Live from the set

Hey I am so excited that I just got back from the set of the new Cannes predicted feature film, Foxfire. It is to be directed by Laurent Cantet, who has already won the Palm D’or at Cannes for La Classe. It was a fantastic experience and taught me several lessons, a couple of which I’ll get into here.

First off was always be prepared for anything. I was flown up to a tiny town of 800 people in Northern Ontario, Canada a full 24 hours before we started shooting. Once I got there I realized that there was nothing to do and it was hot as Hades and I was really bored. So you need to bring enough things to keep you occupied both before, during and after your shoot (assuming that you don’t spend the whole time preparing for your role). I didn’t bring much other than my camera so I spent the time walking around taking pictures, which is fine for me because I like to do that. I also bought a couple of beers so I could sleep during the afternoon knowing that I had to do a night shoot starting at 9pm. So yes I was bored, but not quite suicidal. I would have brought books or something as well if I was better prepared.

Secondly is to be prepared for anything (wait, I already said that). What I mean is come shoot time, you never know what is going to happen because every director and every shoot is different. In this case I had the idea that I was going to be doing a lot of improv but it turns out that that was both true and false. The first scene we did we stuck to the lines, but the second scene was only described and not written so it had to be improvised. As always there are a million things to keep in mind, mainly where is the camera and how to play to it without making it look like you are. I’m self-conscious so that is always a big challenge for me. Also there is remembering all the things the director just told you, and making it all look real. In any case, I think it went really well, but there is room for improvement.

FYI, I had a wardrobe call at 9pm, but didn’t start shooting until about 2am and finished as the sun came up at 6:30am. A long day but also exhilarating. Acting is am amazing way to make a living, even if you’re not making a living at it. Experiences like this one make it all worthwhile.

Good luck out there!