In one of my last posts, I mentioned booking a student film. Being more regularly in Toronto, I had been submitting myself for student films which I find either on the Casting Workbook or through the ACTRA Apprentice Audition site (I'm no longer an Apprentice Member, but I had signed up for that particular site with it's updates years ago.) I had been warned about student films, because you really don't know the level of quality or professionalism you might be dealing with, but I didn't really care. At this point in my career, I just want to get stuff on film that I can use as a demo reel.
One particular breakdown caught my eye. In the film, the lead character (who lacks confidence and second guesses herself) switches places with the reflection of Herself in the mirror (who is sexy, sassy, and uber confident). Any actor playing this part would get to show some pretty great range. I submitted the day before the auditions were to be held, not thinking I would hear back, but I did.
Long story short, I had a lot of fun at the audition and about a week later, I heard that I had booked the part.
*insert Snoopy dance here*
The film is shooting in Hamilton, which means that the production is paying for my Go Train tickets and giving me a lift from the station. It takes me about an hour and a half to get from my place in Toronto to the shoot location. Good thing I've gotten used to this travel thing. The Go is just another train.
Last night, I had rehearsal for the shoot. The director picked me up and we had some good chats. We have a very similar sense of humour, which is great. We stopped by a mall because she wanted to pick up just one more red dress for me to try on, as tonight I'd be getting a costume fitting. The dress didn't look like much on the rack and the price tag was one that would make me avoid it altogether, but when I put it on? Wow! It's stunning. It fit me like a delightfully skintight glove and was a size smaller than I normally wear. It's something that I would see Nadine rock on a regular basis, but would never manage to find it's way into my closet. Needless to say, I loved this dress. We tried on all the others they had gotten as well, but we came to the conclusion that this was "the one". Since the director wanted to hem it for extra sex appeal, she realized that she would not be able to return this expensive dress to the store when we were done. Guess who gets to keep it after shoot? I think I just found my Les Prix Rideau Awards dress.
Free clothes aside, I can't even begin to tell you how impressed I am with the whole set-up. The director and her DoP husband turned their basement into "my apartment." This seems simple, right? Wrong. There's no bathroom in the basement. They've built a bathroom set, complete with flooring and holes in the wall for when I do the "mirror image". I'm really hoping I get to take pictures to share because it is just incredible.
The amount of effort and passion that has gone into this "little" film shoot is just beautiful. I'll get to work with green screens and go through mirrors and witness first hand a ton of movie magic in the making.
I am so excited for the the weekend.