Our Interview on New York Cine Radio (Seed&Spark Update 8)

Kelsey & I were guests on New York Cine Radio last night. As I mentioned in my third update, I've been on the show twice before, but this was Kelsey's first appearance. We had a ton of fun and would love it if you listened to our interview. It's the first 40 minutes of the episode. We start off touching base on the progress of my feature Summit and talking about "Kelsey" (the webseries) a little. Then we focus on the 2 shorts we're crowdfunding for during the rest of the interview. We do jump around a bit to other topics though, notably about women in film and roles for women, and why I chose Seed&Spark over Kickstarter. Give it a listen if you'd like further insight into us and our work.

We do stick around for the rest of the show where we chime in with our opinions on "Community" and then witness the guys choose their Star Wars characters for a role playing game they'll be starting on the next episode, which I have to admit was quite entertaining and rather 'Community-esque' in its own right. Listen here & enjoy!

We also appeared in yesterday's episode of the Us vs Film Podcast. That one was just their 5 minute 'Meet the Filmmakers' segment. It was very brief and didn't offer much context for the films, but hopefully their listeners will take an interest in our campaign. We appreciate that they featured us regardless.

We're so close to 35% funded and are pushing to reach 40% today, so please keep spreading the word. We can't do it without more generous people like you behind us. Thank you again for supporting and believing in us! 

Tweet of the Day: Hear @craia9 & @aspirethis discuss their @seedandspark campaign on @NewYorkCine http://ow.ly/yrgO9 . Then support: http://ow.ly/yrgVS

Have a great day,

Christina 

'Kelsey' Press & Interview Wrap-Up

Now that "Kelsey" has officially come to a close, we thought we'd wrap up all the awesome interviews & press we got during the show's run. 

In addition to having all our episodes featured on AfterEllen, One More Lesbian, and the PNT TV Network since our premiere, we started getting featured on SheWired about halfway through the season as well, with incredibly positive reviews & comments! We were the number 1 show on PNT TV for every single episode, and we were featured on a couple wonderful lists on AfterEllen with comparisons to SNL and other Primetime shows. 

Our first big buzz was actually on BuzzFeed itself with the 8 Lesbian Web Series you should have on your radar, as mentioned in the pilot episode post. We were also on National Television, though it did not end up being as cool as it originally seemed. That experience can be read about in Christina's words here. 

The biggest news to announce is that the series made the cut for Indiewire's Critic List: 2013's Best Comedy Web Series, and 18 More You Need to Watch Now! We then were featured on Indiewire again with their list 15 Women-Driven Web Series That Could Be the Next 'Broad City' (which was an exciting comparison because Broad City started as a no-budget web series until Amy Poehler took it to Comedy Central).

We got some amazingly positive reviews along the way:

• Eli David of the WebVee Guide reviewed us after binge watching the series.

• New York Cine Radio talked about the first episode in their 89th Podcast episode from 15:00 to 28:30 and gave the series 4.5 out of 5 'Sandwiches.'

And we did some fun interviews:

• Christina & Kelsey answer some questions by Fetch of Fetch & Femme.

• Christina & Kelsey video chat with PNT TV creator Tamara Spicer.

• Kelsey did a Q&A with Kings River Life Magazine.

We only featured the highlights in this post. For a full list of our press, check out the Kelsey Facebook Page. 

Although there will be no additional episodes of the series, we hope that audiences will continue to discover and enjoy the show. If we get any new press for the series, we'll be sure to keep you updated. (We may actually be doing a Panel tour at LGBT Film Festivals later this year to talk about the show & our upcoming work. So, we will definitely have news on that, and look forward to meeting some of our out-of-town fans!)

If you're unaware of the fact that we wont be continuing the series, feel free to read our last post for details; and be sure to check out our Seed&Spark campaign for our 2 new short films launching on June 10th. As said in the post, we'll be giving away our outlines for what would have been Seasons 2 & 3 of 'Kelsey,' including the Series Finale script to all fans who give at least $10!

