Locations & Brownbags

Well,

Good news is I can walk again. I was on crutches for a little while (they hurt so much!) but I'm walking again, just in time for the set I'm supposed to be on this weekend!

Things have been going fairly well - the biggest concern has been Brent's AP ("Night Train to Anywhere") which shoots this Friday - Sunday. Our locations took far longer to get back to us than we ever expected... forcing us to scramble around this past Thursday and Friday (and now, the beginning of this week) to get permits, locations, etc. We've finally managed to lock down the Santa Ana Train Depot (our first choice) for two of our three night shoots. It has a great inside waiting area and outdoor courtyard for the final scene:
Our other location has just been locked as well... The Manhattan Supper Club (http://www.manhattansupperclub.com/), down a few blocks south of here, for the central station restaurant scene. We've been really lucky with them in parcitular, getting a room set aside for us and no fee attached to the shoot (which is particularly excellent because our small buget is already becoming quickly overwhelmed with equipment, etc). We did end up getting the Panavision Grant - so we get a Panavision Super16mm Camera! And, due to lighting concerns at our two locations, we've decided to film on... drumroll please... Black and White KODAK Super16mm film! (KODAK 7231 stock, for any of you film emulsion buffs). I'm kind of excited about that, as I've never actually shot on B&W film before... strange, how things change in time. So we get four 400ft rolls through the school, and then we've convinced KODAK to donate four more to be on the safe side! We'll have to pay for the extra processing & telecine, but other than that we'll have enough to film our project on, hopefully! In other news, I auditioned this past Friday for the Theatre Department's Directing II class - they each put on a one-act play for the end of their class (we call them BROWNBAGS in the theatre department, since their usual final showings are during lunch hours on a friday) and hold a big audition as a group to cast actors. Out of the 12 or 13 plays, I was called back for 8... which made my weekend quite busy, being 2-hour callbacks apiece. I was cast in one and am very excited about it - "Lights Out," directed by Em Hanke, who I do not yet know very well. Very exciting, but also something that will have to be added to my busy schedule.

I'll let you all know how the shoot this weekend goes... crossing my fingers it goes off without a hitch. If not, as Producer I'll be in charge of taking care of it!

Documentaries, Auditions & X-Rays

Hey All,

So, first off, good news: A documentary project I've been planning for a long time with NH-based non-profit "WomensTrust Inc." has officially gone through the board, with my proposed (large, for me) budget and workplan. Exciting, but a whole lot of work! It will basically take my entire summer - four weeks on & off of preproduction, starting shortly, 2-3 weeks in Ghana (where the humanitarian organization does their work!) with a camera assistant, and then up to 9 weeks in post! So really, although I've done a promotional doc or two before, this will easily be the biggest thing I've ever worked on... and I'm in charge of it! It's definitely a strange and scary thing. (www.womenstrust.org)

I've enlisted the guidance and advice of my Documentary Traditions class professor Sally Rubins (who is simply amazing - I've rarely been more enthralled in a classroom discussion than with her... and it's not even directly for my major!). She has quite kindly agreed to talk with me outside of class and discuss the process from start to finish and give me tips and advice on what to do... as well as share some of her personal work, which is also impressive (most notably, her work on the well-known doc The Farmer's Wife). You can check out her work at http://www.sallyrubinfilms.com/. Plus, she's from Boston, so there's an instant connection.

