An Ensemble Assembles
It's one thing to audition in a closed room for one casting director, or for a table-full of nine or ten producers in suits.

It's quite another thing to audition in front of an entire nation, an entire globe. Quite a daunting prospect. Who would subject themselves to such scrutiny? Why?

Surely they must feel passionately about the project they are auditioning for. They follow the links, they study the show, they learn the complicated ins-and-outs of taping, digitizing, uploading. They think long and hard about how to approach their role.

They are allowed total freedom, and yet at times such open-ended opportunity inspires confusion. 'Creative paralysis' as an article in the Lo...
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Posted by Christian Badami on September 29, 2007 - 13 comments - digg it

View of a Crew
When action is called, you always know where Helmut and Geert are… Schleppi is on Camera One, somewhere in sight. Heetebrij is nearby, script in hand, source audio headphones on. It’s not always so easy to find Shari Odell. As Second Camera, she will often vanish in search of new and remote camera positions.

Shari calls it ‘lurking’ and she’s well-known in Hollywood for her skills at this type of coverage. Between takes, you can sometimes play the game of ‘Find Shari.’ You might spot her in the branches of a tree - how did she get up there? You might catch her silhouette behind a distant second-floor window screen. Or you may spy a glimpse of her dashing between foliage like a s...
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Posted by Christian Badami on June 15, 2007 - 0 comments - digg it

Page of Possibility
There I was, in an air-conditioned concrete and steel casting office - putting my face through a cardboard cut-out of a big spoon. “Now, pretend you are dipping in, and really enjoy the ice cream” they remind me, “because you are a spoon.” What was I doing there? Trying for a goofy commercial I didn’t even really want to be in?

This was months ago. As I left the silly spoon try-out, ‘The Interior’ was on my mind.

In the weeks before the final casting decisions, we were all in that limbo of waiting. And I was being hit with a wave of embarrassment at having put myself out there on YouTube. The truth is, I was sure I didn’t stand a chance.

One of those nights, I flipped by a...
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Posted by Christian Badami on May 25, 2007 - 2 comments - digg it

Helmut Shoots the Moon
We arrive back at our coastal base camp, tired but inspired from a busy day’s shoot.

I notice something in the darkness, far out on the ocean pier… a small red light. I head down the wooden walkway and get a better idea what it is - Helmut is crouched on the planks with his camera aimed up, shooting the night sky. Fast moving back-lit clouds pass between the lens and a brilliant bright moon… Helmut waits patiently for the perfect cloud-pass-reveal.

Meanwhile in the courtyard, cast and crew settle in to the various activities that occupy our brief free time… Hanna teaches Texas Hold ‘Em to new recruits, she’s drawn a neat diagram showing the winning hands ranked. We bet scraps of...
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Posted by Christian Badami on May 19, 2007 - 0 comments - digg it

Night Closes In
After one long day of jungle shooting, a few of us wait for the second run of transport vehicles so we can play some Texas Hold ‘Em. David is always up for a game and he takes a seat. Hanna deals by the lanterns of the canopy dining hut. On every table you will find a half-empty bottle of “Off!”… and you better use it, especially when that sun goes down.

Fireflies float and loop in the darkness that surrounds us. Some dance high among tall treetops. Other species hover low and slow at dusk, flashing yellow at a steady pace - like road-side caution blinkers. It’s easy to catch one of these Lampyridae and examine its mysterious light source.

Gustavo is here, watching as cards ...
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Posted by Christian Badami on May 10, 2007 - 0 comments - digg it