Thank you again for supporting us and watching the show! 

-Christina, Kelsey & the Team. 

Christina & Kelsey Talk 'Kelsey' & What's Next

Christina & Kelsey made a video for the fans of 'Kelsey' to let them know what's next for the creative duo. Below it is Kelsey's recap statement that you could alternatively or additionally read, but feel free to watch the video if you'd like to hear more of what they have to say. And be sure to support and share their Seed&Spark campaign, planning to launch on June 10th. 

Thanks for watching & supporting!

I remember celebrating my birthday on the first read-through of all episodes. It was the first time the cast and crew were introduced to the entire season, and the energy in the room was phenomenal. I remember the excitement and giddiness I felt of what was to come.

And here, a year later, I can say that I'm so proud of what we made happen. It's all thanks to some very talented individuals, who despite constant curveballs and uncertainties remained collected and helped the first season of ‘Kelsey’ come to fruition. Christina and I set out to make a show that was, first of all, one that both of us would want to watch, and one that would give representation to individuals who tend to get neglected on mainstream television. It feels like we accomplished both in an entertaining way, and we're truly proud of that. 

Now that season one has come to an end, the question of ‘Kelsey’s future has become very prevalent. Christina and I had worked out what we would want to do creatively with two more seasons if/when the series acquired a following. Christina and I funded the entire first season out of pocket, putting us in not insignificant credit card debt, because we knew we were making something we believed in and something we wanted to share with others. But we always knew that we'd have to Crowdfund if we wanted to continue. Luckily, it seemed like that was a very viable option with our fanbase. You wanted more and we wanted to give you more. 

However, unfortunately, the plan to keep going with the series will not become a reality. At the end of the day, making a film/tv show/web series is a business, which entails a lot of negotiation and compromise. While in discussion about the upcoming season, some key members of the series had expectations we simply could not meet. We are a small production company that works with minimal budgets and has never seen a profit; so the payoff for most of the work we do is getting to produce content that we're passionate about and sharing the finished products that we put our pride and joy into with an accepting & grateful audience. To be frank, we aren’t willing to sacrifice our integrity or the passionate work environment that we strive to create for our team just to please a select few. That in no way discredits the hard work that has gone into the first season by all. We want to thank everyone from the crew & cast for their dedication and talented contributions. But the time to move on to bigger & brighter creative prospects has come. 

Christina and I left 'Kelsey' season one on a cliffhanger, figuring it would be a creative push for us to continue. Had things gone the way we planned, we'd be delivering on that decision. We apologize to anyone who feels let down by the fact that we can't. However, we do not want to let fans of the show down by any means. We will continue to put out work together and prove that we're a team worth your trust and support. Our next projects are two short films, both about siblings. We’re exploring a different genre with these two pieces. They address the topic of loss, one with two brothers and one with two sisters. Not unsurprisingly, they are based on personal experiences that I have gone through. We want to show the versatility of what we can portray; but you will get the same (or better) quality in storytelling and production value. We're excited to announce that we'll again be collaborating with our 'Kelsey' Cinematographer Peter Westervelt as well as much of the core production crew members. We're also excited to announce that Lauren A. Kennedy (Joanne on 'Kelsey' & Jesse in Christina's feature film Summit) will be playing one of the sisters.

We are planning to Crowdfund for these pieces, so keep an eye out on CongestedCat.com for our Seed&Spark.com campaign in June. Seed&Spark is one place to fund & follow, discover & watch indie films. We’re aiming to launch our campaign on June 10th and will have 30 days to raise $20,000. This money will go towards production costs as well as paying all of the crew and cast for their work. The creators and cast often get all the glory when it comes to film. The crew members and how hard they have to work to make it all come together is often overlooked. Christina has managed to find an incredibly talented and passionate crew and it is time that they also reap more of the benefits. I know Christina feels very strongly about this and I, too, am consistently amazed and inspired by the work that they bring to every shoot. So, $20,000 may seem like a lot of money but we want these shorts to be products that the crew & cast are not only proud to be part of, but also are able to make a small income from. Most of them exclusively work freelance, and most are doing majority unpaid gigs. 

