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Summer, 1996.
First thoughts.
HB: Finishing my first
feature,“The Sticky Fingers of Time". I write
two pages of notes about a teenager unsure if she’s
pregnant, looking superstitously for signs and trying to
convince herself everything is ok.... I like the sound of
the name Stephanie Daley.
1999
HB: Another script I have
been developing for the last two years just isn’t
working out. I decide to write something more naturalistic.
I begin thinking again about “Stephanie Daley”
and start researching concealed/surprise pregnancies &
cases in which young women are accused of infanticide.
I am very intrigued by the challenge of
a story about characters that live one reality to the world,
and another inside and how to communicate that duality.
Feels like this is a worthwhile movie to make.
Lydie Crane enters the story – as I’ve been
exploring Steph’s story, I’ve been watching
the dramas of my own peers – grown ups becoming parents
for the first time. Fascinated by the parallels, I see pregnancy
not just as a biological state – but a rite of passage
– in itself a psychological transition – like
adolescence. The script is now in two discreet chunks. Part
1 is Stephanie’s story (includes meetings with Lydie)
Part 2 is Lydie’s story.
Fall, 2001
HB: The Sundance Institute accepts the script into
the Writing Lab. I’m elated. I’ve tried to get
in the last 4 years with other scripts. Michelle Satter
and Lynn Auerbach begin convincing me the 2-part structure
isn’t working and that script must be intercut. I
resist then try it once again. Turns out they are right.
Now it’s at least on the right track. The big problem
is keeping momentum during transitions between the 2 lines
– avoiding redundancy and making the two arcs of Lydie
and Steph into ONE.
January, 2001
Hilary attends the Sundance Writer’s Lab for 5 days
in Utah.
HB: We climb out of the van at the Sundance resort
and are surrounded by tall mountains, crisp white snow and
the crazy sweet smell of pine. All the ”fellows”
are a bit terrified. We meet twice a day with different
advisors. The meetings are intense and each very different.
One advisor (who I admired very much and still do) doesn’t
like the script and finds the whole thing implausible. I’m
crushed but still breathing. But then another one likes
it just as it is... What begins to emerge from all this
– a tough skin, and a much deeper understanding of
my script as seen through many keen eyes. There’s
also an emerging sense of community. Writing isn’t
easy for any of us – not even the veteran advisors.
A few strong common notes emerge – as do a number
of ways to approach the problems. I become aware of the
different strategies writers use – and see that its
a matter of customizing to one’s own process. I start
consciously assembling my own tool box. Something I’ve
never done before.
After the lab, we all go home and work
through ALL the notes.
June, 2001 Hilary
attends the Sundance directing lab for 4 weeks.
HB: The director’s lab is a much more social
extraverted experience. If the writer’s lab asks you
to look IN at what you’re doing, the directing lab
is really concerned with HOW you’re working with other
people – your crew, actors, sets... It’s all
about “process.” We’re given grim grey
set flat in the hope that we’’’ stop trying
to make it too “polished.” It’s fast working
and every moment – quite public. Every choice gently
observed by the advisors... it’s harrowing at first
but then soon, we stop feeling precious about it, and just
feel as we feel. We are being pushed to open up and take
risks. Self-consciousness gives way to real break-throughs.
It’s kind of an astonishing thing – when do
we EVER just get to focus on how we do things (in a medium
where every on set moment has a price tag). The directing
“fellows” all leave tired, intensely grateful
– and anxious it’s ending. We wish we could
shoot our films tomorrow. It will take awhile for all of
us.
Spring, 2002
HB: Yikes. I’ve just had twins... Hands full.
Still looking for a producer – there’s interest
but no real movement. It becomes clear I need to find someone
with lots of energy who will take the initiative.
Summer, 2002
The Sundance Institute stages a reading in NYC.
Fall, 2002
Lynn at the Sundance Institute introduces Hilary to RedBone
films a Los Angeles based company founded by Jen Roskind,
Samara Koffler, Sean Costello. Hilary meets with Jen in
NY and a few months later, RedBone begins working together
in earnest. They bring on Dickson-Arbusto Casting (Joy and
Nicole).
Fall, 2004
RedBone has secured a commitment for a portion of the budget.
Tilda Swinton reads the script on the recommendation of
her Agent. Hilary and Tilda meet for coffee in NYC. Tilda
comes on as Executive Producer, and will play Lydie Crane.
Graham Taylor at Endeavor actively helps us.
HB: Tilda
is gracious and deeply intelligent. She is also the mother
of twins older than my own. I ask advice.
December, 2004
The script reaches Amber Tamblyn (thanks to casting
directors, Joy and Nicole). Hilary and Amber meet in LA.
HB: I’m
immediately struck by 1) yes she looks young enough! 2)
Amber is funny, grounded and very, very brave. A 21 yr old
girl who writes poetry as fierce as hers can do this...Amber
says yes!
April, 2005
At Jen Roskind’s suggestion, Hilary visits the towns
of Tannersville, Hunter and Catskill, NY in Greene County
(NY). The Catskill Mountain Arts Foundation has been welcoming
and has some ideas about location/office space... There
are ski slopes!
HB: I
was born in Catskill and know the mountains from growing
up quite near and hiking as a teenager. I am excited about
working in a place that I have history, yet where there’s
a lot of room left for discovery. I love the Catskills and
the idea of filming in them.
