Production Journal #3
This is part 2 if my previous blog where I posted about my actor Oscar and his audition for my next film project. Recently, I met with a potential actress or (non-actress) named Jenn who auditioned for the role of Oscar's girlfriend Olivia. Like Oscar, Jenn has never had any acting experience and I quickly reassured her that she should not worry about it. Similarly to Oscar's audition, I asked Jenn to go through the one scene of dialogue I had written and to read straight through it. Once she was able to get a feel of the scene and of her character, I asked her to put down the script and just talk with me in character. I wanted her to respond in any way she thought her character would and the result was something that I didn't at all expect.
Jennifer Saaty - Still from her audition footage
When I originally wrote the script, the first dialogue scene between the couple was supposed to reflect their stressed relationship. My idea was that their interaction introduced the viewer to an already strained relationship. In the scene, Olivia (the main characters girlfriend) wakes up the hung over Oscar who has slept through work and is on the verge of being fired. The exchange between the two reflects how frustrated and jaded Olivia has become with Oscar and how she's at the end of her rope with him. My original idea was for the dialogue to be an angry back and forth between the two of them as she tries to convince him to get up and get back on track. The way I had it written, Olivia was so angry towards Oscar that I began to wonder why they have ever been together in the first place? It just wasn't believable, the dialogue had no human voice. What I really wanted to get across was that the two characters, though going through a rough patch, where sill in love with each other and were still hoping for things to get better. I wanted to express this through the films visuals and the physical gestures of the actors, but my dialogue wasn't expressing this and that needed to change.
Sweet Jenn - Stills from Jenn's audition footage
The second Jenn put herself into the role, everything changed. Her take on the character was sweet and tender hearted while still discontent with her boyfriend. She was able to humanize her character as well as Oscar's, just by being herself. I find this approach to the character and her situation much more powerful then I had originally written it because the contrast between the characters sweetness and the bitterness of the failing relationship I think makes a bigger and more realistic statement.
This wednesday, I'm going to bring both my actors together so that I can see how they interact with one another. If all goes well, I can make my final decisions on casting and move on to finally shooting the film. I'm also still working on the title. As soon as I figure it out I will let you know!
Diana
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