Props and Location

I'm now at the point in this project where I am beginning the production process.  Ideally, I wish to begin filming next week, but there are a few boxes I need to check beforehand.  More specifically, I need to gather props, finalize costume design, and find locations for filming.

Costume design and prop direction are two of the most important aspects of my production, and they go hand in hand.  Joseph is a modest and unassuming kid.  To express this in my production, I want him to wear muted colors; beiges, whites, dark greens, and other clothing that doesn't have graphics.  If possible, having Joseph wear a plain white button-up would be ideal, as it is a perfect church-going attire and also demonstrates his nerdy personality.  The most important part of Joseph's appearance, though, is a cross necklace that he always wears around his neck.  However, my friend Joey (who's playing Joseph) doesn't have a cross necklace we can use, and neither do any of the men in my family.  

Friend #1

Therefore, I turned to some of my friends who I know have religious backgrounds.  Still, more often than not, this led to dead-ends.  After asking around 5 people, none of which led to any viable options, I started getting a little worried.  Finally, though, I came up with a solution.  My brothers' best friend, whose family we've known since childhood, is always dripped out

Friend #2

wearing a cross necklace.  Knowing that his family are practicing Catholics, I turned my inquiries to them.  I asked his sister (who happens to be one of my close friends) if they had a necklace they could lend me, and my brother reached out too for good measure.  And just like that, my problem was solved.

Additionally, I texted my friend Joey to question him about his wardrobe.  He confirmed that he had white t-shirts and a cream-colored crewneck, but no white button-up.  Although this is a setback, I can definitely find one for him.  If not, the shirt isn't crucial to the production anyways.  

Cassock

Moving on, another crucial piece of wardrobe/prop design is the priest uniform.  Because I never explicitly state that Joseph is gay and undergoing conversion therapy, I need as many on-screen context clues as possible; the main one being the priest.  Since it's very improbable for me to find an actual church office to film at, costume design rather than set location will be telling the story.  Unfortunately, I don't have a priest uniform at hand!  To avoid spending $300 on one, I came up with the idea to wear a black button-up, and tuck the collar under a strip of white fabric. Another problem arises here, since, once again, I don't have a black button-up.  Still, this is easily fixed.  I plan to go thrifting next weekend, and while there, I can pick up a Size L Men's black button-up.

Finally, the last prop I will need is a book.  Because the book is shown on-screen a few times, I wanted it to hold some importance.  When I asked around for ideas, I got some -  very interesting - responses.  Despite these being good recommendations, I wanted my production to maintain a PG rating, and I also wanted something more classy.  So instead, I turned to my own bookshelf.  After browsing through some (arguably) queer-coded and pretentious books I've read recently, I found myself face to face with Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club.  Below are some quotes that I found that could work well with the production if they were to be underlined in Joseph's copy of the book.

And now finally, we reach the final and most-dreaded aspect of pre-production: Location scouting.  Although one of my scenes originally takes place in a restaurant/coffee shop, getting permission to film might be harder than anticipated.  However, I decided to get ahead by emailing the Starbucks management team for permission to film, as well as my city's library as a backup.  They have yet to respond, but I anticipate some sort of reply in the near future.  Some may call me optimistic, but I like to think of it as manifestation instead.

Additionally, I also need a setting that I can use as Father Peter's office.  After discussing this with my father, he suggested I use the walled-off study rooms at the library.  This seems like a very promising idea, considering that if I film the other scenes there too, I could be killing two birds with one stone.  But, until they respond, I'll stay hard at work brainstorming other potential avenues I could go down.  

Regardless, I think I did a pretty good job of gathering props and setting the production in motion.  Hopefully, I'll have a response by next week, and I can finalize the filming schedule.  Until next time!