Filming Day 10

Filming began at 100 Parkgate a local office building partly owned by AFS. This was the location for our fertility clinic scene. We were racing against the sun and clouds as the lighting guys tried to get things just right.

Then it was time for lunch and promotional photography. We took some still shots of the main actors to be featured on posters and DVD covers.

After that it was off to the park for the last shot of the movie. This shot was by far one of the most complex because it featured a lot of kid extras. It was a lot of fun to work with so many kids and they all seemed very excited to be in the movie.

When the last scene was shot and Director Kendra White yelled,"Cut!....That's a wrap!" the filming for Paper Dream was at an end. We all packed up and headed back to the office for cake and a final word from our Producer Jeff Chamblee.

I'm sad to see it end, even though I am exhausted. But, as I said in the video blog, it's not over yet. Now editing can begin. I am really excited to see how this long journey of these two weeks will pay off. More to come in the future I'm sure. Thanks for reading :)

Check out our final behind the scenes video:

Filming Day 9

Today we were back at the house owned by AFS. We shot the baby shower scene which required our lead actress to be ambidextrous with a punch bowl spoon (it made for a few laughs). We also filmed several montage scenes which take place in one room. It got very hot and stuffy and by the time we stopped for dinner, we were all ready for a break.

After dinner, I stayed at the office to upload the video blog. Because the house is rather small and it gets hotter the more people inside, most of us stayed outside while filming wrapped. It was a very pleasant out tonight. One of the final scenes of the night was supposed to take place in very dim moonlight. At first when I saw the monitor, I wondered how they could do anything in such a dark room. But when I finally went in the actual room, it was actually much brighter. They adjusted the camera to let in less light, making the room appear darker. Very cool.

Tomorrow is the last day of fiming. Its going to be bittersweet. This has been so much fun, but I am very tired.

Check out today's behind the scenes video below:

Filming Day 8

We started at 1:00 PM just like yesterday, only this time we where at "Baby Land" a local baby supply store. The scenes we shot where both comical and serious. I don't think that I have ever seen so much baby stuff in my life (they even had camouflage  baby clothes). The shots went great and we even had a visit from the local news. 

Then it was on to Cafe 212 in downtown Tupelo. Cafe 212 is a charming little cafe with a very artsy/retro theme (and the food and coffee is amazing by the way). We did a very complicated shot of four women visiting at a round table. We also did a shot of the coffee counter. I was recruited to be a background extra for both shots. It's nice to be an extra where all you have to do is sit and pretend to drink coffee out of an empty cup. Everything went great and we wrapped around 9:00 PM.

It seemed like a short day, but really it was quite long. Only two more days left. Tomorrow we have some more emotionally intense scenes. Things are beginning to come together. Please keep us in your prayers.

Check out today's behind the scenes video: 

Filming Day 7

Call time was at 1:30 at Glenwood Cemetary. Why a cemetary? Well, as I said in the video blog for today, you will have to watch the movie to find out. At first we thought that it would be cold and rainy today, but it turned out to be hot and rain free. I volunteered to be an extra in the funeral scene which meant that I had to wear black. It figures that I would have to stand in the hot sun when I am required to black, but soon the lighting guys got us some shade, so it wasn't as hot. All in all the scene went great, we didn't melt (too much) and we moved on to the last scene of the day.

Our final scene of the day was a very quiet scene between two characters sitting outside. Our sound guy, who is amazing by the way, tried very hard to record the voices of our actors. It began to get rather comical; as soon as it got quiet and cameras rolled the most random sounds interrupted us. Planes, trains, cars, birds, people yelling far away, you name it.

We wrapped around 7ish and had an awesome meal prepared by our caterer. I suppose this is the first time I have ever been to a fake funeral. Not many people can say they have done that. Day 7 was a sucess. I am looking forward to tomorrow.

Check out today's video blog:

Filming Day 6

Rain began our day forcing us to change plans. We were going to shoot in the park, so another indoor location was our second choice. We shot in a house partly owned by AFS where we filmed for two different montages in our film. With a call time of 2:00 PM it seemed like it should have been earlier. I'm pretty sure I wished more than one person good morning around 3:00 PM. We took a break for dinner and then headed over to the location for our emergency room scene.

Our actress who plays the character of Cammy had a very emotional scene and we all had to be quite for some time. It never ceases to amaze me how actors and actresses can make themselves cry. Sarah, our lead actress is a pro; she is really good at portraying emotion. Back in high school I did some drama camps, but I never realized the talent it takes to act. Yesterday we were in absolute awe at the emotion and intensity of our actors. They delivered an amazing performance.

