A Week in Los Angeles

At the end of September I packed a suitcase and flew to Los Angeles for a week. I've been home a little while now, and I keep wanting to tell you about it, so this is me telling you.

I can't say what we were making yet. I can tell you what the week felt like, and I can tell you who will hear about it first.

Most of what you see from me lands as a few seconds on your phone. A week like this one is the opposite. It's long days, a lot of people, and a lot of patience, all for something that will last about as long as a song. I wanted to write it down properly while I still remember the small things, because the small things are usually the best part.

Rehearsal

The first days were rehearsal. Same room, same people, the same few minutes of music over and over until nobody had to count anymore.

I love this part more than people expect. On stage or on camera you get one go. In rehearsal you get a hundred, and the hundredth one is where the thing finally sits in your body and you stop thinking about it.

Somewhere in the second day I stopped counting in my head and started actually dancing. That's the moment I wait for every time, when the steps stop being steps.

The fitting

We did styling at the end of rehearsal. I wrote a while back about dressing for a stage versus dressing for a life, and a fitting is where those two finally meet. You try something on and ask two things at once: does it look right, and can I move, breathe and be myself in it for a whole day on set?

Nadya was there, of course. She always makes sure I'm full of glam, sparkle and movement, and somehow she always knows which look I'll fall for before I do.

Mehregan, far from home

Right in the middle of the week was Mehregan, the Persian autumn festival of friendship, love and light. If you're new here, I wrote about what Mehregan is and why it matters to me.

I was a long way from my own table this year, so I set a small one: pomegranate, apples, candlelight. It made Los Angeles feel a little closer to home.

The in-between hours

Between all of it there were the quiet parts. Mornings before anyone needed me. A tea, a window, a few minutes of nothing. On a week like this those are the minutes that keep me steady.

I think people imagine a shoot week is all lights and glamour. Some of it is. Most of it is people who are very good at their jobs, working hard and looking after each other, and me trying to deserve how much they're giving.

On set

Then came the day we'd been building toward. Early call, long hours, a lot of waiting and then a lot of everything at once.

What I'll remember most is how many small decisions go into a few seconds you'll see on a screen. Where the light falls. Which take. Whether to try it one more time.

More than once, when everyone was tired and ready to move on, somebody said "one more." Those are the takes I can't wait for you to see.

Thank you to Richy, Eli, Damon and the entire team who gave that week everything they had.

Coming home with it

I came home tired and so happy. There's a feeling you get after a week like that, when all the work is done and it's out of your hands for a little while, and you just want to tell someone.

So I'm telling you. Very soon I can tell you the rest.

Hear it first

When I'm ready to share what we made, the Squad hears it before anyone else, straight from me to your inbox. If you're not in yet, this is the week to join. It's just my name in your inbox now and then, and you can leave whenever you like.

XOXO SHAB