Fayette Colback has always been a dreamer, despite living a dull and oppressive existence with her controlling husband Roy. That is, until a chance encounter with a little Yellow Bird turns both their lives upside down.  Inspired by new found joy, Fayette proves that change can occur with a little touch of magic and grave opportunity.

 

 

Technical Specs:

Shoot Format:  Fuji 35mm Negative

Screen Ratio:  1.85

B&W / Colour:  Colour

Language:  English

Category:  Dramatic Short

Running Time:  13:35min

Country of Production:  Canada

Year of Production:  2005

 

 

 

 

 

Teaming up with Producer Steven Bray, we spent months discussing the intricacies of the script and developing the films marketing for wide commercial acceptance while I further developing the magic and uniqueness of the story.  Setting into motion in early August, our first major break came in the form of a huge donation from the Dreamworks feature "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio", starring Julianne Moore.  The Construction Coordinator, Bill Harman, was extremely receptive to the story and themes I was trying to bring about.  "Prize Winner" had just wrapped production in mid-September and was planning to dispose of seven sets worth of flats and construction materials.  Bill and his team were more then thrilled to donate anything they could to 'Yellow Bird'.  Taking full advantage of the offer, we rented a cube truck for an afternoon, accomplishing several runs back and forth from one studio to the other, nearly clearing the studio out completely, while filling our own studio floor to ceiling with valuable supplies.  Our studio was an enormous 25,000 square foot space in Toronto's east end - the interior of an old garment factory which is slated for future loft development, but currently completely empty.  We managed to secure a tremendous deal on the studio space which also doubled as the production office and my creative headquarters equipped with swings and horseshoes. It was an amazing space for me to work on revising my shot list and rehearsing with the actors.

 

 

 

Next came the mammoth task of designing and building the set, and for the job, I turned to the talent and creativity of production designer Mark Gabriel.  Mark brought with him a decade of solid experience in commercials, music videos and feature films, as well as a small army of art department crew.  His easy-going nature and dedication to the highest production value ensured that the film I was creating would come to full fruition.

 

The 900 square foot fully-enclosed apartment set was a labour of love, taking thousands of hours of volunteer work from a committed and gallant team.  First came the flooring - staining and cutting dozens of plywood sheets then painstakingly laying each piece down to create a textured and rustic looking floor.  Then the walls - 50 flats were nailed together, window pieces were built, a mock ceiling was constructed.  For the actual decorating of the set, we spent five days hanging vintage wallpaper, priming and painting, wainscotting, renting props and set decoration and fitting everything into place.  Minutes prior to the

first day of shooting, the art department team exhaustively left the set, the final coat of paint still drying on the walls as the actors were getting ready to shoot.

 

For the cast, I was faced with finding the perfect couple of actors for the lead roles of Fayette and Roy.  I wanted characters that were the polar opposite of one another - her a fantastical dreamer and him a cantankerous and precision-driven old man.  We cast from the ACTRA pool of talent, having become signatory to ACTRA's

 

Toronto Indie Production program (T.I.P.).  We held rehearsals at the Performers Arts Lodge - a retirement home for actors and film people alike.  The two day session produced some very likely candidates for the roles, but callbacks and pairings of actors proved that Marye Barton and Addison Bell were the perfect couple for the job.  Her very feminine and bird like actions verses his bold and rugged mannerisms were a perfect match for the story.  Both actors were thrilled to contribute their thoughts on the characters development and interaction.

 

I worked closely with Director of Photography Chris Sargent to define the look and visual treatment, Costume Designer Kelsey Hart to design all the costumes, Special Effects Makeup Artist Randy Daudlin to age or bring youth to the actors faces as needed, Hair Designer Molly Adey, whom helped me to convince Marye to dye her hair auburn-red and of course Production Designer Mark Gabriel whom took the overall vision and technical requirements and built a home to bring life to the characters and their very different worlds.

 

 

 

Producer Steven Bray and Production Manager Darren Portelli were able to secure deals with most of the major film equipment houses in Toronto, working out arrangements for equipment (P.S. Production Services), 35mm Film Stock (Fuji Film), Steadicam Operator and providing comforts and  catering for hundreds of eager and faithful volunteers.

 

 

As the fifth day of shooting rolled around, the crew found themselves growing weary. Starting to feel the effects of their hard work, we spent two-thirds of the day at the Distillery District in Toronto.  After a day of setting up cranes on rooftops, running through the touristy streets with steadicams and filming in 200-year old buildings, the crew returned to the studio for the climax of the day - the overhead clockwise crane vfx shot.   As a perfect top to the day, at one o'clock in the am, the Producer and Key Grip were forced to trim one foot off the top of the entire set with Skill Saws, determined to make headroom and accomplish the big crane shot of the film. This was the big turning point in the film which was the very first shot that was ever planned. And to overcome all odds, we ended our production with a bang and a much shorter set than when we started.  

 

 

 

Short Film “Yellow Bird” breaks new ground

 

 

The North American Premiere of ‘Yellow Bird’ was held at the Vancouver International Film Festival October 9, 10, and 11 to sold out audiences. Producers and Directors alike cited ‘Yellow Bird’ as GENIE worthy.

 

Born and raised in small town Saskatchewan with only two television channels, and limited resources, Director, Jessie Wallace has gained a distinct outlook on characters and storytelling methods. And is recognized as having a unique voice in Canadian filmmaking.

 

 

 

Over the years Jessie and producer, Steven Bray’s films have played in many major national and international film festivals including Cannes, Montreal World Film Fest, Palm Springs, Florence, Atlantic, Worldfest,  Raindance, Taorima, BFL, LA Shorts, Yorkton and the prestigious Telluride Film Festival.  Jessie and Steven are currently planning a large festival promotional campaign for the film while undertaking development on two feature films. One of them, ‘Widow’s Row’ being a stylistically similar film to ‘Yellow Bird’ slated to shoot in 2007 in Nova Scotia. This will be Jessie’s First Feature.

 

 

© 2005 Smiling Toad Pictures Inc.