5 Gallons of blood...

On set for Cain Rose Up we had a five gallon bucket of blood. The parking lot was filled. Friends walked by the set with no idea what was going on. The shock on their face was priceless. They walked up to me as I held my camera, "Wow, that's alot of blood." They would stand and stare as we rolled cameras not sure how to take in the scene we were shooting.

Working on this set was super fun but at the same time horrifying. We were creating a film that has such a strong connection to today's world, especially with the recent shootings, so in that respect is was very terrifying contrasting the enjoyment in creating the movie. For me as the writer/driector, I battled with the intesety of the subject material and lost sleep many nights trying to figure out what the right way to portray the scenes of violance were. My professor challeneged me to come up with reasoning for showing carrnage especially after the image of the Hollocaust and the film Night & Fog is still burned in our memory. However, in the end, I found it neccessary to show this horrible act and shoot it in a way that connects with reality. I've added bits to the script that were needed to take my critique to the next level and I believe that the changes have taken kings original story to a new level and bringing up more issues for today.

Everyone that has had a chance to read the script asks me for the original story right after. One of my big questions when writing was, "how do I stay true to Kings story while still adding my own thoughts and ideas?" It was difficult, however, with the reaction so far, I beileve I have pushed the story in a way that will come off strong in a theater while still staying true to Kings words.

This pool of blood the character David is standing in was created from our first gag. This was before we started dumping the blood for the final shots.

Wise words from Alex Cox

If you do not know who Alex Cox is I suggest looking him up. He is a radical independent director who uses film to give a view on the world that is opposed to the institutional truth which blinds us like a veil. I am currently studying his film Repo Man and its modification of LA as a dystopia in the wake of the nuclear bomb and creation of the neutron bomb. The film is a reaction to state of the world in the 80's and provides an odd look at the dangers of life. A very memorable scene in the film is when Otto goes home to his parents house to ask for money and they have become slaves to religious TV sending all his college funds to the 800 number on the screen. This small instance is one of many aspects that make this film so compelling. Alex said himself that in todays world you will never be able to make such a politically charged movie on a studios budget becuase no one wants you to cause ripples in the pond of reality we live in. For any independent filmmaker, you need to go pick up his book "X Films - Confesions of a Ratical filmmaker." In this book he gives you a first person perspective of how he directed 10 films and various insites while dealing with the process of each. One of the major points I derived from reading his books is this, "it occurred to me that it isn't waht you achieve that matters. What counts is how you comport yourself. Loathing the contest, I still love the ritual, so I remain." (Cox, 298) Being the last line in the book, this moment shows what it takes to be an independent filmmaker. It's tough and working through the system is even tougher, however, if you continue to love it and enjoy making the films then there is no reason to ever stop. There is always a way to get your message out even if it means making no budget films with a group of friends rather than huge studio blockbusters.

Repo Man:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087995/



X Films:
http://www.amazon.com/Films-True-Confessions-Radical-Filmmaker/dp/1593761937/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258530144&sr=8-1

Cain Rose Up - Production Wrapped

Production is finished on Cain Rose Up! After 5 long days of shooting we got all the footage. It has been a fun and crazy shoot. We finished on Sunday with the final scene in the story where Curt is shooting his peers from his dorm room. Below are three of the characters during this scene in the parking lot. This was the first time I've been able to work with physical effects and it was a blast. Many people would rather have digital effects, the idea being "we'll just fix it in post," however, I think there is a very real quality about doing the actual effects and it is a ton of fun to work with on set.


2 years working on this film and it's finally shot. I'm really pleased with everything that I got and I think we created some cool looking scenes. I reviewed some of the footage last night and the clips from the parking lot are terrifying because of how real they feel.


I want to thank everyone that has put in countless hours helping make this film a reality. We have gone through so much and crossed so much red tape on campus to be able to get this film shot. There was a point a few weeks ago where I thought the school wasn't going to actually let me film. However, we worked everything out, wrote proposal after proposal and got this script actualized.



Now comes the task of editing, sound mixing, ADR, effects, score, etc. I'm taking a break and distancing myself from the piece so that I will be able to come back to it with fresh eyes. After dealing with so much on set I know I will be bias in which shots "must" make it in the film yet in reality you need to 'kill your babies' when editing. It's hard to drop shots that took hours to get, but if they don't move the film along its gotta go.


