movie projects

The movie project last week was really interesting. I'm used to making movies in STAC that were really thought out, planned, and artistically detail oriented. The fact that this movie had to be made in one hour, in order, and without editing made it more about just getting the damn movie finished and made it less about trying to make a good movie. Doug mentioned this in class, and I completely agree: There was no time to be a perfectionist. You couldn't spend too much time rehearsing a scene to make it good or you would loose precious shooting time (which was much needed). My group ran into that problem a bit. We spent a lot of time rehearsing scenes 1-4, so that by the time we had to shoot the second half of the movie, we couldn't rehearse at all and each shot was the first time we had acted out that scene.

You kind of have to just close your eyes, cross your fingers, leap, and pray to God that you make it to the other side.

In the dead of winter...

It is a cold, rainy, Saturday morning. My Mom is hesitant about turning up the heat because it's not exactly the best thing for a singer's voice. During the night, my blankets trapped all my body heat, keeping me warm. My alarm goes off at 8:30 AM and I have to force myself out from underneathe the covers. Not an easy thing to do. It's even harder to take off my flannel pajamas and put on my dance shorts and tank top. I'm standing in the middle of my room, shivering, and yet I have to get myself ready for a full day of classes and rehearsals which starts promptly at 9:30 AM.

There is something magical about going to dance class in the middle of the winter. Dancers show up to class wearing any combination of the following warm-ups: legwarmers, knit tights, knit shorts, rip-stop pants (also known as garbage pants), sweat pants, mukluks or insulated booties, overalls, ballet sweaters, wrap sweaters, sweatshirts, and scarfs. As class goes on, and as bodies begin to sweat, one by one, the warm-ups come off. It might be 30 degrees outside, and there might be snow on the ground, but by the end of class the dancers have worked so hard that the temperature inside the studio gives an illusion of summer.

(I was thinking about this when I was coming home last night and thought it related to the magazine, so I decided to post it)

Magazine

Stuff that I could write for the mag:

1. I could write up something about children's theater. I could interview Leah and Cassie and some of the cast members on what it's like to put on a show that nobody's ever done before.

2. Nutcracker =) I could also interview company members and/or the artistic director of the ballet company or the ballet mistresses. I could ask the artistic director if he'd allow someone to come in and take pictures of a rehearsal.

3. A list of the best holiday treats. Ex mint chocolate candy canes, vinilla hot chocolate for people who aren't big chocolate lovers, Pillsbury Dough Boy cookies with santa on them (they're easy to make and they're delicious)

Acting in Company Class

My dance school has a theater dance company which I am a member of. The choreographer that we are working with right now is staging a number for us from Sweet Charity. The number starts out with a scene, which leads into the song, and into the huge dance break. Out of the 11 of the girls that are in company, only three or four of us are comfortable acting. We're all dancers, so we're all comfortable moving our bodies. But today when we were all given lines it was really interesting to observe the insecurities of the girls who aren't comfortable acting. Even though they speak every single day of their lives, when given somebody else's words to say they freeze up and become personality-less.

Now let me just say this. I'm not trying to be judgemental and I'm not critisizing them at all because I understand that acting can be a scary thing if you're new to it.

The choreographer, Stephen Reed was having a conversation with one girl after class and I was sort of listening in on their conversation. She doesn't like acting because she thinks she's bad, but she only thinks she's bad because she never tries, and she never tries because she doesn't like it. She's caught up in a terrible cycle.

I was talking with my sister about it when I got home tonight. You would never think this girl would be insecure about herself. But now that I really think about it, it makes complete sence. She always has to be good and perfect. Even when she's dancing. If she messes up, she appologizes and tries again. If she messes up a second time, she just gives up. She's affraid of not being the best and of looking less than perfect. It's kind of sad for her. Will she ever improve if she can't allow herself to mess up?

The product of today's work

I wrote a lot in class today. These are my two favorites:

He creates love every night

Sometimes with women, sometimes without

His creations of love always make things right

-which eventually lead to...

The jumping mega man has his head on a pillow

Bodies in the closet

A fresh woman's heels at the door