Writing this from the backseat of a very crowded Subaru as we retrace our steps to Chicago. At the same time, actors and crew are making their way home via Albuquerque airport and other roads. After nine days of shooting and A LOT of coffee - we did it. In one intense two-day stretch of filming 22 pages and then 17, we wrapped production. Celebrations went on until late, and then it was time to head home and on to the next phase.
In the two weeks between drives we met incredible new friends and colleagues, visited and shot what seems like half of Moriarty, and were honored to experience local hospitality in so many ways. Of particular excitement for many of us was experiencing a crew that was led by women across almost all departments. Our incredible male allies all remarked that this was different than their normal experiences - and welcome! What we particularly liked about it was that young girls in Moriarty who have never seen filming now think women have a strong presence at the table. And as we know, if they can see it, they can be it.
Moriarty Middle School girls watching filming at Rookie’s Secondhand Shop
We also blew past the limits of a micro-budget film, because our team always shoots for the stars. Of course after we called the martini (last) shot - our Director of Photography Wenting Fisher was shooting additional landscapes and our Sound Engineer Aldonza Contreras Castro was recording more sounds.
There are more stories to tell - but first we wanted to mark the end of this phase and the excitement of the one to come and thank all of you who have made it possible!
#FarToGo
Cast & Crew by Barb Odell at the Sunset Motel, Moriarty, New Mexico