The screening was amazing. A bit overwhelming, but amazing. Two days after the screening I got a Facebook message from Amanda Taylor, who had acted in a couple of shorts I’d directed. Amanda said she had been at the screening and loved my work, and that she started a new You Tube channel called DanceOn and she’d be interested in talking to me about potentially directing something for it. Now, I think of myself as relatively “hip” to technology, after all, I’m only 28. But I had NO idea what the hell she meant by YouTube channel. So, we met up for drinks and chatted for about 3 hours. (By the way, a YouTube channel is like a TV channel, but on the internet, and YouTube helps promote them.) I loved the idea of DanceOn.com, a channel that matches choreographers and directors together with a piece of music, and allows them to create dance videos. Having partnered with choreographers before, I was very excited about this prospect. We parted ways, I e-mailed her “thanks” and hoped that we’d be able to work together soon.
After 3 weeks of silence, I decided to e-mail Amanda about an idea I had for a dance video…still nothing. THEN about a week later I received a phone call from her. YES! An actual phone call -- not an e-mail, not a Facebook message, a phone call. She told me that Alex Ellis, who’d been doing voice over work for DanceOn,was offered two Broadway roles on the same day -- one for Catch Me If You Can, and one for Sister Act, -- she took Catch Me If You Can AND it was to be her Broadway debut. AND…Amanda wanted to know if I like to direct a web-series about Alex! I said “ummmmm….yes please”. And thus “Diary of A Chorus Girl” had a director/editor/cinematographer.
I went on vacation for 5 days, and on the last day received a frantic e-mail from Amanda that said “I just got a very last minute email to shoot a dance rehearsal for Catch Me tomorrow from 3-330. Can you be available to shoot?” I shot the day I got back. It was just me and the PR company filming the rehearsal, and I was able to film Jerry Mitchell choreograph what would then become their hit song “Don’t Break The Rules”. That night we had a meeting with Alex, Amanda, Phil Byron (the producer), and Allen DeBevoise (the co-founder of DanceOn), and they seemed to love my ideas for the 10 episode Web-series. We decided that Alex would use a Flipcam to film herself talking about the day (aka “vlogging”…another word I learned on this job) and I would film all the rehearsal footage, interviews with the cast and crew, and celebrities at Opening night. BUT because of equity rules, only Alex would be able to film back stage. However, she could film all she wanted. In the end this was great news, but I had to wrap my mind around the fact that I wouldn't be filming it myself and that I would have to direct from afar. We has some initial logistical issues to work out -- how to get the footage to me, how to direct via e-mail and text message rather than in the room, and as in any documentary, how to tell a good story.
[As a side note, I want to say that it was really great that I got to work with my brother, Max Wolkowitz, who’s a motion graphics artist, on the credits and other graphic designs. We've worked together before and it’s always awesome to have the opportunity to collaborate on a project.]
Production began Feburary 3rd and the first Episode was to come out March 16th. This did not leave us with very much time to shoot and edit. Also, it was a bit of a challenge to figure out how to give the documentary a through-line without having all the footage upfront, since I was getting it piecemeal over the course of two months. I was able to direct Alex from afar, and she did a fantastic job of filming and understanding my random requests, that were necessary to flesh out the story.
Alex also understood that with documentaries things can come up at any moment, and she was ready and there with her camera. I would get text messages from her such as “You’re gonna love me. That’s all I have to say”. And she was right. She got footage that I never imagined she’d be able to get. One of my favorites was when Robin Williams came into the room to talk to some of his friends involved in the show. Alex was able to get one of her castmates to film her excitement about the fact that Robin Williams was in the room. It was the perfect opener to an episode. However, once I got the footage into the cutting room, the following thought enters my mind – “we got it, but will we be able to get Robin Williams to sign a waiver for the footage”. My producer Philip Byron worked his magic and Robin Williams signed the release. And then when we were interviewing him on the Opening Day red carpet, he remembered the clip and knew who we were. I think we got a bit more out of him because of that.
Another one of my favorite moments was working with Jack O’Brien. He graciously gave us an hour of his time to have a filmed conversation with Alex. I e-mailed back and forth with him a bit about the conversation he’d have, and I don’t think anyone could have been supportive of her (other than her wonderful family, who I met, and who are also awesome). It was encouraging to see an experienced director still very excited about someone’s Broadway debut. We filmed their conversation at Sardi’s, and it couldn't have gone any better. They were both so open and honest about everything.
Directing and editing “Diary Of A Chorus Girl” was really fun, and figuring out how to produce a new form of media was interesting and challenging. I wanted to make a 5 minute documentary series work for the web, without it being a “reality show”. And I think I did what I set out to do. I’m a little nervous that I’m now being pigeonholed as a documentarian of theater, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing…
Sara Wolkowitz is a freelance film and theater director. You can find out more at http://www.sarawolkowitz.com/. You can also find Diary Of A Chorus Girl at http://www.youtube.com/show/diaryofachorusgirl?s=1. You can also workout to a video of dancing poodles at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UaW6zYQDQE
