Shooting today with Emma, Lila, Sierra, Kyra, Dee, Emerson, Brittney, Abbie, Catie, and, of course, the delightful Christopher Harris (aka The Grown Up Man on "Ghost Sniffers").
While Lila, Kyra, Brittney and Catie -- aided and abetted by Abbie and Dee -- gave powerful performances with emotional depth some might find surprising for a kids' show, they also wound up filling my chest with such admiration. How could I be so happy that Lila fell so into her role that tears filled her eyes? How could I be so touched that Brittney was so believable as a mother suffering unspeakable loss? And for Kyra to act opposite her real life mom, Dee, and then have to step through the motions of losing her? Or for Abbie to step in as Catie's big sister on short notice, to fully inhabit the role, to give 120% for a character that appears in only three images? Catie did her best work for the series today and I'm sure she's thankful to Abbie for making her scene complete.
So many amazing moments today!
Episode 11 is split four ways -- between stories being told by the Four; Maxo lost in a fantastical wood; Maximilian narrating the adventure, and three magical fey with their Lord and Lady of Light. The first and last of those story lines filmed entirely today. The stories of the Four were filled with the powerful, emotional moments I just mentioned, and the fey with their Lord and Lady... well, they were a dream come true.
With Season 1 drawing to a close, I continue to try to craft sniffs from actors. To make the audience believe that the human actors they see before them -- not covered in thousands of dollars in makeup -- are actually mythological creatures with unknown and curious powers. This quest of mine began with the skeleton flock in Episode 4, expanded to the Bunny and the Four in Episode 6, then tested the waters (adding ample special effects) with the Mythos in Episode 8. Finally, with the fey and their lord and lady, I think I found the missing piece. I needed not just the best actors, fully invested in their roles (I've been blessed to have that before) but actors willing to memorize, to emote, and to speak in verse :)
I am the luckiest director in the world.
When disabilities become super abilities, young heroes prove what's real and what's ridiculous. Visit our website at tinyurl.com/ghostsniffers or join us on Facebook at tinyurl.com/ghostsniffersFB
