Interview with Jen Weber

Each moth we’ll interview a member of the Sine Fine Films Company, asking the same or similar questions, and learn more about the actors and crew.

This month I’m interviewing Jen Weber who’s been with the company since the beginning in the summer of 1996.

Q: How did you get involved in SFF? (And what possessed you to keep coming back for more torture?)

A: I was a Gypsy Wanderer! I danced with Yibble and company and that just sort of lead into Destiny.  When Destiny happened you knew I was a warm body willing to throw costumes on and I was and we hung out at Allerton and all was good.

Q: What was your favorite part to play?

A: I think by the time we got to Eidolon, playing that character in Eidolon, I really enjoyed getting angry and brandishing my crutches and I think I even got to dress sexy and sat on the counter. I vaguely remember that happening, I don’t even know what part that was.

Q: What was your favorite filming day?

A: I know I’m going to have multiple answers, but the first thing that popped into my head was a very light filming day for me cause I was still just an extra at that point.  I think it was Destiny I – yeah, it must have been Destiny I cause I was all kinds of extra in that – but hanging out at Allerton, and I believe there was a point when Rachel and I just wandered around Allerton - that was one of my first Allerton experiences – and we explored and explored and we thought “well, maybe we should go back, but we’ll explore a little bit more,” and then “oh maybe we should go back,” and we did finally go back and we had not been missed at all.  I don’t think it was still the same scene but not much had happened.  (that was actually Destiny III)

Q: What was your least favorite filming day?

A: I think in Eidolon we initially were going for a certain number of episodes, and then it became more than that – and we were gonna do it all in one summer, I think, and then all of a sudden there’s all these extra visits happening.  So towards the end I was starting to get a little frazzled.  I remember...there was going to be a dream sequence scene and we were all gonna be goth dancing in black light, and I was initially really excited, but then it kept getting pushed back later and later in the evening and I didn’t film the scene. 

I was a very surly Jen at the point, and I was like “well you guys have fun, I’m going to bed”, so I think that…yeah.  It’s sort of an easy answer – when Jen becomes surly, Jen is no longer having fun.  Surly Jen is surly.  In retrospect Surly Jen just needs to calm down and just have fun because I do regret not doing that scene. That would have been fun.

Q: What’s your dream role?

A: I think I would actually like to do something where I’m kind of like half-animal or something.  I’m reminiscing back to when we did Nina’s birthday kidnapping and I got to be Puss in Boots and I have never had so much fun. And something about being behind a mask and being not human that frees you up a bit. Apparently I want to do something Muppet inspired.

Q: What’s your favorite production to watch?

A: Perfect Combination – 
I remember loooving it.  I’m so sad it disappeared!

(ME: have you not gotten the DVD yet?

JEN: Nooo.

ME:  It is out on DVD.

JEN: Woo! I’m so excited!)

Q: What’s your favorite costume, accessory, or prop?

A: In Destiny II, Erion had this medieval gown that was corduroy and it was just such a big beautiful outfit.  I loved the sleeves, and I loved frolicking around in it – I felt purty.  And it was heavy – there’s something very real about weighty clothes, something very regal.

(Favorite prop?) How much did I love my crutches?  They were okay, I don’t know if they were my favorite.  I can’t think of a favorite prop (except the crutches). They were good for beating off zombies and just having crutch-rage.  Not-gonna-go-wacky-wacky!  Okay yeah, yeah I liked those. And, you know, I got to learn how to use crutches without breaking any bones so I’m prepared for the future now. Good times.

Q: Who’s your favorite actor co-star/actor you’ve worked with?  Who would you like to work with in the future?

A: This is kind of a hard question just because I’m scared of people always.  My most favorite people tend to be people that I feel safe around and comfortable around so, you know...Annamarie, Yibble, Rachel, Kate…

I think Bone should be in a movie – dogs aren’t scary.  Um…yeah, I don’t know. You seem to hang around with good people so I’ll work with anyone.  Well, maybe not anyone…(there are some people) I’ll work with but I’ll need my crutch prop. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Q: Sum up each production you’ve been in using only one word or short sentence. (and then elaborate I guess – you don’t stop a rambling Jen, you just bask in her awesomeness)

DESTINY – Imagination, fantasy, childhood

DESTINY II – Sisterhood (the relationship between Lavinia and Erion)

DESTINY III – Sailing in the prairies! Loved it.  Ah, Rachel Zoralee, Danny Skirvin, lots of fun new faces…good times.

