When you sit in the theater wide-eyed and mesmerized by the latest Scorcese or Spielberg production, do you ever stop and think about all the work that went into putting it all together? Both Mr. S’s had crews of talented individuals to take care of each and every detail, starting with developing the idea to wrapping up production.
Well you too can direct a perfect production even though you have only one talented person in your crew — yourself. You already have the star: LeMieux, your cat. Yes, your cat will really star this year, but you’re going to have to step into five behind-the-scenes roles.
Photo by Flickr user AZAdam
Casting Director
Casting directors pick the right person for each role. Ellen Lewis, Mr. Scorcese’s go-to casting director summed it up perfectly in a New York Times interview “We want nothing more than for an actor to walk in and do a great job.” You already have the right person — or pet in this case. What you want is the right role.
What kind of personality does your kitty have? Is she a born role player, willing to put up with yuletide props, or will she bat them down, or even worse, shred them? Is she the high-fashion model type, willing to get all dolled up, or at least let you crown her with a Santa Hat or festive ribbon for sixty seconds?
If you find yourself answering no, no and no, it’s probably best that you catch her in a candid moment. The beauty of digital cameras is that they’re always ready to catch her at her most adorable.
Lighting Director
The very best lighting director? Mother Nature. The very worst? Your camera’s flash. Use a flash and you’re practically guaranteeing that you’ll come up with those yellow-green glaring eyes. Scary eyes are great for Halloween, but we’re talking Christmas.
If your cat is the outdoor type, the sunlight is easy. If she’s the pampered indoor type, catch her in a sunlit room. Hopefully you can sneak in a few props — a wrapped gift or an ornament or two.
Supporting Cast
Maybe you’d like to appear in a cameo shot this year. No one around to take a shot.? No problem. Hold the camera above your head, make sure your faces are filling the frame and shoot. Don’t hold the camera too far away. There’s nothing worse than those long arm shots. Try a few solo practice shoots so you get the knack. After all, they’ll be sorted out later.
The Cutting Room
What did we ever do without digital cameras? Download your photos to your computer. Review them all. And now for the hardest part of producing custom Christmas cards — pick the best one. Use whatever editing tools your computer offers for adjusting color and exposure. Crop if necessary.
The Set Designer
This is the easiest part. Send it off to a stationer that specializes in custom Christmas cards. Many, like Mint.com, offer a captivating choice of templates to surround your star with the Christmas spirit.
That’s it. Call it a wrap! Grab the kitty treats. Time for the wrap party.
I think you’ll like it.