Rehearsals this week

Hi again blog,

I met with Monique and Rachel for an hour on both Tuesday and Thursday to rehearse their scenes together. I have taught them the necessary Arabic phrases and we have gone over the French together. They are both doing really well adding depth to the characters but it's been a little bit of a process balancing out the characters so that Nour isn't too dominant and Layla too old-worldly. Oh well, we'll see. I think it'll be good. We start filming tomorrow.

--Hannah

Teeny-tiny update:

I called back one of the officers that Chief Hanna referred to us, but although he was actually really interested in the project and really great on the phone, his schedule doesn't look like he'll be free to film for two weeks. Looks like we might have to go with one of our back-up plans.

--Hannah

What Jackson Said

This weekend the three of us met up with the actresses a couple of times, firstly to go over the script with them in English and then we busted out the French/Arabic/English (aka Frarabish) script. The initial reading went well but all parties were really hesitant to whip out the cameras and film them at it.

On Sunday the three of us met and blocked out the action and the lighting for both scenes; that night we met with the ladies to do the Frarabish script.

I'm still waiting to here back from the Assistant chief and from my mate in Morocco as to whether he is going to come through for us with the footage---ahhhh hope soooooooooooo

--Hannah

Sunday (10/24)

Today the three of us met at our shooting location to arrange exactly how the scene will be blocked. Later that day we met with the actors again to rehearse the script in French.

-Jackson

Thursday (10/21)

At 7:00pm we all met with the two actresses to rehearse the script in English. They both did a fantastic job, and we think that they will have no problem with it. However, both of them needed more time to look over the script before the actual shooting began. After they left, the three of us stayed after to discuss the shots, storyboard, and to go over the tentative shooting schedule. We agreed that this weekend will be used to set up the shot using the camera and lights so that we will be completely ready to film when the actors are ready. This will ensure the actors' time is not wasted.

-Jackson

Rehearsing

Yesterday we all met with Rachel and Monique and had a read-through that went really, really well. Today we're going to spend more time with them giving them direction and back-story and helping them get adjusted to having their dialogue be in French.

After the rehearsal, we spent a good while planning out some shots and the look of the film some more.

I'm still translating. Bahhhhhhhhhhh.

I'm going to call back the Assistant Chief today and see what goes on with that, will keep you posted.

-Hannah

Plans, yay!

Hi blog!

Hannah again, just letting you know what's the dilly yo:

Met with Rachel Berger today and planned out days to rehearse this week and time slots for this and the next two weekends to film.

Meeting with Monique St. Cyr tonight to do the same although I know their schedules are compatible.

Calling back Assistant Chief Hanna tomorrow to follow up on Syrian-American actors.

Meeting with Joe Moussa tomorrow to translate the Arabic part.

Meeting with Aayesha and then with the costume shop to snag some clothes.

Still translating the French bit.

Met with Jake yesterday and came up with a bunch of ideas:

• Jake wants to emulate a bangin' sounding spinny camera thingie from Precious--scary, but I love it
• I want to do something a little Requiem of a Dream-esque with the split-screen/close-up/awesomeness of the lovers scene from the movie for scene 3 of our movie.
• Uhh....dang it, I left the paper in my other bag, but we had some other cool ideas, so....yeh.

Jake and Jackson are meeting up at the moment and then the three of us are getting together later.

That's all!

--Hannah

Another lil update

Still working on translating the script (I'm keeping an English version for reference) and working on getting the two girls' voices to sound more distinct. Funnily enough, it's a little easier in French-Arabic (aka Frarabic, my favourite language) but the translating's a hassle because in making it authentic-sounding, I'm ignoring the rules to both languages and I'm a lil worried about how hard it is going to be for the actresses to do. But it's still going to be the most awesome movie ever, so that's OK.

--Hannah

Just interesting:

I just found the video of the same-sex wedding in Morocco that was the sort-of-kind-of inspiration/catalyst for writing the original script. Huh. Funny, because there's no evidence of the actual case online, just this, so I thought I'd share:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oDEzy17sJo

Bye!

Hannah

Some things

On Friday, we called the Assistant Chief about either being in our movie or with helping scouting out the Syrian-American community in Allentown for people to either be in it or help with our character development/honesty of the syntax/structure of the interrogation scene--thanks again for that! He called me back yesterday afternoon and said that he's asking around on our behalf but he has to clear it with the Chief first. If that goes well (which he think he will--he was optimistic because of the civil rights aspect of the movie) then he'll ask about, both in the community and amongst his colleagues. He's a wee bit skeptical about being in it, but not 100% so, so we shall see.

Jackson's mate Joe (a senior here) is fluent in Arabic so I'm definitely hitting him up for help translating some of the script into Arabic (I'm proooooobably aka definitely going to ask your wife to check my French) and see if Joe wants to be in it.

I love the idea of the interrogation scene: If we have a single light flooding Layla on the chair, we can have the Policeman/Judge/Dude character circling her but never show his face. Joe's a little shorter I think to be too intimidating so maybe Jake or Jackson could be the body-in-shadow but we could use some extreme-closeups of Joe/judge-man such as with his feet walking on the dusty floor to add the general level of awesomeness of the scene.

I think it could be cool to play with sound: I want to have a whispering-y effect if Layla's voice praying as though to herself whilst she's getting interrogated and maybe some close-ups of her hands counting prayer beads.

I'm working on translating the script and when I see Jake tomorrow we'll share blocking ideas which we'll do again when Jackson gets back. By that point, we'll have our storyboard, kinda, not fully but definitely some.

Also, my mate in Morocco responded, he said he'd be glad to help but he's super busy for the next few weeks so I am going to see if I can persuade/badger/ask-him-super-really-nicely and see if he can help within the next two.

Phew. That's all!

Cheers,

Hannah

Update!

Hi blogg-blogg,
Last week, the guys came over and we chatted about the script some more; we want Nour to be more likeable and Layla less naive old-worldly to negate some of the colonialism-vibe that pops up sometimes.
We discussed starting the film with a close-up shot of Layla's feet running through Moroccan-y red dirt/broken pavement to give the film some location without having to fully recreate the country.
We also talked about an intro scene in a shop with one of the ladies buying a treat/something for the other on her way to the mosque. During the week we met up for lunch at ACI, this Middle Eastern shop and restaurant I know. I'm waiting to hear back from a lady I spoke with about using the space. Another Muslim friend of mine said that I can borrow her clothes for the ladies.
Auditions were OK-- only 8 or so people shows up but I have a couple of other mates who are actresses who I am trying to schedule individual times with so that the lads can see them. The chap who played the Judge in the play last year tried out for the same role, so that's an option. We're also trying to contact older Arab men that we know (0f) --wow that sounds sketchy, but it's not.
Aaaaanyways, more to come!

Hannah