FRUMPY GETS IT – Uncomfortable

 I was supposed to be all flirty and I think there might have been guys who were there that I had crushes on so just awkward…just bad.

DRAGON & UNICORN – Welcome to Prairie Play! Bring your children…

KING OF ELFLIN’S DAUGHTER – I loved the music on that, it just made me so happy.

PERFECT COMBINATION – Adventure, joy, good people!

MIND GAMES – I think that was the first time I was a real bad girl, I was like nazi Jen, so I was kind of wicked and dark.

DESTINY: THE MINI-SERIES – When my dad finally realized what I’d been doing all these years!

Every time I would try to explain to him what I was doing he would kind of be like “what? What are you saying?”.  But then he actually saw Destiny: the mini-series on the Parkland Channel and he was like “oh, that Eleanore - look what she did. So that’s what you’ve been doing all these years, well that’s just awesome.” 

PANDORA’S BOX – Growth

That was a transitional period from when we were in high school to when we were in college

**GIFT BEARER (reshoot) – So this one’s harder to answer because I watched it – so I guess I would have an answer for watching it, but I would also have an answer for the one scene I was in.  The one scene was in I got my hands super cold and my husband warmed them in his armpits, even though they were very cold and it chilled him and he made a sad face. Love. Luuve. How lucky I am.

Watching Gift Bearer – Pride, because I got to see you (with all the movies really) improving every single time and once we got to Gift Bearer and I got to see what you were doing completely just watching it without really being involved and I just super proud.  It so good.

MEDEA SCHOOL OF MELODRAMA – 
Oh joy! Muppets! MUPPETS! I will be your sock puppet any day.

EIDOLON – Crutches? I got to be a little more edgy, I got to be a little more bad ass, and that was fun.

CURSED DESTINY OF PANDORA’S GIFT BOX – Chaos.  And Mike Steen!!!

He should be in more, I’ll change my answer from beating people with crutches to working more with Mike Steen!

QUATRAIN (crew) – That’s another pride one.

Annamarie coming back after growing so much more as an actor and just seeing her…actually seeing her and Jacob work back and forth with each other was just a joy.  I was only around for a little bit of that and I remember very specifically being in a graveyard and their banter and just...being happy to be with folks.

TWISTED TALES: MAGIC, INC. – What?

I haven’t seen that yet!  And I vaguely recall there was a time that you were like I’m filming but I…and I think I said yes I’d like to do something…but I don’t recall actually doing anything…

TWISTED TALES: HULDE – How do I want to phrase this? There was back story where I was supposed to be a lesbian, but I don’t know if that was ever actually implied in the thing so I’m sad.  I’m disappointed. I almost got me some lady-fun-times and um…nothing.

TWISTED TALES: THE STRANGER (crew) – 
Was that the one where I was a lesbian? I’m confused now. (no, it was the same day of shooting – you were the assistant director) 

Oh I think that was a day where you wanted me to go off and direct a scene and that is not my forte, and I was like what? And that is when Yibble learns that not everyone can do all the awesome stuff that she does.  You know if in the future you would like me to hold the camera, I promise I will not make room for purple lizards and I feel quite confident that I can do that fairly well, but the directorial debut? Nooo.  (that was actually Eidolon, btw)

GIFT BEARER: TIME AFTER TIME – Reunions.

GODDESS ANONYMOUS –   
Carrots!!!  That was fun.  Being kind of tired, I remember coming home from work and throwing some sort of costume together at the very last minute.

**There were a few shots and scenes that I needed to reshoot with different actors for various reasons while I was re-editing Gift Bearer for DVD (seven years later), so while Jen was not officially a part of the cast or participated in the filming, she is still technically in the show now.

Q: Top 5 favorites: (not SFF related)

Favorite Color – Blue. 

Favorite Movie or TV Show – Currently I am on a Doctor Who kick.  Although I do love me some Sherlock…

Favorite Song or Band/Artist – Oh dear, that one’s hard.  Currently Fighting Trousers by Professor Elemental.

Favorite Food or Drink – My most recent favorite meal was when my mom did Saint Patrick’s Day and we got the corned beef and cabbage and the carrots and the potatoes and the Irish soda bread…and I feel like there was an awesome beverage there but I’ve forgotten it.

Favorite Holiday – Toss up between Halloween and Christmas.  I’m gonna go with Halloween, it’s less stressful.