On November 12th, NYU film students shot a film called Small Elegy directed by Abe Kaye. They are part of a program based at FAMU, The Film Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (and the alma mater of Miloš Forman).
“It’s based on the death of the Jewish poet, Jiří Orton, which took place in Prague in 1942,” Abe explained. “He was hit by an ambulance and wasn’t admitted to the hospital because he was Jewish. So he ended up dying at the age of 21.”
One of the scenes I observed them shoot was at the reception desk of the NYU Prague academic center where the RAs usually work. When an actor wearing a white uniform sat down, the place started to look like a real hospital reception area.
There are three actor-receptionists, who shared their impressions of being actors for the first time. Funny enough, all of them are NYU Prague staff!
“It is a very funny and interesting experience. It comes to me quite naturally. I’m a little bit embarrassed about the lines, and yes, I keep forgetting them,” shared Štepán Pavlíček, manager of the Osadni dorm.
The two other actors, RAs Nick and Eva, were both a little nervous, but also delighted to participate. Another actor was a Czech who Abe randomly met on the tram earlier in the semester. Just imagine going to work in the morning, and someone offers you a role in a film – not bad 🙂
While the cast was rehearsing their lines, the film crew was making magic with lights, sound, and cameras by changing the objective of the lens, measuring distance with a roulette, checking the light exposure and lot of other technical things.
“Prague is both different and similar to New York. It is a great place to slow down and think about the basics of filmmaking. It is a great opportunity to learn to use a 35 mm camera because I have only worked with 60 mm in the past,” said a co-gaffer Kathryn Phillips, who worked with a cast on her broken arm and back.
That same day, they shot another scene on one of the Prague streets. It was in the old part of the city, so there was a lot of hustle and bustle. One person from the the crew had to keep watch over the tourists on the other side of the street to make sure they didn’t ruin the scene.
The atmosphere was very friendly, and it was a pleasure to watch how FAMU students worked on their project.
“There is so much fulfillment in working as a team to tell one story. A collaborative nature… It‘s like a whole ecosystem that runs by itself, under the leadership of the director, of course,” said Tian Pei, another gaffer.
Another student, Gili-Jo, agreed that the best part of making a film was working together and creating a community.
“This morning on the tram, it was very chaotic, shaky, and hectic. I think when the driver saw us get on with a camera, he was like, ‘I’m gonna mess with these guys.’ So, he went extra fast and we tossed around a bit. It was scary, but fun,” recalled Gili-Jo about the most memorable moment during filming.
All the students seemed passionate about what they were doing. However, FAMU students need to be careful because sometimes they get so many ideas that they love during a shoot that some have to be abandoned because they don’t have the time or equipment.
“It’s hard. It definitely hurts a lot, but I would rather be in pain doing filmmaking than just watching,” said Katheryn about working on set after laying in hospital with a broken arm and back.
Want to see some behind the scenes content from the shoot? Check out a video on our Instagram and another published to YouTube!
Images and videos provided and edited by Anna Kozachuk.
Featured Image courtesy of Jae Jin.