Last weekend, my husband Walker and I became officers in the United States Navy. We were plunged into the tense world of David, a film that Walker's good friend (and cinematography major) Joel is in the process of making. I played a drone communications and missile officer, while Walker played a technical analyst. Along with us played several other volunteer actors and actresses as naval officers. We were involved in a battle scene, riddled with action and emotion, that tested the limits of our incredibly limited skills as actors.
The set was a large store closet made into a bunker, complete with a (tattered) American flag, time zone clocks, the targets' faces taped to the wall, some purposefully placed lights, and a TON of high-tech equipment. Grace was given the role of video-feed monitor and projector protector, which meant that she kept people (amidst the chaos) from accidentally knocking the projector from its stand, which was a box. Despite the seriousness of the scene, her beautiful smile is evidence of how much fun we were having.
The preparation took a little over an hour. The director (center) briefly went over what he expected of us after we were in costume. For one of our scenes, a
wheelchair-confined war veteran came to present the main character with a
medal. He was a lovely and friendly older gentleman and he asked us if
we knew how to properly stand at attention. We didn't, so he instructed
us himself!
Adam (left) was the drone pilot! We had so much fun with our working headsets, and had whispered Marco Polo matches between takes with Grace, Kyle and Callum, our fellow officers. The large foam microphone covers make for a funny sight. We did many takes, trying to react properly and provide good audio of the chaotic goings-on, while shooting from several different angles. We were given suggestions for lines and military-like code words, but we were given a lot of freedom in how we executed them. It was challenging, but also exciting as we strove to improve every take.
Overall, it was an incredible and awesome six-hour experience, and a definite break from routine and monotony. I can't wait to see the finished product of David, and it was such a privilege to participate as an extra in a work that we all hope will be extraordinary!
The set was a large store closet made into a bunker, complete with a (tattered) American flag, time zone clocks, the targets' faces taped to the wall, some purposefully placed lights, and a TON of high-tech equipment. Grace was given the role of video-feed monitor and projector protector, which meant that she kept people (amidst the chaos) from accidentally knocking the projector from its stand, which was a box. Despite the seriousness of the scene, her beautiful smile is evidence of how much fun we were having.
Adam (left) was the drone pilot! We had so much fun with our working headsets, and had whispered Marco Polo matches between takes with Grace, Kyle and Callum, our fellow officers. The large foam microphone covers make for a funny sight. We did many takes, trying to react properly and provide good audio of the chaotic goings-on, while shooting from several different angles. We were given suggestions for lines and military-like code words, but we were given a lot of freedom in how we executed them. It was challenging, but also exciting as we strove to improve every take.Overall, it was an incredible and awesome six-hour experience, and a definite break from routine and monotony. I can't wait to see the finished product of David, and it was such a privilege to participate as an extra in a work that we all hope will be extraordinary!