Cult actress Honey Lauren is a talented female film-maker who works as a director and writer as well as an actress. Her latest project, WIVES OF THE SKIES, is a period drama reflecting on stewardesses in the 1960s and a male documentarian who discovers a lot more to their exterior veneer than their lives near the aisle and window seats.
Film And TV Now spoke with the multi-hyphenate about her film and her experiences in the industry.
FILM AND TV NOW: There is a lot of reflection at the moment about raising the bar and game for female film-makers in the business. What was the moment of clarity, given your overall experience in the business, to change tack and do a film like WIVES OF THE SKIES?
HONEY LAUREN: I really appreciate this question.. (And thank you for having me, by the way.)
Primarily I’m an actress / writer and I’ve directed two other films… I have many feature scripts that have been well received. I was in Berlin, meeting with a manager I was working with and she really encouraged me to direct another piece as we were moving forward to get a feature script of mine funded.
We were also working to attach a director for that script and she really laid it out for me how I should consider directing it myself… I got home to the states and reflected on our conversation and I just knew it was time to make Wives of the Skies for several reasons.
First off, I knew I could get funding for this short film, (Which I will explain), I knew it was a timely piece and I wanted to work with certain cast and crew for my feature and thought this would be a good way to sort of test the waters by doing this piece with them. I was fortunate to have an EP who is a “fan” and helped fund WIVES OF THE SKIES. The script was a semi-finalist at Slamdance several years ago and at that time I had had the opportunity to make it but I’m really glad I waited and matured a bit as I think the quality of the piece really benefited from that.
FTVN: There is perception by the interviewer and there is the realisation of what he sees away from the uniform when he catches up with the two stewardesses. How much additional research from your original intent did you do – and did you meet any stewardesses to enhance authenticity?
HL: I did quite a bit of research. I was able to find graduation videos from Stewardess Colleges from the 1960’s as well as commercials from various airlines at that time and even straight up interview videos from Stewardesses from the 60’s. It was so remarkable!
I even found footage of a “Fashion show” that featured a Stewardess doing a strip tease as she took layers of her outfit off as she would as they reached higher altitudes in the sky – I think it was a Pucci designed uniform because the airlines hired fashion designers at that time to design them! These outfits were couture!
FTVN: At the end of the film we note there is a tribute – ‘For Janice’ . Tell us who ‘Janice’ is.
HL: AH!!!!! You are amazing to ask me that!!!!! Wow! Okay… Janice is my Mom. I weep as I tell you this. My Mom, she was so groovy and sadly she passed away not long before I shot Wives of the Skies. Growing up her best friends were named Marcy & Fran… And I could not help but hold her in my heart when I wrote this (She loved the script and had a wicked sense of humor) And as I shot it, I felt her with me, I really did. She was one of those hotties to the very end.
FTVN: Tell us about your cast.
HL: The cast!!!! Ah!!! They really made this film! I have worked with each and every cast member as a fellow actor several times and many have worked with each other… And I’m so grateful they were so very open to working with me in this capacity… Rachel Alig, Maddison Bullock, (Also a producer on it) Drew Brandon Jones, Sebastian Fernandez. Each brought such a nuanced performance.
FTVN: Tell us about your production team.
HL: Regarding the production team, I have worked with many of them before as well. Davey Robertson, my DP and editor is truly one of the most talented people I know. (He directed me in a TV show…) He’s magical. I’m kinda crazy about him.
Erik Bakken, Producer… He’s so wonderful. This man is so smart and detailed and creative! My composer Josh Vanakan is also genius, he and I worked on the other two films I directed.DO
Bryan Keith Davis, Production Designer, I had the pleasure of watching his work on a feature I shot for like a month… He blew me away. And Francia Cohen, did my hair and make-up for that feature and she’s SO talented I was so happy that she agreed to come on board doing hair and make up for WIVES…
Master “K “, who did the rope binding, is a Kimbaku Master and author of the book “THE BEAUTY OF KINBAKU”. He had us practice in his dojo and made sure that all was safe and beautiful… How lucky I am to work with all these amazing people!
FTVN: The visual style of the film is pretty much rooted in that classic 1950s / 1960s VistaVision look in those classic Doris Day comedies like LOVER COME BACK and THE THRILL OF IT ALL. What were your cinematic influences when putting the project together?
