Rehearsal for GAVE UP THE GHOST

I spent much of the last week and a half painting my downstairs living room (two rooms really, with an alcove and a weird fireplace) and stairway for GAVE UP THE GHOST, the short film based on the Jeff Strand short story, which will be one segment in the CREEPERS horror movie anthology.  One coat of primer and three coats of burgundy.  Dark burgundy.  Plus one stairway wall got four coats of lead block. This week I was also distracted by a car accident I had exiting the 290 (no one else was involved, and local actor Dale Rugg Jr., who played Roy Frumkes's bodyguard in SLIME CITY MASSACRE, did a great job stitching together my grill).  After what I consider dull prep work, it was time to get down to the nitty gritty today, our one and only rehearsal after last week's reading.



I brought in our three leads - Drew Bialy, John Renna and Paul McGinnis - and we went through Jeff's script maybe five times, working on the blocking.  Rod Durick (DP) joined us as well, so we could plan shots, and Chris Cosgrave took photos.  It was a lot of fun to see it come together.  The actors were largely on book, but the interaction was there and chemistry developing, and they experimented with a lot of bits.  For story reasons I won't go into now, the direction of the film will be fairly simple - this is a comedy, and the performances have to sell the humor.  All three guys were splendid and may get together for another rehearsal on their own before next weekend, when we shoot principal photography.



I still have touch up painting to do, and some wardrobe and prop work, and a lot of technical stuff to coordinate over the next week, but we'll be ready.  Jeff Strand and Lynne Hansen arrive Friday, and then it will be a pretty intensive weekend of principal photography.