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Commercial: "Cliffside Malibu"

2012-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

___At the end of November I shot a commercial for a drug rehabilitation center called Cliffside Malibu. It was only a one day shoot in which we had to capture 3 interview set ups as well as various b-roll of people interacting on the property. The biggest challenge on this job was getting everything done before sundown, which in late November, was at 4:45 PM. Myself and Director Matt Rowe knew this would be the biggest challenge as we scouted the location the week before. The Clinic was located in the hills of Malibu with a gorgeous view of the surrounding valley and ocean. I could have shot there for 3 days and not covered everything I wanted to on the property. Matt and I broke down the coverage based on the clients boards and scheduled the set ups in a way that made the most sense based on the position of the sun throughout the day. I also made a detailed list of the lighting fixtures and grip equipment that would be used on each set up so that the G&E guys could be one step ahead of Matt and myself at all times. We knew this was the only way we had any shot of getting everything in the can before sundown.

We shot on two Sony F3's with RED Zooms. During the interview setups, our A Camera was always on sticks while our B Camera floated off key side on a slider. For the interior interview setup we keyed with a book light (1.2 HMI into a bounce board back through a 6x6 frame of light grid with siders). For a back-light we used a 22 Kino on a menace arm. On the fill side we just flew in a bounce board to get some return from the key. The key was relatively frontal anyway as the client was looking for a soft, even feel for the whole piece. We also used a Joleko to put a slash and or window pattern on various background elements. We then covered various windows and doors with double net to take the natural sunlight down a stop outside and gain a bit more detail back in the windows. We were really testing the dynamic range on the F3's all day, which was something I was concerned about because I knew from the scout that we would be dealing with areas of extremely high contrast. NDing the windows would have helped us a lot but we just didn't have the time or personnel to make that happen efficiently enough with our schedule.

For the b-roll shots of people interacting on the property and surrounding landscape our A Camera was almost always on a jib while our b-camera was on a slider. It was important to us that the camera always be in motion to add the the pieces relaxed, serene feel. For exteriors that were not extremely wide, we were able to sneak in a mirror board through a 4x4 frame of 250 to add an edge or to fill in faces here and there. We also used a 12x12 frame of 1/2 soft frost to knock down the harsh sunlight on some tighter exteriors. By the end of the day, we were so pressed for time that Matt and I broke off into two separate units to take full advantage of golden hour. Overall it was a great shoot and the final spots are looking good.

Short: "Cheat Day"

2011-11-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

___In the middle of November I worked as a Gaffer on a short called "Cheat Day." Friend and fellow D.P Jess Dunlap was shooting and asked me to come on board as Gaffer. We were shooting on the RED MX and working with a small G&E package but it was enough to get the job done. For the interiors we keyed through a big window with a 1.2 HMI through a 8x8 light grid with a 4x4 250 in between the fixture and the big frame to soften the light even more. We filled with either 44 kinos or 24 kinos through 4x4 frames of 250 or opal. We also used a joleko bounced into a small bounce card a lot to create subtle back edges or even provide fill in small hallway areas where it was impossible to squeeze a fixture in.

We had one pretty big exterior setup that consisted of a model walking down a red carpet up to the front steps of the house. We bounced a 1.2 HMI into a big bounce board off camera left for general ambiance/key. We then set up four Lekos. Two played in frame as part of the red carpet scene while two others were just off camera creating two edge lights, one on each side of the models hair. We then positioned the Joleko off camera right and had an electric pan the light back and forth to flare the lens during the shot. We shot it at 120 FPS while dollying through the doorway towards the model and red carpet outside. Playback looked pretty awesome with the flares and smoke.

One SFX shot included mounting the RED to a remote head so that a motion controlled 360 degree pan of a bedroom could be captured. We lit the room by placing two frames of 250 tight to the two windows outside the room and shot an 800w Joker through one and two 44 kinos through another. We couldn't really put any other fixtures inside the room because everything was seen in the 360 degree pan. I didn't get a chance to see playback on this shot but I'm interested to see how it came out. Overall it was a good shoot with good people. Jess was one of the only people I knew on set but it was cool to work with some new faces. Hopefully we will continue to work together in the future.