I will be posting more updates and information about this film. Keep checking back!

(Photos courtesy of Evan and Mitch)

Cain Rose Up - Day 4

Today we shot all the flashback scenes and some more of the dorm room where Curt picks off his peers. Overall everything went smoothly today. Had some issues with Spot however after she calmed down we got some great footage. Little kids and guns become very scary very fast. Lots of good stuff today and tomorrow is our final shoot.

Cain Rose Up - Day 3 (Hump Day)

Today was our third day of shooting and it was stressful. We shot all of the scenes in the dorm room and our location did not work with the shot list I had planned. From the beginning we had to improvise and go just off what would look good in camera. Out of the 3 scenes we had planned to shoot, we got 2 and a 1/4 done. Tomorrow is a very big day of shooting and one of the ones I've been looking forward to, however, now we are packing on one more scene to the day and I hope that everything gets finished. On the other side of things we had a great cast today and I am very pleased with everyones acting. 2 more days to go!

On a different note when we finished lunch we walked back to set and some student had his music blaring (extreme techno). I glanced into his room and saw him sitting at his desk fist pumping by himself. He had no audience... It was awesome.





(Pictures courtesy of Mitch Cde Baca)

Cain Rose Up - Day 2 of shooting

We finished out second day of shooting. We worked all day but I think we came out with some really cool looking footage especially during the dream sequence. Got some great extras who really helped out with background and were paitent with the whole process. 2 of 5 days finished. Next weekend are our big shoots (pun intended).




(Photos courtesy of Evan Carter)

Cain Rose Up - Day 1 Finished

Finished shooting the first day of "Cain Rose Up." Shot three scenes and managed to get some really cool looking footage. This film is going to have a very odd quality about it because I'm making a dark film in the light of day. Below is a set photo from one of the scenes once Curt takes his first shot.
Tomorrow is day 2 of shooting. We will be focusing on the dorm scenes up until Curt makes it to his room.

More to come!!

Cain Rose Up only days away!!!

Friday we begin potential photography for "Cain Rose Up." Pre-production has been rough on this project. There is so much red tape to go through on campus. I'm still trying to get specific scenes approved and we are only days from shooting. However, I just saw the special effects demos for the final scene and its going to be a wild shoot.

More info coming soon. I will post some production photos once we get going.

Law Abiding Citizen Review

Last night I got to go to an advanced screening of "Law Abiding Citizen." After I finished my friend and I sat watching the credits just thinking. She turned to me finally and had the same issue with the film that I did. The ending was terrible.

Synopsis: Gerard Butler plays a father who looses his daughter and wife in a brutal murder. He watches as the killer is only given 3 years in prison because he testifies against his partner. 10 years later Gerard Butler gets his own form of justice on those who let a killer off with a very small sentence.

This movie was wild up until the end. There are a few scenes that are horrifying. Watching Clyde chop up the killer in the most inhumane way possible, but there is a twist. You are with him the entire time. You want him to kill. I think this is a very hard thing to accomplish in film. It's done on Dexter amazingly and in this film you are right with Clyde from the beginning. You want him to get revenge on everyone that screwed him over. My issue is that towards the end of the film the writers flip it so that you are rooting for Jamie Foxx who's the evil one at the beginning. The reasoning is obvious, to show that justice will triumph and have the audience regain trust in the American system. I was so angry when I saw this flip happen. They demonize Clyde to the extreme at the end and he begins to kill innocent people that had nothing to do with the case. My friend and I both saw this as the downfall of a great story. There is much to be said about siding with the killer and approving of his actions. It's a topic I'm personally interested in and future films/research will be exploring it.

Wes Cravens "People Under the Stairs"

Fool (played by Brandon Quintin Adams) gets stuck in his landlords house. Come to find out the people he's trying to rob are sick and twisted. They steal children and lock up all the "Evil" ones. Alice, the good child, is not stuck under the stairs because she hears no evil, sees no evil and speaks no evil. A telling moment is when the parents confront Alice and the sign reads over their shoulder "A child is to be seen not heard." All hell breaks loose as Fool gets away and tries to save Alice.

