I always love working. But I love it more when I get to work with my friends. That is what I got to do today. Today I made a short spy action video with my friends Erinn, Mel, and Jerry. We all work together at this fruit stand and all enjoy making cool stuff. So that is what we did.
Our day started at 7:30AM meeting at a starbucks on 6th and waverly. We read through the script and headed out to our location, Washington Square Park. There we met our camera man, DP, and just awesome guy in general, Adam.
We begin shooting and it is freezing. I thought this was the end of May. Why is it so effin cold? One of the lines in the script reads, "It's hot as balls out." The line should have been changed to "It's cold as tits out". Not that tits are cold, but you get the idea. So we begin filming and things are going well. That is when we meet the over zealous leaf blower at 8:15AM. Like come on dude, we aren't even out of spring yet and you are blowing non existent leaves because??? So we wait for him to finish his business and then resume filming. Shortly after, a truck rolls up and makes it truck sounds. So we take the opportunity to shoot bits that sound is not needed in. Then the leaf blower returns. It was like tip toeing through a land mine of when it was going to be quiet enough to shoot. Okay, we finally get to a point where we can shoot. Also mind you during all of this I am not in the shot, so I'm just chllin (well literally because it was cold) and taking selfies (see above) rocking my friend Darwin's tee shirt design from his company Busog. We finish up with the shots, but not before a Sax player starts jamming out nearby. Now I played the Saxophone (and sometimes...okay rarely but want to still play) but this guys tunes weren't really "spy esque". More like sexy let me feel your soul, which is still cool too.
So a little about the scene. Erinn, Jerry, and Mel are part of a super secret spy team, and I am their target (I always wanted to be the pretty girl at the ball). Mel's character decides to make a move and what ensues is a fun, quirky, slightly awkward exchange that looks totally bad ass at the same time.
Okay we get to my shot, but before that I have to point out that during the other shot Jerry did this unintentional but purely comical thing that every time he sat down on the bench he would cross his legs in a fluid motion. Almost like a cyborg. Okay back to me now...
So we are up to my shot and there I am pumped and ready to go. Mel and I begin our bit. She gives great hugs by the way. If you ask her nicely, maybe she'll give you one. The scene is looking good, she is being so fly with schmoozing me while getting the "intel" she needs to acquire. Then in the background there is a man who will be known as the pigeon/squirrel whisperer. He would summon the squirrel's and pigeon's to his side and give a nature lesson to anyone who would listen. Some would call this man crazy. I consider him an ally. Let's face it, if the world goes to shit, wouldn't you want a guy who can call upon nature to defend himself? So that guy is doing his thing and Mel and I are shooting our scene. We take it from different angles and all looks good. Erinn gives us great direction and ideas and Mel and I riff off each other. Finally, it's a wrap.
On a side note, in between takes Jerry was snacking on some peanut butter and yogurt. Not my typical combo but hey it's his shtick. So a squirrel is eyeing this and Jerry shoo's the squirrel away. The second Jerry steps away this squirrel jumps on the bench and goes for the jar. I tell you, if Adam and I didn't see it, I would not have believed it. We shoo off the squirrel and it vanishes into the brush never to be seen from again. Is that a yolo moment? Probably not, but a very funny moment indeed.
Overall, I had a great shoot today. Like I said, I always love working, but I love working even more when I get to work with my friends. It's just more fun. You tend to bring out the best in each other, because you trust each other more. Once the footage is all cut and ready I'll post it on the website. Who knows? Maybe I just broke into the spy game...