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What do you get when you mix together a heartwarming story about a young girl befriending a homeless woman, a desire to raise awareness for homeless individuals, and some ReKon magic? Our short film, Play Date.
As our successful funding campaign ended, everyone shifted into full prep mode. Preparing for the shoot required the perfect balance of creating a realistic but unique look. One of the key design elements was the makeup for our homeless character played by Terry Walters. The talented Harmony Swank (Key Hair/Make Up) used her skills to completely master the director’s vision! I was amazed because Harmony really exceeded expectations and took ideas from the vision board I helped create and managed to infuse it with her own ideas. Terry sat down in the makeup chair and the “make-under” began as sun-damaged and aged skin were layered on to her. I was able to see the makeup test a few days before filming, and I was glad to see that same look seamlessly replicated for each day of the shoot.
The talents of the costume department also made the character pop. Our costume designer, Christina Blackaller, created a cape that made the homeless woman have a quirky vibe to her. I remember noticing the cape for the first time and feeling like the description in the script came completely alive with this costume piece.The actress who played the young girl, Isabella Spencer, had great chemistry with the rest of the cast and her improv skills gave the film an additional authentic touch. There were “family portraits” taken by the art department for props, and these images could have fooled anyone into thinking the actors were a real-life family. When I got the photos printed I felt like I was looking at people who have known each other for years!
After four days of shooting, there were many scenes accomplished and beautifully framed shots…time for the editing process to begin.
Written by Alyssa Bellia