Teryl!!
Jun 13, 2006 12:06AM
Hello Katie,
I just got the Link to your blog and really enjoyed reading it. Casting must've been some experience...!! :P
I'm really curious how your film turned out, since the story sounds really interesting!
My only fear is that I won't be able to see it. I have no idea where you'll show it, but I kind of doubt that I'll get the chance to see it in Germany (wether you have realized it or not, with Teryl as lead, you are bound to have an international audiance *heh*)
Anyway, thanks for sharing and thanks for coming up with the project in the first place :)
Best regards,
Fran
Jun 01, 2006 10:17AM
How did you get Teryl Rothery for your movie? I'm a HUGE FAN!!!
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