The EggFollow the Tzar of Russia on his journey to find the perfect gift for his wife. What will his wife say when he returns with an egg?
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The Egg
Topic: The First Faberge Egg
Directed by Oliver B., Written by Caleb C. , Edited by Benjamin KP.
Starring Zalen P., Glenda A., Tamar L., Colin G.
Our comedic film was based on the first Faberge Egg created during the Romanov dynasty in 1885. Alexander III asked his brother Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich to have Peter Carl Fabergé create a jeweled egg that he could give to his wife on Easter. For Russian Orthodox Christians, Easter was considered the most important holiday of the year. Peter Fabergé (the goldsmith to the crown at the time) wanted to bring happiness to the Tsar’s wife, Maria Feodorovna, by creating something personal and exquisite. When Alexander's wife received the egg, she was extremely delighted. The Tsar then decided to have another egg made the following year and Fabergé was also granted the title of “Supplier to the Imperial Court.” This allowed him to have the State Coat of Arms on his shop's sign. As the years progressed the eggs became elaborate as Fabergé had complete creative freedom. There have been 50 known eggs to be made. Some of the eggs are worth millions of dollars if not more. These eggs are hard to buy if you're not looking for them in a museum. People buy these eggs for their craftsmanship rather than the materials used to create them.
Alexander III was the Tsar of Russia at the time. His reign lasted from March 13, 1881, until his death on November 1, 1894. It was said that he was a man with immense strength who was straightforward and gruff. Alexander III’s belief system was rooted in nationalism, autocracy, and religious orthodoxy. His goal was to make Russia have only one language and religion. His beliefs led to the persecution of millions and the mistrust of foreign nations. His brother, the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich held military positions and was fascinated with the arts and literature. He was only able to pursue artistic endeavors once he was older and married. He became a talented painter and collected valuable art. Maria Feodorovna, Alexander III’s wife, was previously known as the Princess Dagmar of Denmark. She was described as delightful, had a welcoming smile, and beautiful. Maria Feodorovna greatly influenced Russian society and conducted herself elegantly. She perfectly fulfilled her role as the Empress.
When filming our historical comedy in areas where actors can't be in the same room, we faced many challenges. These challenges were overcome thanks to the actors and their adaptability to different filming environments. One example of this was during the opening scene. The actors who played the Grand Duke and Alexander III filming in such a way that made it appear they were in the royal garden of a palace speaking to each other. This helped the film flow more smoothly and made it seem that the two actors were in the same room face to face when in reality, they were miles apart. Another example of this is when the actor who played Faberge transformed a room in his house to resemble a jewelry shop. This made it easy for the Duke to come in and ask for the egg. By making the shop seem small, the actor who played the Duke was able to stand right in front of the door and make it seem like she had entered that tiny store. Many of the camera angles were chosen because they never required two actors in the same shot, this made filming and editing less of a challenge.
Sources:
“FABERGÉ® Official Site: Shop Now At Faberge.com.” Faberge, www.faberge.com/.
“Fabergé Egg.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faberg%C3%A9_egg.
Taggart, Emma. “The Fabergé Egg: How Imperial Russia's Most Elaborate Easter Gift Came to Be.” My Modern Met, 10 Apr. 2020, mymodernmet.com/faberge-egg-history/.
Levrier-Jones, George. “Tsar Alexander III of Russia - A Paranoid Life. Pogroms, Pokers and Blame - History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books: Modern International and American History.” History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American History, History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American History, 10 Mar. 2014, www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2014/3/10/the-paranoid-life-of-a-russlan-ruler-pogroms-pokers-and-blame-tsar-alexander-iii.
Florinsky, Michael. “Alexander III.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Oct. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-III-emperor-of-Russia.
Beeche, Art. “The Home of the Last Tsar - Romanov and Russian History.” Dowager Empress Marie - Blog & Alexander Palace Time Machine, www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/mariabio.html.
Flantzer, Susan. “Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia.” Unofficial Royalty, 20 July 2018, www.unofficialroyalty.com/grand-duke-vladimir-alexandrovich-of-russia/.
Alexander III was the Tsar of Russia at the time. His reign lasted from March 13, 1881, until his death on November 1, 1894. It was said that he was a man with immense strength who was straightforward and gruff. Alexander III’s belief system was rooted in nationalism, autocracy, and religious orthodoxy. His goal was to make Russia have only one language and religion. His beliefs led to the persecution of millions and the mistrust of foreign nations. His brother, the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich held military positions and was fascinated with the arts and literature. He was only able to pursue artistic endeavors once he was older and married. He became a talented painter and collected valuable art. Maria Feodorovna, Alexander III’s wife, was previously known as the Princess Dagmar of Denmark. She was described as delightful, had a welcoming smile, and beautiful. Maria Feodorovna greatly influenced Russian society and conducted herself elegantly. She perfectly fulfilled her role as the Empress.
When filming our historical comedy in areas where actors can't be in the same room, we faced many challenges. These challenges were overcome thanks to the actors and their adaptability to different filming environments. One example of this was during the opening scene. The actors who played the Grand Duke and Alexander III filming in such a way that made it appear they were in the royal garden of a palace speaking to each other. This helped the film flow more smoothly and made it seem that the two actors were in the same room face to face when in reality, they were miles apart. Another example of this is when the actor who played Faberge transformed a room in his house to resemble a jewelry shop. This made it easy for the Duke to come in and ask for the egg. By making the shop seem small, the actor who played the Duke was able to stand right in front of the door and make it seem like she had entered that tiny store. Many of the camera angles were chosen because they never required two actors in the same shot, this made filming and editing less of a challenge.
Sources:
“FABERGÉ® Official Site: Shop Now At Faberge.com.” Faberge, www.faberge.com/.
“Fabergé Egg.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faberg%C3%A9_egg.
Taggart, Emma. “The Fabergé Egg: How Imperial Russia's Most Elaborate Easter Gift Came to Be.” My Modern Met, 10 Apr. 2020, mymodernmet.com/faberge-egg-history/.
Levrier-Jones, George. “Tsar Alexander III of Russia - A Paranoid Life. Pogroms, Pokers and Blame - History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books: Modern International and American History.” History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American History, History Is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American History, 10 Mar. 2014, www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2014/3/10/the-paranoid-life-of-a-russlan-ruler-pogroms-pokers-and-blame-tsar-alexander-iii.
Florinsky, Michael. “Alexander III.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Oct. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-III-emperor-of-Russia.
Beeche, Art. “The Home of the Last Tsar - Romanov and Russian History.” Dowager Empress Marie - Blog & Alexander Palace Time Machine, www.alexanderpalace.org/palace/mariabio.html.
Flantzer, Susan. “Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia.” Unofficial Royalty, 20 July 2018, www.unofficialroyalty.com/grand-duke-vladimir-alexandrovich-of-russia/.
