Posts
DAY 7:
On Day 7 of filming on the Southlan-Films Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake we return to on-location filming at the property of Roland Force to not only film the death of actor Chris Whitley but to also do reshoots of the death of the Sheriff (played by Jim Adams), among other things. The most interesting thing about today’s filming are the reshoots.
Writer/director/editor Ron McLellen had already put together a rough edit of many of the scenes and soon discovered that there were sequences within the scene in which the Sheriff comes upon the domain of Jason Voorhees (of which we all know what happens when someone comes upon Jason’s home). He wanted to make the whole sequence longer and he wanted to elaborate on Jason’s “shack” through the eyes of the Sheriff who is the first person to come upon it. This being the first sequence filmed on the production, McLellen soon realized that the sequence was far too short and needed more suspense before the Sheriff died, so, since we had to return to the location anyway it was decided to do some extensive reshoots to make the sequence really stand out early in the film.
Today is designed to be a very light day. I missed the previous day of filming (Day 6) which was the production’s return to the camp grounds to film the wrap around segment of the film which includes a group of kids who are at Camp Crystal Lake when they start telling the story of Jason Voorhees (the rest of the film which is presented as a story told by the children). I missed all of this day of filming which reunited McLellen with the stars of his previous fan film Return of the Sandman – actors Ashley Ballard, Hunter Ballard, and Callan Wilson.
Once the reshoots with actor Jim Adams are complete the rest of the day is waiting for the sun to go down to film Whitley’s death for the film. In the mean time we waited for the make-up artists of 9 Cop Productions (Ondie Daniel and Ace Talkingwolf) to put Adams in his “death” make-up and prep for the death of Whitley’s character who wanders into Jason’s home and finds the Sheriff’s body just before he dies at the hands of Jason. It’s no secret that he’s going to die but it is the way in which he dies that will have every Jason fan screaming in their seats. McLellen has crafted many death sequences that will not only pay homage to the Friday the 13th franchise but will all leave fans with a big smile on their faces. This is a Friday film and the bloodier the better!
Today is just a very laid back final day of filming on The Man in the Lake. I say this because all principal actors on the film will be wrapped but we still have 2nd Unit scenes to film which don’t require any of the main cast members. This happens to be just a very relaxed day of filming because everyone is excited to be at the end of the production (even though it was only 7 days).
For me, it’s a totally different story as I will be on hand throughout the post-production process on the film and up to its Friday, August 13th premiere both online and on the big screen (as we plan on screening the film for cast & crew and anyone else who want to see the film). Once this film is complete I won’t have any time to rest as McLellen is prepping a sequel to his Halloween fan film Return of the Sandman which is tentatively called Revenge of the Sandman.
For more info on the Southlan-Films production THE MAN IN THE LAKE you can follow the production on Facebook here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592735751#!/pages/MAN-IN-THE-LAKE-Official-Fan-Page/278862841916?ref=ts
Showing posts with label Ondie Daniel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ondie Daniel. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
MAN IN THE LAKE - Production Diary Day 5
DAY 5:
This is the second day of on-location filming at the camp grounds of which the majority of the Southlan-Films Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake will take place. I was unable to be there for the first day on filming due to my obligations at my 9-to-5 job but this is just as well as the production was rained out for most of the day and only a little was actually filmed (a minor setback that will require an additional day at the camp grounds which we had not originally scheduled).
Today is a tough day as we try and squeeze in a lot of scenes that we didn’t get filmed last night. All the day scenes need to be filmed in addition to many of the night scenes and all of the “kill scenes” of the entire cast (with the exception of the death of actor Chris Whitley which is scheduled at a different location). On tap to do the Special FX make-up for the film is 9 Cop Productions (on set today are chief make-up artists Ondie Daniel and Ace Talkingwolf) which will have their hands filled killing 3 people (when it’s a major achievement just to kill one person per day on the set of a horror film). In addition to the 3 deaths scenes that have to be orchestrated we also need to film the climax of the film which requires is reminiscent to that of the ending of the original Friday the 13th. Although the running time of the film is not expected to be longer than 45 minutes, it is very ambitious as per the request of writer/director Ron McLellen.
The film is trying to make its release date of Friday, August 13 of this year. This seems like an impossible tasks but the production is filled with a talented cast and crew that work very hard to accomplish the impossible task of filming a lot of pages today despite the on-location problems. It does continue to rain today but not enough to cripple the production like the previous day and everyone works hard to finish filming all of the days pages and scenes.
Our make-up department also goes above and beyond the call of duty as they push themselves to complete 3 major kill scenes in the film. We’ve lucked out that there are so many people out there who love and respect the Friday the 13th franchise that they are willing to come out and help on this production for free simply to work on the film for no pay. It’s important to remember that fan films are produced by people who love and respect the film/franchise for whom their production is based. These films are produced simply for the fun of it and for all the fans out there.
My job on this production has primarily been as still photographer and as the “background” producer allowing McLellen the freedom to produce the film that he wants to without and hang-ups or problems. This has been made easier from a cast and crew who are simply doing this film for the fun of it and not for a paycheck (although regardless of the fact that this is a fan film it would be nice to pay the cast and crew).
Everything does in fact go on as planned for today’s production even though we were filming into the wee hours of the next morning. We encountered a few problems in regards to policies at the camp grounds that we filming but despite this the filming was complete and we do, in fact, plan on returning for another day of filming to finish everything else that still needs to be filmed.
