DUPLICITY: NICOLE MAJEWSKI

Nicole Majewski, sound designer for the film Duplicity, shares with us her thoughts and experiences while working on this film.

1. Why do you think Duplicity is a story that needs to be told?

I think duplicity is a story that needs to be told because of the duality present in the film. On the surface it’s a comedy about betrayal and revenge but underneath that is a beautiful story about sisterhood, unconditional love and trust. It serves to remind us that our family always has our backs. 

2. What were the challenges that you faced when creating this project?

Shooting in a small space is never easy, but shooting in a small space during a pandemic was especially hard. Crew was incredibly limited which caused all of us to step up and wear different hats, there wasn’t much of a hierarchy on set and everyone was contributing ideas and problem solving. It ended up being a really wonderful experience and I think all our contributions and ideas helped elevate the film into something amazing. 

3. What was your favorite moment during the entire process of creating this project?

It was a crazy three days so it’s hard to pinpoint one moment but rigging the camera to the ceiling with a bunch of tape and a coffee cup as well as shooting the hallucination scene in the tiny bathroom were definitely highlights! I will say that as the sound recordist/boom operator, I had the most fun when I was sitting on top of the fridge while we were shooting the kitchen scenes. It got pretty hot up there and there was a moment when I scared everyone because I suddenly got really pale and had to lay down but I bounced back quickly and climbed back up there for the next shot! 

4. What are the different things that you learned after having done this project?

I really learned to work with what we had, which wasn’t much (equipment wise) and to trust human ingenuity. Being enrolled in film school I’ve been pampered by having basically unlimited access to professional equipment, so to show up on set the first day and find out that the rental house had run out of boom poles was just so unbelievably funny to me. I ended up using a taped up light stand instead and it worked beautifully. There were so many other moments like this on set and it was wonderful how we all put our heads together to figure out a solution to any problem that came up. 

5. What’s your favorite line/scene from the script and why?

I would have to say that the interrogation scene! The lighting set up was just so beautiful and it created this perfect little surreal world that the characters got transported to, I felt like I was behind a one way mirror watching this intense interrogation go down. The acting was absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to see how this scene cuts together in the film!

6. Is there any other project that you are currently working on or would like to work on in the future?

One big project that I’m currently working on is my thesis film! It’s a narrative about four elderly Polish women who gather to celebrate Christmas Eve together but they get in an argument. It was inspired by people I grew up around as well as my Polish heritage. I’m still editing it but I’m very excited for the finished film!