Shooting Episode 2: Day 7

Cobra are hard to work with. Seriously.

Today's shooting was all in manufactured sets -- a conservatory, a basement FB(Paranormal)I office, an office hallway. It reminded me of all the things I love about theater -- the suspension of disbelief, embracing the quarter walls and impressionistic set pieces.

Shooting today involved 94 shots captured in 112 takes (1.19:1) and the realization that rain into every (Pacific Northwest) life must fall. It has been a startlingly dry winter but the skies opened up for us today... most likely because we were schedule to shoot two pivotal scenes outside. One of these scenes involved an expensive, borrowed stringed instrument and the other scene involved two principles on their bellies on the ground. Err... yeah. Both scenes were rescheduled to be shot "the very first day without rain."

Challenges followed us inside, though, as Maxwell was in half the scenes today but was really struggling with his asthma. I know that weather changes sometime trigger his asthma but it was hard because he loves acting so much and was really struggling to catch his breath and not cough. There were breaks for honeyed tea and Vicks rubs aplenty but I always expect there to be special considerations for both kids' conditions. In many ways, Diabetes, Autism and Maxwell's asthma and allergies are a wild card contingency -- not unlike the weather; it's certainly worth it to work with Maxwell and Faith.

Two more days of shooting are left. Tomorrow, in the "Big City of Seattle," and then those tricky "no rain required" scenes. Post-production is going to be a 24/7 bear for three or four days... but again, well worth it.

Oh right! The cobra. So today we had to work a cobra into ten shots. Why? Because we're "Ghost Sniffers" and the outrageous is our every day :) How did it work out? Well, no one was bitten but the cobra was a diva (divo?) or the highest order and I will absolutely *not* be working with him again ;)