To youtube with love

For some time, I have been dreaming of putting a scene from my book Expectations: A Continuation of Pride and Prejudice on to youtube.  At first I pictured a very homemade scene made in the comfort of my own home, but after realizing I had nearly nothing that looked remotely Regency, I decided to look outdoors.  Unfortunately, it was only March and a very cold and miserable March at that.

I was blessed to have two good friends join my crazy mission from the start.  We decided a local garden would be the perfect setting.  But spring was long and wet and it seemed nothing would ever bloom again.

After a fast a furious June, suddenly the garden was perfect!  But I had lost my nerve.  That's the problem with telling your friends your crazy dreams.  They keep you to them!  A few setbacks later, my good friend Katie was not able to join us for the filming, but my husband offered to take her place behind the camera.  We booked babysitters for the kids and headed out to the glorious garden.  Our hair would not stay curled, but the sun was shining and we had memorized our lines and taught ourselves to speak "British".  We practiced while my hubby set up the scene.  We filmed a practice run-through and watched it to see our mistakes.  Set up for the next shot and "BZZZZZZZZ!"  No, not a timeless bumblebee, but a very modern and unmistakable weed whacker.  Not just one, but three.  Then four, five, six!  Seriously!

"It can't take long!" I reassured Phil and Charity, but alas, the weed whackers were on a mission to beautify an entire block worth of greenery.  The time on the baby-sitter clock was ticking.  We packed up and went for a little drive, throwing out suggestions here and there.  We chose a nice green space, but there wasn't a flower to be shot.  I took a quick trip to the florist and selected three roses and some other flowers I thought looked relatively "English".  Another set up and at last we were running through the lines.

I was very pleased with the outcome of our little video.  My friend Charity is a breathtaking Elizabeth and my husband is a whiz at filming, directing and editing.  It was one of the most enjoyable projects I've ever worked on.  My advice though, is to be flexible and enjoy the process.  I'd love to know what you think!