Meanwhile, just a quick note about the class: it's been really interesting, some of the most work I have, but really interesting. We were asked to watch The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Refienstahl for class this past week and I was really impressed. The film is a doc about Refienstahl, the famous Nazi Propaganda director, and her other work throughout the years. It's really quite interesting and I have to say it fueled a lot of discussion internally for me as well as in class. Surprisingly, I found myself standing up for her quite a bit, which was unexpected. While I certainly don't think she's blameless, I do think it's a very unique and interesting story to follow, and this doc tells it well. I've had to get Netflix in order to keep up with all these docs (they're available at the library, but all 25 people in the class need to watch with one copy during the week and you can't take it out of the library) which is possibly a good thing and bad thing - because I've become addicted. I don't particularily have time to watch anything, but as a film major it's made me go "oh crap! there are all these films I need to see!" Needless to say, my queue (is that really how you spell it???) is easily in the hundreds, despite the fact that I made a pact with my friend in the class we'd drop Netflix after the class was over. But there are so many movies!!... and some are instant play!! :)

Now for the bad (and good) news: I had a theatre audition last Saturday. A musical theatre audition, in which I had to dance. I had hurt my foot a little prior to this, which might have made it worse when I went for the dance callback and ended up pulling (?) or spraining (?) or twisting (?) something in my left ankle. I give all the question marks because the idiot doctor I had simply affirmed it wasn't anything broken and lost interest after that. I'm in quite a bit of pain, and have been told to simply ice it, take ibuprofen, and keep the weight off of it... so I got crutches from the student health center. I look like a car crash victim. And I've kind of ignored the crutches mostly since they hurt my arms & armpits (no, really! I have large welts and black & blue brusies!).

The good news part of the story is that a got a great role in the show I was auditioning for. So, I'll be singing songs such as "Moving Too Fast" from Last Five Years, "Not the Boy Next Door" from The Boy From Oz and "What Do I Need with Love" from Thoroughly Modern Millie, not to mention group numbers, in late March / early April when "Beyond Stage" goes up. It's a Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids volunteer production, too, so all the proceeds are going to a good cause.

And finally, I finished up ADing Arthur Fishel's Senior thesis, "James Warwick" this past weekend. I say that with some loseness since there's still a pickup day or two in March which I may or may not be able to take part in. The 2nd weekend shoot went very well, despite AD safety concerns of filming in a functional metal factory, a faulty generator, actors without rides, and more... Still, got it all done! (I particularily like the below photo as an AD - notice the sign. An AD's motto!)
Our DP, Adam Richman (below), was a lot of fun and got some great stuff, including an excellent lighting of our kitchen set (transformed by Production Design from an empty apartment into a 1950's kitchen) at night for morning light. I honestly believed it was still light out, even around 9PM.
Plus, we were shooting on 35mm on the ARRI BL, which was fun and not without it's own expenses and challenges. Still, I love shooting 35 whenever possible.

One of my especially interesting jobs as an AD on this set was of course working with background actors - and we had quite a few of them, many who will show up multiple times in the film (and hopefully won't be noticed!). Above, Arthur's father, Arthur Fishel II, poses as a factory worker. The previous day he was a homeless man. I had a great time placing background, giving them actions, and making the frames look 'busy.' Hope it reads well on film.

The (lighthearted) crew liked to play practical jokes... including letting me walk around half of the day with a piece of tape on me - with the words "Ballbuster" on it, for my tireless work as an AD. I personally choose to maintain it was affectionate. :)

Anyway, the set was a lot of fun and after seeing some of the footage from the first week I have faith it will be a really great film. I included lots of great photos here thanks to Marie Nguyen, our set photographer.

That's plenty for now, I think! I'll keep you posted about upcoming Advanced Productions and my own Intermediate project! Take care.

ADing, Producing & Awards

Hey Guys & Girls;So, I'm currently ADing another Senior Thesis - Arthur Fishel's "James Warwick." It shot last weekend and finishes up this weekend. Due to some MAJOR rain issues (California weather... always sunny until you schedule an outdoor film shoot) we will have to extend the shoot possibly to pickups in March, but despite that things are going well. I'm continuing to improve on my AD-work & tempo (how to get the crew in unison, not waste time, etc.). I'm not perfect by any means but I'm starting to really enjoy ADing. I think it's right up my alley.

