Blue days ahead

Did I mention that we're making a movie? And of course by "we," I mean Sean and Curtis. I'm just along for the ride on this one: While I played an important part in the making of Biscuit & Gravy's last feature film (I was the caterer and craft services person), this time I'm pretty much a glorified production assistant. I'll do whatever is needed, but if no one calls on me, I'll be over in the corner reading or blogging. All of the principal photography will be done this week, and to that end we have moved our home base to San Diego for the next nine days.

This is the boys' second feature-length film. Their first, Death Valley, was a neat little horror flick that has yet to find a distributor. Sean and Curtis produced, wrote, directed, and edited the whole thing themselves; Curtis also played a good-sized part as a drug-crazed old man and he composed the score. This time they have been blessed with Lesley and Ian, who have proven to be the go-gettingest producing team ever. Lesley was one of the stars of Death Valley, and although she's a really good actress, I think her interests have really turned to producing. I don't know much yet about Ian. The two of them are incredibly energetic and charming, and they have been working their asses off for the last six months to get this motion picture off the ground. They're already planning how they're going to spend the profits from this movie to make their next one. Right now I'm sitting in their living room (Ian lives here with Lesley and her husband Simon, rather like Curtis', Sean's and my living situation at The Shambles), and I'm looking at the "Saturday To Do List" written on the white board. Among the many tasks the two of them have set for themselves: contact San Diego Tribune, pick up wedding dress, call microbrewery, go to Costco. The latter is where they are now, buying cream cheese and walkie talkies.

So what is this flick? It is a mockumentary entitled Am I Blue? It's about an interracial wedding between a WASPy young woman and her Antarctic-American beau. Native Antarcticans (of which there are none -- I feel silly pointing that out, but based on the number of confused reactions I've gotten when describing the film, I sense there's a need to do so) have light blue skin, so about half the cast will be airbrushed with blue body paint. I will be a guest in the wedding reception scene, and I must confess that I'm a wee bit disappointed that I will not be spray painted a lovely cerulean.

One of the coolest things about Am I Blue? is that much of the movie will be improvised, a la Christopher Guest's films. While the boys have worked out the overall scenario and determined certain points the cast needs to hit, the actors will be creating most of their own dialogue. All of the actors were cast based on their improv abilities. I know some of the folks who'll be showing up this week -- Hi, Tricia! Hi, Jonny! -- but most of them are as yet strangers to me. Norman will be playing the minister. I'm a little afraid to be present on the set because I'm worried I'll start laughing and ruin a take. Hey, I've done it before.

Hmmm. As I've been sitting here, I have been handed a list of all the places I need to go during the upcoming week to pick up lunch and dinner for the cast and crew. Fortunately, Lesley's husband Simon will help me find these places for the first couple of days, because I haven't a clue where anything is in San Diego. I mean, my brother and his family live somewhere in San Diego but I'm really not sure where. I should probably figure that out, at least, because they are expecting their second child later in the week and it might be nice of me to drop in and say hi. But it looks like I now am officially working on this production. (In case you're wondering, Norman: sandwiches for lunch and tacos for dinner on Thursday, salads and chicken & rice for lunch and pasta salad for dinner on Friday.) My biggest fear is now getting lost and showing up late with cold food.