For more info on the Southlan-Films production THE MAN IN THE LAKE you can follow the production on Facebook here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592735751#!/pages/MAN-IN-THE-LAKE-Official-Fan-Page/278862841916?ref=ts
This is the second day of on-location filming at the camp grounds of which the majority of the Southlan-Films Friday the 13th fan film The Man in the Lake will take place. I was unable to be there for the first day on filming due to my obligations at my 9-to-5 job but this is just as well as the production was rained out for most of the day and only a little was actually filmed (a minor setback that will require an additional day at the camp grounds which we had not originally scheduled).
Today is a tough day as we try and squeeze in a lot of scenes that we didn’t get filmed last night. All the day scenes need to be filmed in addition to many of the night scenes and all of the “kill scenes” of the entire cast (with the exception of the death of actor Chris Whitley which is scheduled at a different location). On tap to do the Special FX make-up for the film is 9 Cop Productions (on set today are chief make-up artists Ondie Daniel and Ace Talkingwolf) which will have their hands filled killing 3 people (when it’s a major achievement just to kill one person per day on the set of a horror film). In addition to the 3 deaths scenes that have to be orchestrated we also need to film the climax of the film which requires is reminiscent to that of the ending of the original Friday the 13th. Although the running time of the film is not expected to be longer than 45 minutes, it is very ambitious as per the request of writer/director Ron McLellen.
The film is trying to make its release date of Friday, August 13 of this year. This seems like an impossible tasks but the production is filled with a talented cast and crew that work very hard to accomplish the impossible task of filming a lot of pages today despite the on-location problems. It does continue to rain today but not enough to cripple the production like the previous day and everyone works hard to finish filming all of the days pages and scenes.
Our make-up department also goes above and beyond the call of duty as they push themselves to complete 3 major kill scenes in the film. We’ve lucked out that there are so many people out there who love and respect the Friday the 13th franchise that they are willing to come out and help on this production for free simply to work on the film for no pay. It’s important to remember that fan films are produced by people who love and respect the film/franchise for whom their production is based. These films are produced simply for the fun of it and for all the fans out there.
My job on this production has primarily been as still photographer and as the “background” producer allowing McLellen the freedom to produce the film that he wants to without and hang-ups or problems. This has been made easier from a cast and crew who are simply doing this film for the fun of it and not for a paycheck (although regardless of the fact that this is a fan film it would be nice to pay the cast and crew).
Everything does in fact go on as planned for today’s production even though we were filming into the wee hours of the next morning. We encountered a few problems in regards to policies at the camp grounds that we filming but despite this the filming was complete and we do, in fact, plan on returning for another day of filming to finish everything else that still needs to be filmed.
For more info on the Southlan-Films production THE MAN IN THE LAKE you can follow the production on Facebook here - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=592735751#!/pages/MAN-IN-THE-LAKE-Official-Fan-Page/278862841916?ref=ts
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Shooting the LAST CALL Teaser
Producer Ondie Daniel wants to put together a teaser trailer for the LAST CALL vampire anthology, thus we decided that we would film a scene from my fine (in addition to two others). We decided to film one of the flashback sequences since we could show one of the vampires in addition to showing how the film would look. Everyone was available except for Bren Allison so I decided to film the scene myself.
Having no asperations to direct the film myself I was more nervous going into directing this then I was HOUSE OF SECRETS, which I was prepared to direct and produce. The teaser was easier only because we had cast two actors that I had already worked with - Amy Wolkis and Jason Von Stein, while the third actor in the scene who was playing the vampire of the film and before that night I had never met him. He was an addition by Daniel as I requested that she be responsible with casting all the vampires in the film since we were going with people from Netherworld who already have or will soon have their own vampire teeth. Authenticity is key with this project and having great teeth is one of the reasons I agreed to do the project.
Another reason for doing this project is obviously because I wanted to collaborate with someone else on a creative level and Allison is someone whom I've worked with before but not so much on a creative level and this project was the perfect opportunity. I've only worked with Daniel as an actor or as a make up artist (and more recently she was casting director on several other projects) so working with her to produce this film is also new and a challenge.
One of the key ingredients that Daniel has provided is an amazing location for the production is far better then anything I could have imagined. The location is key to my story and filming at this location has given the production higher production value then I could have ever imagained. I did have to do some rewrites on the spot to accomodate that fact that I did not want to show any blood or gore in the scene (and therefore wouldn't have to worry about the clean up) but I think the scene works really well without the gore.
I think my actors all did a great job putting this teaser together in such sort notice and my crew were great as well (the make up artist was from Netherworld as well) and this was a great way to break the ice on the production. Shooting this teaser was a way to let everyone know that we are still a "go" on the production dispite the delays.
For a few moments I even wanted to direct the film myself since I was having so much fun (until it all had to eventually end) but then I wised up and realized that it was better to let Bren do all the heavy lifting while I sit back and just watch :)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A FILM IN 48 HOURS: The Making of TURN THE OTHER CHEEK Part 4
7/01/09
The screening of all the films produced during the 2009 48 Hour Film Competition will began on Tuesday and continue until Thursday. There are six sections of screenings of which the Interstate Film production of Turn The Other Cheek will be part of Group C, which will screen at 7:00 pm tonight along with eleven other films. The trick is that each section is given a specific criteria to follow in order to qualify for the competition (these criteria being the specific prop, character, and phrase that had to be in all the films of each section).
