| 
Summer, 1996. First thoughts.
HB: Finishing my first feature,“The Sticky Fingers of Time". I write two pages of notes about a teenager unsure if she’s pregnant, looking superstitously for signs and trying to convince herself everything is ok.... I like the sound of the name Stephanie Daley. 1999
HB: Another script I have been developing for the last two years just isn’t working out. I decide to write something more naturalistic. I begin thinking again about “Stephanie Daley” and start researching concealed/surprise pregnancies & cases in which young women are accused of infanticide. I am very intrigued by the challenge of a story about characters that live one reality to the world, and another inside and how to communicate that duality. Feels like this is a worthwhile movie to make.
Lydie Crane enters the story – as I’ve been exploring Steph’s story, I’ve been watching the dramas of my own peers – grown ups becoming parents for the first time. Fascinated by the parallels, I see pregnancy not just as a biological state – but a rite of passage – in itself a psychological transition – like adolescence. The script is now in two discreet chunks. Part 1 is Stephanie’s story (includes meetings with Lydie) Part 2 is Lydie’s story. Fall, 2001
HB: The Sundance Institute accepts the script into the Writing Lab. I’m elated. I’ve tried to get in the last 4 years with other scripts. Michelle Satter and Lynn Auerbach begin convincing me the 2-part structure isn’t working and that script must be intercut. I resist then try it once again. Turns out they are right. Now it’s at least on the right track. The big problem is keeping momentum during transitions between the 2 lines – avoiding redundancy and making the two arcs of Lydie and Steph into ONE. January, 2001 Hilary attends the Sundance Writer’s Lab for 5 days in Utah.
HB: We climb out of the van at the Sundance resort and are surrounded by tall mountains, crisp white snow and the crazy sweet smell of pine. All the ”fellows” are a bit terrified. We meet twice a day with different advisors. The meetings are intense and each very different. One advisor (who I admired very much and still do) doesn’t like the script and finds the whole thing implausible. I’m crushed but still breathing. But then another one likes it just as it is... What begins to emerge from all this – a tough skin, and a much deeper understanding of my script as seen through many keen eyes. There’s also an emerging sense of community. Writing isn’t easy for any of us – not even the veteran advisors. A few strong common notes emerge – as do a number of ways to approach the problems. I become aware of the different strategies writers use – and see that its a matter of customizing to one’s own process. I start consciously assembling my own tool box. Something I’ve never done before. After the lab, we all go home and work through ALL the notes. June, 2001 Hilary attends the Sundance directing lab for 4 weeks.
HB: The director’s lab is a much more social extraverted experience. If the writer’s lab asks you to look IN at what you’re doing, the directing lab is really concerned with HOW you’re working with other people – your crew, actors, sets... It’s all about “process.” We’re given grim grey set flat in the hope that we’’’ stop trying to make it too “polished.” It’s fast working and every moment – quite public. Every choice gently observed by the advisors... it’s harrowing at first but then soon, we stop feeling precious about it, and just feel as we feel. We are being pushed to open up and take risks. Self-consciousness gives way to real break-throughs. It’s kind of an astonishing thing – when do we EVER just get to focus on how we do things (in a medium where every on set moment has a price tag). The directing “fellows” all leave tired, intensely grateful – and anxious it’s ending. We wish we could shoot our films tomorrow. It will take awhile for all of us. Spring, 2002
HB: Yikes. I’ve just had twins... Hands full. Still looking for a producer – there’s interest but no real movement. It becomes clear I need to find someone with lots of energy who will take the initiative. Summer, 2002
The Sundance Institute stages a reading in NYC. Fall, 2002
Lynn at the Sundance Institute introduces Hilary to RedBone films a Los Angeles based company founded by Jen Roskind, Samara Koffler, Sean Costello. Hilary meets with Jen in NY and a few months later, RedBone begins working together in earnest. They bring on Dickson-Arbusto Casting (Joy and Nicole).
