Oh hi.
Well. We had another shoot on Thursday night that proved successful, despite some minor setbacks. Time is never on our side. Especially mine...but that's a whole other blog....
Let me tell you about this last shoot. We had a bonfire scene in a remote, country setting. The weather turned out great! Kudos to Ms. Mother Nature. Also, we found a handful of extras that were more than willing to be cooperative and stick it out even though we were behind schedule. For that, I thank every single one of them.
But--here's what I really want to get off my chest--the single take in which we had to capture a baseball bat breaking a car tail light was so intense! I'll be straightforward here. I was nervous. First off, it's my fellow director and good friend's car so that was enough to be nervous. Secondly, anytime you have a one-shot deal there is pressure. There are just so many variables that could factor at any moment to make it go wrong! However, despite the looming variables, the single take was taken with excellence. I was physically behind the camera (hand held) for this take, and I literally jumped up and down after it was done. (This is a common occurrence for me, though.) I felt exuberant and exhausted all at once.
So, if you are wondering at all how something like that can be pulled off without 8 separate cars and multiple camera angles, here is our dirty little secret--confidence. We had no choice but to find it within ourselves (actors, directors, camera operators, boom op, etc) to know we had to get the take that time and we would do it. Yes, we had takes before the 'break take' so we all knew the movement and timing of the scene, but there is still a lot riding on one take. We took a deep breath and said, "Ok, we can do this." And, sure enough, we did it. :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Through the DP's Lens....
Through the DP's Lens... Nichole's part of the Blog.
If anyone is interested in a bit more technical perspective on this film I can fill ya in here!
So... our style and look of East of Nowhere was discussed many, many drafts ago. And our running theme? "Dirty Pretty." Let me explain this oxymoron.... We, the filmmakers, have drawn upon our own lives and those around us to create this story. And as we discovered, we are united in our experiences with small town life and its unique inhabitants. I am not saying we dislike our upbringings or the people involved. But-- Quite often, we believe, that within these small towns there is this odd contrast of beauty and beast. In its people, in its atmosphere, and in its beliefs. Our aim for this film, then, is to capture that contrast and deliver it on screen. We want the audience to identify with it, analyze it, and understand it.
Therefore, as a Producer, casting the right people who could market this look was important. And I feel like we found a STELLAR cast. They're looks were naturally what we wanted and we developed what we needed to completely get them "dirty pretty" via costumes and hair/makeup. They are all good lookin kids, but it's not always what's on the outside that counts you know. So their performances would have to convey that contrast that I have mentioned. And, well, we have had our jaws drop to the floor some days on set. They are all pretty damn good actors :)
Also, as Director of Photography, trying to find the balance between the natural, almost mundane look of a small midwestern town but still having interesting visuals to keep the audience's interest has been challenging. A fun challenge. But a challenge. So...as DP I've been working closely with the Director to come up with engaging shots so that the audience is pulled into the story, but never noticing you are in a story. Thus, we have been keeping takes longer, using handheld movements (or using our new Fig Rig, which as been great fun to use--THANK YOU to all who donated on Kickstarter.com to help us fund that piece of equipment and others), and trying to keep scene changes unnoticed and fluid.
So...this might help you understand a little bit about where we, the filmmakers, are coming from on the other side of the camera. It's not just pointing and shooting with a cool camera to us. It gets pretty involved and we are very serious about it. I'll keep you posted with more as I continue on.... Let me know what you think and if you have questions!! :)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Nichole Root
If anyone is interested in a bit more technical perspective on this film I can fill ya in here!
So... our style and look of East of Nowhere was discussed many, many drafts ago. And our running theme? "Dirty Pretty." Let me explain this oxymoron.... We, the filmmakers, have drawn upon our own lives and those around us to create this story. And as we discovered, we are united in our experiences with small town life and its unique inhabitants. I am not saying we dislike our upbringings or the people involved. But-- Quite often, we believe, that within these small towns there is this odd contrast of beauty and beast. In its people, in its atmosphere, and in its beliefs. Our aim for this film, then, is to capture that contrast and deliver it on screen. We want the audience to identify with it, analyze it, and understand it.
Therefore, as a Producer, casting the right people who could market this look was important. And I feel like we found a STELLAR cast. They're looks were naturally what we wanted and we developed what we needed to completely get them "dirty pretty" via costumes and hair/makeup. They are all good lookin kids, but it's not always what's on the outside that counts you know. So their performances would have to convey that contrast that I have mentioned. And, well, we have had our jaws drop to the floor some days on set. They are all pretty damn good actors :)
Also, as Director of Photography, trying to find the balance between the natural, almost mundane look of a small midwestern town but still having interesting visuals to keep the audience's interest has been challenging. A fun challenge. But a challenge. So...as DP I've been working closely with the Director to come up with engaging shots so that the audience is pulled into the story, but never noticing you are in a story. Thus, we have been keeping takes longer, using handheld movements (or using our new Fig Rig, which as been great fun to use--THANK YOU to all who donated on Kickstarter.com to help us fund that piece of equipment and others), and trying to keep scene changes unnoticed and fluid.
So...this might help you understand a little bit about where we, the filmmakers, are coming from on the other side of the camera. It's not just pointing and shooting with a cool camera to us. It gets pretty involved and we are very serious about it. I'll keep you posted with more as I continue on.... Let me know what you think and if you have questions!! :)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Nichole Root
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