Traveling with a baby is… interesting. They add all sorts of challenges: strollers, nap schedules, and car seats all seem to pile up and complicate any plan to relax. You’ve got to wonder, is all of this effort worth it for a baby who won't even remember the trip?
I hope so. I hope the sounds and smells and tastes of Hawaii were somehow baked into my son Ollie's tiny cells, into his developing body. I hope that as the memory of the trip fades it leaves inspiration that resurfaces later in his life. Maybe he will have a deep appreciation for nature or an innate drive to explore beyond the horizon. I truly hope so. I want to believe that all of our experiences, whether they are in our conscious memories or not, help make us who we are.
This video resulted from grappling with these questions and trying to document this point in my son's life.
Director - Dana Saint
Written By - Dana Saint & Oliver Saint
Post Production - Jordan Ingram
Sound Design - Jared Blizzard
Ollie is almost impossible to film. So when I set out to film a professional “interview” with him, I knew it was going to be difficult. The first challenge is that he can’t really talk yet. At 18 months, he can just about string 2 words together…at best.
Second, as soon as I pull out a phone or any camera, he runs over to see what’s on the screen. So to create the illusion of a sit-down interview, I carved a hole in a nightstand (Thanks for helping Dad!) and hid the camera inside. Ollie didn't know we were filming our conversations.
We sat with him morning after morning and got him talking. Sometimes he shared specific words, sometimes sounds and fragments. He wore the same outfit each morning so all the different days would appear to be the same “interview.” Ollie offered us little bits here and there until we had enough dialogue to fill out our script.
The conversation below with Dana + the team at gnarly bay explains the process of creating SAND IN THE SKY.
BLOOPERS & OUTTAKES
The majority of the Ollie’s “interview” was not very successful - haha Here are a few of the outtakes, while filming his interview.
Song: @marmosetmusic “A Question” By Michael Charles Smith
