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“The Night We Filmed the Flash Mob” | Erin Brown Thomas, Chasers

A woman wearing a white puffer jacket, red bikini top and sunglasses reclines amid a neon blue background.Chasers, courtesy of Sundance Institute

Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why?

One of my favorite memories from production was the night we filmed the flash mob. After four long days of rehearsing and three nights of filming, we needed a boost of adrenaline, and boy did choreographer Malia Baker deliver!  I remember emerging from a production meeting and walking outside to the backyard to see the cast and dancers warming up in a circle around the pool. The vibes were high. I immediately joined in and danced for a good ten minutes, my joy growing exponentially by the second. My producer Elle Shaw later told me this is the moment she knew we had something special. Later that night after a dozen or so tries we got the full flash mob, complete with speed changes, upside down camera, indoor/outdoor camera work, strobes, and dialogue that had to be performed while delivering dance choreography in the can. Celebrating a win like that with a large crew of people who had just spent a week bonding was nothing short of magic.

See all responses to our annual Sundance Question here.
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