Fall, 2004
RedBone has secured a commitment for a portion of the budget. Tilda Swinton reads the script on the recommendation of her Agent. Hilary and Tilda meet for coffee in NYC. Tilda comes on as Executive Producer, and will play Lydie Crane. Graham Taylor at Endeavor actively helps us. HB: Tilda is gracious and deeply intelligent. She is also the mother of twins older than my own. I ask advice. December, 2004
The script reaches Amber Tamblyn (thanks to casting directors, Joy and Nicole). Hilary and Amber meet in LA. HB: I’m immediately struck by 1) yes she looks young enough! 2) Amber is funny, grounded and very, very brave. A 21 yr old girl who writes poetry as fierce as hers can do this...Amber says yes! April, 2005
At Jen Roskind’s suggestion, Hilary visits the towns of Tannersville, Hunter and Catskill, NY in Greene County (NY). The Catskill Mountain Arts Foundation has been welcoming and has some ideas about location/office space... There are ski slopes! HB: I was born in Catskill and know the mountains from growing up quite near and hiking as a teenager. I am excited about working in a place that I have history, yet where there’s a lot of room left for discovery. I love the Catskills and the idea of filming in them. July, 2005
RedBone Films is joined by Silverwood Films. Silverwood’s Lynette Howell and Douglas Dey come on as producers. We have financing. We have a finite window in which to shoot (September) before our actors become unavailable. Prep begins immediately. HB: I am helping my mother at her house in Upstate NY. It’s good to be in the country. The phone is quiet, and I’m very aware we’ll soon be out of time in terms of actor availability, and that if things don’t come together now, they may never do so. I make my peace with that possibility. Then the call comes. We’re on. The final piece of the puzzle! July-August, 2005
Prep begins in earnest in NY. Joy Dickson and Nicole Arbusto (our casting directors) who we have been working with us for over a year and a half, fly into NY for final casting of the supporting ensemble. Terry Leonard comes on as Co-Producer and the office comes to life... with the hiring of keys, and last minute research re: military law, forensic procedures etc. Tim Hutton comes on having been introduced to the script by his agent at Endeavor. We have the first of many, many meetings about the “deer” which is to be our big special FX moment. Upstate – scouting is on-going. HB: I am introduced to an amazing pool of NY actors and crew. The work is largely logistical but many key creative decisions are made in this time... The discussions we have about hiring crew are aesthetic decisions in themselves. During auditions, I see the script on its feet... and characters literally “take shape” as Costume Designers Kurt and Bart begin fitting cast and making pregnancy prosthetics! August, 2005 The office transitions to Tannersville, NY.
HB: On the way Upstate, we pick up D.P. David Morrison at the airport. Tilda and Amber come in just a little over a week prior to shooting. We do some scene analysis, we analyze the characters with a psycho-therapist who helps us think about the staging of the psych office scenes. We are constantly looking at locations – the film is almost entirely on real locations – only Lydie’s office is a set – built into the back of the Catskill Mountain Arts Foundation building in Hunter (now I believe it’s a store!) September 7, 2005 First day of principal photography.
HB: We are shooting the scenes in which Lydie visits her friend Jane. It’s a good day. The house belongs to Mary & Charlene who we come to consider the guardian angels of our production in many ways. The first shot we take is Tilda driving her Jeep up the hill. It’s a tricky, older car –full of characte r- and a bumpy steep hill. It’s this wonderful complete moment unto itself – and we’re off.
In the coming weeks, the crew falls into a healthy familial rhythm. Things look beautiful.
Note: for more on the work of D.P. David Morrison – see Cinematography Notes. Sept. 28, 2005
We shoot the bathroom scene and are stunned silent by it. October 6, 2005
Last Day of principal photography. We shoot Lydie’s “roadside” scene at a construction site by the Condos we are staying at... We shoot all night – Tilda a trooper, working in cold mud. We finish just at dawn. It begins to rain... It rains for four days straight. We’ve finished in the nick of time. Then, back to NYC. October – November, 2005
Hilary joins editor Keith Reamer. We slug the winter scenes with title cards (our plan is to return Upstate early December) and submit to Sundance with what we’ve got. Once we have it submitted – we try to forget about it and stick to the task of editing. December 1, 2005
We get into Sundance! We edit and work furiously toward our winter shoot. We pray for snow and check the almanacs. December 2,3,4 .Winter Photography – Catskill & Hunter, NY.
It snows the night before we come and then... melts by morning. We shoot the exterior courthouse scenes, and Fall/Winter night exteriors. Then we shoot on top of Hunter Mountain – which is fortunately MAKING snow. Half a day on the mountain top is the most exhausting, exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. The morning after – when we’re all done and heading home – of course – it snows!!! Most of the crew has disbanded, but John, our first AC meets David and I at Hunter. We ride the ski-lift and shoot what will be the first images of the film, the credit sequence. Then it’s done. December 5-15, 2005
We race to picture lock – with a few small test screenings scheduled. The film runs 110 mins. As a result of the screening notes, we bravely cut away 20 minutes of screen time... and lock at 90 mins. The Sound design team (Tom Paul/The Cottage) is working away – and composer, David Mansfield is beginning the score. Volker Durre at Adams Morioka designs the credits. December 28, 2005
David Morrison and Hilary color time at RIOT! in Los Angeles with extraordinary timer Siggy Ferst. We can’t believe how good it looks. We finish early. Thanks to a grant through the Sundance Institute, we will have a HD to 35mm blow-up from PAC Title in Los Angeles. We see test footage. It looks wonderful. Jan 6-12, 2005
David Mansfield finishes recording the score. Samara Koffler, Tom Paul and Hilary mix for four days on nine hours sleep at Tom Paul’s cottage an hour north of NY. We bond. We hallucinate, then return to the City do the mix master. January 13, 2005
David, Jen and Samara check the answer print in Los Angeles. January 18, 2006
We arrive in Park City. The producers carry the print from LA. We are winded by the sheer force and concentration of the festival – and nervous. HB: This is the first time I will see the print – and it will be in the company of the audience... The producers, and much of the cast and crew are here. I am keenly aware that soon team Steph Daley’s work is largely (not entirely) done... and I’ll miss working with everyone terribly because they have become like family... so we focus on being together one last time, and it’s beautiful. For more, view Cinematography Notes >>
| 
