Jennifer Irving, left, and Tracy Rigg, right, on-set of Dream Home (2020) Official Trailer
When Jennifer Irving approached me a couple of months ago about the idea of shooting a scene from her upcoming Kindle book, Dream Home, I was thrilled to be part of this ground-breaking project. I say this of course because the idea of a trailer is something that seems exclusively associated with the marketing of movies, using it as a promotional medium for a book isn’t common or routine. Having the opportunity to shoot a scene in Colchester, Ont. – a place already abundant with spiritual meaning for me, as a trailer for Dream Home – a novel that is full of the potential of conscious spiritual dream exploration, is an artistic dream come true.
The vision for the trailer was to shoot a brief scene from the plot of the book. The script was written by Jennifer and developed through a series of three test shoots at the location in Colchester. During the shoots, I learned what the required lighting set-up would be through a process of trial and error and I created a DIY lighting kit for upcoming videos. Jennifer discovered just how much make-up actors wear, and had fun exploring her character through wardrobe, pictures, and dialogue. Our excitement grew as we inched through tasks like figuring out blocking, editing test footage, writing shot lists, re-doing everything twice; and then Jennifer recruited local artist Tracy Rigg to play the second lead in the scene, eccentric medium, Sandra.
Tracy Rigg, On-Set of Dream Home (2020) Trailer
Tracy has been performing in Essex County for several years. She has performed in bands such as Hardwired and currently Two of a Kind. “Tracy brought an intriguing energy into the character. She naturally fit into the role. It mesmerized me how eerie it was that I was seeing Sandra, the character that I had wrote, standing right in front of me.” Says Jennifer.
Over two days of shooting, a 3-person production team was able to piece together the footage used to create the Dream Home trailer that is now streaming on Cinematic Windsor’s Youtube channel. All of us put something personal into the project, Jen’s novel, Tracy’s performance or my directing – all of them possible because of our support of the spirituality behind #dreamhomenovel. We overcame obstacles like lawnmowers and noisy animals, mysteriously unplugged microphones, and lighting deficiencies on one day, and then unexpected rain with thunder and lightning storms on the next to arrive at a finished product that we are all proud to have created.
Dream Home is an inspiring work because it shows the reader in an accessible format that there is a greater meaning and spirituality behind our everyday interactions. Taking your mother out for a mother-daughter day can have lasting impact through memories long after we’re deceased. It shows us that when we have gratitude for our lives, we are surrounded by the abundance of the universe. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to add my vision to this project, and look forward to future productions in Colchester, Ontario.
Dream Home by Jennifer Irving can be purchased on Kindle.