Short: "Rays Of Darkness"

2011-11-13T23:54:00.001-08:00

___In the middle of October I shot a short called "Rays of Darkness." I was pretty excited to be hired to D.P this job because I knew the director was looking for a dramatic low key look and that it would be fun to light. We shot on the RED with a set of CP2 lenses. I rated the camera at 320 ISO most of the shoot but there were a few scenes that I pushed it to 640. I was concerned about doing so at first but looking at the dailies after the fact I actually like the slight graininess of the scenes shot at 640 better than the footage that was shot at 320. It definitely adds a grittiness that fits well with the look of the piece. We used our 1 Ton lighting/grip package on this gig as well. This was the first shoot I've D.P'd that consisted of sets as opposed to practical locations. It was definitely challenging because obviously every light had to be placed and created without looking fake or unnatural. It was a lot different than working in a practical location where you would be augmenting and or adding to the existing light. It was fun in the fact that it was like starting with a blank pallet every shot but it was challenging because it was tough to make each light feel and look natural.

One of the lighting set ups that I was most proud of was in a "morgue" set complete with real body slabs. (TOP LEFT) Gaffer John Hafner and Key Grip Jeff Marlowe were able to have a decent amount of time to pre-light and it definitely payed off. They did a great job. We had spoken about the morgue set earlier and that I wanted it to have a green feel off in the background but I wanted the key to feel a bit more neutral. The mix in color temperatures really looked great, the green background with a slightly more neutral key and fill. We ended up gelling the recessed practical lights with green gels to light the background and then a 750w par was rigged to the ceiling pointing straight down bouncing into a silver operating table. This provided a key for the actors in the middle ground as they stood around the table. The par created a really cool hot spot on the silver table that was motivated by a crazy circular"operating lamp" visible in the frame. The "operating lamp" also provided a nice back light for the actors on the right side of frame. We then added a big CFL softbox to help raise the light level in the foreground as well as add some fill to the actors in the middle ground. The only other small tweaks we made were adding another floor practical lamp to the background to balance out the frame on the left side and then flew in a 1x1 light panel to key the actress as she moved closer to the foreground later on in the scene. We added some haze to the scene as well which looked great.

1st A.C Austin Ahlborg did a great job all around as well. There were a lot of hand-held scenes in the short and they were definitely challenging to pull. It was really one of those deals where I just had to feel out the scene and go with the flow as I was operating and he just adapted well on the fly. I learned quick that the RED fully decked out with two on board monitors, hard drive, brick, matte-box etc. was not easy to shoulder for long periods of time but It it all worked out. We shot about 12 pages in two days. It was stressful at times and we were rushed at points but I think all things considered the footage looks great.

Feature: "Love's Christmas Journey"

2011-09-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

___At the end of August I worked as an assistant camera on a feature for the Hallmark channel called, "Love's Christmas Journey." It will be a total of a 40-day shoot that will make up a two part mini-series set to air around Christmas. This was a really cool shoot to work on for a ton of reasons; one being that it was my first Western. We started shooting at Melody Ranch which had a huge exterior western set complete with sheriff’s office, general store, saloon and more. We were shooting on 2 "Panavised" RED MX's, which was awesome. (ABOVE RIGHT) Panavision buys RED bodies and modifies them so they can be outfitted completely with Panavision accessories. The standard PL mount is removed from the RED body and a special mount is attached to fit the Panavision PRIMO ZOOMS that are used on both cameras. Panavision also developed a power box that bypasses RED's power system and allows the camera to be powered off two sources simultaneously. On set, the cameras are powered off a set of Dionic batteries, which mount to the top rail system, as well as a big lead Panavision block battery. The camera runs off block battery power while we are on sticks shooting, and then when we have to move the camera to a different set up, we switch to the Dionic power source. It's a really great system that is quick and easy and it allows us to run the camera constantly on set without powering down. The “panavised” RED’s also feature a side rail system for the swing away matte box, Panavision’s microforce zoom control and a bunch of other sweet Panavision accessories.

Over the course of the 7 days I was on the project, we shot some really awesome stuff including a small fight scene and a scene in which a barn goes up in flames. (LEFT) The D.P, Maximo Munzi, uplit a lot of the scenes in the film using “covered wagons.” They were pretty simple home made lights made up of 6 practicals on a 2x4 with chicken wire and light grid wrapped around the globes in a semi-circle. He placed them on the ground and used them as fill and even key at times. Mostly all of the smaller tungsten sources as well as any HMI lights that flew were outfitted with soft boxes and grids or shot through 4x4 frames of diff. He rarely ever used a hard source. For night exteriors we had a condor with two Maxibrutes shooting through 4x4 frames of opal or other diffusion. This was used mostly as a moonlight ambient source. He used 4x4 frames of double net to control light coming from broad sources at times, which was pretty cool. For day exteriors he used some powerful HMI’s as fill or table topped a 12x12 rag of ¼ silk or similar to soften the harsh overhead sunlight. He also used an ultra-bounce a lot as well. Overall it was a great shoot with a fun crew. I hope to continue working for Hallmark as I really like everyone in the camera and G/E department. I learned a lot about Panavision accessories and it was nice to work with some higher end camera equipment.

