Let's Go to the Movies!

Hi there. I chose to start this post off with this picture because even though we took it weeks ago when it wasn't even spring yet, I feel it best represents the general weather patterns around here.


Brrrr.

I tweeted on the day that it SNOWED here a week or two ago that the person responsible for organizing spring in Montréal should be fired. Yeah. We haven't had a lot more snow, (Some on Mother's Day. Not even kidding.) but do we even have to talk about this in the month of MAY? Seriously.

Dear "spring": BITE ME.

Anyway, I took these photos on the very last day of shooting our movie (The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom) last Saturday.

Wanna see how it all works?

This is the location, about a half hour outside of Montréal. A little family-run diner.


The windows are actually too big for the 1970s but no prob, we fixed them. Looks great from the inside.



Dear clients, sorry but we have been taken over by aliens with big lights. Watch for us on the big screen!

That's my boss Barbara chatting with Ann-Louise, master hair stylist. I also took this picture so I could get myself in it. Yep, I take my cues from Hitchcock.


So here is the inside.

This image represents 85% of what happens on a film set. Standing around, discussing.

Sometimes standing on a ladder and discussing.

That lovely lady is Claudine Sauvé, director of photography. She's in charge of the image. The lights, the camera, the film stock, everything. A female DP is pretty rare. But this show is all about girl power.


Speaking of which...

It's the holy movie trinity (from left): Tara (writer/director), Francine (1st Assistant Director) and Barbara (Producer). This film would not exist if not for Tara and the script she wrote, but Barbara is a close second. I literally don't have enough words to describe what producers do. In a word: EVERYTHING.

Look! It's me again! With Barbara and a delicious looking lemon meringue pie, no?

Now that the script is written (although changes are often made as we shoot so she's not completely off the hook), Tara is in director mode.

I would say that directing is almost as hard to describe as producing but think of her as the (sorry for the cliché) conductor of the symphony. The one who makes every single creative decision. I'm tired just typing that.

The 1st AD takes the script and then decides how the heck we're going to get it on film in as many days as the budget will allow. She makes things happen. It's amazing to watch.


Speaking of amazing, what about that HAIR? That's Pierre, sound mixer.


This is Virginie, the production manager. I love this picture because a lot of her job causes her to make faces like this. She is in charge of the crew, of making sure no one spends too much money, of 1001 tiny details. Now that the Montréal part of the shoot is done, she's not making those faces anymore.


Oh yeah, and there is the small matter of the people in FRONT of the camera.


This is Julia Stone and her Mom, Sue.

Julia is the star of this movie so keep your eye on her. This is her first feature film and she is already a total pro. Plus look how cute she is! AND they are from Vancouver!


Sue is responsible for the wicked updates on the film's Facebook page. She is not only the coolest stage parent I have ever met, but she's a big-time internet smarty pants.


These are Julia's boots. I think they speak for themselves.

Macha Grenon plays the mother, Marion. She is a big time star, she is gorgeous, she is the bomb. It doesn't get better than this my friends:



I think that just about concludes our tour of an indie Canadian movie set. Let me tell you that I haven't shown you a FRACTION of the people that work on a set, not to mention everyone who works in the production office. But you get the idea.

Any questions?