Also, you can notice this film has a bit to do with baseball which makes it more fun... and complicating. It's also set in the 50's for some scenes. Since we didn't have enough extras on set last weekend for the 'modern day' pickup team, I got to set some grips up in the field and actually be featured on camera as the batter - my aim's not incredible, but at least I got to hit the ball on film! (35mm, too, which is great fun to work with). It's been a long time since I played baseball and I realized this weekend how much I miss it.

Meanwhile, in my Production & Set Management class, I've been assigned to an Advanced Production (AP) shoot: I'm producing Brent St. Mary's film, currently untitled, the first cycle or weekend of the APs. It's going to be a little crazy getting that together - it sounds like it's another period piece - but I have faith it will all work out. It's my first true producing gig, so we'll see how that goes. I have a feeling producing's not for me, but I'll keep you posted.

And now, for some outright bragging. Think I mentioned in previous posts that I was nominated for my last role in the theatre department for the KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival) Irene Ryan Awards. Well, there was a mix-up in some paperwork, and I didn't end up competing... but still, found out I got a nomination for lighting design for "New Beaulah" last semester, a merit award for Stage Management in last spring's one acts, and a merit award as a cast member of my first mainstage show at Chapman, "School for Scandal" as one of the Best Ensemble Cast members.

To make things even more exciting, this past weekend I was awarded 2009 "Best Actor in a Musical" at the New Hampshire Theatre Awards (http://www.nhtheatreawards.com/) - this is out of hundreds of productions! I was nominated for my portrayal of "The Scarecrow" in a production of "The Wizard of Oz" back in NH this past summer. I knew I had made it to top ten about a month ago when they announced the finalists, but wasn't able to make it to the ceremony itself (first week of classes? Fly back to NH? Are you kidding?). Luckily, someone from my theatre company made a speech for me. Anyway... enough bragging, but it's some very exciting reccognition and I'm proud to be noticed.

Now it's back to focusing on film this semester since I'm not in any Mainstage Theatre Department Productions!

Waitlists, Music Videos, and Spring Semester

Just a quick post, but wanted to mention that my first week back has gone altogether quite smoothly. I was, of course, waitlisted in two classes I needed to take - one theatre, one film - which put only a little bit of a damper on things. My theatre class I was signed into no problem, but my film class I'm still waiting on.

Meanwhile, "To My Enemies," the Saint Motel music video that I was in that shot this past weekend (I think I mentioned it in my last post) went great! Director Carlos Lopez-Estrada (Chapman Film Production '11, like me) did an excellent job pulling a really stellar production together in just a short amount of time and with very little budget. The sets looked amazing, especially when lit, and costumes, etc. were just right. I wore a sleazy, curly mustache as the waiter (see photos) but it looked great. So much fun, and really great production quality. Can't wait to see the finished project.

Things have also been crazy in the Front Office of Dodge this week. It's pretty typical, as transfer students attempt to get things settled, returning students try to beg their way into classes, add/drop forms abound, and things just attempt to get back to normal.

A quick word about waitlists, since I also dealt with an angry mother this week who was upset her daughter couldn't get into a class she needed to take for her major: We don't lie in our tours and information materials. You CAN and WILL get into the classes you need to take... it just might take a little effort on your part. As it is, our reputation is growing and our matriculation rate has gone way up... so, there are more students and only a few more sections being added to our already full schedule here. If you need to take a class for a major, you WILL get into it at some point. Likely, if you go to the class the first week and explain the situation to the teacher, you'll get into it the semester you're expecting too. Everyone DOES want you to succeed here, and will do the best we can. But we are growing rapidly, and some issues naturally about like at any college. So just be patient. Trust me, as a double-major, I KNOW how important it is to get into the classes you need to take (to graduate on time!) but your first two years, it's not the end of the world if you have to wait an extra semester to get into a class or two. And I don't mean all your classes, just one or two. Take a GE instead. Get them out of the way. It will all work out, if you do your homework and don't expect everything to just fall at your feet ready to go.
Anyway, those are my words of advice. Oh, and don't have your upset mom call to complain for you unless you absolutely have to. It's tacky.

