Red Carpet Romance

Dressing Room Drama

Chapter 6: Dressing Room Drama

There's a lot of work to do before the cameras are even taken out. Once the table readings finished, they had to get fitted in costumes, hair and makeup.

The studio resembled a huge garage. It was literally one big room with curtains as changing areas. Melissa got a first glimpse at the entire cast all standing around in the studio.

"You're over there," Krysti said, pointing to a dressing table with her name tag on it.

They weaved through all the people and Melissa sat in the swivel chair. The table held a thick leather portfolio as well as a whole table of hair accessories, makeup, and hair products.

"I'm so excited," Katie said, clapping her hands together. "I can't wait to see what your look will be."

"Is this is?" Melissa asked, picking up the leather folder.

"It most certainly is," a voice said.

A tall woman in a long black dress walked over to them.

"My name is Margret," she said, shaking hands with everyone. "I'm a costume director for Red Rider. You can open the folder. It has the sketches."

Melissa carefully opened the folder on her lap. Her finger gently slid out the drawings.

"They're beautiful," Melissa said.

The style of clothing was an edgy medieval feel especially the Rider costumes. Melissa's color palette was soft pinks, deep purples and reds.

"Why don't we get the costume fitted first," Margret said, pulling over a rack of garment bags. "This is the costume you start out in," she said, unzipping the bag.

It was a plain cotton dress in a pale rose color with gray leggings underneath. The pale rose dress had worn leather elbow patches and a braided belt. Melissa stepped behind the curtain and got changed out of her button down shirt and shorts into the overly warm costume for the weather.

"This is hot," Melissa said as Margret wrapped a knit wool scarf around her neck.

"Well, it is has been winter for sixteen years," Margret said, smiling. "Here are the shoes," she said, producing gray boots.

Melissa sat in a chair and laced them up. Erin and Margret then had some conversation about her hair to go with the costume.

"I'm going to do wavy hair," Erin said, spraying some things into Melissa's hair. "It's going to look a little messy but a good messy."

Using a comb with a point on the other end, Erin sectioned a strip of Melissa's hair away from the rest and turned it into a braided headband look. Katie used a very neutral palette to enhance Melissa's features but not look like she was actually wearing any.

A camera man nearby took a head shot and then a full, side and back shot. Melissa was about to change when Benedict walked by.

"Stop," he said.

They all paused.

"She's not going to walk on set like that is she?" Benedict asked. "Way too clean."

"We are doing a dirt dusting for all villager costumes," Margret said. "It's harder to ship when all the costumes are covered in dirt."

Benedict nodded. "Something's still not perfect..."

Everyone watched as he paced around the accessory table and then the jewelry table. He held up a necklace but set it down, shaking his head. He picked up a pair of gold stud earrings.