So, thank you! Thank you for reading this. Thank you for watching and supporting our show. And thank you for the positive response we’ve gotten. We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve accomplished so far and extremely humbled by the amazing reactions from fans. We sincerely hope you will give us a chance to show you other sides of our talents.

You’ll find our Seed&Spark campaign posted on this blog in 6 weeks. And, please note, even if you don’t have any funds to contribute, sharing goes a long way!

In the meantime, tweet at us, leave a comment, re-watch 'Kelsey,' check out the other fun projects CongestedCat Productions has been working on.

Sincerely,

Kelsey (on behalf of myself, Christina & the rest of the CongestedCat team)

- - -

We're Casting for 2 of the roles! Read below if you're interested. 

• "We Had Plans"

Director: Christina Raia  Writer: Kelsey Rauber

PREMISE:

Diana & Liz are two adult sisters who love and respect each other more than anyone else in the world. But their future plans are tested upon receiving news.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: 

DIANA, 30s, Caucasian, the older sister who has grown up taking care of her younger sister. But roles shifted a little upon the realization that Diana cannot have kids. She is a little quirky and slightly needy. Also, a lesbian. 

*Non-union only. Production will happen over 1 day in July (additional details upon callbacks).

• "Not Our Living Room"

Director: Christina Raia  Writer: Kelsey Rauber

PREMISE:

Two brothers get ready for their moms' anniversary party, but quickly realize something is very wrong with their environment when they try to leave the room.

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: 

CHRIS: 22-28 age range, he's fun loving and easy going. The younger, more carefree brother. He jogs, so is in pretty good shape. The actor playing the other brother (JAKE) is caucasian. Ideally, Chris would be mixed race because we want them to be half-siblings & reflect diversity. But caucasian actors should definitely apply as well.

*Non-union only. Production will happen over 1 day in July (additional details upon callbacks).

Directing 'Kelsey' - Episodes 9 & 10

Christina here, back with the final post for my 'Directing Kelsey' blog series. Sorry this is a week late, I was super busy last week preparing for our IndieWorks: Best of Fest. But without further ado, here I go...

Episode 9 (Drive Through) is another one of my favorite episodes. Since episode 8 officially established them as a group, we were allowed to have a lot of subtext-heavy fun with their dynamics together; and we got to throw Joanne into the mix to make it more interesting. 

One thing that makes this episode stand out is that they're not at any of their usual hangouts. They're also not drinking, which allowed for a change of pace in terms of our usual comedic go-to's. A lot of the comedy in this episode comes from tension between characters. 

This episode is also special because it's our first/only completely linear episode. It's all one timeline with no flashbacks. It's meant to allude to what Kelsey Rauber & I planned for the next season, with Kelsey not living in the past quite as much. (Similarly, episode 10 only flashes back to the post-sex OMG's, the rest is linear). Additionally it , again, played into our plans to take the series in a more ensemble direction with Kelsey still as the central character but maybe not such an overt focal point. 

Also the only episode where we have a true establishing shot. Something that never had a place in other episodes with the narrative always jumping around. Felt necessary in this case though.

Something else interesting about this episode is how we pulled it off. As you can imagine, we did not have permission from Dunkin Donuts to shoot there. So, like episode 4, we guerilla-styled it. When getting the Wide shot of them actually going through the drive-thru, Peter & I were in the car in front of them, and actually ordered drinks from the drive-thru so as to not draw too much attention to ourselves.

Alternatively, when we got the interiors of them deciding what to order & Tyrone speaking into the microphone, since we needed the car to be moving and had to shoot that scene on each character at least once, we drove in circles next to the drive-thru lane, not actually in it; and the 85mm lens worked in our favor by condensing the space between Daniel & the actual drive-thru menu. 

