Audition Day 2: the dark comedy

So, while the auditions themselves were fabulous, the day started out as a nightmare... or a comedy, depending on perspective.

It started at 6am, it was cold, damp, dark.... shit, the power's off! No furnace to take the damp and chill off. Also no, shower, no brushing teeth, no flushing toilets, and OMG.... no coffee!!

"NO problem", says the director (who's staying in my guestroom. "We'll just leave early and stop at Tim Hortons on the way into town"! (Did I mention award nominated director? I really want him to be impressed with me and my professionalism.)

So, we head out into the pouring rain to race to Timmies. The local one has big bathrooms, we can wash our faces and brush our teeth! But the overnight rain has made the director's car sink ankle deep into the muddy yard. We're stuck.

No problem, there's three of us, two to push, one to steer. But no go. No move. Lots of mud on my leather trenchcoat, hands, and glasses though.

Called CAA. Wait for an hour, so much for leavng early and stopping at Timmies. Now we're calling people to tell them we'll be late, please wait for us. Standing outside the locked office, in the way, in the rain.... Should make for very happy to see us actors!

Tow truck arrives.... except, it's not a tow truck. It's a great huge flat-bed truck, trying to back into my driveway beside 2 cars (one stuck, one without keys) and a truck (also no keys at the house).

So, the truck backs onto the yard to reach the stuck car. The truck is much heavier than the car and... (can you see t coming?)... gets stuck in the mud.



So, we were lucky that the truck cab wasn't on the grass and was able to pull the back end out of the mud. But to do that, he had to move the truck so that it was directly crossing the street, blocking traffic in both directions.

This was unsafe, so he turned and backed up, and moved forward until he had most of the truck parked along the verge and the hind end in the driveway. Two problems, 1) the chain is too short to reach the car, and 2) he took out my mailbox! My poor battered and bruised mailbox is now firmly stuck under the truck, with its cement filled (200lb) milk jug wedged between the front and back wheels.



So, we drag it out, find extra chain to attach to the tow truck and eventually drag the car out to the nice, firm, hard-packed driveway. Without holding up too many cars as the truck is now at 90 degrees to the road. Again.

Then there was the small mix-up where the driver thought we were using my CAA card (because its my house) not the director's CAA card (because its his car) and got a bit testy about non-listed cars.

But everything was eventually cleared up and we were on our way, only an hour late, still no faces washed or teeth brushed or time to stop for coffee!

But fortunately, there was a coffee pot at the office, and eager actors to run and buy us breakfast while we made ourselves human in the office washrooms.

We also got caught up quite quickly, and saw some amazing auditions. So, all's well that ends well. Right?

Busy last 2 weeks!

Well, I was reallyreally busy the last 2 weeks! We held auditions for Me, my Mom & a Whistle on the 20th and 21st. SEVENTY people showed up, making for two 15 hour days! I was astonished by how amazing some of the actors were. Non-union, practically unknown, and just freaking brilliant. This will lead to some very hard decisions!

Then I had to prepare and submit two applications for funding to make music videos by the 23rd. I'm producing music videos for two local bands "naked i" and "Mo Sayk", as a way of raising seed money for the film.
I'm also looking for 3-4 bands for the June 11th deadline, as we'd like to do as many as possible before we start principal photography on the film.

We are now about four months away and I NEED to get funding happening! I'm doing up a budget based on deferrels, but that'll entail a whole new repayment schedule. A woman's work is never done. Anybody have any money they don't need? Any at all? Anyone need a business loss for tax purposes? You can carry forward prior year earnings to cover it and lower your previous taxes. (at least I think you can. you used to be able to)

Then there's this week's deadline. Tomorrow I have a development application for CJOH to get a little money to write my next film. Or one of my next films.

Friday is also the deadline to notify the NFB that you intend to propose a project for the Aboriginal Film Development somethingorother. So I'm working on a film idea for that. It's real deadline is May 12th. Plenty of time! At least, these days it seems like plenty of time. LOL

Getting ready for auditions and meetings

Well, the auditions are in a week, and things are getting busy. 70 actors, meetings with the DOP, a band or three, the photographer, a couple of potential investors.... and that's just monday and tuesday!!

You can buy me a scotch now.

Me, at the Genie sign before the "meet the nominees" luncheon.

New photos!

Here I am at the Genie Brunch with Jason Daley(left) entrepreneur, marketing guy and film-maker! Talk about handy to know!

I also got to meet several people who are into local indie film production and even a couple of Genie Nominees. When you add in the french toast with crushed strawberries, bacon and fresh, hot croissants... $30 well spent, I think!

Genies Galore!

Paul Gross' Passchendaele wins six awards! Ce qu'il faut pour vivre/The Necessities of Life win four!
Kristen Booth wins best supporting actress for Young People F**king. I loved her acceptance speech! "I'm so fucking excited!" Then she pointed out that this was the only comedy winning an award at the Genies in years, and Canada doesn't have to be dark and depressing to be good.

Wendy Crewson presented both best actor & best actress, and used her moment in the spotlight to critisize Harper's cuts and to invite people to make their voices heard. She also joked about having an "after-party on the lawn of the PM's residence, she'd be the one standing on the overturned car, Sarah Polley would be handing out protest signs by the burning barrel." LOL

But Kristen's win gave me hope for my film. Traditionally, comedies are NOT well represented at awards functions, as they're not "serious" film. But her best supporting actress award (even if the clip they showed was a serious one, not a funny one) shows that comedies can be "serious business".

The Genies

The Genies are in Ottawa this weekend!! So, though I refuse to wear my harem pants, I'm off to a party tonight, brunch tomorrow with several nominees, and then of course, the Genies on TV!