The screening will all be at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. This venue is a friend to independent cinema as it specializes in limited release domestic and foreign films not to mention being a sponsor of the Atlanta Film Festival (which also so happens to be a sponsor of this event). The venue is a great place to showcase these indie films to a larger audience.
Many, if not all, the cast and crew will be seeing the film for the very first time on this night so it is a big deal to us all. Although producer Gary Hamrick, Jr. is lamentably nervous about the whole affair having been on call for the entire process of the film (and lets not forget the other producer Ondie Daniel) because he was originally set to direct the film before relinquishing the role to Jim Adams.
We have an amazing turnout for the film that included (but is not limited to) actors Liz Martin, James Robert Jarrett, Luisa Casas (who also co-edited), Daniel, Corey Chalef, and Robert Sattler, to name a few. Members of our crew also made an appearance from Asa Rose (key grip), Emilie Peters (script supervisor), Christine Cuff (production assistant), and Michael Bailey (head writer), to name a few. It is a grand event as filmmakers from all the films screening show up to support their films as well as the event itself and fun is to be had all around as people cheered and awed at the amazing lineup of films on display.
This being my first 48 Hour Film Competition I just take it all in. It will be the first film I’ve been a part of that screened on a big screen (I don’t count JACK O’LANTERN since I never saw it on the big screen when it was screened). It is a great sense of accomplishment to see a completed film on the screen and that everyone enjoys the experience because regardless of the quality of the film it is one of the most nerve racking and exhilarating experiences that I have ever had (other then shooting my own film House of Secrets that is).
There is no describing the feeling one gets when you are able to see a finished film on the big screen and that people other then your own cast and crew are enjoying it. It is one of the greatest feelings that any filmmaker can have sinse deep down inside we all want someone to enjoy the films that we produce. I don’t know about other filmmakers but I like to think that I don’t do films just for me but that I hope others will enjoy them as well (no matter how messed up and unusual they are).
I have mixed feelings about the film itself but that’s because I have mixed feelings about everything I work on. I’ve never once had a great reaction to anything I’ve ever worked on and knowing that this is only a rough version and that director Jim Adams intends to film an expanded version of the film only solidifies my insecurities about the film since he wants to make the story better by working on the characters more. There is only so much you can do with a story that’s less then seven minutes long and in which we were given particular things to put in the film, but whatever…the festival version of the film is its own entity that will be separate from the expanded version just like the competition version of Ron McLellen’s Night of the Hungry Dead is vastly different from the final Director’s Cut, which was expanded post it’s festival version.
All in all I think the cast & crew of Interstate Films did a good job putting together Turn The Other Cheek and even though it may not be the strongest film that any of us have produced it is one of the most fun and I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with the cast & crew again.
Working on the 48 Hour Film Competition is a unique opportunity for me to work with other filmmakers and expand my skills as a filmmaker and I hope that I get the chance to repeat it next year.
THE END.
The screening of all the films produced during the 2009 48 Hour Film Competition will began on Tuesday and continue until Thursday. There are six sections of screenings of which the Interstate Film production of Turn The Other Cheek will be part of Group C, which will screen at 7:00 pm tonight along with eleven other films. The trick is that each section is given a specific criteria to follow in order to qualify for the competition (these criteria being the specific prop, character, and phrase that had to be in all the films of each section).
The screening will all be at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. This venue is a friend to independent cinema as it specializes in limited release domestic and foreign films not to mention being a sponsor of the Atlanta Film Festival (which also so happens to be a sponsor of this event). The venue is a great place to showcase these indie films to a larger audience.
Many, if not all, the cast and crew will be seeing the film for the very first time on this night so it is a big deal to us all. Although producer Gary Hamrick, Jr. is lamentably nervous about the whole affair having been on call for the entire process of the film (and lets not forget the other producer Ondie Daniel) because he was originally set to direct the film before relinquishing the role to Jim Adams.
We have an amazing turnout for the film that included (but is not limited to) actors Liz Martin, James Robert Jarrett, Luisa Casas (who also co-edited), Daniel, Corey Chalef, and Robert Sattler, to name a few. Members of our crew also made an appearance from Asa Rose (key grip), Emilie Peters (script supervisor), Christine Cuff (production assistant), and Michael Bailey (head writer), to name a few. It is a grand event as filmmakers from all the films screening show up to support their films as well as the event itself and fun is to be had all around as people cheered and awed at the amazing lineup of films on display.
This being my first 48 Hour Film Competition I just take it all in. It will be the first film I’ve been a part of that screened on a big screen (I don’t count JACK O’LANTERN since I never saw it on the big screen when it was screened). It is a great sense of accomplishment to see a completed film on the screen and that everyone enjoys the experience because regardless of the quality of the film it is one of the most nerve racking and exhilarating experiences that I have ever had (other then shooting my own film House of Secrets that is).
There is no describing the feeling one gets when you are able to see a finished film on the big screen and that people other then your own cast and crew are enjoying it. It is one of the greatest feelings that any filmmaker can have sinse deep down inside we all want someone to enjoy the films that we produce. I don’t know about other filmmakers but I like to think that I don’t do films just for me but that I hope others will enjoy them as well (no matter how messed up and unusual they are).
I have mixed feelings about the film itself but that’s because I have mixed feelings about everything I work on. I’ve never once had a great reaction to anything I’ve ever worked on and knowing that this is only a rough version and that director Jim Adams intends to film an expanded version of the film only solidifies my insecurities about the film since he wants to make the story better by working on the characters more. There is only so much you can do with a story that’s less then seven minutes long and in which we were given particular things to put in the film, but whatever…the festival version of the film is its own entity that will be separate from the expanded version just like the competition version of Ron McLellen’s Night of the Hungry Dead is vastly different from the final Director’s Cut, which was expanded post it’s festival version.