As far as the look of the episode, we were on an 85mm lens almost the entire time, with occasional 50mm usage. Since we had already established the intimacy of the group with the shots in episode 8, we had less pressure to have dirty shots and chose to concentrate more on tight singles, at least at first, and the various ways we could play with them in angles. 

However, as the interactions between the characters became more tension-fueled, we brought in Overs.

Working with the confines of the car, we were able to emphasize the close quarters when we did use Overs, which visually represented that they were all maybe a little too close for comfort in this episode.

We were also able to have fun with more stylistic shots like the mirror angles (also tension-fueled).

One of my favorite aspects of the episode, and I'd say Kelsey Rauber's writing in general, are the reveals and how they're established. It's never overtly stated that they initially thought they were going somewhere nice to celebrate Tyrone's new car when instead he takes them to a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru; it's merely alluded to, which left a lot of room for more directing choices. For instance, this is emphasized when Sam gets out of the car in her outfit.
 

A bigger reveal is that the Dunkin Donuts is just around the corner from Kelsey & Sam's apartment; again not something stated overtly, which made for fun when planning shots. This shot actually continues with them walking all the way to the door, but it didn't work for pacing. I think it still translates though, especially when we later imply Tyrone goes into their apartment to use the bathroom. 

Fun Fact, Kelsey Rauber really did live on that block right around the corner from that Dunkin Donuts. I can tell you this because she recently moved. Sorry stalkers. 

To wrap this up, I think it's a really fun & punchy episode that was easy in some ways but hard in a lot of other ways to pull off; and I'm really proud of my production team for making it work. Peter did a great job with limited angle options, as did Jordan (editor) with putting it all together & hitting the beats. 

If I'm going to mention one thing that didn't work quite as well as the episode as whole, it's the scene building up to the kiss between Kelsey & Joanne. We never quite got a perfect take. I really wanted the entire interaction between the two to happen in a continuous intimate two-shot, no cuts. But it started to rain before we could get one take that didn't have any line blunders. So we had to cut from one sort of two-shot to the main two-shot, which was a little jarring and detracted a bit from the natural chemistry and flow of the scene. However, I still think it works despite the rocky beginning. 

Something similarly unexpected that happened in post is that the scene between Sam & Rowan stayed as one continuous two-shot when I had originally planned to cut to Singles between them. Originally, the two-shot was just for coverage while the whole scene was meant to contrast the two-shot of Kelsey & Joanne by playing out with isolated Singles, implying their sexual relationship was ending while Kelsey & Joanne's was just beginning. However, Jordan brought it to my attention that it just didn't flow as well when he cut it with Singles. The scene worked so well as one shot because they played off each other incredibly well and had such great chemistry when they'd do full run-throughs, particularly in this take. I agreed with Jordan and we chose to leave it as one shot. I think the contrast still works because their two-shot is clearly less intimate & they’re at unequal planes. 

Lastly, again alluding to the ensemble progression, like episode 8, this episode doesn't quite end on Kelsey, but on one last punchline for Tyrone. 

As discussed in my first post, Episode 10 (Making Things Work) is pretty much the culmination of what the entire season had been building up to, not just narratively but aesthetically as well.  

The opening mirrors the opening of the pilot but on the much more flattering 85mm lens, which we were on for the majority of the episode, with, again, only occasional changes to the 50 for wider, establishing shots. 

Since we were now at the point where we weren't focused on and restricted to following patterns that were meant to develop over the season, we could simply get the coverage we wanted. So we had very tight frames within the group, establishing the tight-knit feel the audience would now have with them.

This being the season finale, we had to wrap up storylines but introduce new ones as well, like the introduction of Kate.

I have to give Peter lots of props here because at this point in production, we had no gaffer (Sayo got a paying gig on a feature film and we happily excused her from her commitment to the show) and Peter was doing lighting all on his own. He managed to compliment everyone’s diverse skin tones with the lighting in one 5-person shot while still maintaining the intimate, lower key feel, and all with very limited lighting equipment. Not an easy feat, as any Director of Photography, I'm sure, knows. 

