Renee was awesome. She comes out on stage and the first thing she did was walk to the front of the stage and take her time getting a good look at everyone. She didn't say anything; she just walked across the front of the stage and looked out into the crowd. It was an intimate glance, I was sitting in the back row and I could swear she made eye contact. I felt acknowledged, which was really neat, but I wonder why she did it and what she got out of it.
Then she told us she was going to show us her new short film, I think it was called Words Unspoken. It moved a lot of people. I don't want to give the story away, but it provokes lots of questions about what you would do in that situation. We discussed the motivation behind why the characters made the choices they did and some interesting questions were raised. She's shopping this film around to festivals; maybe it will come to a town near you so you can check it out. It stars Renee and Jed Sura, Renee's son Miles even has a role.
Someone asked what it was like to direct her son, and she said it presented challenges. He's not that interested in acting, but the other boy she interviewed for the part couldn't grasp the character's motivation in some instances, so she ended up casting Miles. In the movie, the father said some pretty mean things to Miles' character and she made sure he was not in the room when those things were said.
Before she showed it, she asked everyone to put away their cameras. When people groaned she said she didn't want us seeing her film through a lens. She stood on stage waiting until everyone put their cameras away.
Renee may have played a sweet, innocent Gabrielle all those years, but it's clear that you do not want to get on her bad side. Her tone reminded me of an encounter I had with a cop. It was a few months before the fasten seat belt law went into effect, and I wasn't wearing my seatbelt. A cop pulls up next to me and says, "Could you put your seatbelt on?" But it wasn't a question, ya know. The tone of Renee's request for people to put their cameras away was not a request, it was an order! But, of course, everyone complied.
Word Unspoken was a great piece; she was inspired to write it after reading an article in a New Zealand paper years ago when she lived there. She saved the article all these years and finally made a move out if it. It was pretty deep; Renee called the film a 'party killer' and it did bring a somber mood over the room as we asked questions about it.
Then Renee showed us a clip from her upcoming web series Ark. She brought out some guy who I think was the director of Ark; he was really umm…eccentric, but I liked him. He capped on Renee by saying he saw her eyeing his crew to cherry pick those she needed to work with her on Unspoken Words. He also told us the clips we were about to see were out of order so we couldn't figure anything out; because he knows this group tries to figure stuff out.
He knew a little bit about us because he's read posts on the ROC Chat.
[Now, I have a question for you guys. He pronounced it the 'Rock Chat'… is that how you pronounce it? I pronounce it R.O.C. Chat, so I'm curious as to what you guys call it.]
He went on to say that we should be ashamed of ourselves for the things we discuss about Renee on that board. I'm sure he had more to say on that subject, but Renee practically dragged him offstage by his ear before he could finish the thought.
[I'm a prude, and I got over the ROC chat all the time and I don't read anything over there that's out of line, do you? I wonder what he's talking about?]
The Ark clips were great! It was sci-fi and Renee was starring in it, so it was right up my alley. One clip ended when some man suddenly appears from behind a tree and reaches out to grab Renee. An audible sigh went through the crowd when it cut off and we definitely wanted to see more. I can't wait to see it.
She opened it up to more questions afterwards. Someone asked if she preferred tea in a bag or loose. The guy asked it in a provocative way and she kept saying to him, "You're cheeky." She ended up saying she prefers coffee rather than tea.
As always, it was delightful to see Renee on stage again.
It didn't occur to me that he felt like there were inappropriate posts on TX.
for posting!
.
When she gives you that look, or lowers her voice even just a little bit...it's all over.
Now y'all be good . . 