Cool film! Defiantly think it would be better to see on the big screen. I was very impressed with the set especially the use of light when in the walls. There were essentially two worlds in this film, the house, and the walls. Fool was able to go in and out and create havoc for the parents. In the basement there were flashlights being used to make the space seem more chaotic. Each of the "evil" children were given a flashlight (told in a expository moment) and these were used not only to show the chaos but the beams of light interacted with the characters and lead to the downfall of the father. Another strange bit of this movie was the father when he wore a dominatrix suit to hunt down the kids. It was very telling for his character and I enjoyed the visual aesthetic of it. It becomes a monster that is on the hunt making the situation creepier.

If you haven't seen this flick I'd say check it out.

New "The Let Go" music video

This summer I shot a music video for "The Let Go" in Seattle.

Check it out!

Cain Rose Up - Script Finished

Wow, 2 years working on a 10 page script is crazy! I have gone through so many drafts and I think I finally got a piece that will be both shocking and an eye opener to larger issues in life. I think I went through something like 30 different drafts. I have found that there are so many different ways to adapt this short story.

The film is almost completely casted. I have 2 more roles to fill and will be on the hunt the next week.

Next step... Breakdown script, schedule dates, shots lists and inform the troops!

This film is finally coming together and I'm so excited by the way things are turning out.

More to come soon

Cain Rose Up - Auditions

Today we had our first auditions for "Cain Rose Up." Overall hings went smoothly. Of course with all auditions about half the people didn't show up but that's the nature of the game. Had some funny little kids which are always interesting when you see them read the lines. One kid was the most innocent little kid, but when he read the lines it sent chills down my spine.

Tomorrow we are having round 2. As of now I am casting the lead roles. Hopefully I can find all the people I want this weekend so next round of auditions can focus on the smaller supporting roles. There are so many characters in this piece, its going to be crazy to organize everything

More updates coming soon.

New Kruse Music Video

Last week I met up with Kruse at a hip hop show in Seattle. Then next day we shot a music video. Check it out! I think it came out very cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVoi9FklphY

Updates - Cain Rose Up + More

Cain Rose Up is coming together. I've been talking with my makeup artist, Katie Kane, about how to create the various effects in the film. We are looking for special effects artists at the moment. I'm still a month or two out from auditions but many aspects of this piece need to be planned far in advance. I've received a huge response of people wanting to act and help out on this film. If you are interested then please send an email to jevenproductions@gmail.com.

Currently I am working on commercials and short teasers for the clothing company "The Original Normal." Last night I finished a few more videos which can all be found on The Original Normals youtube (www.youtube.com/originalnormal)

Also in the works is a new zombie script. I've always wanted to do a zombie film but never had a chance. Now it looks like that will be a reality. My goal is to begin production on that as soon as Cain Rose Up wraps. I've been talking with Doug Locke and he will be playing my lead because both of us have always wanted to make this kind of film.

I have one more month to relax before the chaos ensues. Once I get back to LA it all starts. I'm not only working on my films but will also be DP for a few of my friends projects.

aXetreme TON commercial

Here is a new commercial for The Original Normal clothing company. We used the chase scene from the 24 hour film that I worked on and tweaked it a bit. During that scene the killer is wearing a TON mask. www.theoriginalnormal.com

Check it out!

"Cain Rose Up" is a go!

After a year sitting on the rights I have decided to finally make the film. There were a few techniques and styles I wanted to try out before going ahead with this piece. It also gave me time to go over the script and perfect it.

If you can help out in any way please contact me at Jevendovey@yahoo.com

More info to come soon

48 Hour Film Festival Update

Next week we will be hearing who won the festival. We are keeping our fingers crossed. However, you can now see the film online. I edited it slightly from what we turned in but not enough to really change the film. Check it out here:

Rules:
Line: "Wrong, Guess again"
Prop: Tie
Character: Kristy Brown Occupation: Illustrator
Genre: Ghost Movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwRj89rVNDw

New Music Video in the works.

Yesterday I shot a 13 hour day for a music video. The group is "The Let Go." If you haven't heard them before I suggest you go check them out. The song we are doing is called "The Sun Don't Shine" and is about how there are always gray skies in Seattle. Its a good song and I think we will have a cool video. Yesterday we went to a dozen locations. The Space Needle, Troll, Death Wall, etc.

Keep a look out for the new vid.


