Most my posts are a lot about circus, which of course isn't a problem, but I thought I would write a little note just about the filmmaking side of things. Hopefully this will give you a glimpse into the process.
The process of Pre-Production / Producing the film started well over two years ago, well actually, it was developed back in 2006. I'll keep this short, but the logistics and permissions were not easy to come by. Mainly just lots of people involved that all have to get their bosses bosses to say OK. Around Christmas 2008, I made contact with the World Circus Federation, through a circus friend. It took over a year, but with their help we secured all permissions needed, and Christmas 2009 we were sitting in a trailer on a circus backlit in Holland listening to sea lions bark.
- A MONTH BEFORE WE LEFT I got permission from the Festival, I knew it was a go - or almost. I literally bought Ian and my ticket to Europe without having permission from all the acts or even knowing where they were in Europe, I just had to trust and know IT WAS HAPPENING.
- Each step is really 20. Tracking down the acts was not easy, they're performing all over the world, and some don't even speak English. Just a week before we left things were falling through, the circuses where acts were performing didn't want filming on their property. Then, in a five-minute period just before we left, I got permission from the circuses and from Cirque du Soleil (a five tier and many month processes for permission). PHEW, best five minutes ever!
- ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE. I decided an important, even crucial, filming component was making stops at circus schools, historical societies, fan clubs, etc. All of a sudden London and Italy were added to the map and there was no longer a fear of too much down time, now I had no idea how we would get from Paris to Italy in half a day in order to allow enough time to film.
Tape stock, hard drives, extra batteries, sound equipment, borrowing of lights from good people, printing stacks of release forms and contracts and throwing in a few clothes, we crossed our fingers we didn’t miss anything
- Two sunrises and two sunsets got me from LA, stopping in Chicago to meet Ian, landing in Paris, and driving through Belgium into Germany on the hunt for a our first hotel and a much needed night of sleep.
- DAYS OFF. Ian and I joked (in that, “Oh, this isn’t a joke but we have to deal with it” way) our only days off were spent driving 7 hours, always getting lost, always arriving to a dark to unknown cities with signs in another language with no fancy GPS phones to lead us to our next home - our next hotel.
- Our #1 rule (actually rule #0) was always bring the camera - you never know what there will be to film, I’ve learned that the hard way. Ian always had his camera on his shoulder running around, with what I can only assume was an ever growing right arm muscle, and I had my camera plus a large bag full of binders of paperwork and notes and maps, plus extra tapes, batteries, food, water....
- We were on our feet all day, in all conditions, and Ian's boots did not pass the test, luckily he did. He went through about five bottles of supper glue and at one point the entire sole of his boot became a flap that could be bent back entirely. Oh supper glue, how good you are.
- what you are filming and are YOU allowed? is the question asked if you have a professional camera. This is especially hard when you're in a foreign country. In Monte Carlo, we discovered Monaco is privately owned and EXTREMELY well policed, meaning hard to film.
- OUR SCHEDULE was we usually got up
around 8am, or earlier, and our days were non-stop, often forgetting lunch (bring power bars!) ending past midnight. We ended collapsed on beds and then sessions of answering my piles of emails that had come in during the day. OFFICE HOURS 12AM-3AM. Also, each night we had to transfer footage to the computer, often we barely had time for the transfer, we had to wake back up for more filming. 3 hours isn’t enough! - Producing and scheduling and booking hotels and interviews didn't stop when I left the states, I still had many holes to fill and people to follow up with. Ian always said he felt best after an interview, he felt accomplished and that all my emails had paid off. It was true and good to have that nagging optimism next to me
- We got to Monte Carlo exactly half way into our travels. Once there, I had to constantly pinch myself as a reminder that "this was it" this was what everyone was waiting for. The greatest feeling was standing outside the tent doors as people in costumes ran in and out in the adrenalin rush right before a show. I could see flashes of Ian backstage, behind the curtain, running around after our performers, capturing moments that I could hardly imagine and that I knew I would eventually get to see along with the rest of the world.
- We shot over 100 hours of footage.
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