Yesterday i spent all day
by fiona
Yesterday i spent all day filming the last scene of the rock opera. Again. They had watched the whole thing in its entirity and realized that the last scene didn't fit at all anymore. It didn't make sense, it was cheezy, and it just didn't follow the artistic flow of the rest of the film, so they say. And I agree. It was so long ago when we shot that. So we redid it completely with a whole new ending.
And guess what the new ending required- me crying. I had to cry! God, it was so weird and awful. And during the crying i was supposed to come to this moment of realization, of transformation from being closed, angry, and isolated to being open, alive, one with the world. Me! Too bad I can't act. It was so intense.
I made everybody leave so no one would watch me. They set up everything and then ran around this little mound and waited for me to call them back. Reed and ritchey and andrew were really supportive and patient. The funny thing is that where we were filming was in eagle creek very close to a hiking path, so people kept walking past and looking at me, wearing my weird black costume and mike's tanker boots, standing beside the creek with all of this film and sound equipment pointing at me.
Oh yeah, and it was even weirder because they want to use live audio for this scene. No music. Just the sound of me sobbing. Its going to be so painful to watch.
I ended up doind 4 takes.
I though a lot about what I could do to help make me cry for the camera. And I'm totally a crier - someone who cries so easily at movies, at stressful situations, and anytime i feel frustrated or singled out or threatened in the least. When i was little i cried during hair cuts because the hairdresser would ask me questions. I cried during math tests when I couldn't get one problem (and we're talking high school here). But it is so different when you are supposed to cry. On camera, no less.
So what to do? I brought an onion, thinking that if nothing else i could atleast induce fake tears. But that didn't work (even though it always seems to in my kitchen). So I resorted to something so cheezy and endearing and embarassing... and it worked. I read a letter mike wrote me. I was in australia, he was home, blah blah blah. But it made me cry when i first got it, and pretty much everytime after that. So, in that scene, while i am supposed to be looking down at my dead sister and at my hand that has just crushed an animated eel, I am actually reading the letter and thinking of mike.
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Posted on August 27, 2003 | Comments (0)
Night before last there was
by fiona
Night before last there was a guy sitting on the curb between 2 cars parked across the street from the apartment. He was drunk and drinking and ocassionally yelling things like "Dicks on satellite!" followed by weired slurred laughter and coughing. This guy honestly sat there for hours, directly across from the bedroom window, and just shouted something every few minutes or so. It was kind of humerous in hind sight, but at the time he was really pissing me off because he was interfering with my late night viewing of Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring. And he was across from my bedroom for christ sake. Not that cool, guy.
And mike is out of town, so it was just me and the hobbits and the drunk guy sitting on the curb.
Here was my day yesterday:
1) wake up and scoot over to Elizabeth's for waffles and fruit salad, look at wedding photos of her and her HUSBAND. Weird and cool.
2) sit on eliz's bed and start planning this year's beauty pageant. Just because we all moved out of that house doesn't mean Clinton St. Pageant has to die! Its going to have the theme of: The Future. It will be 2004 after all. But we're thinking the version of the future that was invented in the 60's, with silver silhouettes of space shuttles and planets and sexy people with glass bubble head space suits.
4) Go to OMSI and watch an omnimax show based on the international rythmic roots of the performance group STOMP. My first time ever at OMSI. I liked it, even though some of the african tribal dance groups seemed to be wearing leather mini skirts with tassels and matching halter tops. Two different groups from two different countries thousands of miles apart were infact wearing the same skirts. Maybe there is some international african tribal dance costume mail order catalog.
5) Scoot over to Reed's to bring him cookies and monitor progress on the rock opera. Things are looking good. Amazing even, if a little behind schedule. I can't wait to see it all together to see if it actually makes any sense. I also can't wait to go to the Press Screening, for which Jona has assured me that I will get "red carpet treatment" and be payed $7000.
6) Have eliz and johanna over for dinner to try out our new mini BBQ. Works like a charm! Perfect for balconies and small patios! On its stealthily designed double layer grill, we cooked garden burgers, toasted buns, and made vegetable skewers with a tangy Trader Joes balsamic vinigarette basting sauce (aka salad dressing). It was such a perfect night for sitting on the balcony for hours and having long conversations that all of my neighbors could hear.
I love summer! Too bad I only have one more week of it.
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Posted on August 22, 2003 | Comments (0)