Thank you all for your support!

Pre-production and Production for Aurora has now come to completion but we are far from over as Post Production begins and the festival circuit invites.

The 5 days of production would never have gone so smoothly if it hadn't been for the tireless efforts of a passionate crew that allowed us to work as one symbiotic unit through the stresses of time, location, nature, lack of sleep and finances. Preparation of 3 years for the Writer/Director, months for the Director of Photography and Producers, and two months for the talent allowed us to know the story inside and out and to bring it to life.

The name change to Aurora from Waking Beauty might cause confusion for some but as with most films, they name themselves during production. Every name in the film has meaning, the name "Aurora" means "Dawn", a significance to the theme and also to the story as will be revealed while viewing. The movie not only named itself physically but also celestially as a hundred year phenomenon of the aurora borealis was fatefully visible while we were shooting.

DAY 1 - Friday March 9th - INT. MYA AND TOBI'S HOUSE

A production's first day often sets the tone and energy for the crew for the entirety of the production. We chose the scene that sets our protagonist Mya's journey in motion.

It allowed our crew to work out the kinks as we moved forward for the entirety of the production. We all got to know each other and were able to have a very successful day.

For more photos please check out: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.346784432026674.77436.323769540994830&type=1

DAY 2- Saturday March 10th - INT. ROOM

The success and camaraderie of the first day allowed us to support each other as we visited the horrors of human trafficking during day 2 handling all of Mya's past scenes in the room. We visited dark places respectfully and truthfully creating a safe space for cast and crew.

We moved as professionals even impressing Dawson of Cine Video Tech (CVT), Miami's oldest Equipment Rental House and sponsor of Aurora. http://www.cinevideotech.com/

Special thanks to Myles Erfurth who shared his expertise to the film allowing us to get some wonderful crane shots that allow the audience to delve deeper into Mya's world.

Please check out: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.349569328414851.78024.323769540994830&type=1

DAY 3 - Sunday March 11th - EXT. PHONEBOOTH, EXT. CITY STREETS, and EXT. ALLEY-NIGHT

Losing a hour due to daylight savings didn't stop the crew for the busier day with three setups that became a trial of strength and persistence as mother nature wanted to make a guest appearance and give us some production value by raining torrentially on us.

We still managed to get all the daylight shots(good thing for that extra hour after all). What was scheduled as a 10 hour shoot became 20 hours as we struggled to get our night shot in an alley through a cold stormy night. 

Special thanks to Panther Coffee for letting us hide from the rain, the extras who filled a street during a Sunday afternoon, Giselle Marie for assuming the Script Supervisor role and for Officer Lopez of the Miami City Police who acted as crowd and traffic control.

As we shivered in the cold of the night storm our mantra became that of positively representing the 27 million people who are enslaved worldwide.

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DAY 4 - Monday March 12th - MYA'S CAR, EXT. LITTLE GIRL'S HOUSE, INT. HOSPITAL and INT. MYA AND TOBI'S HOUSE

After a long night, a skeleton crew consisting of Director Sara Werner, Director of Photography Jonathan Franklin and lead Noelle Mihalenic started the day working as one to shoot all the interior scenes in Mya's Car (Special thanks to Producer David Grimes for letting us use his car). Jonathan managed to manuever the 50 + pound RED ONE camera in the small BMW convertible, Noelle lived truth of the scene moment by moment as she drove and Sara directed from the backseat giving a new meaning to backseat driver.

After a successful completion the skeleton crew returned to set to meet up with the Producers (Daryl Baboulis- Gyscek and David Grimes), consultant Jon Jones, PA Chris Bruce and our youngest member of the talent eight year-old Sophia Lima.

After a successful magic hour on another busy 4 location day the crew sped over to the University of Miami's Health Center to shoot the Hospital scene where the crew (1st AD Tim Warren, 2nd AD Aldo Mendevil, 1st AC Joe Sanchez, 2nd AC Eric Taggert, Sound Engineer Eric Valdez, Key Grip Ralf Gonzalez, Grip Jonathan Chekroune, Producer Dino Hu Xiao, Make Up Artist Sherilyn Segal, Script Supervisor Phil Bouknight, Editor Will Godar) and talent (Shira Abergel, Ivan Lopez, Melissa Almaguer, Italome Ohikhuare and Autumn Suna) awaited them.

After setting up, lighting, rehearsing and finally eating dinner the crew was informed by hospital staff that an alarm would go off at 10 pm leaving them a hour and a half to film the entire scene. 

The crew turned the stress into positive energy and all lived in the moment, the kinetic energy actually improved the setting adding a necessary reality to the scene, making it efficient and beautiful managing to get all the shots that we needed.

After wrapping from the hospital the crew has an intense natural high that continued with our company move to shoot the last scene at INT. MYA AND TOBI'S HOUSE- NIGHT. Our actresses were happy that we managed to film chronologically, it was also a treat for the crew as we moved through the film having the experiences as they presented themselves to us. 

Lead Noelle Mihalinec journaling as her character.

Mya and Tobi.

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DAY 5- TUESDAY MARCH 13th - MYA'S CAR and INT. BLACK ABYSS

Running off the positivity and success of Day 4 we began Day 5 by all meeting in front of Panther coffee and completing the thriller scenes in Mya's Car.

Special thanks to Geno Vento, Greg Shroeder, Joe Mignone, Michael Joseph and Sabine Ramonvil for being brave and taking on the needed roles of the haunting Suits from Mya's past.

After wrapping the car and street shots the crew moved onto the wrap scene that took the most planning and exercise in our creativity and teamwork...making Mya's dream sequence come alive. The story starts off with Mya having a reoccurring dream of swimming in a black abyss attached to a bed and trapped, encouraging her to go on her healing journey. 

Special thanks to Chad Shagren for acting as a dive consultant and underwater cinematography tech and to the University of Miami for letting us use their pool.

The process started by lying 100 yards of black visqueen along the side and bottom of the pool to block out the light. Next we had to sink the bed 16 feet by using weights. 

While the scuba divers: DP Jonathan Franklin, 1st AC Joe Sanchez, Consult Chad Shagren, and free divers: 2nd AC Eric Taggert, PA Chris Bruce and Director Sara Werner made sure the visqueen was weighed down; on land, Consults Jon Jones and Bjorn Stern, Producer Daryl Baboulis-Gyseck and talent Noelle Mihalinec assured that the bed was weighted down while grip Ralf Gonzalez and Jonathan Chekroune ensured the safety of the crew by securing the lights.

Once the visqueen and lights were set, the black abyss came alive. Again faced with an alarm coming on, we wrapped successfully with all the shots by midnight.

It felt like true movie magic. We succeeded in creating an altered reality and are excited to share this world through the film with you.

For more please check out: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.349621005076350.78041.323769540994830&type=3 and for more Black Abyss: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.350663394972111.78282.323769540994830&type=3

Thank you all so much again for your support for we could not have done it without your belief in us and in this film. We will create some magic and inspire through it.

Please Like us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aurora-Waking-Beauty/323769540994830 and promote of kickstarter during these last final days.

We will keep you updated as we progress with this film, keep checking back as we will be positing a fresh clip early this week before our kickstarter expires.