HL: Well, it definitely had that “DeLuxe Color” that was popular with the 1960’s comedies, (A SHOT IN THE DARK) For me it was so important to look as authentic as possible. And there was something about the feel of THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT, THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT that I just love – not to mention DR. STRANGELOVE – that darkness there. And I love Tarkovsky and some of his images certainly was an influence for me….
FTVN: Where did you shoot and for how long?
HL: We shot in two different locations in Los Angeles. For the Stewardess Hotel we really looked for a real hotel lobby in LA – impossible to afford. Maddison Bullock found us the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood, a cool, old, fabulous building and when we got there that morning to shoot, we dressed the hell out of it! And Davey Robertson lit it so beautifully!
The Hotel room was an AirbnB in the Valley and again, Maddison found it online. I loved it. It had two lavender couches! I saw the picture and marvelled how the décor was not only monochromatic, which was totally mid-century, but it looked so much like a hotel room, I was dazzled! I quickly swapped out some colors for the uniforms and other wardrobe to go with the set and the whole look really came together nicely. We shot the film in two and a half days!
FTVN: When you reflect on your career in films like BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA amongst others, what have been the most satisfying experiences to date in that context alongside WIVES OF THE SKIES?
HL: Wow, there have been so many and for so many reasons! I really like television and I had the opportunity to work on DEADWOOD. I worked with not only an amazing director on that but also an amazing human, Walter Hill. He is so masterful and remains one of my all time, favourite directors. And he was so kind to me.
Years later after we worked together, I saw him at party and he so generously gave me compliments for our work together. I was awed. I’d LOVE to work with him again. Another fabulous project was SATAN WAS A LADY. I’m the last ‘Wishman Girl’. Doris Wishman is legendary and remains our most prolific female director. (You can do a whole book on Doris Wishman!)
FTVN: The music is very much rooted in that classic 1960s vibe as well. Tell us about the collaboration.
HL: Davey Robertson, my DP and editor dropped in some temp music… I fell in love and had what’s called “Temp Love”. That said I worked with composer Josh Vanakan, who as I said, I worked with before on my other two films. He listened to lots of lounge music and piece by piece he composed this incredible music.
He’s so fun to work with. He’s an old soul in some ways and works from the heart. That’s the best way I can describe it. I always thought of WIVES OF THE SKIES as sort of a dance. Josh opened the film with a Waltz, then the next scene became a Tango and with the scene that follows, we went back to the Waltz.
There were four additional pieces of music that was done by the wonderful Craig Owens. The dance party scene lyrics were written by my husband and the “record player” scene. Those lyrics were written by my myself and my husband. We did all that writing in a car on a road trip. It was so fun!
FTVN: This short film has already generated much acclaim and buzz, as well as a few awards in the process. Would you intend to expand this into a feature film at some point?
HL: Absolutely, I would love to a feature version. I am ready to go with that! And I’m so grateful for how well this film has been received… I’m honestly blown away.
FTVN: What subjects would you like to explore in future?
HL: I have several in mind!!! My next project will be a feature that deals with identity, alienation and love I’m kind of In love with this film. And I’ll look forward to telling you more about that!
FTVN: How has COVID-19 affected your development and evolution as a film-maker and how have you coped overall during the lockdown period?
HL: Well, that’s a great question. None of us expected this! I released WIVES two weeks before the pandemic hit – and while we have had such magnificent attention, we’ve won more the 30 film awards, nothing comes close to being able to attend film festivals and meeting people.
I’m so very sad about that. But we must find a way to pivot, always. I decided to distribute WIVES maybe earlier then I would have… It will be on Prime starting September 29th 2020, released by Hewes Pictures. I have been able to work remotely and am working on a piece now with two other talented people and hope to shoot it within the month.
I am actually five pages away from finishing a novel I’ve written. and have been judging film festivals. There’s more, I’ve been insanely busy despite the pandemic and it has forced me to adapt and create in ways I would have never imagined.
FTVN: Finally, what are you most proud of about WIVES OF THE SKIES?
HL: I am so proud of all my cast and crew. Everybody did their jobs and they did it so amazingly. I learned a lot from everybody and grateful for the trust they all had in me.