The bedroom scenes with Kelsey & Joanne, I wanted to feel unlike any other times we had seen Kelsey in her bedroom.

Like their scenes in episode 7, we have very dirty, intimately framed Overs. I loved Peter's soft lighting, which was a big difference compared to the colder feel to her room in previous scenes (episode 1 & 6).

Kelsey’s happy. She's comfortable and confident in a way she hasn’t been in a long time, and the framing and lighting were mean to reflect & compliment that.

Initially, I felt like there was no point in hiding that it's Shane at the door. We're not very ambiguous about it, so were going to get a shot of her at the door. However, we couldn’t get Charlotte on the day we were shooting that scene, so I opted to just put her voice in, in Post.

But I think this ended up being for the best for that scene because I absolutely love Lauren’s dropped expression and wouldn’t want to cut away from it even if I had the Shane footage as an option. Her subtle transition from post-sex euphoria/ready-for-food excitement to surprise, which quickly becomes annoyance, and then worry for the future of her relationship is all so perfect, both in delivery and timing. I wouldn't want to shift the focus away from her to show Shane, so I'm really happy it worked out how it did in the end.

Lastly, unlike the past 2 episodes, the last shot is of Kelsey because, as the theme song says, it is still all about her; ensemble or no ensemble, she’s who the audience is meant to identify, or at least empathize, with most. We're following her journey.

Similar framing to Joanne's reaction to Shane was very much intentional.

We felt leaving the season with this shot/moment would be a great way to leave the audience feeling satisfied for the season as a whole but definitely wanting to come back for more and know what happens next. Based on the fan reaction, it seems we were right! :)
 

That's it for this 'Directing Kelsey' series! Thanks so much for reading it. I hope it was interesting & enjoyable. And, as always, thank you so much for watching & supporting the series. Fingers crossed we'll be discovered by new audiences and continue reaching people with Kelsey & her friends. Only time will tell, but we'll be sure to keep you updated. Kelsey & I shot a video a few weeks back where we talk about the future of the series & what else we're collaborating on. We'll be releasing it in 3 weeks. Be sure to check back at this blog and on Facebook & Twitter for updates on that as well as Screening/Press news. We can't wait to start telling you about our future plans.

Be sure to stay in touch with me via Twitter. Thanks again for your support,

Christina

P.S. Kelsey & I recently spoke as Panelists at the New Haven International Film Festival, read about it Here. 

Directing 'Kelsey' - Episodes 7 & 8

Episode 7 (Hanging Out Without You) was a lot of fun to shoot. It's interesting how it all came together because the final product features different locations from the original script. When Kelsey Rauber first wrote it, Kelsey & Rowan were shopping for pickles at Brooklyn Brine. Their conversation flowed fairly the same way but more with Rowan insulting the smell of the location rather than the pickles Kelsey was eating. And alternately, Kelsey & Sam were shoe shopping with Sam distractedly trying on shoes and Kelsey interrogating her. In pre-production, we tried to pull off securing both these locations for a while but our lack of budget made it impossible. I then suggested that maybe we attempt to shoot at a farmer's market or street fair, with Kelsey & Rowan still shopping for pickles and Kelsey & Sam looking at jewelry. However, the logistics for pulling this off were way too much for us to handle; plus we already had sound issues at each location, we didn't need to multiply them by a million. So then I said to Kelsey Rauber that we needed to take advantage of the opportunity to use a location we were already planning to use for Kelsey & Sam, and since we hadn't shot the scene from episode 9 in Sam's bedroom yet, that'd be the perfect opportunity to get more done in a shooting day. Kelsey Rauber agreed and we decided to have Sam sorting through her clothes, and Kelsey sitting on her bed playing with a 'hangman' prop. As for Sam & Rowan, I really loved the idea of paying homage to Arrested Development with a Pickle Stand in the park, but we just didn't have the budget to build one; so I advised Kelsey Rauber to revise the script to have them just having a picnic. We ended up shooting at Prospect Park, which was a nice change in scenery. When we first arrived, it wasn't as bright out and we were able to see the buildings in the background, which I loved because it was such a representation of what it's like to be in NYC: even surrounded by greenery, the skyscrapers are still always there in the distance. But as it got brighter out, we lost the view. Peter worked well with the sunny day; we found a good shady spot and it was a fairly easy shoot aside from some sound annoyances. I was hoping that we'd still maybe catch the buildings in the wide shots because the flat, Cinestyle images were promising. But once we pushed all the colors back in, in post-production, the brightness came right out.

