Behind the Scenes

One night in 2019, a strange kitty meowed up our driveway, did a little somersault, and stretched to expose her spotted belly. Mau had enough of the tough suburban streets and decided she’d adopt me and my guy, Mark, as her caretakers… we just didn’t know it yet.

The taupe tabby was skinny but turned down the canned tuna I offered. Mau was affectionate and talkative, meowing at us like she expected a response. We don’t have many outdoor kitties in our area due to coyotes, owls, and other predators. She didn’t have a collar or chip, but we assumed such a friendly kitty must have a home, so we sent her on her way.

She visited for the next several days… until one afternoon she showed up with two fresh puncture wounds on her head! We brought her inside to treat her and keep her safe, tried to find her owners, and fostered her in the meantime. Fortunately, our sweet old Pomeranian son didn’t mind the new guest and even seemed to enjoy watching Mau’s antics. No one claimed the kitty, so Mau claimed us and we became official “foster failures.” Another win for the Cat Distribution System!

And now… this is Mau’s filmmaking debut! We had no idea we adopted such raw talent. She took a real paws-on approach as Executive Purrducer, supurrvising the entire purrduction. She demanded multiple treats and ear scritches while on set, and her schedule was tight between naps. As Voiceover Catress, she put a lot of effort into purrfecting each “meow,” insisting on taking a paws between each take until she nailed it. Previous voiceover experience includes yowling, aggressive purring, and saying “hello” in Mandarin.

NOTE: The feline featured in the film is a stunt cat. Only Mau’s voice and production talents appear in the film.

I built the set in approximately 1:24 scale, meaning one foot in real life is equal to one-half inch in my world. I filmed in my garage, using the two large folding tables we last unfolded for Thanksgiving dinner. Speaking of… each location in the film would be small enough to fit inside a roasting pan.

When making miniatures, I don’t measure exactly because that would add math and subtract fun. I mostly eyeball pieces to see how well they fit. Close enough works for me. I collect all sorts of things for my builds–scraps of styrofoam, plastic packaging, wine corks, Q-tips, coffee stirrers, etc. I like using nature in my work, so I’m often foraging in the backyard for interesting twigs, seed pods, tree bark, anything I can repurpose. For example, I made the black cauldron in “The Cottage” from a painted acorn cap with handles made from jewelry parts. I’m constantly collecting random “bits and bobs” to use later. Fortunately, hoarding miniature parts doesn’t take up too much space.

Here are details about the builds you see in the film.

“The Gallery”

10″ L x 6½” H x 8″ D (building), 1½” H x 1″ W (paintings)

Ingredients:

Canvas board, coffee stir sticks, popsicle sticks, velvet from a hair scrunchy, Q-tips, jewelry findings, paint

“The Garden”

8″ L x 5″ H x 8″ D

Ingredients:

Canvas board, paint, coffee beans, loose leaf tea, toothpicks, coffee stir sticks, chopsticks, popsicle stick, artificial flower parts, floral tape, tissue paper, wrapped wire, fabric, reindeer moss

“The Cottage”

8″ L x 6½” H x 10″ D

Ingredients:

Bass wood, paint, twigs, jewelry findings, acorn cap, fabric, foam board, artificial flower parts, twine, air-dry clay, wrapped wire, cotton batting, tree bark, tea, slate chips, reindeer moss

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