Shooting Day.

I had a fantastic day shooting the commercial on Sunday....
We shot the "Happy Deb" stuff at a hair salon on Alberni, where a stylist played with my hair as I grinned at myself maniacally in a mirror. This is to represent the joyful effects of the wonder-drug. The "after" portion of the before-and-after.
The shoot went quickly and efficiently. The crew seemed to be mostly from New York, including the photographer who took the shots of me for the print campaign. That was fun. I got to pretend to be a model, though I must get teeth fixed if I'm going to be doing anymore of this smiley-gal stuff. The photographer said I was "easy to shoot". Looks like I learned a few things hanging out with a couple of photographers for 13 years.
I kept catching glimpses of myself in the salon mirrors. Of course, it helps when you have about a TON of professionally applied make-up on, but damn, when lit well, I can be a good-looking dame.....kinda blew my mind to be cast as the "pretty girl". Always thought of myself as a more "character" type, know what I mean? Weird......
After that we went on to my favourite portion of the day. We shot the "Depressed Deb" stuff in the back of a moving taxi, where I looked moodily out of the window. I had painted-on undereye circles and greasy hair. This part I really enjoyed because, not only had I never shot in a moving car before, but it actually required some acting chops. It was nice that the director actually was a very good "actor's director". He supplied a lot good images and "as-if's". I was in the cab with the director beside me with a monitor in his lap, a driver, and the Director of Photography in front of me wrapped around the big-ass camera that was mere inches from my face in tight close-up. Yum. Close-up. We drove around for a half-hour or so, getting footage.
I was aware that that there was a monitor back at the location that was being watched by various crew, the ad-agency, and folks from the pharmaceutical company but, oddly enough, that didn't make me self-concious at all. I was just so focussed on making sure that they got what they needed from me, that I didn't think of it at all.
It was funny. When we got back to location, the wardrobe people, whom I had spent the morning yucking it up with, were looking at me a little funny. A few said "Wow..that was really good. Really moving...do you need a hug?". I think they forgot that I was, in fact, an actor. The director said,"Well she's a good actor. That's why we cast her." My ego goes boom.
A lady from the pharmaceutical company came over to talk to me. She said, "That was excellent. Just what we needed." I think that improves my chances of actually making it into the ad. If the CLIENT is happy........
Over the course of the day, I made sure to savour it. I mean, you never know...I may never work again.

I have to go now, but I'm sure I'll blab-on about different insights I had over the day. THEN maybe I'll shut-up about it......