Damsels in Tupperware

I like my damsels fresh!

I'm having one of those days where everything I write starts off with a coherent point and then trails off into something that seems to have no clear finishing point. I originally wanted this post to be about props and how the economy of shooting affected their use in my productions. I used to use a lot of props but now not so many because of the cost in time, space and money. It's really not a fun topic though when you can talk about props and damsels, more specifically why I use a certain prop with a particular damsel.

I worked with a girl for a while that had long legs, beautiful feet and slim-fingered hands. Without realizing it I started having her read books, go through drawers, hide keys in her shoes and try to get at things with her legs. Everything was showcasing her legs, feet and hands. Form was dictating function. The physical attributes that I liked in her drove my choice of props that she interacted with. Is it a coincidence that at the same time I was working with a woman with large, wonderfully shaped breasts. With her I'd tie her arms so her hands were useless. She'd knock over her purse with her bound beasts and try to dial phones with he nipples. I actually used an old phone that had large buttons just to make this possible. One model would have the use of her hands because I wanted to see them while the other would totally use the use of her hands because I wanted her to show her breasts as much as possible.

I started to realize that with each model I spoke with about shooting I'd spot some things that I liked about them for story and every prop became a way to showcase those attributes. My notes would say things like, "she drove up to the house slowly," but it would mean, "I will love the look of her hands on the steering wheel." They would say, "even with her arms completely useless she someone knocked the phone off of the mantel," but it would translate to, "I want to see her knocking things over with her breasts." In my mind somehow I was processing what I felt would look good on film from a visual element into prop support of physical elements. It wasn't about the props telling the story as much as the props showcasing the most appealing attributes of the models.

That's how you end up with a damsel in Tupperware. I knew Amaya was small and light, so my initial story idea focused on transport and carry. I would never write a story about stuffing someone into a trunk and dragging them around, but it was the first idea I had for her. She is cute and petite. The best way to show that is to stick her in a plastic tub.

Image courtesy of Agent A is MIA with Amaya Solace.