I couldn’t tell you what happened during the last 17 hours of the 48 Hour Film Project because I wasn’t there. I thought initially that I might be but there isn’t one single ounce of me that is the least bit disappointed that we actors wrapped at 11 p.m. Saturday night. No slight on our crew. It was a team building, socially satisfying experience but to make it home for a night in my own bed, waking up without giant rings of stage makeup highlighting my eyes, well, that’s just priceless.

But I can tell about the last 14 hours of my “29-Hour” Film Project. I’m used to late nights so I didn’t look too haggard once I wiped all the black off. The crew set up for the yard sale scene across the street from Andrew’s house and routinely had to shoo away the Saturday shoppers that must regularly troll Herriman. It looked that real.

The sun slowly cast its shadows and fiery tongue. The backs of my legs never knew what hit them. I’m an idiot. We had sunscreen and everyone else seemed to be using it. I was just so caught up in the action. I care now.

Something about the price you pay for art tickled my brain but the pain kept the cliche from resonating. Now when I had to reshoot my scene from the previous night I wouldn’t have to call on past emotional pain. I got to experience real physical pain. Over and over again with EVERY SINGLE TAKE. So when (if) you watch me kneeling in jeans, that tortured sound in my voice is me feeling like someone is twisting my flesh with a hot curling iron. Yes, Folks, you heard me right. We had to reshoot because of the soft focus. The professional in me insisted I stick around to get er done even if it meant waiting six hours for nightfall. The girl in me thought, “Can’t we make what we have work?” I left it up to Andrew. I was there for him and I felt he was there for us. We weren’t slaves. We had a say. So when he made the call to go again I wanted to. Plus, I can be talked into almost anything for a Chinese dinner.

I’m guessing Liz felt the same way when Jarred – her husband and our editor – announced he “couldn’t find Scene 2”. That eventually came to mean we forgot to shoot Scene 2 and Liz, who thought she was just waiting for me for her ride home, now had one more scene to film as well. We had already said goodbye to Bryce, the Joes, Mamun, and Becky. We had no crew left besides Andrew on camera. Jarred and Daniel were downstairs editing and scoring respectively. Liz hoisted the boom and quickly got the hang of the sound equipment for my scene and I slept during hers (it was to be video only). We said our goodbyes to Andrew, Tara, Jarred and Daniel. They had one more day to make a movie. As we loaded up my car, they asked me to text to make sure I made it home safely. That was so cute. It’s like a weekend together made us family. I wish that Jim had stuck around till the end. He’s my acting coach and, to be honest, I was hoping for the opportunity to work with him as peers. I slept while he worked. He left before I woke up. He really didn’t have a reason to stick around so I can’t blame him. Plus, I know he had a hand in making sure all of the actors had a voice in the film so, Thanks, Jim!

The film has been submitted and all 30 shorts from Group A,B, & C will screen this Wednesday and Thursday at the Broadway Cinema at 7 and 9 p.m. (I prefer Brewvies but whatever). I can’t wait to see them all! The winner of the 48-Hr Film Project will be announced the following Wednesday, June 12, during the Best Of screenings. I’m sure you’re all wondering how does ours look? I don’t know. I hope it’s good. I hope it’s great. I’ll let you all judge. Time for bed.

Thanks to everyone involved with Off The Hook Productions. It was fun getting to know everyone even more. May we make many movies together in the future!

Eleven hours, three cups of coffee and four hours of sleep. After scripting our short we arranged the scenes for last night so Jim and Cami could be done. There was a moment where we wondered if those two would even be involved. I arrived on set (ie. Andrew’s house) to find the actors huddled on the street corner; pacing. What’s up? I’m not doing it. Doing what? He wants us to do a gay love scene and I’m not having a love scene with my brother. Huh? Do we need a gay lesbian theme on top of the romance genre we pulled? On Utah Pride Weekend? About a gay couple trying to be lured into heterosexuality? Let me talk to him, said Liz as she pulled up with her husband for the weekend project.

Ten minutes later. We’re not doing that but we all need to get in there and help brainstorm. Pet rocks, parties, killings in the basement were bandied around. We had to have a briefcase, the line- “as per his instructions”- and a character named Tom Percival who’s an historian included in the script. Thirty minutes and we had our new outline that everyone agreed could work and we left Andrew to type. The weekend was saved.

We sat around the front living room, texting, Facebooking, chatting; even working on scenes for our acting class. Andrew climbed up the steps with the first draft. Read and edit, he said as he handed us each a copy. He ran downstairs with the notes for tweaking. It was 9 p.m. We began shooting the first of our night scenes at 11 p.m. Those ones involved Jim and Cami. When they were shot, those lucky two would be done completely. I crawled into the upstairs bedroom for zzz’s as I wouldn’t be needed for a couple of hours. I heard the muffled voices below and thought I’d never fall asleep but then, dead silence. Everyone had gone outside for the shoot and I passed out.

It was 3 a.m. when they woke me for hair and makeup. My scene was simple- walk in the house, talk to the prop, distraught, and leave. The trouble came in the form of incessant auto traffic from the busy street outside. Even at 4 a.m. we had to work between the roar of motorcycles, trucks and motorhomes. Six takes later we had my scene in the can and Andrew called for a break until daylight. That meant two more hours to sleep. I had just opened my sleeping bag on the floor of Andrew’s daughter’s room when Joe knocked and asked to share the room. He took the twin bed and passed out before I had my pillow fluffed. It seemed minutes before there was another knock but it was 8:45 a.m. and time to set up the yard sale scene. After those, I’d be released! The final day (Sunday) was set aside for post production.

Our crew was a bit groggy; the morning spread barely took the edge off. While Tara did Liz’ hair, I snuck down to Jared for a peek at the dailies. The first thing I noticed was the too-soft focus on my scene- on every take. Uh Oh. Soon enough Andrew and Jared were discussing the situation. Looks like I’ll be waiting around for nightfall to reshoot the scene.

I tried to sleep. I know that I needed to and wanted to but sleep wouldn’t come last night. And then when it did it was scary. I kept dreaming that I was deep in the middle of the 48 Hour Project and as we watched the dailies played back I looked on worried. What the hell were we watching? None of it made sense. The acting was decent but it was all shot under some foggy blue filter (noirish?) and the story was so out there that there was no story. I’d watch scene after scene wondering how this would be any kind of film let alone one that had a chance at winning. I desperately wanted to say something but I was afraid to step on toes. Maybe the director had a vision I wasn’t seeing. How do I communicate that what was being shot was garbage? I tossed and turned and jolted upright; slumped back against my pillow. It wasn’t real. At least not yet. Soon we would make something real; something that told a provocative story. Hell, something that told a story!

It’s a troubled night you have when you know you should sleep because it’s your only chance before the weekend. Starting now I’m up for the next 48 hours straight. I’ve had a nap today and now we await the genre selection……