On Friday I was on set for filming SWEET APPLE PIE. For my friends and family that aren't in the industry, I thought it would be fun to share the production process. Weeks of advanced work occurs prior to ever setting foot on set. Auditions for talent, script writing, set design, lighting design, equipment wrangling, and securing locations and permits. The night before the shoot, I receive a call sheet that states the time I'm supposed to be present.
I woke up at 6:00a.m. to get ready, and gather all of my things. I was picked up at 8:20am and taken to the location; an apartment. The crew was already present and working on finishing set design. They had already painted the walls and arranged much of the furniture. I was swiftly sent to hair and make-up. Dolly and Kelsey were the magicians on set. They are so very talented. They communicated heavily with the director regarding visual concepts for my look. I had to look bruised and disheveled for my character. All the while maintaining the integrity of the 1950's aesthetic. Dark full brows, false lashes, and a full, pouty, red lip.
By the time I was done with hair and make-up, the other actors showed up for their call times. While they were in the chair, I started filming. Much of film is sitting and waiting, waiting, waiting. The technical aspects are key to success. The lighting for example is very scientific. I had a scene in the kitchen that caused a huge snag. They required a mid-morning look, and it was looking too mid-day. Also, there were camera shadows to consider that must be masked.
The budget for this film was $200.00. And 3/4 of the money was spent on paint for the set. Fortunately the director and crew are in film school, so they have access to amazing equipment. However, they don't have it all. Big budget films have a top notch dolly for the camera to pan in for close up shots. We didn't have that luxury. Creativity serves as an independent film maker's best friend. Our camera man balanced the tripod on two skateboards to achieve the same feeling.
Another set secret: the apartment we used was from the 1940's. And there weren't any traditional closets in the space. There were several scenes centered around the wife being tied in the closet. They created a faux closet by taking the bathroom door off of it's hinges and placing it in the living room door well. Next they took a shower curtain rod, placing it in the hallway. Then hung coats and shirts to make it look as if it is a closet. Brilliant and creative. It totally worked.
For ultra low budget indies and student films there isn't much of a budget for wardrobe. The red dress I wore, and the yellow dress the wife wore were provided. But everything else was from our own closets. My shoes, jewelry and apron were all from my own collection. It's fortunate that I'm in love with the fifties to early sixties era.
Big budget films have several cameras to film from different perspectives. Those perspectives are key for the editor to piece together the story effectively. We only had one camera on set. So, we had to stop and film from numerous perspectives. It's important to keep set pieces and blocking routine to maintain consistency. After filming is done, it's off to the editor to piece together the footage and add music. The editor makes the true magic happen. I'm realizing that more and more, as I'm pursuing film. I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek into my world.