July, 2005
RedBone Films is joined by Silverwood Films. Silverwood’s
Lynette Howell and Douglas Dey come on as producers. We
have financing. We have a finite window in which to shoot
(September) before our actors become unavailable. Prep begins
immediately.
HB: I
am helping my mother at her house in Upstate NY. It’s
good to be in the country. The phone is quiet, and I’m
very aware we’ll soon be out of time in terms of actor
availability, and that if things don’t come together
now, they may never do so. I make my peace with that possibility.
Then the call comes. We’re on. The final piece of
the puzzle!
July-August,
2005
Prep begins in earnest in NY. Joy Dickson and Nicole Arbusto
(our casting directors) who we have been working with us
for over a year and a half, fly into NY for final casting
of the supporting ensemble. Terry Leonard comes on as Co-Producer
and the office comes to life... with the hiring of keys,
and last minute research re: military law, forensic procedures
etc. Tim Hutton comes on having been introduced to the script
by his agent at Endeavor. We have the first of many, many
meetings about the “deer” which is to be our
big special FX moment. Upstate – scouting is on-going.
HB: I
am introduced to an amazing pool of NY actors and crew.
The work is largely logistical but many key creative decisions
are made in this time... The discussions we have about hiring
crew are aesthetic decisions in themselves. During auditions,
I see the script on its feet... and characters literally
“take shape” as Costume Designers Kurt and Bart
begin fitting cast and making pregnancy prosthetics!
August, 2005
The office transitions to Tannersville, NY.
HB: On the way Upstate,
we pick up D.P. David Morrison at the airport. Tilda and
Amber come in just a little over a week prior to shooting.
We do some scene analysis, we analyze the characters with
a psycho-therapist who helps us think about the staging
of the psych office scenes. We are constantly looking at
locations – the film is almost entirely on real locations
– only Lydie’s office is a set – built
into the back of the Catskill Mountain Arts Foundation building
in Hunter (now I believe it’s a store!)
September 7,
2005 First day of principal
photography.
HB: We are shooting the
scenes in which Lydie visits her friend Jane. It’s
a good day. The house belongs to Mary & Charlene who
we come to consider the guardian angels of our production
in many ways. The first shot we take is Tilda driving her
Jeep up the hill. It’s a tricky, older car –full
of characte r- and a bumpy steep hill. It’s this wonderful
complete moment unto itself – and we’re off.
In the coming weeks, the crew falls into a healthy familial
rhythm. Things look beautiful.
Note: for more on the work of D.P. David Morrison –
see Cinematography
Notes.
Sept. 28, 2005
We shoot the bathroom scene and are stunned silent by it.
October 6, 2005
Last Day of principal photography. We shoot Lydie’s
“roadside” scene at a construction site by the
Condos we are staying at... We shoot all night – Tilda
a trooper, working in cold mud. We finish just at dawn.
It begins to rain... It rains for four days straight. We’ve
finished in the nick of time. Then, back to NYC.
October –
November, 2005
Hilary joins editor Keith Reamer. We slug the winter scenes
with title cards (our plan is to return Upstate early December)
and submit to Sundance with what we’ve got. Once we
have it submitted – we try to forget about it and
stick to the task of editing.
December 1, 2005
We get into Sundance! We edit and work furiously toward
our winter shoot. We pray for snow and check the almanacs.
December 2,3,4
.Winter Photography – Catskill & Hunter, NY.
It snows the night before we come and then... melts by morning.
We shoot the exterior courthouse scenes, and Fall/Winter
night exteriors. Then we shoot on top of Hunter Mountain
– which is fortunately MAKING snow. Half a day on
the mountain top is the most exhausting, exhilarating thing
I’ve ever done. The morning after – when we’re
all done and heading home – of course – it snows!!!
Most of the crew has disbanded, but John, our first AC meets
David and I at Hunter. We ride the ski-lift and shoot what
will be the first images of the film, the credit sequence.
Then it’s done.
December 5-15,
2005
We race to picture lock – with a few small test screenings
scheduled. The film runs 110 mins. As a result of the screening
notes, we bravely cut away 20 minutes of screen time...
and lock at 90 mins. The Sound design team (Tom Paul/The
Cottage) is working away – and composer, David Mansfield
is beginning the score. Volker Durre at Adams Morioka designs
the credits.
December 28,
2005
David Morrison and Hilary color time at RIOT! in Los Angeles
with extraordinary timer Siggy Ferst. We can’t believe
how good it looks. We finish early.
Thanks to a grant through the Sundance
Institute, we will have a HD to 35mm blow-up from PAC Title
in Los Angeles. We see test footage. It looks wonderful.
Jan 6-12, 2005
David Mansfield finishes recording the score.
Samara Koffler, Tom Paul and Hilary mix
for four days on nine hours sleep at Tom Paul’s cottage
an hour north of NY. We bond. We hallucinate, then return
to the City do the mix master.
January 13, 2005
David, Jen and Samara check the answer print in
Los Angeles.
January 18, 2006
We arrive in Park City. The producers carry the print from
LA. We are winded by the sheer force and concentration of
the festival – and nervous.
HB: This
is the first time I will see the print – and it will
be in the company of the audience... The producers, and
much of the cast and crew are here. I am keenly aware that
soon team Steph Daley’s work is largely (not entirely)
done... and I’ll miss working with everyone terribly
because they have become like family... so we focus on being
together one last time, and it’s beautiful.
For more, view
Cinematography Notes >>
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