I never learn to be a better filmmaker when everything goes perfectly. Though I aim for smooth shoot days, it’s when things go wrong that I learn the most about filmmaking—and any art form. This particular oner was tough to shoot, and I went home thinking we didn’t get it. Exasperated by the equipment truck never arriving for pickup on our hard out, tears were shed when I got home. Welcome to filmmaking! This scene required choreography, not just for the performers but for the crew. As Cody exits the stairs and slips into the red room to change, Marla dances in the living room with bright daylight streaming through a rigged window. The tricky part? As we move into the red room with the dancing couple, Evelyn is body doubling for Marla. We had to ensure her face stayed off-camera while the outside light was dimmed, and the crew was flying in behind camera with a black panel and door for the 360 shot. Any timing mistakes, and we’d catch light from the prop door. Meanwhile, Marla runs around and reappears. The cast and crew nailed their choreography, but things kept going wrong. We mistakenly had a fog machine instead of haze (yes, I learned they’re different—one creates atmosphere, the other makes it look like the house is burning down). Resetting for the fog and dealing with a malfunctioning Ronin that kept pointing at the ceiling right at the end of the 2 min shot was rough. And, of course, the generator ran out of fuel (no lights), and it started raining on the outdoor equipment. (Note to self: always have extra fuel.) Which brings us back to the no equipment truck and at home tears. But the next day, Jon and I sat down to edit, and to our surprise, we got the shot and even found spots to hide two edits. Hooray! We had a film. Can you guess where the edits are? I’m grateful to the cast and crew for sticking with me and being incredible. I grew a lot as a filmmaker on this one. Watch the full film in the previous post or link in bio! Director/ Producer/ Choreographer: @KateHarpootlian DP: @jon_a_thas Producer/ 1st AD: @DrowsyGator Editor/Colorist: @jon_a_thas Movement Collaborator: @MarlaPhelan Dancers: @MarlaPhelan & @HaymanCody