Day Seven

First day, second week. The troops should be refreshed and ready to grind out this next week. And this will be the first day of seven straight at this location. We checked out several houses in the Lockhart area, but none of them were quite right. But we found a great one right in Austin, in the historic Hyde Park area. Turns out, Byron, a friend of ours and a fellow filmmaker, had the perfect place for our needs.

This location serves as the Ward family house, prominently featured in the story. So anyway, we start this day with another flashback scene, one that takes us back to 1965 at a weekend back yard family barbeque. Not exactly an idyllic family scene, as tensions blow up all around us. Hey, we have escaped the 50’s and now the troubled 60’s are right before us.

And we have a whole new set of child actors playing the three Ward brothers, Dylan at 14, Dan at 11, and Derrick at 6, played by Jude, Jack, and Cooper. Another amazing set of child actors. How did we get so lucky? A real treat to work with. Unfortunately, Jude and Jack only have one scene in the film, as I would have loved to work with them more. Young Cooper, however, would have more future scenes … ah yes. Way to go guys!

Brody would be back to play a younger Dylan, and would need to keep his composure as we shot an emotional scene later into the night involving his dysfunctional parents. We used a special lens to get the shot we really needed. Is it really possible to convey on film what is going on inside the human psyche?

Day Eight

Second day at the ‘Ward’ house location. But at least we got back to present day. Well, spring 1994, anyway, the base setting for our story. And time for things to get heated up again. The Ward family is coming together … to figure it all out … or do they … ever?

All three adult brothers are on set again today; Don, Tom, and Austin. Albeit, not necessarily in the same scenes together. That is down the road still … stay tuned. Charlie is back to his playful self, trying his hardest not to be hard cases like his onscreen dad and uncles.

Jenny, Dan’s wife and played by Kira, arrives on set for first time. And very pregnant, ready to bring forth a third generation of the Ward family into existence. How will this play out in the story? And are we really ready for that? However that is answered, Kira is very natural in her role. Maybe her character can add some sense here?

A new revelation is revealed today … a stab behind the back from one brother to the others. Time for the bros to fire up the acting chops and begin to feel the heat, and I’m not talking about the weather. And yes, even though the weather is not a big factor, the periodic cloudy and partially sunny sometimes do wreck havoc on the exterior lighting continuity. The days on this set start to blend together as we remain parked here awhile … to build the family drama, dynamic, and history. And begin to understand who they are.