Hillsboro, Virginia -- I can scarcely believe we are here -the final day of filming for Waterford's War. Since we all met for that first reading last May, we have come full circle in the cycle of seasons and the rhythms of filming.
We assembled at the serene Silverbrook Farm, owned by the gracious Dot Shetterly, on a blustery, unseasonably cool spring day. We found ourselves at ease at Silverbrook, surrounded by mountains and punctuated with Dot's gorgeous landscaping, complete with a functional "Chess Game" garden with giant chess pieces. The house itself was built in three stages. We filmed in the oldest section, built in 1765, in a transporting room with warped glass windows, fabulous antiques and a crackling fire in one of those fireplaces that is so wide it seems to encompass an entire wall.
Peter brought a very special "First Assistant" with him - his wife, Lynda Buck, who operated a second camera. Because this is an independent film operating under tight budget constraints, the entire film has been shot with one camera, which, as you might imagine, significantly lengthens the process. Peter was thrilled at the end of the scene when he didn't need to re-do everything just for the view of the other actor. Thank you, Lynda!
Ironically, today, on this last day of filming, we shot the first and last scenes, feeling rather like a hug around the whole movie. Both scenes involved "70-something" Sarah Steer, played by the lovely Maxine Bean, and a photographer shooting her portrait with a circa 1910 camera.
The Photographer, "Mr. Huntington," is played by the dashing Tim Griffin. As Sarah tells her life's story to Mr. Huntington, Meredith will use cross-fades to cut to the younger Sarah, and let the story drift back and forth in time. Maxine soon had us all transfixed. In fact, she was so believable that on two occasions, Tim forgot to say his lines because he was so engulfed in her story.
Tim, who is normally a stage actor, voiced his initial intimidation at being filmed, and Meredith said, "I swear, it gets easier after this." With an incredulous glance Peter said, "Meredith, you've been saying that for a year!"
With only a few setbacks, like the faulty personal mics and the dead dry-erase marker for the clapboard, the shoot unfolded without incident. Oh, there was the matter of the blustery, idyllic day as it turned wild and stormy with the wind thundering outside. This caused Peter to stop filming periodically and resume when it abated. We felt right at home, however. I mean, it wouldn't be an authentic film day unless we had to dodge the clamor of planes, dogs, trains, and now, wind. Some of us were also a bit rusty, as demonstrated by A.D. Nancy Griffith who picked up the clapboard and said, "I forgot when to click!"
We resumed our "potato chip diet," as the day is always longer than we planned, or the excitement just overshadows our planning for basic needs. After one break, at the commencement of a scene, Tim gave a cheesy smile and said, "Wait! Do I have any Utz in my teeth?"
As the fire slowly turned to embers and the light faded to evening, Meredith called the final, "That's a wrap!" The room exploded with whoops and hollers and applause. Everyone was overwhelmed with a swirl of emotions - delight that we had actually done this and sadness that it was actually over.
As Sarah Steer's story came to a close in the film, so did our own. Echoing her question to Mr. Huntington, "Which has more power over man, love or fear?" I guess we'll just have to watch the movie to find out.