Also I'm working on some BMX videos. We shot for a little bit after the music piece.

48 Hour Film Fest!

This past weekend I worked on a film for the Seattle 48 hour film festival. It was an interesting shoot. I didn't sleep for 3 days. Here's what happened

Friday 7:30, we got the prompt. Genre: Ghost Movie Character: Kristy Brown, occupation: Illustrator Prop: Tie Line: "Wrong, Guess Again"

That night we stayed up and wrote till 5 in the morning while trying to figure out locations.

Saturday 8am. Zak and I went to the location decided on and found out it was unusable. 9am new location. 10am Zak and I are in Starbucks in downtown Tacoma frantically trying to fix the script. 12 everyone arives on location, we have a new script and the shooting begins. We shoot the rest of the day and make it back to the studio by 9:30. From 9:30 on we were editing.

Sunday: Zak and I are still editing. We work for 16 hours straight. 2 hour nap. Get the music from our composer and keep editing until 5. Burn the dvds and the producers run off to the drop point.

After that I get a redbull in my system and drive home.

The film we ended up doing was a slasher ghost film. We were lucky to have Zak on our team because he is great with After Effects and was able to do some small things in the time we had.

There is a screening of the film on Thursday in Seattle. More info email me.

I'll post the film online soon.

Want a DVD? Maybe two?

Hey Everyone!

If you are interested in getting a copy of my newest film "1-800-Suicide" on DVD or any of my other films, please contact me at Jevendovey@yahoo.com.

All DVD's are free of charge.

Temper Twins Photo Shoot

Recently I did a photo shoot for The Temper Twins. More photos to come. (photo editing by Jad Dovey)

www.myspace.com/originalnormal

"1-800-Suicide" Finished

My newest film based on a short story by Michael Laimo, "1-800-Suicide."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoyqIDLfqfE

Check it out and let me know what you think!



If you want a DVD copy of the film email me at Jevendovey@yahoo.com and I will send one your way.

New Documentary Finished!

While I have been shooting 1-800-Suicide I also worked on a short doc about Taco Trucks. A friend and I went out late at night to our favorite taco truck and interviewed people. The idea is to show the culture surrouding these trucks that serve tacos and why they are so appealing at 3 in the morning.

Take a look and let me know what you think.



Carne Asada is not a Crime!

1-800-Suicide Trailer

Photo of the Day - #12

1-800-Suicide Production almost finished

I have not had time to update my blog recently. 1-800-Suicide has consumed my life. We have shot 4 very long nights and tonight is our final shoot. The footage is looking great. I am very happy with the way that it is looking. Last night we filmed the hardest scene of the movie. This was an emotional journey for everyone on set. It was hard to capture the intensity of the scene because we could only do it a few times. With scenes like this actors can't repeat their acting take after take. Each time it gets harder to emote. With that said I believe we got something really cool last night. Below is a photo from the scene.


Keep checking back, the trailer will be out soon!

Day 2 of "1-800-Suicide"

Day one went very well. Below are a few photos taken on set. Today I am going to tackle a few transition scenes as well as the final sequence. If I get some time I will put some footage up online.

1-800-Suicide Shooting begins tomorrow

This film is coming together very quick. On Friday I met with my composer to begin talks about score. He read the script and began writing a few pieces of music. We sat down and listened. The pieces are very creepy. There is a double edge to the style he has used which fits perfect with the Madeline character.

Shooting begins tomorrow evening. I will be shooting the opening sequence. I've been working on the shot list for over a week and its coming together nicely. This film is going to have a very different feel than my others. I'm going for a more stylized look. It is going to be a cross between a few styles.

Keep checking back. I will upload some photos this week from production as well as a trailer.

Casting Finished for "1-800-Suicide"

Today I held the last day for auditions. Overall they went well. Yesterday every person we called showed up, however, today we only had two from the whole lot.

I am fortunate to have some amazing actors to choose from. Right down I have narrowed down most of the roles. The big question is who will be playing Madeline (the main protagonist). I have three girls which were all amazing in a differnet way. Each had their own style and look. It's tough because I like them all.

Tonight I will be making my final decisions and offering the roles to the people I choose.

Production will begin soon. I am currently working on the aesthetics and shot list. Also, I am trying to build a few pieces of equipment that will help create a specific style for this film.

