NYWIFT Blog

Creative Block: A Production Diary of Filming in Paris (Part 1)

By Nicola Rose

This is Part 1 of a two-part series by Nicola Rose on filming her short film, Creative Block aka Bloc et Blocage, in Paris, France. Check back net week for Part 2.

 

6 A.M. The day starts with the sounding of my alarm, an evil presence I have long since learned to ignore. But today is no ordinary day. I am in Paris, France, and it’s the first day of shooting for my short film, Creative Block. Sure, I only arrived last night and have enough jet lag to fell a walrus, but no matter. There’s no time to lose: it’s 6 A.M.! Time to get up!

 

6:48 A.M.: Get up.

 

6:49 A.M.: Plod semi-consciously downstairs and eat French cereal, which is globally recognized as the nectar of the gods, only better. This perks me up a bit.

 

6:59-7:00 A.M.: Intensive professional preparation.

 

 

nicola-and-veronique

Nicola Rose (with balloons) and director Veronique N. Doumbe (All photos ©Arnaud Galy)

 

8:00 A.M.: I arrive at the metro stop Passy, chosen because it features a beautiful view of France’s most iconic and pointiest monument, the Eiffel Tower. There I am met by our exemplary production team, including talented director (and NYWIFT member) Veronique N. Doumbe, production assistant Nolwenn Lallart, and set photographer Arnaud Galy. Our goal today is both simple and complex. Simple, because all we have to do is shoot a silent montage of my character wandering around Paris. Complex, because we only have one brief window today to do it right before we all head to other places, projects and obligations. So time is tight and pressure high. As an actor, my goal is to forget about this; as a producer, my first priority is to remember it.

 

We begin by shooting multiple takes of me walking past the Eiffel Tower with a bouquet of balloons. In the film, the balloons are practically characters, so I keep a supply of extras in my backpack in case they pop. It occurs to me this is what all producers should do: keep a supply of extra actors in your bag in case, for example, you step on one and it pops. This is probably a strange thought. Sue me; I have jet lag.

 

9:00 A.M.: We arrive at the Boulevard Saint-Michel, home to my favorite bookstore, which is our next location. (We are filming only outside the store, as we don’t have permission to do so inside.) Remarkably, this is the only place anybody gets pissed off by our unobtrusive little crew – a rarity in a place where, although I love it with all my soul, getting pissed off about nothing is practically a national sport. A few tourist-types call attention to us by admiring the balloons. This causes an employee, working outside, to huff in French, “I am NOT in accord with you being here.” I feel like the correct response is, “I’m not in accord with YOU being here,” but I hold my tongue. Besides, being the film ninjas we are, we are already done. As the French say: badda-bing, badda-boom.

 

10:30 AM: Our next stop is the Luxembourg Gardens, named for the fact that somebody forgot what country they were in. Here, we are joined briefly by a sweet-looking, older gentleman who peacefully watches our filming for several minutes before heading on his way. I don’t know what brought him there or took him away, but I sort of wished I could somehow make him a character in the film. Also at the gardens, there is an incident where I refuse to give my balloons to a very insistent small child. We exchange heated words over the matter. I win, but it is not my proudest moment.

 

End of Part 1. In Part 2, coming next week, I’ll cover several more important topics, including our encounter with the police, what kind of dog I get most easily distracted by, and some cool French filming words you should know. À bientôt! (= See you soon!)

 


 

You can follow Creative Block’s “making-of” Tumblr at creativeblockfilm.tumblr.com, and Nicola on Instagram at @nicolarosemce / @callieandizzy.

 

And support the film’s IndieGogo campaign! Donate online by January 21st to help Nicola & team cover the costs of the New York part of the production.

PUBLISHED BY

Nicola Rosemce

Nicola Rosemce

View all posts by Nicola Rosemce

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

*

Related Posts

Maria Miles Previews the 2025 New York Greek Film Expo

As former NYWIFT Board Member Maria C. Miles finishes up her first year as President of the Hellenic Film Society, we sat down with her on the eve of the New York Greek Film Expo to discuss her time with the organization and what we have to look forward to at this year’s fest. Mary is the founder of an entertainment law practice with offices in New York. Maria’s practice focuses on all areas of entertainment law, including film (narrative and documentary), music, literary publishing, and digital media. She has represented award-winning producers, directors, writers, actors, television hosts, multi-platinum recording artists, and corporations in the fashion and sports industries related to their entertainment matters. Maria is the Executive Director of the Hellenic Films Society, USA, and served as Secretary of the board of New York Women in Film & Television. She continues to serve NYWIFT as their legal counsel. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema and the School for Visual Arts, as well as an Adjunct Instructor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Amy Heller

Welcome to NYWIFT, Amy Heller! Amy is the co-founder of Milestone Films, an award-winning film restoration and distribution company dedicated to rediscovering lost and overlooked films. After fleeing academia, Amy found her passion in the independent film world and co-founded Milestone with her partner Dennis Doros in 1990. For 35 years, their mission has been to restore forgotten cinema, particularly films by and about women, people of color, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ community members. Amy spoke to us about her journey in film distribution, the evolution of the industry over four decades, and her exciting upcoming transition as she passes Milestone to the next generation.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Courtney DeStefano

Welcome to NYWIFT, Courtney DeStefano! Courtney grew up in a small town, where she spent hours devouring old movies and pouring through every indie-film magazine she could get her hands on. She graduated with a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts before embarking on her editing career where she worked with clients like CBS, Bravo, Showtime, BET, NatGeo, Discovery & TLC. She’s spent the last several years dividing her time between chasing after her three young sons and hiding in her home office to write. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, PANO Network, Hollyshorts and the PAGE Awards, among others. In our interview, Courtney discussed her small-town inspirations, how editing informs her writing and directing, and her latest short film.   

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Sara Newton

Welcome to NYWIFT, Sara Newton! Sara is a director and cinematographer based in New York and Los Angeles. She is the creator of the MDR Sketch Comedy Show on PBS and has recently returned from an expedition in Antarctica, where she filmed a documentary. Her digital comedy sketches, produced under brands like Made by Tom and Sara, Nightpantz, and Conservation Comedy, have collectively garnered over 5 million views. With a strong foundation in television production, Sara has coordinated hit reality shows such as Love & Hip Hop (VH1), Bridezillas (WEtv), and Nellyville (BET). Her extensive experience in physical production led her to spend six years at Gunpowder & Sky, where she managed production across various platforms and developed sizzle reels for network pitches. Additionally, she served as the cinematographer for the experimental film Dust Flow: A Meditative Experience, also produced by Gunpowder & Sky. As of 2025, Sara is Head of Content for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and is set to direct a feature film this fall. Sara shares her journey as an unconventional storyteller who is not afraid to explore new platforms and storytelling formats.

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php