fire starter

previously published by me elsewhere:

My friend with the two names came up to work on the movie with us this weekend.

I had first met her when she posted a call for writer's submissions for a stage sketch show back in the summer of 2004. I sent out several good ones to be considered, and one I was still developing as a means to pad the pile. Unfortunately there was some trouble casting several of my sketches, so only one was ultimately performed. Even though one of the actors kept mincing my lines, watching that performance was a real treat, and a reminder about the creative energy exuded through collaboration.

Long story short, my friend also happens to act, so back in March when we were in need of someone to play a somewhat embittered middle-aged woman, I knew who to turn to. What are friends for, right? Yes, judging them to be both embittered and middle-aged in the same sentence!

It was actually quite comforting to bring her out for yesterday's shoot, since some sort of miracle has befallen our dear set. For the first time since we started we had many of our main actors on set, and a complete crew. We have been struggling with several occasions without our sound guy, or without our make-up guy, and our trusty production assistant for the first two months of production is currently out of the country.

There was something really special about yesterday's shoot in my opinion. Maybe we didn't get through our record-breaking five pages in a day, and maybe we had to take a pre-emptive strike against certain scenes, but one thing I got from the experience was a definitive reminder of why I decided to make movies as my life.

Whatever sort of machine metaphors can be put together to explain how the whole filmmaking process works would likely express what was happening yesterday. We have all developed a rhythm of working together.

This is something that was sorely lacking on the previous project I worked on. Since that shoot took place across so much time, there was very little occasion to genuinely connect, except in the way of familiar strangers who might meet at a reunion, let's say.

It's awkward and uncomfortable for a while, and then everyone gets drunk.