Casting Begins this weekend for "1-800-Suicide"

This film is really starting to come together. My first production meeting was last night and we have set the ground for a good shoot.

Casting will take place this weekend on both Saturday and Sunday. If you are a reader of this blog and would like to audition please contact me at jevendovey@yahoo.com

I am trying to get production off the ground in 2 weeks. The big thing is finding locations and all the props. I found a great website which will send you prop firearms in the mail for a very low price. My friend used it to get the guns for Ragnarok.

More updates to come!

I'm officially on IMDB!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3340441/


Check out my page on IMDB. I was contacted a couple weeks ago about information regarding my films Falling and Watching the World Die. Today I typed in my name and found that I have been given IMDB credit for these two films along with a few shorts I was a PA for.

1-800-Suicide Script Complete

Today I finished the script for 1 800 Suicide. Its an exciting day. Next week I will be holding auditions and in two weeks production will begin.

Keep checking back with more updates.

1-800-Suicide going into production soon

After working on this script for the past year I think it will finally be produced. I put the finishing touches on it this morning and have sent it off to many people to be critiqued. I am hoping to have the final draft finished by Friday. Auditions will be held in the next couple weeks.

Keep checking back for updates.

The Rise and Fall of Doug Locke

Let me know what you think!

New Temper Twins Documentary

These past few weeks have been crazy for me. I have had no time to post updates on my blog. However, today I put the finishing touches on two short films that I have been working on. The first is a documentary on the Temper Twins. This is not your ordinary hip-hop group. They have a message and meaning to their work. The documentary is titled "Take a hop, skip, and Jump Away" which comes from Jimmy Temper. The reason I titled it with this quotation, is to mirror their message that we need to look at our lives objectively. We can't just sit back and accept everything that happens. Our actions can make a difference.



The second film I finished today is "The Rise and Fall of Doug Locke." One it is uploaded I will post it on my blog as well.

I am also working on a few other pieces. Two more commercials for Bluewater Wireless as well as a promotional piece for the Occidental College Literacy center. Once these are finished I will be able to begin preproduction on "1-800-Suicide."

The next few months will be very busy, but there are some big projects coming up.

"The Rise and Fall of Doug Locke" Preview!

Here is a preview for my upcoming documentary on Doug Locke's performance for Apollo Night.

Coming soon! "The Rise and Fall of Doug Locke"

Here is a poster for a new documentary I am currently working on. The piece follows Doug Locke before his Apollo Night performance.

Occidental College Apollo Night 2009

This past weekend was our annual Apollo Night. This is a talent competition where a wide range of singers and dancers perform for the win. I shadowed Doug Locke in his preparation before going on stage. Right now I am in the process of editing that piece together. However, while I was at the show I taped a few of the other performances. Check them out bellow.







Doug's video will be coming out soon!

Photo of the Day - #11 "Attack of the Hamster!"

"Attack of the Hamster!"

Photo of the Day - #10 "Left Behind"

"Left Behind"

As I strolled down the boardwalk I turned my head to view the many games surrounding. Skee Ball, Basket Ball, an Arcade, and Darts. If I had walked 10 feet further I would have found a Merry-go-round as well, but someone stopped me. A smile is all it took. Dead in my tracks. She looked over her shoulder. The girl that was left behind. The world that was slowly being blurred out had been a vacant one. Not a soul dared venture into the carnival today except me and her. My gaze stayed and she moved ever so slighly. A twinkle in her eyes. My breath stopped as the sounds of the cawing crows tunneled futher away. In this land of forgotten mindless competition I found something. She raised her dart ever so slightly and posed for the camera. As I snapped the photo her smile slowly dropped. She turned back to the game and threw her blue fire. I watched, but she didn't dare look back. A crow landed near me and cawed silently as she stepped away. If I had walked 10 feet towards the merry-go-round I would have found a girl left behind. A lost soul in the world. A survivor of the war we call reality.

Photo of the Day - #09

"abandonment"

Bluewater Wireless Commercial Finished

A few weeks ago I was flown up to Tacoma Washington to shoot a series of short commercials. The first one will air on TV in a few days. This is a comedy one focused on the store. Bluewater Wireless is a cellphone company that also has four small cafes spread out across Washington. The other two commercials are focused more on the cell phone aspects of these stores. These will be uploaded as soon as they are approved.

