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When Fujifilm told me I had full creative freedom for this project, I was on cloud nine! I mean the possibilities are endless- and that’s when I quickly got overwhelmed with the amount of power I’ve been given. I started pressuring myself to create something serious and meaningful and if not that, trying to create something that would guarantee I got hired for more jobs. This was the first time I’ve really been allowed the space and time to do ANYTHING my heart wanted. I could be me and explore while being fully supported by Fujifilm.
It took a moment to realize that I could just have fun for once. I didn’t have to limit myself to what I thought I “had to” do. I could let go and focus on the things that brought me joy. Fun lighting, bright colors, bold looks, a great team, and the ridiculousness that is Austin Powers.
Mission Mojo is about the process of losing your mojo (also known as your groove) and what getting it “back” looks like for me. Much like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Mission Mojo is a fun approach to an uncomfortable feeling. Whenever I go through a period where I don’t feel like myself, I like trying different things. Sometimes they work, sometimes not, most times it’s easier said than done. The sooner I release “who I was,” the sooner I can grow into who I’m becoming. I learned that it’s not about getting your mojo “back,” but re-introducing yourself to YOU.
I knew the more detail I put into the preparation, the smoother the actual shoot would be. Being able to clearly communicate my vision is vital for when I'm assembling a team, so I put together several decks.
I had my pitch which I used to get people excited to work on the project. Once people were interested, I sent them a treatment, which gave more information on my vision for the project. I kept it general for hair, makeup and wardrobe because I wanted everyone to have as much room to play with their skills as I did.
Lastly, I created a guide for the day of the shoot. This let everyone on the team know what scene we were shooting and what changes that scene required. On set there are so many moving factors, people and questions so laying everything out prior made it a lot easier for me to respond with the right answers. That said, this kind of preparation isn’t always great for shoots, because a lot of the magic happens accidentally or when you leave the room to experiment. I made sure there was lots of room in the schedule to experiment and play.