Anyway, despite all the location rejections and alterations, I think it all worked out for the best in the end because the more relaxed environments allowed for the performances to really shine and for us to have a little more fun with the atmosphere and pacing.

For instance, it was Nichole & Sharina's idea to have Kels & Sam put on various items of Sam's clothing with each cut back to them. That's a fun, subtle aspect to the episode that I think totally plays into the rewatch value I mentioned I was going for in my first post. 

Episode 7 got us back to the ongoing storylines of the series, after episode 6 acted as a bit of a standalone break. The two biggest arcs were, of course, the 'will they/won't they' of Kelsey & Joanne , or at least will Kelsey realize Joanne's interest in her, and the ambiguity of Sam & Rowan's relationship. The way in which I chose to play with the latter visually in the episode was to have the scenes with Kelsey & Rowan and Kelsey & Sam match each other from scene to scene.

Both start out in a wide two-shot. 

Then a tighter two-shot as Kelsey becomes more inquisitive (compare above two photos to top two), and singles play out between the scenes, often mirroring each other based on where Kelsey is in her accusations to each of them.

This was done obviously because she's having pretty much the exact same conversation with each of them, but also to show that Rowan & Sam are reacting fairly the same way. By the end of episode 8, I wanted it to be clear that they weren't lying about anything actually happening, but there was definitely a connection there that both were denying. 

With the Rowan & Sam scenes mirroring each other, I wanted to make sure that the Joanne scenes stood out, and that they hinted that Kelsey's relationship with her was different from the other two and would be going somewhere special. So I used the contrasting intimacy of Singles versus Overs to bring that out. Joanne's scenes not only have Overs, but have dirty overs that get dirtier and tighter as the tension builds between her and Kelsey. That sentence totally sounds dirty, I know, especially since the scene in context involves a kiss. But if you're unfamiliar, dirtier means more of the other person fills the frame in the foreground, and tighter obviously means the camera gets closer to the subject. I wanted to make the scene feel as intimate and raw as possible, especially by the end. I think it worked really well. 

Also, you'll notice that, as usual, the camera is facing away from the bar for Kelsey & Joanne, but this time we moved them to the corner to create more intimacy & an optimal kiss angle.

Also as usual with them, Kelsey Rauber's real music is playing. She had her doubts that this more gloomy song would pair well with this scene and I was positive that the contrast would work with the pacing and intimate tone. I just heard it in my head when picturing the scene. It ended up being one of my favorite things about the scene because it's rare for me to just know what music or sounds I want in the background of scenes; I'm not musically inclined. So to have this one work as well as I felt it would was a cool feeling for me. 

I just have to say that I was so impressed with Nichole's performance in these scenes. Lauren, of course, impressed me as well. But I suppose I bring up Nichole because I had no qualms about Lauren's ability to pull off these scenes. She has been in a few of my films, most notably my feature film Summit, and she's a phenomenal actress, particularly in drama. I just knew she'd bring depth to Joanne despite her little screentime; and I have to say that the vulnerability she did bring to these scenes was so perfect. There were such subtleties in her body language that made me feel nervous for Joanne; so it suffices to say I had high expectations for her and she met them. But about Nichole, not that I doubted her abilities, I knew she was incredibly talented, she's just more of a comedic actress and I was a little curious how she'd handle the more subtle moments of these scenes. However, I have to say that I was completely blown away. She brought such real rawness to the moments after the lean in and build up to the kiss. I'm absolutely infatuated with the part where she says, "do you want me to kiss you?" and then kind of gulps. I just think the moment where Nichole does that and says the line and then Lauren smiles, looks down, looks back at her and her smile softly fades combined is absolutely breathtaking.

