Day 1 – I got an email from Mark (the project’s director, writer and producer) that he was looking for a director of photography for an upcoming project. I called him and straightaway I could hear in his voice a great enthusiasm for filmmaking. We scheduled a time to meet and hours before that meeting, he emailed me the script. When I got to page 7 of the 11 page script, I started to wonder what was I getting myself into – and not in a good way. But then when I finished the script, I just had to pause and think “wow, what a great script”. I won’t get into the story until the project is finished, but it’s one of those script you’re grateful to get. The bulk of the script takes place at a park and we had the good fortune that someone Mark knew was selling a house with a large backyard that could work as a park courtyard. The home is in Hancock Park – a well to do neighborhood, south of downtown Hollywood. A funny moment came up when I asked Mark if we would have any parking issues. He looked to me and said “No problem, there’s plenty of street parking – these people don’t park on the street.” He wasn’t kidding. Huge houses in a community where only the gardeners and maids park on the street. (Another anecdote to the weekend came the morning of the first day. Someone came over to visit with a little child in tow. I didn’t really notice – I had things to do. But as I rushed to get something, I passed by this person only to find it was Diedrich Bader of “Office Space” fame and he also did a little show called “Drew Cary” you might also remember. It was one of those moments where look and you know that’s someone you know, but you don’t know if you know them. Mull over that one for a while! Back to the show.)Mark managed to get a free Sony F-900 camera package courtesy of a third party. The camera package came from VER (Video Equipment Rentals – Glendale, CA). It was minimal, but hey, I’m not complaining. The camera was set to my modified neutral settings. We composed for 16:9 but generally kept it safe for 1.85. A stocking net was placed behind the lens to take out some of the HD bit using an I-Ring my friend Toby purchased for me several years ago when they first came out – still using it, dude! The latest software modifications to the camera are a big improvement. The menu structure is also much improved. When we originally scouted the location, it was a bright sunny day. Instead we got cloud cover most mornings and patchy cloud which came in and out throughout the afternoon and ending in mostly clear skies and bright sun in the evenings. It was, needless to say, a challenge we didn’t always win. I often found myself riding the iris to compensate with some success. It’ll ultimately be a long color grading session down the road – but do-able. The grip/electric came from Wooden Nickel (Burbank, CA). Here again it was minimal but we were never totally hamstrung by it. The order consisted of:- 12×12 Butterfly kit (single, double, solid, silk, and grifflyon) and a Full Grid, also- 1200HMI PAR – The usual compliment of C-stand, shot bags, flags and nets, etc.We also ordered a Super Pee Wee dolly with 2, 8′ straight tracks and 4, 90° curve tracks. The crew was small, real small – but, everyone stepped up and did multiple jobs and some for the first time. I had hoped to get a few extra hands but no luck. (I’m sure I’ll now get messages that go something like this, “dude, you should have called – I would have totally been there.”)I think my favorite shot of the day is a dolly shot we did that’ll introduce us to the setting. It was a dolly shot in the shape of a question mark that swung by a group of kids, then another set of kids, then another set of kids and finally ending on our lead actor, alone. Very nice. Day 2 – Today we had no extras, just our two leads. Today was a day that Mark could more closely work with them and with few distractions. The casting of these two kids was fantastic. They played so well off each other. The younger actor, for only being 13, showed such maturity and sophistication. And our sweet vixen handled her duplicitous role with ease. I really think it’ll be something worth watching when it’s finished. We had hoped to shoot out the weekend on five tapes, but no luck. We were 24 minutes into tape five just after lunch when we started a frantic search to find someplace open on a Sunday that sold HDCAM tapes. It was harder than you might think. But then, our set photographer asked the question, “what about the folks you rented the camera from?” It was worth a try since no one else was open. Sure enough, they were open and someone rushed to pick-up two tapes – at a premium I might add!Day one in many ways dictated the look for the show, that of an overcast day. To serve that, we all but tented our leads with the 12×12, using the Full Grid on the frame tabled above them and the silk draped along an edge. 4×4 Floppies helped conceal any other spots of stray sunlight in the background. I think for the most part it’ll be convincing. I’ll obviously have a better idea after the first cut is finished. The color grading is going to be hell-on-earth trying to dance around the times the sun came in and out from behind the clouds. But Mark covered the script very well and so we should be saved by coverage. This tent was a sight to see, though. My favorite shot of the shoot has to be the last shot of the day. It was a circular track around our two leads seated in iron patio chairs next to each other. A slow move around them starts us off during a seduction and at a turning point the dolly tracks the opposite direction with some speed. I know it’s been done before, I know it might call attention to itself, but it is totally motivated, appropriate and just plain awesome. I love it when Spike Lee does it and I think it was an excellent choice by the director. As a safety net for the editor, we shot the same bits in the opposite direction. A million thanks to Jose – sometimes boom op and sometimes dolly grip – what an awesome sense of movement and handling of the dolly!Kudos to Mark for a great script, excellent direction of that script and for producing a great weekend with few problems. I’m sure I speak for the entire cast and crew that we can hardly wait to see the short finished and that this was a weekend well spent. Great job! PHOTOS FROM DAY 2 Mark directs the actors.”the Tent” Last shot of the day and maybe the coolest shot of the show. ]]>
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