REGINAROADIE'S BLOG

reginaroadie

First rehearsal for THEOLOGY AND GROCERY
Sunday, March 18, 2007

Hey All

Today was sort of a big day for me. Today was the first time that I had a rehearsal for my 301 final project with my two actors. I've finally locked in a male lead, and this morning was the first time that him and Megan (my leading lady) came over to my place so that I can show them clips of what I had in mind for both their performances and for the overall film.

For those who don't know, last summer I had written a ten page scene from a larger movie I have in mind called CROSSING BORDERS. I initially called it BORDER CROSSING, but after pitching it in my producing class, there was a general consensus that the original title made it sound like a BABEL type illegal immigrant story and not the couples married in Vegas and dealing with the aftermath story that it is. This, of course, is the dream movie that I have in mind that I want to make with Jewel and Sean in the lead roles.

Anyway, in the ten or so page script I wrote, the couple in question goes to a grocery store to get groceries, and they end up getting into a debate about the existence of God. So I had been sitting on it for six months or so until finally, we were asked to hand in scripts for our 301 final projects, which is basically 15 minutes of whatever we want. So I decided to make it my short film as a sort of "trial run" for the feature.

So, this morning, I had my first real rehearsal with the actors. I showed them clips from AMADEUS, BEFORE SUNRISE, TRUE ROMANCE and a few U2 concerts as a frame of reference, and then got into the actual reads. The first few reads were all right. Just them getting familiar with the script and figuring out the delivery and subtext of the written words. The main problem, though, came when Ryan (as Riley) read Riley's monologues as too excited. When I wrote them, in my head I imagined it as a slow burn. Of starting off a bit flat and inward, but then slowly coming around and building in excitement and spiritual bliss. But when this guy read it, he kinda reminded me of Dave Foley from KIDS IN THE HALL ("For I...have a good attitude...TOWARDS MENSTRUATION!!!"). Basically, he sounded like a nut. He sounded like Kaylee, only without the warmth or emotional depth.

But then a really weird thing happened. We weren't getting anywhere with them repeating the lines over and over again, so I decided for our final read through to go the Robert Altman route. Basically, I told them to improvise and do a sort of co-writing session. Just follow the general direction of the script, but to come up with your own bits. And amazingly enough, it worked. They did a bit involving jellybeans instead of strawberries, but it ended up working incredibly well. The strawberries bit I wrote in there as a sort of inside joke for Browncoats, but I am admitting that I might end up taking it out since the improv bit with the jellybeans works. But the thing that amazed me the most was that when Ryan did an improv version of the Riley monologues that we had a problem with when he read it over and over, he delivered it exactly the way I had wanted him to deliver the scripted parts.

I'm now thinking that when I shoot the film, that we would film it scripted, obviously. But that if we had time, that we'd do improvised takes as well, and that depending on whether or not they were good and fit in with the overall film, that I would intercut between scripted and improvised moments, to give the film that extra quality.

It's weird. I designed it to be a sort of homage/variation/meta thing on Silee, but it's now becoming it's own thing, separate from any influence from FIREFLY/SERENITY. I actually thought of showing them a Simon/Kaylle clip from either the series or the movie, but I actually didn't, since I realized that there weren't that many scenes with them, now that I think about it. I think of the half season and feature film combined, that there's about maybe ten, fifteen minutes tops total of any Silee interaction. Weird.

When I figure out how to post video clips on YouTube, I'll put it up there for you guys to look at.

COMMENTS

Monday, March 19, 2007 9:31 AM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


It's always amazing how things just grow out of one thing and become another, reginaroadie;)

And I know I can't wait to see how your final project comes off. Wanna be able to tell my friends later on in life "I remember when he was just a film student and he posted his first major creation on YouTube for all his Browncoat buddies to see!"

;D

BEB


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