I'm really proud to have directed those scenes. There are some camera moments and tiny mishaps that I wish we had smoother takes of, but Jordan (my editor) and I really made it a point to prioritize performance here, and I think it paid off.

However, and this is a big however for me but hopefully a small one for you, there is one thing that bothers the hell out of me every time I watch these scenes. It's maybe my biggest regret for the series. I say biggest because we always have regrets, things we could have done if we had more time or money or resources; better lighting, better sound, better equipment. The kind of what ifs that you just have to let go of in order to accept that you made the best out of what you had and were capable of. So I only say biggest, rather than my 'only' regret, because, there are tons of things I could say I wish were different if I just had... fill in the blank; but those aren't things that really bother me at the end of the day. I've accepted them. However, this one thing that bothers me is just something I neglected to do, for some bizarre reason, it just didn't occur to me until seeing it all together in post. And that one thing is not pushing in for a tighter two-shot for the kiss. Peter and I were so preoccupied with getting our dirty-Overs tighter as we got closer to the kiss, and making sure we slid (for each cut-back) behind the correct person, and that the dirty overs would cut well together, that we neglected to think too much in depth about the two-shot. We were on a time crunch and I put more effort into making sure we got the Overs, and simply did all three scenes in one two-shot for coverage. I still think prioritizing the Overs was the right decision, and I know that, at the time, I felt the two-shot was intimate compared to past episodes (especially since we were in tighter frames and on tighter lenses by episode 7), as well as compared to the two-shots with Sam & Rowan in the rest of the episode. But I neglected to compare the intimacy level of the earlier two-shots between Kelsey & Joanne in the episode to later as we got closer to the kiss. I knew that I'd use the two-shot for the kiss. I knew the Overs would be too tight to show the kiss and that we'd have to cut out to the two-shot. But for some bizarre reason, I simply didn't think to get a tighter two-shot to pair with the intimacy of the Overs, and contrast the awkwardness of the initial lean in, for the kiss!

I was getting tighter with the frame in the Overs, it's only logical that I'd get tighter with the two-shot as well. It boggles my mind why I didn't see this until post. And, although I think it does work and that Jordan & I found a happy balance for cutting to the two-shot, I still can't quite forgive myself for the oversight. I'm working on letting it go, but it bothers me every time I see it. So are the woes of being a director, I suppose. At least it doesn't make me cringe the way some stuff from my earlier work does. I imagine maybe it will one day. That's the aspiration, right, to improve with each thing you do and look back on your work and overtly see how much you've grown? I hope that's the direction I keep moving in, but also hope I'm never not proud of where I started and what I've accomplished. Anyway, I hope that audiences still enjoy the kiss moment despite my disappointment in the shot I chose, because if I'm not being hard on myself, I do think it works nicely overall. 

Episode 8 (Bluffing) is an important episode because it's maybe the biggest reflection of what Kelsey Rauber and I were building up to as a whole for the season in terms of character dynamics. This is the first time all four main characters are in scenes together interacting as a group. I talk about this in my first post, so wont really get in depth. But the idea was to have the series become more ensemble, and get to the point where we can put them all together and you'd feel like you're part of the group of friends because you've gotten to know them separately and together so well. You'll notice that, even though Kelsey's telling one of her stories as usual, they all have their own storylines going on as well. 

