EXCERPTS FROM A SHOOTING DIARY
by Charlotte Fraisse
Transcribed by Adam Harding

Tuesday, September 3, 1991

D-day minus one. Arrival of Special Agent Dale Cooper, alias Kyle MacLachlan. David Lynch, who wants this character to be as 'clean' and respectable as possible, runs his fingers on the back of the actor's head to check the length of his hair and promises as a 'hello': "Not short enough yet..."

Thursday, September 5 - 2nd Day

Warm and relaxed atmosphere. David is calm and kindly, as heedful of the actors' performances as of the quality of sound. He follows the shooting sitting in front of a small video monitor. He often uses two cameras and prints a lot of takes that give him a wide range of possibilities for editing.

Monday, September 9 - 5th Day

Hospital scene. For the lighting of the room, Ron Garcia, the director of photography, only uses four 5 KWA projectors. He often diffracts the light, multiplies the flags and can wisely take his time for important sequences and be faster for minor scenes.

Friday, September 13 - 9th Day

The clash between Cliff Howard the deputy and Desmond the agent is shot with three cameras, one being mounted on a Steadicam.

You can easily see that Chris Isaak (Desmond) has practiced boxing; his coordination is perfect. "The hardest part is to hold back your blows", he confesses to me after having calmly but viciously twisted his antagonist's nose.

Monday, September 16 - 11th Day

On the 'Red Diamond Motel' parking lot. David walks towards me, looking cheerful, rested and ready to go. For the first time, he kisses me. That's nice - it makes me feel a little bit as part of the family. He is in a great mood and full of humor, joking with everybody on the set.

Thursday, September 19 - 14th Day

Location: 'The Double R' diner'. Before the shooting of the pilot of the series 'Twin Peaks', business was bad and the owner baked her own pies. Since, she has hired three persons to handle the rush of tourists. 'Twin Peaks' was a breath of oxygen for this underprivileged area, where the wood industry no longer provides sufficient work and income. A huge pile of sheets of paper sits on the counter: it's a petition to obtain prolongation of the series! Across the street, a souvenir shop sells mostly 'Twin Peaks' subproducts: tee shirts, books, postcards, badges, etc.

We shoot the scene where a mysterious old lady, with her masked grandson, offers an engraving to Laura Palmer. The woman has an surprising silhouette. Very tiny, she wears a dark suit and has a little hat emphasizing her passé look. The little boy is just as bizarre, dressed like a first communicant of the Fifties.

The shooting goes on till the end of the afternoon, because David takes his time with the child and regularly lets him have a break. (Apparently, Americans are stricter than we are about child actors working hard).

Saturday, September 21 - 16th Day

Shooting in Laura and her friend Donna's high school, in a clean and pretty little town, about thirty miles from Seattle. First shot: students coming out of school. To help actors and extras find the right rhythm, David puts on some music, which makes their movements more natural, lissome and fluid.

Wednesday, September 25 - 19th Day

Location: Laura's house.
This house, where the pilot was shot, is smallish, very clean, with white walls and white or pinkish beige curtains, little pink garlands painted over the windows and an unbelievable amount of knick-knacks. The floors are protected with large pieces of cardboard. The lady of the house retired graciously to her kitchen with the prop men. With David's agreement, Mary Sweeney, the editor, shows us some rough cuts: school out, a dialog between Laura and the Log Lady and a scene with Bobby and Laura. These scenes are superb, very intense and I discover an unexpected Sheryl Lee. Enhanced, under remarkable lighting and direction, this actress with a clean-cut look, who could have seemed a bit too demure for the part, turns out to be a genuine Lynch heroine.

Monday, September 30 - 23rd Day

While we shoot a short scene with Laura and Bobby, a small team shoots landscapes with cars and a shot of Teresa Banks' body drifting along the river. The camera had to be seen on the opposite bank of the river, so the technicians climbed into a raft led by three men in rubber suits.

Tuesday, October 1 - 24th Day

Frank Silva, who plays the part of Bob, joins in. He is very popular with the crew, who gives him a warm welcome. An occasional actor, he had originally been hired as a set dresser on the pilot of 'Twin Peaks'. While watching Frank dress Laura Palmer's bedroom, the dark idea of Bob appeared in David's mind.