Bonnie Dickenson is an actor, a writer, and a producer of independent films. She received a degree in acting from the University of Southern California, and has played roles in Mod F**k Explosion, Terminal USA, Frisk, Shucking the Curve, Bellyfruit, The Secret Life of Girls, Cosmic Coffee, and Little Shots of Happiness, for which she was awarded the John Cassavettes Creative Artist Award.

 

Congratulations on the success of this film! How did you become involved with Little Shots of Happiness? Was it something you auditioned for, or were you offered the part based on your relationship with director, Todd Verow?
I had worked with Todd before on two separate Indie projects, directed by Jon Moritsugu, Mod F**k Explosion and Terminal USA. Very experimental, out there filmmaking. Todd was the DP and he thought I stole scenes in bit parts so he asked me to collaborate with him on this project. I was more than thrilled to do so.

Knowing the general nature of the project and the size of the budget, what appealed to you about this project?
I was an actor who was excited about Independent film, needed a gig and this was a lead role. I trusted Todd, admired his work, and just wanted to act.

How was the story developed? Did you have input into the story or the character as the script was being written?
Todd started with an outline of scenes and we improvised most of the dialogue. He had certain emotional and plot driven points that he wanted us to hit in the scene and certain lines he wanted us to say, but the rest was improvised. He and I became almost telepathic throughout filming. He would say "Uh, Bonnie, you need to..." and I would say, "right, I got it." We were just in sync. Todd had a vision for the film and I was very game to play it.

The character just formed. When Todd first described the character to me, I instantly knew who she was. I can't describe or understand how I knew this. But I knew, and felt instantly connected to this woman. I never lost that feeling while we were filming. I never had to work on her character. I just slipped into her very easily, which doesn't happen with every role. It was very, I don't know, spiritual or cosmic or something.

We shot the film in order of the story and the character grew as we shot the film. It was exhausting, because so much was improvised. And I think I started to become more like Frances in real life as we progressed. I have hard time separating when I take on a role. The character always seeps into me in real life.

What training have you had in improvisational acting? Do you feel the ability to improvise is a skill that film actors should develop? Why or why not?
I studied with Stephen Book, whose entire technique is based off of improvisation. It helped me tremendously because I had become more comfortable improvising than doing a written scene. I think as a film actor you need to be able to do both. Break down a scene and play the subtext, as well as improvise. And I guess, If you are really in the moment in a written scene, you are constantly improving your way through it.

You've stated in previous interviews that all preparation you'd done for the character was thrown out the window when you arrived on set. If it's not too personal, can you please describe how you prepare to play a role like Frances?
Usually when I prepare for a character I spend a lot of time daydreaming. Thinking and thinking and daydreaming. This part was unique because once I got to the set and Todd explained her to me, like I said before, I just knew her. It's never really happened to me since then, so effortlessly. I have done other roles and I think on some I did a decent job, but this one was so organic for me and hopefully it comes through in the film. I think with every actor there are those parts that just flow and it's easy. You get into the zone and there is no other feeling in the world so addictive.

Once you arrived and all your prep work was put aside, how did you prepare once you were in Boston and getting ready to shoot? Did you rehearse the scenes as written? Did you go out into Boston as the character? What types of exercises did you do to develop your character?
We did not rehearse. We shot and shot and shot. It was video, so the rehearsal was in the shooting. Sometimes one take would be thirty minutes long and Todd would use four minutes. So, you can see how comfortable an actor would feel after a few days of this. How often do you get to be a character for such extended periods of time in film acting?

This movie was shot by the director, Todd Verow, using natural light and the on-camera microphone to capture sound, which I presume meant there were few crew members. How did this experience differ from more traditional sets with large crews?
Most days the crew consisted of Todd and maybe one or two other people. Sometimes just me and Todd would work in and around Boston. We spent a lot of quality time together. It was great. A total collaboration. Todd was on the cutting edge using video to make movies. He was one of the first. A few years later everyone at Sundance was doing it and acting like it was the big new medium. But Todd had been using video to make movies for years. He was ahead of his time.

The experience was so different. It was free and there was no pressure. It was like we were making a home movie...almost. What was great is, because of the small camera and no crew, we had all of Boston at our disposal for locations. No one bothered us. I remember walking in a public fountain in a black mini-dress while Todd shot. Sure we got some stares but we were free to use whatever we wanted without permits and permission. The trick is committing to your character in those moments and not getting shy or embarrassed in public. I just used it to fuel me in the scenes.

Did you get to see any footage as you were shooting? Why or why not? Given a choice, do you like to watch "dailies" or playback?
I didn't watch much. I hate watching myself and find it unbearable. This is terrible as I am sure I could learn more if I did watch and adjust from take to take. Maybe some day I'll get over it.