All in all I think the cast & crew of Interstate Films did a good job putting together Turn The Other Cheek and even though it may not be the strongest film that any of us have produced it is one of the most fun and I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with the cast & crew again.
Working on the 48 Hour Film Competition is a unique opportunity for me to work with other filmmakers and expand my skills as a filmmaker and I hope that I get the chance to repeat it next year.
THE END.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A FILM IN 48 HOURS: The Making of TURN THE OTHER CHEEK Part 3
6/28/09
Post-production on the Interstate Films’ 48 Hour Film Competition production Turn The Other Cheek started on Saturday, June 27, 2009 but would not be complete until Sunday, June 28, 2009.
Post-production on the Interstate Films’ 48 Hour Film Competition production Turn The Other Cheek started on Saturday, June 27, 2009 but would not be complete until Sunday, June 28, 2009.
After we had completed filming at the Mexican Restaurant location our co-editor Luisa Casas took the tape to her condo where the production had set up shop to start uploading the footage and cutting the scenes already filmed. When they got hold of the footage they took notice of the HDV footage of the first scene which they could not upload because they were editing with an older version of Final Cut Pro. As luck would have it, these scenes were at the end of the film and director Jim Adams had a solution to changing the end of the film so we didn’t have to go back and reshoot the scene (which was impossible since we no longer had the actors or access to the location any longer).
This is the only major problem that we have in regards to any technical issues of the footage. I’m sure that we could have filmed more coverage of scenes and cutaways (since I truly believe that we don’t have enough) but this is not one of those things you’re thinking about when you’re trying to shoot a film in under 24 hours in order to get it to the editors. The more time we spent shooting the film, the less time the editors hve with the footage and the production has to be complete and final by 7:00 pm tonight.
There is a lot of pressure on shooting the film so the editors can get their hands on the footage. This may not have been apparent but it is something we are all thinking about because unless we complete the film by the deadline all that we have worked for will have been for nothing.
This being the day of post-production I don’t have anything that needs to be done on my end. It is extremely “soothing” to know that I don’t have to be responsible for the final edit of the film (unlike say my feature film House of Secrets which I’m in post-production on). One of the reasons why I decided to do this project is that I want just to do lighting and camera and not be responsible for anything else. Not since working on the Movie Tao production 6 Degrees of Desperation (written & directed by Bren Allison) have I been in this position and sometimes I miss just working on a set as someone other then the person in charge.
The only work I do for the production on this day is give some background info on some of the technical aspects of the film for the paperwork that has to be turned in by the Interstate Films crew (Ondie Daniel & Gary Hamrick, Jr. as producers on the film). Instead, I decide to unwind from the process by going to see a movie on the big screen (the film is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and the less said the better).
Daniel & Hamrick send out an email and text declaring that our film Turn The Other Cheek has beat the deadline and made it to the finish line of the 2009 48 Hour Film competition. Everyone is extremely happy with the outcome and ecstatic that our film will be screening on Wednesday, July 1st as part of the Group C screening of the 48 Hour Film Competition.
Our next goal is to support the film by going to the screening and voting on our film to be the audience award film so it can go on to bigger and better things (in terms of the film festival).
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A FILM IN 48 HOURS: The Making of TURN THE OTHER CHEEK Part 2
6/27/09
Today, Saturday, June 27, 2009 will be the first production day of the Interstate Films 48 Hour Film Competition production Turn The Other Cheek, with Ondie Daniel & Gary Hamrick, Jr. producing and Jim Adams directing and me as director of photography. This will be one of the craziest days in my life as I first have a photo shoot to set up through my company CenterSeat Entertainment before making my way to the Mexican Restaurant – the first location of the day.
The photo shoot for CenterSeat Entertainment is put together by my co-workers Safaa Sammander, Laura Scigliano, and Renonda Anderson, all of whom worked on my feature film House of Secrets. Since Sammander is wanting to get more into the still photography arts (having done all the production stills for my film) this will be the first of many photo shoots designed to showcase themed photo shoots for actors & models. This first one is designed to focus on headshots with Anderson on make up to create some truly inspiring and fantastic creations against a green screen backdrop (with backgrounds to be added later). Since Sammander has never used lighting equipment before it is my job to set up the lights and make sure everything works according to plan. Since the lighting kit is one I’ve never used before it takes twice as long to set up as expected and I end up getting to the Mexican Restaurant later then expected.
Once on the Mexican Restaurant set I immediately set foot to setting up the lights for the first set up of the day. My key grip is Asa Rose who has been working with me on all my productions for the last couple of years. He came to this business knowing absolutely nothing but by working on several different indie film sets he has come unto his own.
Because the film is being shoot in 48 hours I’ve decided to use a very bright and evenly lit restaurant set since it’s a comedy. The location in its normal décor is far too dark and ominous and befitting a dark drama in which the characters have much to hide which is the exact opposite of the feeling I want to give to the film since so much of it takes place in this location.
Adams as director of the film is very fast and very easy to work with as he allows me carte blanche in terms of the cinematography of the film as he focus’ on performances and the blocking of each of the scenes.