Bluewater Wireless Commercial (1 of 3)

I've been out of town

Since last Thursday, I have been out of town swimming for my school at our SCIACS championship meet. It was a great meet and I ended up taking 3rd in the 200 breaststroke, breaking our school record and getting a cut for the nationals meet in March. However, now I am back and I have tons of work to get done.

Within the next week I should have the commercials done for Bluewater Wireless which I have been working on for the past month. A few weeks ago they flew me to washington to shoot these short commericals.

I will be starting the photo of the day back up tonight when I get some free time to upload a few photos. Also I have a few reviews for films coming soon.

Keep checking back for more updates

Hubert Selby Advice

I recently watched a documentary on Hubert Selby. If you do not know who this is, he is the writer of many popular novels that explore the human nature. His most popular are "The Last Exit to Brooklyn," and "Requiem for a Dream" which was adapted by Darren Aronofsky.



Hubert was a great writer but had a terrible life. He somehow came out always looking forward. Towards the end of the documentary he has a little segment about how he lived after kicking drugs and alcohol. He said to always say yes. Don't be a downer and push away things. Try everything and do everything you possibly can. He explains that many of the jobs/events he said yes to ended up being something he was not fond of once attending however he thinks that his life greatly improved when he started saying yes.



Another interesting comment Hubert brought out. He said that all of his inspiration did not come from the drugs. Once he cleaned up he realized that everything he wrote down comes from the darkest corners of our heart and he was able to articulate these ideas once he became sober. An interesting take on this kind of writing because many believe that you must have a really messed up life or be on hard drugs to open your mind to these dark realms.

If your interested in more about Huber Selby I would recomend watching the documentary. It was not shot the best and is very traditional, talking head interviews etc, however it has some very strong messages. "Huber Selby Jr.: It'll Be Better Tomorrow"

Photo of the Day - #08

"Traverse"

Advice from David Lynch

Inland Empire is David Lynch's newest film. A documentary was made while he was shooting this film. It's an interesting documentary following Lynch in an observational way rather than following the traditional expository sit in a chair and talk method. You see how a filmmaker who knows what he wants work. I learned a good deal from just being able to watch his interactions with crew members and how he gets in a mindset to shoot a film.

The biggest piece of advice I found is something that people often forget.

Lynch says that you will always want more. When making a film there is always that camera, that location, that actor, etc, which will make your film perfect. He says that you must take what you have right now and make the best of it. You will never make movies if you cant accept that you cant have everything. This is coming from the mouth of a perfectionist.

My advice is make your film no matter what. Money, location, actors, equiptment, crew, anything, should not be a hindrance. If you have a vision and you can imagine a way to make that vision transfer to the big screen then go out and make your film. Personally there are many times that I have a script which demands tons of money or shots that aren't possible for me however I make it work. I might not have every single thing I want for that shoot but I still go out and make the film. Currently I am working on 1-800-Suicide and I wanted to set it in the 60's. The issue is that will not be possible with the budget I have. However, I'm not going to stop production because I don't have the money. I'm going to make the film and if someday I do get the money to shoot a 60's film noir then maybe I will revisit this script. In reality I will end up taking what I learn from shooting this alteration of my script and probably work on something else, making that piece stronger.

Something to think about.

Photo of the Day - #07 (O Eternity)

"O Eternity"

"My great surfeit of human beings - that choked me and crawled into my throat; and what the soothsayer said: 'All is the same, nothing is worth it, knowledge chokes.'
A long twilight limped ahead of me, a tired to death and drunk to death sadness that spoke with a yawning mouth:
'Eternally he returns, the human of whom you are weary, the small human being' - thus my sadness yawned and dragged its foot and could not fall asleep
For me the human earth transformed into a cave, its chest caved in; everything living became human mold and bones and crumbling past.
My sighing sat upon all human graves and could no longer stand up; my sighing and questioning croaked and choked and gnashed and lashed day and night:
- 'alas, human beings recur eternally!'

-Thus spoke Zarathustra

Photo of the Day - #06

"Astray - 1. away from the correct path or direction 2. morally questionable behavior"

Photo of the Day - #05

"Decent"

Photo of the Day - #04

"Isolation"

Photo of the Day - #03

Today it randomly started pouring down rain around 2. The rain reminds me of what it was like back in Washington. Here is a photo from a few months ago back in Tacoma.