Typically, low-budget movies shoot on tight schedules and long days. Is it true that you shot this movie in sequence? And if so, how did that affect the shooting schedule? Did you have to keep going back to the office on separate days?
We shot in sequence and yes we did go back to different locations. I think we used Todd's boyfriend's office after hours so it was easy. Because of all the improvising, I would run out of steam after a while. So our schedule was not typical. Some days it was like, meet me at this park and we would shoot two sequences in three hours and be done for the day. Other days were more grueling and I think Todd would wear me out on purpose as the film progressed and my character fell apart more and more.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of shooting a movie in sequence?
I was so spoiled shooting this way, that shooting any other way is very unsettling to me. In a character piece like this, when so much of the movie is just my character unraveling, I think it's very hard to do it out of sequence. If you do go out of sequence you have to prepare a lot more and do your homework. You can't fly by the seat of you pants as much. Shooting this way, was such an organic experience, it was like almost no separation between me and the character. After a while, I barely looked at the script. I think I lost it and Todd encouraged us working without it. We just did it.

When you first saw the completed movie, was it what you expected?
The first time I watched the film was at the premier at The Berlin Film Festival in an enormous theater. The show was sold out and packed. Todd has a devout following in Germany and people were holding up signs to get tickets, maybe a thousand people were there, maybe more. I don't know. But it was overwhelming and I was a nervous wreck. I drank some red wine before the show to calm down. I don't handle these situations well. During the screening, I kept sneaking out of the theater when it got to be too much and then back in. I was sure everyone was bored or hated it. Which is silly of course, the response was very positive. I guess I am way too self-involved to just sit back and enjoy the whole film and admire Todd's vision. I am also incredibly vain and had a hard time watching myself look like a total wreck. However, I still got the sense that Todd had created something unique with it's own kind of "Verow" magic.

Though nothing in the movie itself is dated, it feels like a movie from another era. Is this the type of movie you yourself watch? Which actors or filmmakers have had an impact on your work?
Wow, I love old movies and also films from the 70's and 80's but have a very broad range of what has influenced me from classic to indie to commercial. Some of my favorites are: 8 1/2 by Fellini ( saw it in college and blew my mind), Rosemary's Baby by Roman Polanski (rented it, watched it, rewound and watched it again)) Sophie's Choice, ( Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline's best performances of their careers, in my humble opinion, plus the writing is incredible) Woody Allen's Annie Hall, Hannah and her Sisters, Manhattan - all favorites, All that Jazz, Sound of Music, Hair, West Side Story, Moulin Rouge and Chicago. When Harry met Sally - Nora Ephron, (love her writing,) Postcards from the Edge, (Carrie Fisher another personal hero of mine), The Apartment - Shirley MaClaine and Jack Lemmon, what can you say? I love all the old Billy Wilder movies too. And Anything with Gene Kelley or Jimmy Stewart, so ahead of his time. Such an incredible actor. I love It's a Wonderful Life, watch it every year. Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, my favorite Scorsese. A Woman Under the Influence, Cassevettes, didn't know you could make a movie like that. Gena Rowlands, gloriously out of her mind, influenced me for "Little Shots". Dead Poets Society, writing, performances, photography all gorgeous, Andy Warhols' Chelsea Girls, Eddie! Breathless - Jean Sieberg (the haircut!) More recently, Shakespeare in Love, Adaptation, The Hours, Motorcycle Diaries, Maria Full of Grace, We Don't live Here Anymore, and loved loved loved Before Sunset. There are soooo many more that I am forgetting right now. I could go on and on and on. I am a huge sap, so any romantic comedy or love story or musical or drama where someone dies I am pretty much a sucker for. I love the movies!

How has being in this film affected your life?
Well, it was a tremendous experience. And the best thing I ever did, I think. Incredible opportunity to play this part and work with Todd. I had a brief fifteen minutes of fame which was nice and weird and unsettling. I am just happy it's all captured on film and I will always have it. I have gotten some interest career wise from it, but not really from Hollywood. They didn't really get it. Too avant guard for William Morris agents I guess.

What do you have planned for the future? Will there be more opportunities to see your work?
I was in LA doing more writing than acting for the last couple of years and actually was represented at good ole William Morris as a writer. Was doing quite well with it, until a series of unfortunate events, (my writing partner crumbling on me) my show didn't get picked up, the agency dropped me because of it, you know how it is....Some people, not all, but some, are beyond cruel and shallow and have the attention span of a gnat in this business, anyway, we all know that so...I decided I couldn't deal with the business anymore. Or at least had to build more of a life around it. So....I moved to New York City, a dream I have had for a long while, am loving living here, found a great job, where I still have a connection to film and television and am interested in continuing my writing on the side. I have been working on more short fiction and screenplays.

Miss acting like crazy lately. Maybe I'm getting that itch again. Maybe I will pursue theater, go back to my roots. It's just so damn hard being an actor! And I am way too sensitive. We will see. But there is nothing like that feeling right? So even if it's just taking an improv class or scene study, I feel like I need to release all the stuff that's had a chance to build up over the last couple of years. And now that I am a bit older I think I have more depth and experience that will make me a better actor. It's really more of an emotional release for me to act. It keeps me sane. We shall see.

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