My Screen Debut

Last week was a reading week for the film studies students, all five of us. For the film production kids, it was a prep week for their films, which were shot over the weekend. There were two crews, one shot on Saturday, one on Sunday.

Annie directed the second of the two, the one she had conceived of, pitched to the class a few weeks ago and was subsequently voted on by her peers as one of the two films to be made.

A little over a week ago a situation arose with the casting. The extra who had been cast to walk through a single shot with her dog had pulled out, or maybe the dog had called the deal off and the owner followed suit, I forget. Annie and Darren and I sat in my kitchen ruminating on this minor dilemma. I managed to flip my hair suggestively and strike several poses of "deep thought" with a hint of "intangible something". Annie finally snapped her fingers, pointed at me and exclaimed, "I know, Jenna, you can do it!" I demurred and then reluctantly, oh so reluctantly, acquiesced.

Hence, on Sunday I found myself reporting to the set for an 11:00 a.m. call. And what a production it was. The film department had hired a crew of technicians to assist with the equipment (lights, sound, 35mm camera all brought in for the day) and a D.P. to help set up shots. The D.P. in question was one Des Whelan, a camera operator with creds including a couple of Tim Burton films, most recently the highly anticipated (by me anyway) Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp. I later found out he was kind of a tool (the D.P., not Johnny Depp). He seemed to have an eye for the ladies and went so far as to call one of the girls on the previous day's shoot "Sugartits". Nice.

While my call was for 11, they didn't get to my shot until about 3:30 or 4:00. I hung out in the holding area for the actors and made the most of the free food. I chatted with a couple of the other cast members, one of whom was making a regular habit of getting in on these small productions but hadn't given up his day job yet. One of the younger cast members chatted me up and confided he might just get serious about this acting thing. He then asked me my advice on what kind of courses he might take to achieve his goal. I suggested theatre, but then, what do I know of such things?

The entire day was composed of exterior shots, and as the Dublin weather has turned positively autumnal, it was a bit chilly. I was glad to be inside with hot tea for most of it. The main character had been at it since 7:00 a.m., but she was a real trooper. While I was aware of a great deal of in-fighting and tensions amongst the crew (these are the kinds of insights one is privileged to when one is friends with the director), I have to say everyone was incredibly professional and really kept a cap on whatever may have been eating at them. Because I'm essentially a whiny child at heart, I have no doubt I would have been complaining non-stop about the weather, my bad back, the perceived lack of respect for my position, on and on. As it was, I sat on my arse, ate brownies, drank buckets of tea and occasionally wandered outside to see how it was going.

When my shot finally came up, we rehearsed a couple of times (I failed to hit my mark the first two times, I was mortified), and then took about three takes. Strangely, no one brought me a bouquet of flowers after the last take, but considering I was in the background, pulling a suitcase and wearing my own personal funny fake fur hat, perhaps the florist couldn't find me.

They then took one last shot and called it a day. Annie is now enjoying a much deserved rest from directorial responsibility. I, on the other hand, am beginning to consider next semester's film projects. I am hoping they do a musical. I think I shall prepare something from Cats for my audition piece.