I arrived on set at 8am to a hive of activity and collaboration. Filming was already in full swing, the third consecutive 16-hour day. The scene was buzzing with energy and people: actors, producers, equipment crew, videographers, and director.
Photographing Mature Young Adults was my first time on a movie set, and needless to say, I was dazzled by the novelty and excitement. I arrived in time for a scene where the two main characters, Jon and Caitlin, are sitting on a picnic blanket, proclaiming their hopelessly clumsy love for one another. Transfixed, I watched them repeatedly film their lines, shivering under blankets in the morning cold between takes. Aahh, the true glamour of filmmaking.
As the day progressed, I was continually impressed with how seamlessly the crew worked together. Everyone was willing to do any task. Before I knew it I was loading equipment into the moving truck and acting as a security guard as the lead actor tore down a bike path, the movie crew hanging out of the back of a car to capture the scene. I photographed with intrigue as regular humans were transformed by makeup and costumes to become magical alien renegades with layer upon layer of orange and blue and weird. That this dynamic crew was keen on their work was evident.
Tragically, Kent Nolan, MYA’s director, died three weeks after filming. I was on a wide planetary orbit from the cast and crew, yet I could viscerally feel the impact of his death. As I prepared some MYA photos for a gathering in his honour, I visually saw the intimacy and respect that he shared with everyone. If the interactions I saw during my one day on set are representative of who he is, Kent was a director who cares about the entire team and all aspects of filmmaking. The crew rallied together with Kent’s energy and vision to bring the film to completion. I was stoked to be invited to the opening, and delighted to see how the scenes fit together from my day photographing stills.
Tech Specs
From the archives: Photographed August 21, 2014
Location: Scarborough, ON
Equipment: Canon 5diii, Canon 24-105mm, Canon 35mm, Canon 85mm
Next up
On Saturday I share some studio portraits with musician Kat Burns aka Kashka. For a teaser, have a listen to her music video Salmon Arms. You can also see a music video I produced with Kashka.
This Life by Selena Photography blog post about Arts and Entertainment was produced by Montreal photographer Selena Phillips-Boyle. You can see another behind-the-scenes project of the Montreal Action en Direct radio show, a project of the Montreal IWW.
Cet article de blogue sur les arts et le divertissement Life by Selena était produit par Selena Phillips-Boyle, photographe montréalaise.