Moirae
Our narrative film project was quite an undertaking. Drawing inspiration from the fates, I wrote a story about a man with an incredibly dull and sad life, who finds a red thread. Captivated when it repeatedly turns up throughout his day, the thread and he form a bond that ultimately ends in his demise.
For filming, my team (Steph, Christie and me) used a Canon 7D to film, along with kinoflo and rifa lighting, a few sets of reflectors, an indie dolly and a variety of sound equipment. Overall, I thought we managed to successfully convey the story in all its intricacies.
Part of what made this film challenging was the actual script. I wanted to tell a compelling story, establishing character and action without words. I felt that Sean Liang, our lead actor, rose to the challenge of using just motivation and facial expression to show the development of a rather complicated character.
He was magnificent to direct. I speak a language of my own, using obscure film references, acting references and real life observations to take my actors on a journey with me. Sean, luckily, had an easy time keeping up with my fast paced style of directing. He was always on point, always in character, always ready to go.
I’ve worked with Aly before on my experimental film. Her unique features and piercing looks make a very interesting person to look at on camera. I love the way she subtly interacts with the audience.
I found it challenging to remain upbeat and constantly on my toes during our 13 hours of filming. Due to the dangerous location of one dolly shot (in the middle of the road), I operated the camera. After we were done that shot (which we had to repeat at least 15 times), I wiped out. The most challenging thing that day was to do a 180 after wrecking my shins on the curb, coming back to rally my team for what I called the home stretch (which turned into another 7 hours of filming).
My crew was phenomenal. Due to the amounts of equipment on set, we brought along Dan Koehler, who worked wonderfully with the rest of the crew. He made sure to help out when necessary (like when our rifa wires were cut and Dan came to the rescue with electrical tape or when no one was free to hold a reflector), but also gracefully knew when to step back and go along for the ride.
My favorite thing about directing this film was the thought that went into the relationship that Aly and Sean had on camera. Relying on character backstories and quick cuts in editing, I think the two interact marvelously on screen.
Overall, I loved directing my actors and crew in the creation of this short film. I found it to be a challenge, but a challenge that was incredibly enjoyable and worth while.
