Lauren Meley from the set of FLOWERS
From: Lauren Meley
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 11:24 AM
To: Penny; Hank
Subject: First week of filming!
Hi Penny and Hank!
I had my first week filming the indie feature “Flowers” this week, and its been a great experience so far. This is the biggest production I’ve ever worked on, with a fancy HD camera.
First off, I’ve never been more relaxed on a set before. I came in having fully worked on the script and character, which has allowed me to completely focus on the blocking and camera work while on set. It’s a wonderful feeling! I’ve learned a lot from the DP about specific camera setups and angles, which has been so interesting! It’s really just like putting yourself on camera like we do each week, except there is a team of people making sure it looks and sounds great, so all I have to worry about is the acting. The best comparison I could come up with is: Training at the studio is like being an ice skater training for the Olympics. But being on set is like doing “Stars on Ice” – you can just show off and enjoy yourself.
But, like any experience, there have been a few challenges. For example, we were just about to roll a scene where I am talking to myself in the mirror (which is very intimidating by the way!), and the director gave me read of how he wanted the scene to sound. I told him I thought his interpretation was great, but asked if I could do a few takes as I prepared it and then we could do a few takes as he wanted it. He said “absolutely!” and in the end we were both very happy.
There was another shot over my shoulder looking at the other actor. At the end of the scene he gets up and walks out of frame behind me, and I am supposed to follow. I thought it would more be interesting to twist around in my chair (so you can see my face on camera), deliver my line, and then get up and walk out of frame. We blocked it and decided to film a rehearsal, so I decided to try this. Everyone loved it and it stuck for the rest of the shots.
So I am learning a lot!! I’ve learned that time is extremely valuable, and the quicker you can nail the blocking, the more takes you can have, and the happier everyone on set is. The days have been running about 10 hours each, so learning to store my energy has also been very important. There is food on set, but I pack lots of snacks and food that I know will give me energy (I’ve steered clear of the coffee and doughnuts lol).
I feel like a completely different actor compared to the last time I worked on a film over a year ago. Lessons from class are always running through my head. We will be filming until August 1st, so much more to come!
xo lauren
Leave a Reply