Day Four Is A Wrap!

Day Four of filming for Hold My Beer was a success!

As I mentioned in the Day Three recap, it took place at one of our favorite locations in town - Loowit Brewing Company. Big thanks to owner Thomas Poffenroth for hosting us, and also for being an extra!

Speaking of extras, we had some additional friends come out to play bar patrons (and a bartender!) - shout-outs go to Cody and Missy Fant, Jake Bestgen, Jason Wall, and Jon Fisher.

Thanks to them, as well as the usual stellar efforts of our brilliant cast and crew (which included Kevin Coy, trading in his actor's card for a Production Assistant credit), we got all the shots we needed and had a lot of fun doing it (although I have to admit, this was my first time spending several hours in a bar while NOT drinking beer).

Two more Days to go!

Wardrobe Fitting

Because the film Hold My Beer is a story about normal people set in present-day (well, 2018, to be exact) Vancouver, Washington, we have no need for elaborate period costumes or superhero spandex. However, that doesn't mean we don't require at least some pieces of wardrobe that the cast doesn't already have in their drawers or closets.

And so, based on a recommendation from good friend, coproducer, and local icon Elizabeth Holmes (check out her amazing podcast here), we enlisted the aid of Center Stage Clothiers, a costume rental store based right here in Vancouver. Thanks to store owner Diana Kirkpatrick (pictured above, left), we were able to secure what we needed for our actress Lydia Pentz (pictured above, right) at a very reasonable rate. If you're in the area and you find yourself needing specific clothing for a play, film, or anything else - including elaborate period costumes or superhero spandex! - we strongly recommend checking them out.

Oh, and what did we rent for Lydia? No spoilers - you'll just have to watch the film when it comes out and take a guess!

More Location Scouting

This past weekend, my band-slash-production team did an advance recon mission to Loowit Brewing Company in advance of our Day Four of filming there later this month.

Of course, this was not our first time at Loowit; we've been there many times before, mostly just for fun, but also once to shoot workprint footage late last year. This time, though, we went in with our real gear to scout out camera angles, lighting, and other logistics (like which table would be best to use for the scene - the winner being the Bicycle Chain Table pictured above). And, of course, since we were there, we treated ourselves to a couple of rounds of amazing Loowit beer.

Stay tuned for a recap of Day Four in a few weeks!

Location Scouting

As part of the preproduction process for the Hold My Beer film project, I recently got to do a walk-through visitation of the Pearson Air Museum's Historic Hangar.

This is where the big climactic set piece of the film will take place. When we made our workprint (a rough draft of the film), we didn't have access to the hangar (you have to rent it way in advance, and it's expensive), so we used Lego pieces on my kitchen island instead. But next month, it'll be the real deal! And with two fairly complex scenes, dozens of extras, a bunch of props, and limited time, it's going to be quite an experience. But I'm confident that with the help of our amazing cast and crew, it will turn out great. So in just a few weeks, expect to see another picture like the one above, just filled with people, tables, and (fake) beer!