My classes this semester:

- Intermediate Production (making our own films, getting ready for Advanced Production)
- Documentary Traditions (an elective, I'm thrilled about this class as we get to watch a ton of documentaries each week and discuss them and talk about what IS a documentary! Actually, quite a complicated topic)

- Production & Set Management (stuff I already know, mostly, but still enjoy - Producing, Budgeting, Assistant Directing, Scheduling, RUNNING a shoot. Definitely take it with Kiku Terasaki if you get the chance.)

- Film History 1945-Present (Not a fan of history classes, but at least we get to watch a ton of great movies and talk about the influences of the modern cinema. Weekly screenings in our main theatre on Wednesday nights - open to the public!)

- Acting Styles (as the name suggests. Currently we're studying the greek tragedies)
- Advanced Shakespeare (continuation of last semester - I am SO excited about this. Especially after seeing some great Shakespeare in London!)

Long Time, No Blog...

So, I came to the realization today it’s been literally almost four months since my last blog entry. It’s amazing how time flies. The end of the semester was really rough because of all the projects I was doing, classes I was taking, and productions I was a part of. I think the last three weeks of the semester I may have gotten an average of about 3 hours of sleep a night – literally – in order to just get everything done. It was a lot more hectic than even I expected, and winter break was really necessary after that…

Some highlights from the last few months of the semester included: a second AP (Advanced Production) on which I was the 2nd AC (Assistant Camera – 2nd this time, so I got to load and slate for the film, which is actually something I love doing). I wrote some of the background music for Carly’s “October” film, which ended up looking really great at the screenings; this was a first for me. The biggest project of the semester, though, had to be OA Yuvarnavandhana’s Senior Thesis: “Mind Machine.

I was asked (as I mentioned in previous blogs) to AD, but hadn’t taken the certification process by Dodge. I ended up having a personal meeting with Professor Kiku Terasaki who okayed me for the project… then it was up to me to schedule and run this $30,000+ film. Crazy. Literally, some of the wildest weeks of my semester, but a blast as well. I got to be in charge of a full-sized sci-fi set on the largest Dodge soundstage, with two industry professionals on set whose credits included “Little Miss Sunshine,” “No Country for Old Men,” and “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Wow. Anyway, the process was extremely hectic – trying to film a 26 page film in 6 days! But I prevailed as AD and got everything (at least all the import stuff) in on schedule. Great experience.

Meanwhile, in the Theatre Department, I was cast in a Student Directed One-Act, “The Mystery of Twicknam Vicarage” as the Reverand Roger Penworthy Pilks. As all the names thus far my suggest, it was a murder mystery and a comedy at that. It was one of the most enjoyable productions I’ve done lately, AND I got a KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival) Irene Ryan Nomination for the part… which means in a few weeks I’ll be participating in the Region VIII competition! Yikes.

My winter break was really necessary, health-wise, even, and it was nice to see family and friends. THEN it was off to London, England for three weeks for Chapman’s London Theatre Tour! It ended up being the best trip of my life. We saw 10 shows as a group and learned to critique live performance. I also saw 15 more shows on my own (I know, right?) for a total of 25 shows in 18 days. Again, the best trip of my life. Now I’m back home in CA, and missing it already.

Next week we start spring classes (I’ll talk about that in my next post, hopefully) but meanwhile, I’ve been asked to AD another film or two, so I’m prepping for those… as well as my own Intermediate Production class, coming up this semester. Plenty going on in the theatre world too, so stay tuned! And last but not least, I was cast in a Music Video shooting this weekend by some Chapman Students off-campus. It seems pretty legitimate, so I’m really excited! I’ll try and keep you posted…

"October"

Well, October is crazy. Really. I've just come to realize that I'm potentially busy every evening and weekend from now on until Thanksgiving break. Two midterms this week, a few after that... it's wild. Plus tomorrow is our big "First Cut" event at the DGA in Hollywood, and I get to work at that as a photographer and assistant. Fun fun fun, but busy busy busy.

