Trailer

This morning, I was part of shooting a video trailer for the kids' book on which I've worked this last year. There was no pre-production meeting. There was no large crew or fancy lighting--just a few of us writers, a few kids, and, it turned out, an apartment so full of prop and costume items that it could be a production studio.
 
As my colleagues quickly researched eras and styles, I found myself saying "Yeah, I have that," to almost every request, then ransacking drawers and closets to find whatever it was. You might argue that I have a treasure trove--it certainly seemed that way. What I really have is years of my family's life that I cannot bear to throw away. There are toys well past being used that still live in plastic boxes. There are jackets that no longer work, and costumes from years of dress-up playdates and Halloweens. There are pieces of jewelry that would take too much thought to wear daily, but that both bring back memories and create a sense of era.
 
I am hopeful that our several hours of shooting will make a trailer that accurately represents the book and gets the word out about it. In the meantime, I am happy to see that a messy and overcrowded apartment can serve a purpose. It may not make life smooth on a daily basis, but it makes for an excellent on-the-fly prop and costume house.