A week ago, I had these grand plans to post blogs every day of the shoot, but those plans were laid to waste when I got home exhausted, and had to get ready for the next day. Then I spent the entire weekend putting up a gallery art exhibition I have going on, and on Labor Day, I rested (ironically enough). So now it's time to catch up.

Day 2 of shooting was really good. The San Diego Museum of Art was gracious enough to rent their auditorium to them for the afternoon, and what a great space it was. I can't thank them enough for being so hospitable and helpful. This would be the first full day (as in 8 hours) of shooting, with some intense scenes and a lot of blocking. It was also the first time we all got to see our family of magicians together at once, and they look great together. This weekend I looked at a couple of scenes from that day, and it sends chills down my spine. The acting is so good (thanks, Jose Yenque, Lizet Benrey, Tim Clifton and Maka), and the shots are beautiful (thanks Cody, Sergio, Phillip, and Nate!), and the extras are all wonderful. I'm watching them without sound at this point (my editor has some syncing to do), and they still are in such rich technicolor life, I find myself in awe of how beautifully everything came together. I wish I could take all the credit, but most of the credit really lies with all the people who care about this film as much as I do, namely my producer, Sybil Wendler, my DP Sergio Ulloa, and all my actors. I also have to say that all the PAs that showed up not knowing what they were getting into really kept things going. From our camera AC's to AD Josh Krohn to those working on sound, slate, grip, and makeup, everyone worked so smoothly together, it was really the most fun I have ever had on a shoot. I also got a kick out of Jose flinging his magician cape around the stage like a proud bullfighter. If time weren't a factor, I would have asked to see it 10 more times!

I'm planning on posting some pictures soon, but I have to get the card first, since my batteries ran out on Day 2.

Day 3 was probably the most stressful day, mostly because there was a lot to get through, there were a couple of complicated scenes, and we were in someone's house. Seriously, folks, this house is beautiful. It was built in the 1880's and wonderfully restored to its former glory. All the furniture in the house came with it, down to the grandfather clock. And those beautiful wood floors? They're original. So yes, there was a piece of me that was nervous about shooting there, since I would have been mortified if anything had been damaged. (spoiler alert: we didn't damage anything) I did, however, make them put cardboard under all the light stands, and they did me one better and made little cardboard 'shoes' for each leg of each stand. Those guys are brilliant, I tell you.

At this point, I have to talk about Lizet Benrey. She was trained in acting, even though she devotes much of her time to her beautiful paintings. Ever since she agreed to do the role, she has expressed some hesitation about her ability to pull it off, since it is such a demanding role. I never had these doubts. On that third day, I think Lizet (and all of us) realized how well she actually had done, as her performance (in my opinion) was pitch perfect. I remember watching her during one take about halfway through the take, thinking that this was what I knew had been inside her the whole time, and now she was bringing it out and letting us all see. It was truly remarkable and fantastic. I couldn't have asked for a more heartfelt and soulful performance.

I also want to mention how great Larissa Garcia was as the daughter (Maya). Larissa is only 15, but has a wealth of theater experience that gives her a maturity that is often not seen in people much older than she. Larissa is also (wonderfully!) a great listener, and takes direction like few actors I have ever worked with.  She jumped into every scene with the same eagerness, even though we were all exhausted, and turned out consistently good takes, saving us all a lot of time and frustration. I can't help but feel like we've discovered a great young talent, and I'm so proud to be a part of her acting adventures.

Anyway, I do have pictures of Day 3, so check 'em out. And thanks for keeping up with our project. We also have a short behind-the-scenes video if you'd like to check it out.

Today was a good day. I met up with two of our stars, Lizet Benrey and Larissa Garcia, who play the mom and daughter with a very complicated relationship. We rehearsed their scenes and chatted about their characters, and by the end, I came out feeling very confident about the progress we had made. It's great to see actors 'click', and these two definitely did. It is worth mentioning that this will be Larissa's first film, even though she has a wealth of theater experience. Most people don't understand that acting for the theater is very different than acting for film, and it looks like Larissa is going to be able to make the shift beautifully.

Watching these two become mother and daughter, to argue like mothers and daughters do, to comfort each other, was really inspiring. It's also lovely to work with actors who readily take direction, and are able to adjust their performance and expose their raw emotions and take risks just because I ask. While watching these two go through their scenes, I could actually see every shot and every nuance edited together as a complete scene. It was pretty fantastic. I'm really looking forward to our other rehearsals with the other actors, where I'll get to see the rest of the film spring to life. It's really going to be something. I can't wait.

Yesterday I kidnapped my lead actress, Lizet Benrey, and we headed down (or is it up?) to Los Angeles to meet with our other lead actor, Jose Yenque, and our costume designer, Anthony Sartino. I have to say, I came home exhausted, got my 8 hours of sleep, and I still feel like I'm walking on a cloud. What a fantastic trip we had!

