On Thursday night, SAG/AFTRA held a screening of the independent film Girl Flu, directed and written by Dorie Barton. They also had a moderated Q&A held after the screening.
The Q&A was great and very I formative! Here’s a little preview of some of the things we talked about and what we got to learn about.
Q:Why was it the right time to finally tell this story? What was your motivation in getting it made?
Dorie: “My agents were sending me out on a lot of auditions, like 10 in a row, for cougars. So my motivation was basically that I was over auditioning for cougars. I don’t really look like a mom, or a lawyer, to Hollywood, and so I decided it was time to tell my own story.”
It took the writer-director about a year and a half to write the script to get it to a point where it was ready to go out.
After she scored the producer, it was a fast process of getting the film made. They started in June with the producer and then started filming and production in
November.
Dorie says that throughout the waiting time and pre-production, she had to “Really had to persevere and believe in myself and my story and make sure I kept persevering and making sure I believed it was a story worth telling.”
Q:What was the audition process like?
Jade Pettyjohn, got the email from her agents and it was a typical audition. In the callback, she talked to Dorey about music and life and got to know her. Jade said that this was atypical of callbacks, but Dorey knew Jade was perfect for the lead the moment she walked through the door so atypical was her style!
This is why it is important to get to know and be social with the people you meet during the process. Always show your shining personality the moment you walk into the room!
Heather Matarazzo got the script from Dorey and met with her in a coffee shop. She is selective with the jobs she accepts and attaches her name to. This director and this project was so beautiful, passionate, inspiring and knew she was going to be held in safe hands. This is more of a “normal” audition process for people when they are getting offered roles.
Q: What was it like to have a director who is also an accomplished actor?
Jade brought up the rehearsal and that they would have rehearsals before shooting because Dorie comes from a theatre background. She spoke about the process of building relationships with different objects, people, everything (just as you do in a theatrical production!)
Heather brought up an interesting point in saying, “I would hope that every director is an ‘actor’s director'” if you are going to be effective storyteller and director you need to know how to talk to them in a way that will get the performance.” She went on to explain the difference found between male and female directors: female never came from a place of ego. The process of filming for Heather was never about needing to look important or feel powerful. She felt that Dorie let them as actors have room to explore and be, she trusted us enough to do their jobs It was always about telling THE STORY.
Diego explained that Dorie was super passionate and had a lot of energy and passion coming to set. “I took a really bad fall on the skateboard” ( the falling scene was real). But they were all able to laugh about it later on.
Q: What was the casting process like? Could you shed some light on the decision-making process for the other actors in this room to let them in on the secrets of the room?
Dorie: “In every case, the casting was a completely gut response. I wish I could demystify it and say I had some frame-work but it wasn’t the case.” She explained the casting for this film in a few simple words; it’s not magical, but it’s not logical.
So there you have it, folks; a great screening and an exciting, insightful Q&A with the cast and director. I love having the chance to attend these things at SAG/AFTRA because they are not only interesting but also give you a great grasp on different parts of the industry. I would highly suggest the SAG/AFTRA screening experience if you have the chance to attend one! They are great.