Caged Birds: Update Two!

Now let it be known that given the trauma of the last 72 hours the fact that Melissa and I now have both a lead female and male makes us both entirely happy!

Do they know the lines? No! But do we care? Erm sort of but we can work on that! And quite honestly, after our first meeting I’m feeling quite pleased! Having said that tonight (19 Feb 2013) is the first official day of filming! Woo added with all kinds of hoo are being felt! And mass amounts of freak out!

Thanks to the wonderful human’s at the Department of Drama and Performance Studies at UKZN, we have secured thee perfect venue for our “surreal” scenes. Do I hear the question, “Pray tell gentle lady, what be the plot of this hallowed piece?” My response? “Ain’t nobody got time for that! Go check it out bitch! Word! Peace out! ” *drops mike*

Let it be known that being back in the beautiful bush like atmosphere of the Drama Department made me happy and tingly and all kinds of ways! Note ALL theatre’s smell exactly the same! Except the one in which you spent the vast majority of four years in. Combined with the memories of the ghost of Studio 5, one brotha-from-anotha-motha leaving me in the proverbial lurch whilst under attack (it was a homey, it was dark, he was a pansy).

So lay the scene in which our filming took place, a space in which memories haunt just like the agro theatre ghost that lives therein.

First up, lighting checks! With Melissa arranging the camera, I began sorting out our ginormous lights whilst our actors found themselves in various stages of undress and rehearsal. All was well till we realised that my oh-so-fancy Nikon D3100 only shoots 21 seconds of film. Darn you, advertising demons!!!! Quick swop to Canon and they were off! Melissa...you are a tech god! I bow down! 

The first few scenes went off without a hitch! That was until Brett decided to be his usual filthy self (dude where the heck was it at varsity? We totes would have been bffs if I knew!!)

Followed by multiple takes, line screw up’s, general rudeness and forgetting of lines by one singular member of the cast who-shall-not-be-named-even-though-she-knows-who-she-is-but-like-I-said-I’m-not-naming-names! P.S Sister-friend you done good!

The night culminated with all fancy scene’s being shot and a close to midnight walk in the rain…all the way up to main campus…with equipment and alles in tow!

Guy’s this is promising! I’m pleased! Wooo-hooo!!

The Beginning: Caged Birds

So whilst I honestly wanted to blog about this the day it happened...I was pooped okay...rehearsals are exhausting!

So Feb 18th was d-day! First cast meeting, rehearsal slash scene blocking day. Tad bit ambitious, I won't lie? Oh and not forgetting it was also the first day our cast were meeting, saying hi, having to build some intensely awesome chemistry. Asking too much was I?

Whilst gathering at Denis Shepstone building, room 18, complete with collapsing ceiling and horror movie flickering lights, we began our fancy rehearsal.

A long night of reading, notes, dirty stories and blocking ensued. Pleased, doesn't even Begin to descibe my current state.

I wish I had taken pictures, it would have been fun! But alas I did not but I have multiple shots from the next nights! So yaaaay!