Three weeks ago, we filmed at one of our two major locations for “Take a Stand,” a back-yard fence that took us a lot of searching and long time to secure. The weather at our nearly perfect location cooperated most of the week until clouds rolled in Friday and cut off the golden sunlight that filled the rest of our shoot. We plan to make up that lost day in early January.

In “Take a Stand,” two boys in a back yard notice two girls setting up a lemonade stand on the other side of the street. When the boys decide to throw grapefruit at the lemonade stand, the girls respond and a conflict develops that advances further than anyone expects.

During the shoot, more than once people remarked at the high skill and remarkable attitude of our young actors who had to put up with cold water, hits with foam “grapefruit,” and a long week of shooting. The images below – all still frames from the footage we shot – show our actors portraying a fateful afternoon with realism and depth.

Our crew was also critical to our success. Chris Gadd put in a late night of carpentry to make sure our dolly setup would work properly, and Chris Medill faithfully recorded our audio through technical challenges. Dixie Cook assistant directed, ensuring the quality of the material captured. When it became necessary, Nicholas’s brother Kyle and Anna’s father Jamie both protected the neighbors by catching grapefruit as they flew across the street. It was a sticky job, but the citrus aroma was fantastic.

Emile, played by Josh Pike, peers over the fence to observe the girls’ next move.

Todd, played by Nicholas Williams, struggles to understand Emile’s perspective.

After dodging grapefruit to get across the street, Janie, played by Anna Harr, delivers a message she hopes will put an end to the fighting.

Marcie, played by Katie Brown, attempts unsuccessfully to spray Emile with water, finding the nozzle setting less than adequate.

When Marcie figures out how to adjust the nozzle, Emile takes a face full of water.

Todd relishes successfully hitting his target.

Emile peers through the fence, trying to figure out what will happen next.