Poker scenes are fun to shoot. This one wasn't about building tension, so Peter and I tried to keep the camera moving (without actual onscreen movement) to keep the pacing light and bouncy. At this point in the series, we were definitely aiming for dirty-Overs with the group of friends to emphasize the intimacy and comfort between them all, while also keeping in wide shots of all 4 to establish them as a group.

I also wanted to get this recurring frame for when they react specifically off of Kelsey, which I think are some of funniest moments of the episode, like "no laughing at my jokes," "well..." 

However, we did also do Singles, partially to keep the momentum high but more so to create a contrast for when two people are having an interaction (Overs) versus more of a group interaction (like each of them reacting to Kelsey's "Shane's"). 

As for the Kelsey & Joanne date, we used dirty-Overs here as well, again for the intimacy.

I talked a lot about the People Lounge in my last post, and this is another People Lounge faux-location. It was the one wall in the place that didn't have that red pattern, and I thought early on that it would be nice for the date in episode 8. So I made sure that we avoided it in all other episodes. We pulled it off well, I believe. But if you look in the background when Joanne walks away, you can catch the bar wallpaper. I figured if anyone were to look back there, they can assume that Kelsey's on a budget and took Joanne to their local bar for dinner. Kelsey does tell Shane that this place was off-limits, and that would work for being the bar as well. But I hope it reads a little more like a restaurant. 

The shot when Joanne gets up and Shane walks over was my brainchild. I was pushing to pull it off. Normally, I try to avoid anything that feels too staged. I don't like drawing your attention to the fact that there are cameras and this is all planned. It pulls you out of the realism. I want you to be able to get invested and lose yourself in it. This is why I’m not so into rack focuses or punching in for inserts, for instance. The shot, though, feels incredibly staged. It's so convenient that Shane walks over perfectly timed with Joanne walking away. This is because it's meant to reflect Shane’s staged encounter. She's not just walking by the table and noticing Kelsey. She went there knowing Kelsey frequents the restaurant, maybe hoping to spot her. She waited for Kelsey's date to walk away and specifically walked over to, for lack of a better term, fuck with her head. I felt like that camera move would help emphasize Shane's manipulativeness. 

The dolly/slide of sorts was Peter's brainchild. I wish we had more lighting equipment to pull it off better. But it was pretty awesome of Peter and our 1st AC Julian to be able to make it work because we didn't actually have a dolly. We just had a DIY slider on sticks that they both lifted and moved forward while sliding the camera on an angle on the slider, and all while pulling focus. Not an easy feat indeed. Worked well for Shane crossing the camera & presumptuously taking Joanne's seat. 

Also, to contrast Kelsey's scenes with Joanne, Kelsey and Shane only have Singles.

Charlotte E Simpson was my Gaffer for Summit, and had not acted much before. She was interested in being on the show and Kelsey Rauber and I felt she'd make a good Shane. I'm not sure if she'll be pursuing acting, but I think she did a great job. She made some nice choices. I particularly liked how she bit her lip after the line about Kelsey saying her name. And I, again, was incredibly impressed with Nichole's more dramatic acting here. Her reaction to Shane saying "Suzie & I broke up" is so natural and real. 

When Joanne comes back, we don't go back to Overs, we stay in Singles to accentuate the tension between them now. I wanted to leave the audience feeling as unsure as Kelsey felt about Joanne's feelings. 

This episode is the first time an episode doesn’t end with Kelsey. Again, hinting at what Kelsey Rauber and I had planned for the more ensemble feel of the show. We had dirty-Overs for Sam & Rowan as well, for obvious reasons.

I think their chemistry read well on camera. We did a lot of callbacks for the actors for chemistry testing to make sure they all felt like real friends on camera, and of course a big part of it was testing Brennan & Sharina's chemistry. I think it definitely reads here but maybe shines most in their scene in episode 9.

Speaking of episode 9, I’ll be back next Tuesday with my final ‘Directing Kelsey’ post on episodes 9 & 10! Hope you’ll be back with me. I’ll try to keep it interesting. Thanks for tuning in & reading my words!

-Christina