“Your mother has high blood pressure. Don’t you see – your little attention grabbing stunts are going to kill her!”

That was my line as a nasty Doctor berating a young child in a woman’s nightmarish recollection.

I shot this scene in a quick two hours last week on a set in Brooklyn. The corner of a Cobble Hill townhouse living room was transformed into a Doctor’s office.

The scene is part of a short film called “Red 40”. About a young woman (known as Red) navigating self-esteem and relationship issues. The scene with the doctor recreates a traumatic childhood memory, played in a heightened fashion more like a recalled nightmare.

Gaffer Lucien Raffaele and Director of Photography Anna O’Carroll creating that doctor’s office lighting.

Me in Doctor drag.

Writer/Director Sam Romersa (left) with Assistant Camera Julian Foy (right), Connor Noch (P.A.) and Sebastian Montjuich (Sound) behind center.

Assistant Director Nadia Blot with her mother Natalyla Lobatenko.

Natayla was cast as Mother Red in the memory scene. Nadia would translate Sam’s direction into fluent Russian for her mother. Natayala is a doctor in real life, so she was able to tutor me in the proper way to take her pulse in the scene. Nadia played a nurse cleaning up a bloody mess apparently caused by little Red.

Kate DeKock as grown up Red, the lead character. She played in the scene with us, but not in front of the camera. I’ll explain later…

Lucien set up a spotlight to create the effect of light spilling in through the office window.

Script supervisor Rose Jackson-Smith catches the light.

Gaffers tape creates the shadow effect of window blinds.

Nadia with props master Anabella Barrios.

Natayla in place as the mother in distress, with Nadia in place cleaning up fake blood and real glass shards.

The camera is dressed with a red wig. Anna would hand hold the camera crouched low, essentially becoming the point of view of a little girl with red hair. The hair will be seen as out of focus wisps at the edges of the screen while the camera takes in the scene. Kate will be acting her character’s little girl frightened breathing behind the camera, responding to being berated by the angry doctor.

After surveying the scene in the office, the doctor steps up to the little girl and says the words that will haunt her into adulthood. I needed to kneel down and get very close to the camera, ultimately physically grabbing the sides of the matte box around the lens as if holding the little girl’s head.

Kate in position behind the camera, with Anna and 2nd AC Polin Petkova.

Sam took these photos of me berating the camera. They are not from the actual filming, we were just goofing around having fun here. The scene itself was played in a heightened manner, but seriously.

Kate said I was pretty scary.

Sam later wrote me: “I liked you when you came onto the set, then by the end of it I was ready for you to leave and berate children elsewhere, as either you are an exceptional actor or you have an immense knack for it.”

Um… I’ll choose the former?