First off, we had a rehearsal with Jose. He and Lizet play the magician and magician's assistant (also husband and wife). Jose has had a wealth of film experience (we'll be posting his impressive bio very soon), and Lizet's training has been extensive. I have to say, it gave me goosebumps to watch them become their characters. I know I've said that before, but this was without props, without scripts, without costumes, without anything. They just started with a few lines from the script, then went off into improvisations that made me believe I was watching a magic couple having a conversation, laughing, arguing, cajoling, and all the other things that happen when couples talk. We also snapped a few pictures of them together, and I have to say, if I didn't know better, I would think they were a young couple in love. Now that's acting!

After the rehearsal, Anthony Sartino (our GENIUS costume designer, whose bio is also coming soon) met up with us to show us some costumes he'd found at the most amazing place I've ever seen. Now, I'm a girl, and I love clothes, and this place was like nothing I'd ever even imagined. Rows and rows of clothes, shoes, hats, jewelry, and what not, up stairs, around corners, in every color and size and style you could imagine. Seriously, if you don't have a sherpa to guide you through the place, you should bring some breadcrumbs and leave a trail. It is literally a labyrinth of clothing.

Anyway, Anthony pulled out several pieces, and to be honest, any of them would have been perfect for my movie. We picked some spectacular pieces, and I can't wait to see them on my actors. These are the kind of costumes that really bring a film to life. Then he took us to his closet of pieces he had designed or collected himself, and I swear it was like a magic closet that didn't contain a single ugly piece of clothing. I wish I had a closet like that. Seriously. He pulled out a beautiful leather coat, a velvet tie, another tie I don't even know how to describe, a pair of pants, another pair of pants, another coat, another coat, and I thought I was going to faint. By the time he was finished, I was threatening to steal it and never come back! He also brought out scarves and swatches of fabric, twisted them around his torso and made them look like a million bucks. Then he would casually say, "Add some bracelets and something around the ankle, maybe a brooch, and there you go." It was like magic.

My takeaway from the day: I wish I could take Anthony everywhere with me so I'll always look fabulous.

But instead, he's making my film look fabulous. I'll take that, too. Thanks, Anthony!

Since we've started the casting process for the film, I thought I would take some time to introduce them and show you just how awesome they are. I'm going to start with one of my lead actresses in the film: Lizet Benrey. She plays the mother in the magician family, and I think she's going to blow everyone away with the transformation into this character.

But a little background:
Lizet is actually from Mexico City, and is the daughter of painter Shirley Chernitsky. As a result, Lizet started her artistic career early in life, and was surrounded by artists that became a strong influence in her artistic life, and helped her develop her skills. She studied at the Universidad Iberamericana and Boston University, and got her BA in Visual Arts from the University of California, San Diego.

In her acting life, Lizet worked as a hostess and actress in television programs produced by Televisa Mexico, and acted in theater with Julio Castillo. She even appeared in several commercials, including one for Coca-Cola. More recently, she acted in a film titled Tea in a Thunder Cup, directed by Alison Williams. She has also performed in several art videos, including Secret Place, a collaboration with Michael Douglas Hawk, which has been shown in several countries as part of the Human Emotion Project.

Her artwork has bee exhibited in museums, cultural institutions, and art galleries across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia, and Europe, and has been awarded numerous art prizes in the process.

Always the creator, Lizet even makes films of her own, most recently a short film featuring surrealist painter Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) and Gabriel Weisz Carrington, as well as the documentary Shirley Chernitsky: El estallido de la imaginacion, which has been shown at various festivals and museums. She has also collaborated, directed, or performed in several art videos that are being shown in several countries as part of the Human Emotion Project.

Seriously, this woman is amazing. She even shot and edited our teaser for our Kickstarter campaign. Go check it out. Didn't she do a great job? I'd also highly recommend that you check out her website (www.lizetbenrey.com). She's got images of some of her paintings up there, and believe me, you want to see these.

I can't wait to capture her talents on film. Like all great artists, Lizet doesn't just do things halfway. She jumps in with both feet, heart and soul, and gives it everything she's got and doesn't rest until it's perfect. And I have to say, with that kind of passion, I don't have to be worried that she'll pull off a performance that none of you will ever forget. In our rehearsals so far, she's managed to give me goose bumps bringing this character to life. I just can't wait to share it with all of you.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you know about all the marketing I’ve been up to lately. And here’s just a little bit more. We finally got our film teaser up and running on our Kickstarter page (the place where you give us money!).

I’m really glad with how it looks. It gives a real sense of what the film is going to feel like. I’d also like to mention that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my unwavering producer, Sybil Wendler, and my lead actress/editor extraordinaire, Lizet Benrey. Lizet toiled all weekend to shoot and edit the teaser, and I am eternally grateful for her (and Sybil’s!) hard work.

See what kind of amazing crew I have? Now I know you want to get involved with this project, so visit Kickstarter and show us some love. Really!