The atmosphere on the set of this film is quite different then that of the experiences I’ve had on other films. Since most of the films that I’ve worked on have been features and in the horror, suspense, adventure, and dramatic genres the atmosphere on set has always been heavy and maybe a little too serious (probably because they were features and we always had a set amount of scenes and pages to get through before the end of the day). The atmosphere on this production is different and at times down right hilarious despite the tight shooting schedule and pressures of trying to complete the film on time.
When we aren’t filming everyone is having a grand time whether talking in groups or taking pictures of anything and everything. This ends up being one of the best groups of people I’ve worked with in such a short period of time. Although I did not get to know many of the individuals involved with the production (aside from the technical crew) working on the 48 Hour Film Competition is indeed a unique experience.
Most of the day is spent at this main location and when we finished filming there we move onto the second location, which is one of the actor’s home – Corey Chaleff, who is gracious enough to allow us the use of his home for the film. At this location we film the beginning of the story in which the scenes are mainly with our main actor James Robert Jarrett (who’s in the film Dance of the Dead).
Since I’ve never read the finished script (and am going by instinct and what Adams describes to me about the film) I don’t know much of what is going on in any given scene, which ironically is freeing as I focused on the look of each scene and where we will place the camera..
The entire shooting time for the film is less then 10 hours, which is amazing considering what we are trying to accomplish but we succeed in finishing up principal photography sooner then anticipated. We complete filming around 7:00 pm that night long before the sun is actually down.
Although we encountered a few problems (most notably that the first scene of the day is filmed in HDV instead of DV-24p so it can’t be accessed by the editing crew and has to be scraped altogether), the post production process will go through without many problems, hopefully.
Filming being done I leave the post production process to Hamrick, Daniel, and the rest of the production crew.
Today, Saturday, June 27, 2009 will be the first production day of the Interstate Films 48 Hour Film Competition production Turn The Other Cheek, with Ondie Daniel & Gary Hamrick, Jr. producing and Jim Adams directing and me as director of photography. This will be one of the craziest days in my life as I first have a photo shoot to set up through my company CenterSeat Entertainment before making my way to the Mexican Restaurant – the first location of the day.
The photo shoot for CenterSeat Entertainment is put together by my co-workers Safaa Sammander, Laura Scigliano, and Renonda Anderson, all of whom worked on my feature film House of Secrets. Since Sammander is wanting to get more into the still photography arts (having done all the production stills for my film) this will be the first of many photo shoots designed to showcase themed photo shoots for actors & models. This first one is designed to focus on headshots with Anderson on make up to create some truly inspiring and fantastic creations against a green screen backdrop (with backgrounds to be added later). Since Sammander has never used lighting equipment before it is my job to set up the lights and make sure everything works according to plan. Since the lighting kit is one I’ve never used before it takes twice as long to set up as expected and I end up getting to the Mexican Restaurant later then expected.
Once on the Mexican Restaurant set I immediately set foot to setting up the lights for the first set up of the day. My key grip is Asa Rose who has been working with me on all my productions for the last couple of years. He came to this business knowing absolutely nothing but by working on several different indie film sets he has come unto his own.
Because the film is being shoot in 48 hours I’ve decided to use a very bright and evenly lit restaurant set since it’s a comedy. The location in its normal décor is far too dark and ominous and befitting a dark drama in which the characters have much to hide which is the exact opposite of the feeling I want to give to the film since so much of it takes place in this location.
Adams as director of the film is very fast and very easy to work with as he allows me carte blanche in terms of the cinematography of the film as he focus’ on performances and the blocking of each of the scenes.
The atmosphere on the set of this film is quite different then that of the experiences I’ve had on other films. Since most of the films that I’ve worked on have been features and in the horror, suspense, adventure, and dramatic genres the atmosphere on set has always been heavy and maybe a little too serious (probably because they were features and we always had a set amount of scenes and pages to get through before the end of the day). The atmosphere on this production is different and at times down right hilarious despite the tight shooting schedule and pressures of trying to complete the film on time.
When we aren’t filming everyone is having a grand time whether talking in groups or taking pictures of anything and everything. This ends up being one of the best groups of people I’ve worked with in such a short period of time. Although I did not get to know many of the individuals involved with the production (aside from the technical crew) working on the 48 Hour Film Competition is indeed a unique experience.
Most of the day is spent at this main location and when we finished filming there we move onto the second location, which is one of the actor’s home – Corey Chaleff, who is gracious enough to allow us the use of his home for the film. At this location we film the beginning of the story in which the scenes are mainly with our main actor James Robert Jarrett (who’s in the film Dance of the Dead).
Since I’ve never read the finished script (and am going by instinct and what Adams describes to me about the film) I don’t know much of what is going on in any given scene, which ironically is freeing as I focused on the look of each scene and where we will place the camera..
The entire shooting time for the film is less then 10 hours, which is amazing considering what we are trying to accomplish but we succeed in finishing up principal photography sooner then anticipated. We complete filming around 7:00 pm that night long before the sun is actually down.
Although we encountered a few problems (most notably that the first scene of the day is filmed in HDV instead of DV-24p so it can’t be accessed by the editing crew and has to be scraped altogether), the post production process will go through without many problems, hopefully.
Filming being done I leave the post production process to Hamrick, Daniel, and the rest of the production crew.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
A FILM IN 48 HOURS: The Making of TURN THE OTHER CHEEK Part 1
6/26/09
Today is the first day of the 48 Hour Film Competition in Atlanta, Georgia and even though I’ve known many people who have participated in the event in the past, this will be the first year I participate. On a whim I decided to be the lighting designer for the Interstate Films production team being lead by Ondie Daniel and Gary Hamrick, Jr. both of whom I am currently working with on the vampire anthology film Last Call.
