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A snow covered field in Vandalia IL

Saturday started early… Real early.  And it felt even earlier, because I can never sleep the night before a shooting day.  It’s roughly 50% adrenaline and 50% nerves, along with the last minute running around to get everything ready to go for shooting.  Batteries charged… check.  Cameras cleaned off and ready to go… check.  Sound equipment packed and ready… check.  Wardrobe. Props. Directions. Crew.  Cast. Script. Shot list.  It seems like a never ending checklist.  And by the time it’s all set and ready to go, 5:00 AM comes way too early.

We get going reasonably on time, and pick up Julian for the long drive.  I can see he’s as tired and anxious as we are.  It’s supposed to be in the 50’s all week next week.  The snow will be gone, and we have a lot to shoot.  No pressure Julian.   There’s only so much snow, and the forecast which originally called for 35 degrees is now calling for 44.  Oh well.  We’ll get done what we get done.  The upshot is we have Tim and Maria with us, so we can get more done, but Mike is absent which puts me back in the doubt zone.  Nothing I can do about it now.

Kelly drives three passengers.  Julian, me and Mister Barrister, who’s greedily hogging up seating for 2.

We arrive and Clark is his excited, chipper self, and Mandy is as great as ever.  I really do like the Pearson family.  Great people!  We saddle up, and get to the location.  And it’s on.  Fortunately the crew has done these shots before, so we can cut out a lot of the explanation.  Julian is set… and ACTION!

HOLY SHIT!

After working with four casts, you begin to get a feel for the different kinds of actors.  Some need a breakdown.  Some need answers.  Some offer suggestions, and some just feel there way through each take.  Julian and Clark just nail it, right out of the gate.  Honestly, this is the least amount of directing I’ve ever had to do.  They both just get it.  I can’t believe Julian has only had the script a week.  He has such a great feel for the character.  Other than a few tweaks to scenes, and a little bit of pacing, we fly through everything I wanted to get done.  And then we get to the moment…

Clark needs to have a very emotional moment.  It’s a scene that HAS to be right.  Mandy and I quickly discuss the scene.  She asks that we get set and ready to go, and she’ll bring Clark over when he’s ready.  We set up.  Mandy takes Clark aside, and they go through the scene.  When she brings him over, he’s ready.  I say “Action!”, and we go.

Damn it.  I need another take. And I feel like a jerk for asking for it…

And Clark again delivers. At the end of it, he stops, smiles and says… “I forgot a line”

I want just one more to make sure everything is right.  Mandy pulls Clark aside again, and in just a few minutes we go again.  And it is absolutely perfect.  When I yell “CUT!” Kelly is crying.  Julian just looks and says “That was intense.”

It’s flawless.

Clark smiles.  “What are we doing next?”  Mandy asks if we’re doing the next scene.

Nope.  That is plenty for today.

Grandma Pearson makes dinner again while we’re out shooting for the day.  She makes chicken and dumplings again.  Thanks again Grandma P!  I don’t think anyone is ever going to say “no” to your chicken and dumplings.  They are awesome!

We get home just after 7:00.  It’s dark out.  We quickly unload the van, and pull the footage immediately.  I do a quick sync so I can see what we have on that last scene.  We watch, and Kelly cries again.

Karen, Maria, and Tim get back a bit later, and I show them.  We all agree, it’s dead on.

Sunday is another filming day.  It’s supposed to get up into the 50’s. More on that to come…