This past weekend was the first weekend of AP (Advanced Production) shoots. Only a step down from Senior thesis productions, these are taken pretty seriously. As a Cine student, I am required to work one of the shoots. Funny thing is, this wasn't the one I was required to work - this one, titled "October" (fitting, yes?) was directed by my good friend and fellow film/theatre double-major Carly Pandza (see previous post). Though this wasn't the one required by my Cine class, I was still thrilled to be working on it.

The production itself was a welcome challenge for me as a focus puller. About 3/4 of the film was handheld, and a decent amount of it moving quickly through tight spaces. In my opinion, the hardest shot on the film occurred on the second day of shooting, in our main indoor location (we had six locations, I believe - four outdoors). The long, single shot required.... a handheld follow of the actress starting in the (tiny) bathroom, having a bit of a breakdown, *running* out into the hallway as camera stayed in front of her the whole time, into the bedroom, throwing a glass vase across the room at a picture frame (ideally shattering the vase), running BACK out into the hallway, into the bathroom, and melting down into the final (dreamy) sequence of the movie. First off, with a somewhat-bulky Arri SRII shooting on 16mm film stock, with no steadycam rig (i.e., just handheld on the shoulder) this isn't an easy task. Then factor in the fast, backwards running, the tiny (I mean, tiny) hallyway, avoiding lighting rigs, boom op and the director... and trying to keep it in focus for the full scene (just under 100ft of film per take, I think). It was NOT an easy task. Reaching the focus ring alone was hard... and though I think I did a decent job, I'm sure not EVERY second of that scene is in focus.

I can't remember how many full takes we did, but I can't wait to see the developed shot. It has the potential to be a killer shot. DP Jessee Dietch did a great job with this sequence in particular (not to mention the entire film) and felt like her style really fit this film well.

Another interesting aspect about that day of shooting was the use of interior and exterior... even switching from one to the other in the same shot (which required a major iris pull for the light change... I have never before had to do this while filming, though I know of it in theory. So it was really interesting experience and challenge. Like I said, I just can't wait to see it developed (and meanwhile I pray it looks good).

Another great accomplishment for me personally with this project was certainly working with the film. We used Kodak Vision 2 16mm stock, 500T for the indoor and 250D for the outdoor (and the indoor-to-outdoor) scenes. Though I've worked with film before as an AC, it hasn't been to this degree. I really got to put my Cine knowledge to work, and I truly feel like I gained a lot from this experience. I even got to load occasionally (typically the 2nd AC's job) since I was potentially more comfortable with loading... we only had two mags (film magazines) and from the second day on had one loaded with daylight, one with tungsten film, so when we had to change a roll, production had to stop to wait to change the correct mag - both unloading and loading the roll. Since production was literally stopped to wait for the loading, and it was potentially faster than 2nd AC Alexis was comfortable with, I took over some of the duties and got my loading/unloading down to probably just under 5 minutes (but I can get better!).

Working with camera filters was also something I haven't had much experience with but got used to quickly on this shoot - for the outdoor, because it was so bright on the 250D we usually employed a 9ND filter, which I learned brought us down three full stops on aperture, and a Polarizer filter which brought us down 2/3 of a stop. (Which meant our light readers, now reading at an ASA of 20, could actually give us measurements I could use since most of our lenses only went to a stop of 11). All this technical jargon may or may not be lost on you... but lets just say I learned quite a bit. AND we shot nearly 10 rolls of film! Amazing!

Overall, the experience was wonderful. The crew and set atmosphere was welcoming, calm for the most part, and friendly. Though many of us didn't know each other beforehand, we became a family immediately. It's definitely been one of the closest and warmest sets I've been on. Carly did a fabulous job directing, Jessee did an awesome job DPing and putting up with and teaching me, and everyone else really held their weight too. Great job! (Can't sleep soundly until I see the developed film)...

Oh, and we had a dog on set.