This being my first competition I don’t want to work too hard i truth be told this experience will dictate whether I ever do another one again.
Today is Friday, June 26th, 2009 and the production crew will get all the competition specifics in order to begin production on the competition film. This includes picking a genre, getting a character, a particular prop, and receiving a phrase that all needs to be incorporated into the film in order to qualify.
I’m not part of the writers group of what so much will happen on the first day. I show up to meet & greet everyone else on the team. The writer’s council takes place at the condo of Luisa Casas, who is an actor in the film and a co-editor on the production.
In what can be called the recreational room of Casas’ condo complex, Daniel and Hamrick gather together the writers in order to hammer out a script as soon as possible. Because the nature of the competition is to write, shoot, and edit a complete film in 48 hours we are not going to wait for anything. The sooner we have a script, the sooner we cab begin filming.
The group lucks out by getting comedy as the genre as that seems to be the writers’ greatest strengths. A rough draft of the script is quickly put together long before I arrive.
Due to some financial difficulties and having to run all over Georgia not only for equipment (located in Peachtree City from a fellow filmmaker who is letting me get a hold of his HDV camera for the film shoot) but to acquire the money to even be able to do the film, I don’t make it to the location until close to 10pm at night which ends up being fine since I walk in just as the production crew and cast are about to take a production photo.
When I arrive I can tell the group that Daniel & Hamrick has put together is a good one as I see the camaraderie coming through in the pix that are taken. This just makes me believe that I have chosen a good group of people to do my first 48 Hour production with.
After taking the group photo (which is during a break from writing the screenplay), I meet a few of the people involved with the production (even though many are leaving since it is decided we are not going to be doing any filming tonight).
I stay in order to talk through a possible shot list with the director once the script is finalized. This is not going to happen as Hamrick (who is slated to be director) steps down in order to let Jim Adams be director on the project. Hamrick has no problems stepping down as he has very little experience in the comedy genre unlike Adams. While Adams and Hamrick and Daniel help finalize the script, I spend most of my time discussing the whole process with Casas.
This being my first production away from Southlan-Films or CenterSeat Entertainment I want to get the lay of the land. Speaking with Casas leads me to the conclusion that many people working on this production are filmmakers just wanting to network and do what they love to do regardless of the hardships of indie film production. None of us are getting paid and we are all there because we want to be, not because we have to be.
This puts everything in perspective for me as it has been a long time since I’ve participated in a project in which I am not the production manager, producer, or someone in charge of every little aspect of the production.
I can actually sit back and enjoy myself for once. Enjoy the reason why I got into filmmaking in the first place. I enjoy that evening (even if I don’t end up leaving until close to 2:00 am in the morning) and it remind me that filmmaking can be fun.
With a finished script in hand we are ready to begin production on our short film Turn The Other Cheek at 8:00 am in the morning at our first location – a Mexican Restaurant.
Much fun will be had.
Today is the first day of the 48 Hour Film Competition in Atlanta, Georgia and even though I’ve known many people who have participated in the event in the past, this will be the first year I participate. On a whim I decided to be the lighting designer for the Interstate Films production team being lead by Ondie Daniel and Gary Hamrick, Jr. both of whom I am currently working with on the vampire anthology film Last Call.
This being my first competition I don’t want to work too hard i truth be told this experience will dictate whether I ever do another one again.
Today is Friday, June 26th, 2009 and the production crew will get all the competition specifics in order to begin production on the competition film. This includes picking a genre, getting a character, a particular prop, and receiving a phrase that all needs to be incorporated into the film in order to qualify.
I’m not part of the writers group of what so much will happen on the first day. I show up to meet & greet everyone else on the team. The writer’s council takes place at the condo of Luisa Casas, who is an actor in the film and a co-editor on the production.
In what can be called the recreational room of Casas’ condo complex, Daniel and Hamrick gather together the writers in order to hammer out a script as soon as possible. Because the nature of the competition is to write, shoot, and edit a complete film in 48 hours we are not going to wait for anything. The sooner we have a script, the sooner we cab begin filming.
The group lucks out by getting comedy as the genre as that seems to be the writers’ greatest strengths. A rough draft of the script is quickly put together long before I arrive.
Due to some financial difficulties and having to run all over Georgia not only for equipment (located in Peachtree City from a fellow filmmaker who is letting me get a hold of his HDV camera for the film shoot) but to acquire the money to even be able to do the film, I don’t make it to the location until close to 10pm at night which ends up being fine since I walk in just as the production crew and cast are about to take a production photo.
When I arrive I can tell the group that Daniel & Hamrick has put together is a good one as I see the camaraderie coming through in the pix that are taken. This just makes me believe that I have chosen a good group of people to do my first 48 Hour production with.
After taking the group photo (which is during a break from writing the screenplay), I meet a few of the people involved with the production (even though many are leaving since it is decided we are not going to be doing any filming tonight).
I stay in order to talk through a possible shot list with the director once the script is finalized. This is not going to happen as Hamrick (who is slated to be director) steps down in order to let Jim Adams be director on the project. Hamrick has no problems stepping down as he has very little experience in the comedy genre unlike Adams. While Adams and Hamrick and Daniel help finalize the script, I spend most of my time discussing the whole process with Casas.