I am actually posting this from set. Our wrap time isn't until around midnight. Tomorrow is a long awaited scene involving lots of extras, but you have to read tomorrow's blog to find out what it is. For now, check out today's video blog below:

Filming Day 5

Today was epic! This morning I stopped by the office to post yesterday's blog and then it was off to our film location of the day. Today we shot at New Beginnings Adoption Agency where some of our most intense and emotional scenes occur, but that didn't mean that the set was dull. There is never a dull moment on this movie set.

I interviewed Meeke Addison, a radio host on AFR. We all had a great time and we actually got ahead of schedule. As the action was going on in the hallway, some of us gathered around the large TV set up and watched the live camera feed. Mrs. Bobbie Harris, our amazing caterer, made popcorn and I was the first person to eat popcorn while watching "Paper Dream". I must say I have never eaten popcorn while watching a movie being filmed.

When we finally wrapped and the dailies rolled, we all got really excited. This film is really coming together. I am really looking forward to some much needed rest tomorrow, but even more than that, I am looking forward to the impact that we pray this film will have. Have a great Sunday everyone! Check out our latest video blog below:

 

Filming Day 4

Today was crazy! We shot our last scenes in the Smith house and then it was time to pack up and move. I helped clap ( holding up the slate to mark each take) and I also helped pack things up. The crew left first and some of us stayed behind to clean up. I was the last person to leave and I used the last minute of battery left on the video camera to get one last shot of the Smith House. It was sad to leave. I think the cast and crew had come to think of it as home.

Then it was off to Lakeview Academy for our classroom scene. The kids where great and really well behaved. We wrapped at around 7:00PM. Another early call time tomorrow. The journey continues.

Check out an interview with our Producer Jeff Chamblee and our "Baby Gabe" below:

Filming Day 3

It was noon, but it felt like it should have been morning when I got to the set. The scenes that we shot today featured a lot of quiet dialogue. "Quiet on the set!" was heard frequently. The Smith house has a lot of echo, so everyone had to be careful not to open any doors or make too much noise. 

Later we did a scene where we had a baby. We got him to fall asleep amazingly, but then we had to be very quiet not to wake him up. The whole house had to remain silent for almost an hour. Needless to say we all breathed a sigh of relief when it was over and we could talk again.

As sundown approached, we began to shoot some of the most vital scenes of the film that happen during the climax of the movie. Some of the crew gathered to pray for these crucial scenes. It is really amazing to see how God is blessing this film. In all, today was a truly great day of shooting. Watch our behind the scenes video below:

Filming Day 2

It was good to see the sun rising when I got up this morning. I think with the later call time most of us where up and ready for the second day of shooting. We filmed mostly indoors today, in the kitchen and the bedroom.

Around 8 o'clock, I turned the "behind the scenes" photography over to Raeley and headed back to the office. "Why?" you ask. Not only am I involved in behind the scenes work, but I am also a prop designer for the film. This morning we put together a very important prop that is part of the concept of our fim title, but you'll have to wait and see our film to find out more.

Our lighting crew is amazing! It's fascinating to see how with some reflective panels and other equipment, they can make a scene appear to be at a completely different time and mood. One of the really exciting moments of the day was when we were able to hook up the camera's live feed to a large flat screen TV.  The crew was able to watch in one room what was being filmed in another. But the major highlight of this shooting day were the Dailies from yesterday. Dailies are a rough cut of a scene. It's kind of like watching the movie without any music or color correction. It was so much fun to sit back and see what we were making.

In all it was an excellent day of shooting. We finished right on time and got some great shots. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Check out our video blogs from today:

Filming Day 1

I headed out long before the sun rose to pick up my fellow "behind the scenes" photographer, Raeley. We headed out to the Smith house where the cast and crew were gathering. You could feel the excitement in the air as the sun began to slowly rise above the farm land that surrounded our location for shooting.

Today we shot scenes that take place at the home of our main character and her husband. Our actors are top notch and did a fantastic job. There were scenes outside as well as inside. Everyone was very busy and excited, but I don't know if anyone was more excited than our director, Kendra White. Kendra and her brother Jeremy (our Assistant Director/Actor) are excellent filmmakers and they get really excited and passionate about making movies.


I was very excited to be doing behind the scenes footage, which was something that I had only dreamed about being involved in until now. It was also exciting to see scenes come to life that I had only heard described by Kendra and Austin (our cinematographer). Raeley and I updated the video blog and she took some incredible pictures that you can see on our facebook page.

At the end of the day I was tired and excited. We really praise God for His hand in the little details of this film. Please pray for us as we continue filming and check out our video blog posted below.

The Behind the Scenes Blog Begins

My name is Canada Burkhalter and I am on the production crew for American Family Studio's new short film: Paper Dream. In this blog I am going to take you behind the scenes and give you a glimpse of what it is like to be on the set of this up and coming film. Check back daily for posts and updates.