Nearly every girl – big or small – loves to dress
up, don beautiful jewelry, get her hair fixed,
and look beautiful when she walks a “red carpet” at some point during her
lifetime. For most girls, such a procession actually takes place several times even if the rest of the world doesn’t notice! These events are always special enough for the girl!When was your last 'red carpet event'? Just last week, we witnessed a granddaughter process up the aisle for her First Communion. The event had all the markings of having been honored with VIP status. Teresa certainly felt it - materially and immaterially. And then there is the procession for Confirmation. Every girl dreams about walking the 'red carpet' at her wedding first on the arm of her father and exiting on the arm of her newly beloved - all the while looking radiant and gorgeous. Let's not forget those other lesser chances to walk the red carpet: Homecoming; Prom, friend’s weddings and other formal events. These also incorporate mini grand marches on imaginary red carpets.
The
red carpet treatment refers to those special events in which guests are greeted and welcomed graciously by a person or group of persons. It
signifies being treated royally; the welcoming helps make the guest feel very important and that is the source of the acronym: VIP (very important person). The red carpet was first introduced in 458
BC by Greek playwright Aeschylus during the performance of Agamemnon? It continues to be used during ceremonial and formal
occasions and visits by of heads of state, celebrities, royalty, clergy and even
the popes.
Why red? According to Aeschylus, red was the color assigned and reserved for the deities; thereafter it became associated with royalty and luxury.
Why red? According to Aeschylus, red was the color assigned and reserved for the deities; thereafter it became associated with royalty and luxury.
On April 29, 2014 the red carpet was rolled out for the premiere of Moms’ Night Out - an event I was fortunate to be invited to attend with daughter Kelly. While the actual movie premiere took place inside the Chinese Theater (where films have been shot) on Hollywood Blvd., the main characters, screen writers, producers, etc. walked the red carpet into the theater.
The red runway gives the media what they want: the opportunity to snap photos and shout out questions to the stars as they pass by hoping to get one or more to stop and chat for a few minutes. Questions shouted out range from interest in what the stars are wearing, to what they are working on next and even personal questions. Responses are instantly posted, tweeted or Instagram-med for a star-struck person's consumption.
The event bolsters the desired effect: attracting hundreds - if not thousands – of non-participants to the area in hopes of raising interest in the new film that is scheduled for release in theaters everywhere. Having the chance to see a celebrity in person helps to boost the interest among the general public.
This is how local girl, Kelly Kracht,
(behind Patricia Heaton in photo) came to walk the red carpet. But, first things first. Last summer Kelly was employed by Carmel Communications, a Catholic PR firm, out of Atlanta, GA when the “boss lady” mentioned that they were going to be promoting a new movie that had yet to be shot. Kelly – intrigued with how movies are made – asked whether she could take time off in order to help make that movie. She thought immersion on the set would help her promote the movie when that became necessary. After mulling over the request, Lisa Wheeler, the boss-lady, agreed that it would be a great opportunity for Kelly, Carmel Communications and the movie makers. Wheeler had a great working relationship with the Erwin brothers (show's producers) due to previous promotions and agreed to the request. What better way to get an inside look at the way movies are made, the talent, the mission of the production company, and the film itself? Wheeler contacted the Erwin brothers and they agreed to bring Kelly on as a set production assistant. So, Kelly drove to Birmingham, Alabama in her brand new Honda to see firsthand how movies are made.
Moms’ Night Out was shot over a period of six weeks. During that time, Kelly did everything from controlling traffic, to alerting the talent of their upcoming time for action, to painting actress’ nails, to getting coffee for talent and crew, to allowing her car to be used for some of the shots; to babysitting the younger talent. Kelly loved the work despite the many long, hot nights spent on the set. Most of the shooting took place during the evening/night hours since the movie is about several moms’ night out.
The work – though rewarding – proved
one thing to Kelly. She would not want the life of a film star. It's not the work - though intense! Rather it's the obvious loneliness that sets in when the stars have to spend weeks and months away from family and friends. On top of that, everywhere they go they are hounded for autographs, photo
shots, and interviews. They really have to avoid the public if they want any privacy! Consequently, they seem a bit wary of new people. They are too used to people wanting something from them. Kelly, though having many opportunities, did not ask for something from the stars.
During ordinary conversation with them, she learned that that
they like their work, they love their families
but they do not necessarily enjoy the publicity or the celebrity status. They
endure the red carpet in order to secure more work in a highly competitive field. There are only
so many movies made in any given year! Female stars also have the
added benefit of being loaned a $70 K
pair of earrings and/or a $200 K diamond bracelet to wear for the world
premiere- every girl loves bling!
After the filming, everyone went
back home to their usual gigs. In this case, Kracht went back to Carmel
Communications to promotion of this film and many other works to the Catholic audience. And so this is how Kelly came to walk the red carpet
with actress Abbie Cobb – aka Bridgette in Moms’ Night Out. Each PR person is
assigned one or more talent for the purpose of introducing
him/her to the media that has waited for their chance to interview a star.
After the premier was the after party –
the invitation only opportunity to take photos and mingle. The food & drink bill had to total more than any wedding we have
ever attended but the expenses were part of the movie budget. There was a lot of food to go around that is for sure.
I had the advantage of being just a spectator with an inside edge. It was exciting to be on the red carpet
and to speak to the talent who stood near by. I also enjoyed catching
sight of other actors who came in support of the film along with the stars' families and friends. I had the privilege of
meeting the screen writer for Mom's Night Out and her husband and two young children. I also got to chat with an actress from God’s Not Dead who will remain unnamed to protect her desire for anonymity.
Kelly
had invited me to the world premiere given its close proximity to
Mother’s Day – lucky me. Thank you Kelly! It was great to see her work the professional end of her life with grace and ease while
staying grounded to what really matters in life.
By the
way, the movie is good. Of course if I were writing the script, some of the
lines would have been different. Hmmm... here's a thought. Maybe I should try and write a movie script to realize just how hard it really is! By the way, information about the movie can be found at http://momsnightoutmovie.com/ or http://www.momsnightoutmovie.com/.
One final thought, even though this red carpet event was special, the one that matters most to me lies within my home. As Cardinal Mindszenty once said: The most important person
(VIP) on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre
Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any
cathedral – a dwelling for an immortal soul."
So next time you think
that life is just not spectacular enough, think again. Count all your blessings. And then imagine, walking that
crystal carpet into heaven while being introduced to the King. That will be the most spectacular enough for all of us. And just think of our VIP status then!