This being my first production away from Southlan-Films or CenterSeat Entertainment I want to get the lay of the land. Speaking with Casas leads me to the conclusion that many people working on this production are filmmakers just wanting to network and do what they love to do regardless of the hardships of indie film production. None of us are getting paid and we are all there because we want to be, not because we have to be.
This puts everything in perspective for me as it has been a long time since I’ve participated in a project in which I am not the production manager, producer, or someone in charge of every little aspect of the production.
I can actually sit back and enjoy myself for once. Enjoy the reason why I got into filmmaking in the first place. I enjoy that evening (even if I don’t end up leaving until close to 2:00 am in the morning) and it remind me that filmmaking can be fun.
With a finished script in hand we are ready to begin production on our short film Turn The Other Cheek at 8:00 am in the morning at our first location – a Mexican Restaurant.
Much fun will be had.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
6/20/09 Hiring a Director
After a long talk with director Ron McLellen it was decided that he should no longer direct my screenplay HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRES for the vampire anthology LAST CALL (which is Executive Produced by Ondie Daniel). He is currently heavy in post on his own film EVIL IN THE FLESH which was filmed last year and is heavy in CGI effects right now. He is also prepping production on a HALLOWEEN fan-film and these two obligations prompted him to step down from behind the camera on my project.
Instead I now find myself looking for a new director for the screenplay which will also be aproved by Daniel. My second choice is Bren Allison-Pettingill who directed the film 6 DEGREES OF DESPERATION last year (among having directed many other short films and documentaries). I sent her both the original screenplay and the McLellen approved version for her consideration.
The reason I did this is because I want to give her the oportunity to read the screenplay as originally developed before McLellen & I did rewrites. I prefer the original version although I was always up for changing details to suit the director. I want to give Allison-Pettingill the opportunity to give her own input into the production.
Right now the only characters cast are minor characters with the exception of the WIFE in which actress Amy Wolkis (whom I worked with on BAD LAND and EVIL IN THE FLESH) is attatched. Many of the minor characters and vampires will be played by actors from the haunted house attraction Netherworld. The artists of Netherworld are also providing make-up, stunts, and CGI, among other technical support, to the film.
If Allison-Pettingill decides that she is not interested then I will direct the film myself which was never out of the range of possibility. Either way I look forward to working on the film and with Daniel again since the last time we worked together she was the Casting director for my film HOUSE OF SECRETS (when it was known as SHIVER).
Instead I now find myself looking for a new director for the screenplay which will also be aproved by Daniel. My second choice is Bren Allison-Pettingill who directed the film 6 DEGREES OF DESPERATION last year (among having directed many other short films and documentaries). I sent her both the original screenplay and the McLellen approved version for her consideration.
The reason I did this is because I want to give her the oportunity to read the screenplay as originally developed before McLellen & I did rewrites. I prefer the original version although I was always up for changing details to suit the director. I want to give Allison-Pettingill the opportunity to give her own input into the production.
Right now the only characters cast are minor characters with the exception of the WIFE in which actress Amy Wolkis (whom I worked with on BAD LAND and EVIL IN THE FLESH) is attatched. Many of the minor characters and vampires will be played by actors from the haunted house attraction Netherworld. The artists of Netherworld are also providing make-up, stunts, and CGI, among other technical support, to the film.
If Allison-Pettingill decides that she is not interested then I will direct the film myself which was never out of the range of possibility. Either way I look forward to working on the film and with Daniel again since the last time we worked together she was the Casting director for my film HOUSE OF SECRETS (when it was known as SHIVER).
Sunday, June 7, 2009
06/05/09 The Reading of the Screenplay with Actors
Producer Ondie Daniel put together a tean of actors (both cast and not cast) for the reading of my screenplay HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRES in order to work out some of the problems (if any) with the script prior to casting later this month. It was interesting as I originally didn't think that the reading would be all that benificial since I had already did a re-write of the screenplay changes things to meet expectations of director Ron McLellen, who at the last minute could not make it to the reading for personal reasons.
The reading was actually beneficial in that the notes that cast & writers had helped me see the problems with the story when I changed some of the motivations of the main character WILLIAM. These were small things but nevertheless things that when I change them will make the screenplay stronger as a whole.
The meeting/reading was also good in that it gave me and Ondie our first real meeting together on the production and we actually came to some decisions about my production and the entire production as a whole. I was also able to get the title of the film - LAST CALL, and I got a look at the film's promo art work that will be on the tee-shirts (among other items).
Now I've got to contact actors and try to put together other production items to get this film on the move.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
05/31/09 Rewriting the Script
Emailed the director approved version of HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE to producer Ondie Daniel and director Ron McLellen yesterday (in addition to actor Chris Whitley, more on that later). Par my conversation with McLellen it was decided that the main character in the screenplay WILLIAM should not know he is a vampire, which upon closer examination I agreed with, so I incorporated those ideas into the current version of the screenplay.
HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE is just one story of five in the Daniel produced vampire anthology (title currently unknown) of which I contributed one of the stories and wanted McLellen to direct if I was not going to do so myself. I could have easily done the film myself but I want to see how someone else interprets my work so I'm being very hands off on the production of the film.
Another fact is that I do not particularly like vampire films as the majority of the ones I've seen (which is a substantial amount) are dull and uninteresting. I just think the monster itself is dull and uninteresting. But I came up with a story that put my love of horror films and the vampire mythos on its head (or at least I hope it does). I hope the story is both informative and funny at the same time even in the gore-soaked bloody parts at the end (which I had a oy in writing).
