I directed a short film earlier this year that prominently featured a pregnant woman. In a burst of verisimilitude, we actually got a real pregnant woman to play the part. She provided her own costume and baby bump and everything.
Here’s the thing about maternity clothes, though– they’re designed to conceal, or at least de-emphasize, the size of the woman’s belly. Kind of a drawback in a visual medium.
Upon screening the movie, several people told me that they couldn’t tell she was pregnant. My editor informed me that, despite my storyboards, I didn’t actually shoot a close up of her pregnant belly.
This was all months ago, so, of course, the baby has already been born (happy and healthy, thankfully). This leaves me in the awkward position of finding a stand-in to wear the same dress with a pillow stuffed down the front.
“No, really, it’s not ’cause you’re fat. I-I mean, you’re not fat! We just want to make you look fat. Pregnant, I mean! We want you to look pregnant!”
I wonder if Spielberg ever has to deal with stuff like this?
One Response
“This leaves me in the awkward position…”
that’s not awkward at all. the only thing awkward in this post is the silly dialogue and the idea that spielberg never had to deal with anything so “awkward” as having someone dress up as something they’re not.