"Seabird"

1 - 800 - Suicide Coming Soon + Other Projects

I am currently working on revising 1 -800 Suicide. I will be shooting this film within the next few months. I've been so busy and had to put on the back burner for a while. My hope is that I can experiment with 8mm on this film. I have shot on super 16 however 8mm has always been an interest of mine. One of my professors is going to loan me all of his personal equipment so all I would have to do is purchase the film. (Still super expensive) I'm not sure if I want to spend the money now to get film or just save it and put it all towards Cain Rose Up when I start that in September.

I currently have a few other projects that are about to go into production.

This weekend I will be shooting a documentary about underground hiphop with Sunspot Jonz and the Temper Twins. This piece will explore how hiphop today is mostly crap and about the same things, drugs, girls, and sex, whereas these artist that many don't know about are creating music with a postive message.

Next Tuesday I will be ventruing into the adult entertainment industry to interview a pornstar agent. The day will involve tailing him with a camera as he works with clients while also doing a formal sit down interview.

Editing wise, I need to finish a commerical I shot two weeks ago. I was flown up to washington to shoot a commerical for Bluewater Wireless.

Other then that I have a few film ideas that I've been throwing around. Once my schedual opens up a bit I hope to start working on them.

Photo of the Day - #02

"Winter on the Waterfront"

Photo of the Day - #01

A new thing I am going to start doing is uploading one photo every day. (A photo of the day!) These are all photos that I have taken. My philosophy is this. You must be able to master the art of still photography if you want to become a skilled cinematographer. The two forms are not completely the same as many people think. Each come with their own set of problems and hardship when presenting and idea. It is so much harder to tell a complete story in one frame. With a film you are able to combine images in many different ways to evoke certain emotions and give a person a window into another world. With a photo you have one shot (literally) to do this. I will be

I will be adding some information about the photos or a concept relating to the photo at times. These ideas or techniques are things that will apply to both film making and photography.

I thought I would start out with a self portrait.


"Self Portrait"

"Annie" Production complete!

After a rough 12 hour day the production of "Annie" is complete. I'm surprised we got through so much in 3 days. We shot two days a couple weeks ago and one day this weekend. Yesterday we shot 5 pages of pretty much all action. I think its going to come out looking pretty good.


The look: For this section of the film I was going for a dark look. Lots of contrast. The scene is in a bathroom as two people are about to be executed. One breaks free and starts a fight ending in a bloodbath. The location we shot at was a long hallway of stalls with sinks at one end. Our main protagonist was huddled in the corner under the sinks while her husband fights the Russian mob. The main source of light is coming from the doorway. All the lights are off so I had to find a way to light this scene and make it look like the only source is the sun outside. To do this I brought a couple of 2K's in. By refracting the light I was able to brighten up the entire room while making the doorway seem brighter. I still did not have enough light though. I wish I had access to some brighter lights. I brought in a Rifa for closeups creating a greater contrast on their face. The biggest issue was lighting down the long hall. I wanted to have it fall to dark however there are a few sections where action plays out down there and there is one short scene of dialog. It ended up being really dark and in turn really noisy since we were using a digital camera.



Overall production wasn't the best. A director needs to be clear, he needs to be direct, and he needs to instill a type of trust from his crew. I did not see this on the set. I think if he had a few more shoot days things would have gotten better. We crammed 12 pages into 3 days of shooting.


Visually the biggest issue I was having on set was minimizing grain. Even with the 2k's pumping in light I could not get my image light enough to get rid of the grain. This is why I like to shoot in the daylight and outdoors. With the HVX200 you can get some amazing colors and contrast on a image if there is enough light. My goal is to figure out the best way to keep my clean image while shooting night scenes. The beauty of the HVX (like the DVX) is the ability to control most of the image settings in camera. This allows you to reduce your grain contrast, over saturation, etc in camera while shooting. While some functions are not as good as others you options are completely open to what you can do. Right now I am reading Barry W Green's book on the HVX and it takes you through every little piece of the camera. I'm hoping I can find some good techniques that will help me with my grain issue while filming in the dark.