I hope the film comes off just 70% as originally intended because then I know I'm closer to writing the type of screenplay that any director can come in and adequately interpret which is my true goal with this endeavor.
We'll see how the re-writes are taken when Daniel and McLellen give me feedback.
HISTORY OF THE VAMPIRE is just one story of five in the Daniel produced vampire anthology (title currently unknown) of which I contributed one of the stories and wanted McLellen to direct if I was not going to do so myself. I could have easily done the film myself but I want to see how someone else interprets my work so I'm being very hands off on the production of the film.
Another fact is that I do not particularly like vampire films as the majority of the ones I've seen (which is a substantial amount) are dull and uninteresting. I just think the monster itself is dull and uninteresting. But I came up with a story that put my love of horror films and the vampire mythos on its head (or at least I hope it does). I hope the story is both informative and funny at the same time even in the gore-soaked bloody parts at the end (which I had a oy in writing).
I hope the film comes off just 70% as originally intended because then I know I'm closer to writing the type of screenplay that any director can come in and adequately interpret which is my true goal with this endeavor.
We'll see how the re-writes are taken when Daniel and McLellen give me feedback.
Monday, April 27, 2009
04/27/09 Turning In The Script
I gave Ondie Daniel my screenplay "History of the Vampire" last week. This short script is part of a vampire anthology she is producing. I agreed to contribute a script although I may or may not direct or even have anything to do with it. Although I would love to direct the screenplay, I think it would be more interesting for me to watch someone else interpret my writing. Right now I'm just waiting for feedback in regards to whether or not the screenplay is right for the film she is producing.
I designed the screen-story to be an homage to vampire films while also being a kind of "intro" to vampires. Since I don't particularly have an interest in vampires, vampire films, or this sub-genre of horror to begin with coming up with a story for Daniel's "Untitled Vampire Anthology" was a feat unto itself. The only way I got through it is by loosely basing the story and structure of the story on a thus far abandoned screenplay from almost eight years ago. Although I had very little initial interest the story seemed to write itself as it took me only two days to write the first draft (which came in at just under 30 pages).
Since giving the script to Daniel, we've discussed the possibility of Ron McLellen directing the film. I both like and loathe this idea. I like this idea because by having a seasoned filmmaker on board I can be assured of the high quality and production values but I loathe this idea as McLellen has a knack of dumbing-down his scripts and there is a lot of ambiguous moments in the screenplay that I don't want to be made obvious.
Upon reading the screenplay we discussed a few items mainly that he wants to change the ending so that the two barflies exit the bar and the audience has no doubts that they are vampires because they change into vampires to help a third one who is being attacked by vampire hunters. When I heard him say this I immediately knew that he didn't get the story as everything in the story is ambiguous in regards to the vampires and my point was to show that vampires in the modern age can hide in plane sight even from their own kind. If you reveal the two barflies as vampires then you loose the whole point that I'm trying to make with the story. He also wanted to change a lot of the dialogue since my original had very little and it was meant to be brutal and fast and disturbing. By adding more dialogue you miss the element of the brutality because the characters are being too talkative. The dialogue that is present is very stylized because the less said the better.
Now, I know I'll have to do another re-write of the screenplay which I am prepared to do but based on the input of Daniel and the rest of the producers. After that I will wash my hands free and leave it up to the director to deliver a good story. I'm fully prepared to see a finished product that is barely recognizable from my own. This is one of the reasons why I'm working on this production which is to see how I can work as a writer with other people.
I await Daniel's response to the script before doing anything.
I designed the screen-story to be an homage to vampire films while also being a kind of "intro" to vampires. Since I don't particularly have an interest in vampires, vampire films, or this sub-genre of horror to begin with coming up with a story for Daniel's "Untitled Vampire Anthology" was a feat unto itself. The only way I got through it is by loosely basing the story and structure of the story on a thus far abandoned screenplay from almost eight years ago. Although I had very little initial interest the story seemed to write itself as it took me only two days to write the first draft (which came in at just under 30 pages).
Since giving the script to Daniel, we've discussed the possibility of Ron McLellen directing the film. I both like and loathe this idea. I like this idea because by having a seasoned filmmaker on board I can be assured of the high quality and production values but I loathe this idea as McLellen has a knack of dumbing-down his scripts and there is a lot of ambiguous moments in the screenplay that I don't want to be made obvious.
Upon reading the screenplay we discussed a few items mainly that he wants to change the ending so that the two barflies exit the bar and the audience has no doubts that they are vampires because they change into vampires to help a third one who is being attacked by vampire hunters. When I heard him say this I immediately knew that he didn't get the story as everything in the story is ambiguous in regards to the vampires and my point was to show that vampires in the modern age can hide in plane sight even from their own kind. If you reveal the two barflies as vampires then you loose the whole point that I'm trying to make with the story. He also wanted to change a lot of the dialogue since my original had very little and it was meant to be brutal and fast and disturbing. By adding more dialogue you miss the element of the brutality because the characters are being too talkative. The dialogue that is present is very stylized because the less said the better.
Now, I know I'll have to do another re-write of the screenplay which I am prepared to do but based on the input of Daniel and the rest of the producers. After that I will wash my hands free and leave it up to the director to deliver a good story. I'm fully prepared to see a finished product that is barely recognizable from my own. This is one of the reasons why I'm working on this production which is to see how I can work as a writer with other people.
I await Daniel's response to the script before doing anything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)