Sundance Film Festival, the one Robert Redford started. You have probably heard of it, and if not, I'm guessing you might not own a TV or computer. So I won't go into crazy depth about the film festival, but essentially it's a showcase of films (and music, parties and promotional stuff) with big stars and no-name actors who collaborate and make independent films. Oh and they have Q& A's at their premiers, so that's the gist. Now to get into the life behind the lens at Sundance.
My first red carpet event was insane. Not only did I think I was going to The Fundamentals of Caring premier with Selena Gomez and Paul Rudd, but I also did not listen to my friend that I was working with. She warned me, yes she warned me well. Did I listen? No, I figured I'd socialize beforehand, make some photographer friends and we would all be holding hands and exchanging business cards by the end of the event. So I show up to a red carpet event which I thought I was two hours early to, and I was actually five minutes early to a different red carpet (we'll get to that later). I rush in the room with 10 photographers already standing there waiting in a four foot area locked in by taunting black ropes. Why there is a four foot area for countless photographers? I initially think maybe Sundance is punking us, but no, the rope doesn't move and there I am, surrounded by several seven foot men. I peek my head in-between the crevasse of a tall man's arm and side abdomen, hoping my lens will capture something, anything but a his back or curly golden brown hair. Luckily a kind tall man lends me his step latter, maybe out of pity, maybe out of extreme kindness. So now I can non-awkwardly rest my chin on the golden-brown-haired man's shoulder as I snap photos up from the sky.
I learned I was much too timid for my first red carpet, seeing how most of my photos consisted of other photographers' elbows, heads, arms, hands and shoulders. My voice probably sounded like a quiet whisper of, "over here" to the celebrities.
Then, a photographer leaves the front line, and I swiftly glide to the front. "YES, YES, MY CHANCE," I shout in my head. Minutes later, another photographer stated, "Okay, you've been in the front long enough, my turn," as she not so gently attempts to push me to the side. Now, I'm really good at comebacks, you'd be quite impressed with my wit and candor, but unfortunately, it always pops in my head hours after the window of time you have to actually say it. So I say nothing, but also I don't move an inch.
This premier was actually the wrong one, so I embarrassingly ask at the end, "um, where is Selena Gomez and Paul Rudd." It was the wrong Friday, but my mistake landed me a photo of Danny Devito and taught me how to be more assertive for red carpet photography.
Most of the photographers, although abnormally tall, were quite kind. I learned within the week and a half of Sundance how to make my presence known without completely changing my behavior towards human beings. Now, I apologize in advanced towards my fellow photographers that I will intrude on their personal space and I will most likely creep over their shoulder. The celebrities can expect something (at least I find funny) coming out of my mouth while they look into the sea of seizure-inducing flashes (highlight of my Sundance was getting John Krasinski to laugh). My long bony elbows are only whipped out in case of emergency and I am one of the first people waiting in line.
So if you are on a red carpet and see an average height brunette hidden between a slew of giant men, it might be me.
Sincerely,
Lauren at Quirky Shutter
