First Day On Set!!!

I had the week off from acting classes, but got to learn actual lines, and do some real acting. Not that we don’t do real acting in class, but this footage is actually intended for mass distribution instead of to be viewed by myself and my classmates.

With the help of my brother, I got all of my lines down before meeting my scene partner on Thursday. I had forgotten the script at home, and was worried that it would make me look unprepared, but I think I more than made up for it by knowing my lines. We went over them together until we both had them perfect, and even got into discussing our characters’ backgrounds, similarities and differences. We were all set to start filming on Friday, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Unfortunately, Friday didn’t work out, but we got to start bright and early on Saturday. All the actors came at different times, so that we could discuss our costumes and get any questions answered. Not to mention we got to hang out and meet the other actors. Some were playing extras, just for fun, so they had even less experience than me, but others were full of advice, and willing to help should I need it. We also had to get our makeup done, which didn’t involve much for me, but for some, it was quite the ordeal…

We headed out to a beautiful location, beside the water, with buildings that were boarded up for the winter, but definitely looked like they could be the abandoned buildings we needed. We had a guy there specifically to film scenes with a lot of movement, so we were supposed to do lots of running and hiding and stuff, but I had to leave before we got to that point, because I got this role long after my parents’ surprise 25th Anniversary Party had been planned. We did get to do a lot of walking into the town, looking around, not spotting the bad guys who were following us, and I also got into a little action, which I hope you’ll get to see when the film is finished 🙂

I think it’s amazing how your feelings change when you are doing something that you love. It was freezing cold on Saturday, even with the big jacket I got to wear, and I actually really had to pee, but I loved every second of it. I would have smiled the whole time if it would have fit with the situation. Doing the same thing over and over again from different angles will probably get old at some point, but for now, the whole thing is so exciting and new that I can’t wait to be able to film more scenes, with dialogue and more interaction. The guy who is in charge of it was telling us all of his plans about festivals and posters and a webseries and I just couldn’t help but be so grateful that I get to be a part of this project, and I can’t wait for every step of the way!

Once I wrapped for the day, I rushed to pick up my grandmother and headed over to my parent’s party. It was a great success, they hadn’t been expecting it, and were really touched. My parents aren’t always incredibly happy with my dreams and ambitions, but they always support me 100%, and I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it weren’t for them, and that’s not even mentioning the fact that I wouldn’t be here at all without them. I love them from the bottom of my heart and so proud of them!

I also got to spend some time with all the family that I don’t always get to see, but love every one of them, including this beautiful baby girl that I got to meet for the first time. Babies are kind of my weakness, so it was reluctantly that I gave her back….

I was supposed to film today as well, but an outdoor scene wouldn’t have gone so well with all of this wind and rain, so I really can’t wait until we have some nice weather so I can get back on set!

“The Journey of A Thousand Miles Begins With A Single Step…”

-Confucius