On our first Day at Double R Productions, Rosemary assigned Paul, Kate and I “In the Camera,” a shoot in which we learn the technology knowing we can’t edit our footage later. This made creating a script essential for our success.
We tossed around many ideas for our project, ranging from exploring the metro to touring Dupont Circle. In the end we came up with a clever spoof.
We began the shoot inside our office, took it out to the stairwell and the sidewalk, and finally ended up underground at the Dupont Circle metro. Luckily we were able to tape what we needed at the bottom of the escalator before being shooed away by security.
Although our footage is only a few minutes long, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit insecure when Paul, Kate and I came back to the office to watch what we recorded. Sure, I felt silly being taped on camera, knowing we only had one chance to get everything recorded properly, but there was something even more embarrassing about watching it all play out on the television. I couldn’t help but criticize everything I saw from my rumpled shirt to my tangled hair. I didn’t realize how much courage it takes to get up in front of the camera. Being in a video, no matter how long or short, is all about prior proper planning and of course being cool, calm and confident.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
