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Director Lance Drake on: Tristan Prettyman "I Was Gonna Marry You"

Director Lance Drake checks in with this look into his Big Sur adventure with Tristan Prettyman...

Tristan on the beach
Tristan on Garrapata Beach

When I received “I Was Gonna Marry You” and gave it a listen I instantly connected to the emotion behind the song.  I knew Tristan was coming from a very real place without knowing her story.  Sometimes when I write a pitch it takes a couple days to figure out what my idea will be. This was one of the few times that on first listen I knew exactly what this video was going to be about.  When Tristan sang the line, "Throw them all into the ocean" I immediately thought of Big Sur in California, a majestic place that left a big impact on me.  It felt perfect to capture a crumbling relationship caught in the crossfire of one of the most beautiful places I’d ever been to.  Danny Lockwood, our fantastic commissioner, connected with my pitch and Big Sur, as well, and thankfully made sure shooting there was essential. 

Sunset on the cliffs of Big Sur
Sunset on the cliffs of Big Sur

This project was exciting to me because a lot my work, from what I’m told, is the kind of stuff your Mom would hate.  I wanted to create the ultimate romantic scenario, a camping trip that falls apart.  I thought about the feelings of a break-up, what it means to call off an engagement.  Circling back to the line “throw them all into the ocean,” I saw the ring in a bottle being tossed into the ocean as an interesting metaphor.  In my mind, the scenes that we see aren’t necessarily what really happened during this break-up, but what it felt like to this girl.  What I like to call “emotional boiling points.”

Actors Sarah Hester and Landon Ashworth breaking up on Garrapata Beach
Actors Sarah Hester and Landon Ashworth breaking up on Garrapata Beach

Going into pre-production the biggest hurdle was casting our two leads.  We saw a lot of kids and Sarah Hester, who plays the girl in the video, stuck out.  She had a sensitivity and is a bit of a beautiful lone wolf, like a lot of good actors are.  In the casting she immediately picked up on my suggestions and only later did I find out that she had studied Meisner at the same studio I had studied at for three years.  She was likeable and to me that was the key ingredient to the story because more than anything I wanted the viewer to feel for this girl.  Landon Ashworth, our male lead, walked into our first casting call with a real sense of bravado; he knew he had the part before I did.  His comedy background helped him work on his feet really well, very spontaneous.  They were the perfect match because we had Sarah, who was very cerebral, and Landon who was more “devil may care.”  Plus, they looked like a cute couple. 

Director Lance Drake and DP Starr Whitesides shooting actor Landon Ashworth's break-up letter at Point Lobos State Reserve
Director Lance Drake and DP Starr Whitesides shooting actor Landon Ashworth at Point Lobos State Reserve

We had a tight budget, but traveled to Big Sur and shot on 35mm for two days… How is this possible?  I’m still not sure, but my only answer is our producer Paul Bock and an amazing team that wanted to make something special.  The chance to shoot on film is sacred these days and in many ways I had to rethink my approach to scenes and blocking.  My OCD 80 shot animatic went out the window.  Our excellent DP, Starr Whitesides, brought a great feel to the video.  Having the challenge of shooting with film on a budget makes it impossible to shoot a million angles and takes.  It was exciting to take the time to block and rehearse each scene before shooting.  There was a phenomenal feeling on set while covering all the scenes that I had never really experienced before.  It felt like real filmmaking rather than breaking down beats of a scene, just to make a day.  

The Bixby Bridge martini shot at dusk
The Bixby Bridge martini shot at dusk

When it came to shooting Tristan, I mainly wanted her to be effortless, connected to the song, and to look beautiful.  Some of my favorite moments are of her in the Isabel Marant dress on Garrapata Beach.  Cutting between Tristan and the narrative brought an interesting energy to her performance.  We shot all over the coast of Big Sur on the PCH and up into Carmel including Pfeiffer Beach, Carmel River State Beach, Garrapata Beach, and Point Lobos State Reserve.  A highlight for me was racing against the clock to get our last shot of Landon riding off on the British Custom's Triumph across the famous Bixby Bridge, the true landmark of Big Sur.  We were pushing past dusk and I’m stressing it’s getting too dark.  Starr rolls the camera and says, “It's film, this is no problem.” - Lance Drake, Director

--> watch "I Was Gonna Marry You"

Tristan Prettyman "I Was Gonna Marry You" (Virgin)
Lance Drake, director | Paul Bock, producer | Artists & Derelicts, production co | Starr Whitesides, DP | Bill Yukich, editor | Shane Reed, colorist | Jeanine Nicholas, production designer | Nina Lender, Candice Britttain, stylists | Missy Galanida, exec. producer | Danny Lockwood, commissioner

Lance Drake is signed with AND

Lancedrake at October 5, 2012 in AND, Capitol, New Releases | Permalink

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