Burn Outs

Canadian cinema is filled with domestic dramas. There are probably cultural reasons why we focus on small personal stories, but I think it mainly comes down to the practicality of shooting in easy-to-control spaces. That was the case for our film today, which unfolded almost entirely indoors to tell the story of a girl who loses her way and becomes a prostitute. We were certainly sheltered from the chaos of the streets, but had no fewer difficulties as a result.

Lighting was the biggest headache, as we tried to simulate the night and create an appropriately moody atmosphere for our two main actresses. That would have been a welcomed challenge, if all three of our light bulbs hadn’t burned out over the course of a few hours. So the team had to ramp up the creativity and I had to dig into my pockets a little deeper than anticipated to cover the unforeseen costs. I couldn’t complain too loud, however, since I was personally responsible for at least one broken bulb – undoubtedly the result being a little burned out myself.

Then, as we prepared for a steamy hotel scene with our star “lady of the night”, our star photographer, Bridget, felt ill and had to go home and lie down in our own hotel room. The rest of us eventually did get through the day – and part of the night – even capping everything off with a final club scene that got the entire crew dancing as “extras”. Busting a move was a welcomed change of pace, and a nice little release before the weekend. If only I would have had that other Canadian there to help me represent our inhibited “culture” on the dance floor.