Commercial: "LA Weightloss"

2011-08-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

___In the middle of August I worked as a swing grip/electric on a commercial shoot for LA Weightloss. We were working off of the 5 ton truck at this amazing house in Malibu high in the hills. It was a pretty small crew but we still got some great looking shots. One of the setups was in a bathroom that had two big windows that looked out into the canyon below. The D.P wanted to retain the detail outside in order to see the canyon so he stopped down a lot. This meant we had to blast the bathroom with light in order to get the exposure inside close to the same stop as the exposure outside. We blasted two 1.2 HMI's through a 4x4 frame of 250 for a key, then bounced a 2k mighty into the ceiling to raise the ambient level. We floated a 2 foot 2 bank Kino around for fill as well. We also used various Lekos as specials to accent certain background elements like cabinets or the bathtub. We used a mirror board outside and reflected it in through a window off screen to up the light level in the background as well. It was really tough to raise the light level inside the bathroom to match the light level outside in the canyon but in the end the image looked great despite the insane amount light we had to pump into such a small space.

A couple other setups were in the kitchen in which giant sliding glass doors were visible in the background of the shot. The D.P wanted to once again retain the detail outside in order to see the infinity pool, canyon and ocean backdrop. Instead of trying to blast the whole kitchen with light, we spent a lot of time cutting rolls of ND6 and carefully taping them over all the sliding glass doors. This brought the outside light level down two stops so it was a lot easier to match that light level in the kitchen. We used a 1.2 HMI through a 4x4 frame of 250 for key and two Image 80's for fill and ambient. The image 80's are nice lights for pretty pieces because they are a big soft source and really fill in shadows nicely. The last few setups of the day were outside in the pool. We used mirror boards through 4x4 frames of 250 and opal as key and an 8x8 ultrabounce for fill. We also used mirror boards to accent certain spots in the water behind the talent. Overall it was a solid day and because it was a small crew I had a lot more responsibility in terms of gear. I'm really getting to know this 5 ton truck and am starting to feel comfortable with all the equipment and how it is stored. A couple more gigs on this truck and I'll be even more confident with all the gear.

Commercial: "Eleven Skin"

2011-08-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

___At the beginning of August I worked as a swing grip/electric on a commercial shoot for the skin care product "Eleven Skin." We were working off a 5 ton truck plus another 30 fixture add on order from Acey Decy lighting. We had an entire day to pre-light for the shoot so it was a pretty relaxed environment as there was no serious rush to roll. We were shooting on a giant stage stage in which we had to light about 270 degrees worth of set. The set consisted of a circular step up stage in the middle where 4 chairs were positioned for the talent to sit around and discuss the amazing product at length. The background of the set was built to look like the outside of a house, complete with giant doors and a ton of windows. I would say when all was said and done we hung about 50-60 fixtures in that place. Most of the lights that played was hanging from the massive grid above the stage. We started by hanging nine 6K Barger lights in a circle around the circular stage in order to bath the talent in soft light. We then used a serious of Lekos to accent anything the D.P wanted to draw attention to in the background. We put them high up in the grid and tilted them down at steep angles to throw hard beams of light on different cabinets or other elements of the stage. Lekos are really awesome lights because they are super controllable as you can cut the beam from any angle with the blades as well as focus or defocus the beam by pushing the lens further or closer to the globe. You can also switch out the lens for a narrow or wider beam. (we used a combination of 19, 25 & 40 degree) It was a lot of work to hang each fixture but it was fun because I got to learn to drive a scissor lift.

Once we hung all the lights from the grid, we accented other items of the set by hiding single Kino bulbs behind them. We hid two bulbs on the side of a staircase so that the stairs looked like they were illuminated, as well as a few other bulbs behind display cases to draw attention to the products in them. To give life to the background set, we covered each window and door with 1000H (tracing paper) and then bounced a combination of 5K's and 2K's off the white wall behind the set back through the 1000H. This gave a soft glow to each window and door as if the sun were shinning through. We finished off with various accents from a few tweenies and Lekos on baby plates positioned on the floor off set. It was amazing to look at all the lights that we put up at the end of the day. I checked out the generator and we were running just over 1000 amps. That's definitely the most power I've pulled on any set since I've been in L.A. I like being a swing Grip/Electric because I can learn both the grip and electric side of things. I'm pretty set with most of the grip stuff, so I tried to hang with the electrics on this set. I learned a lot about 3 phase and also about SACO cable, which I had never worked with before. It's a giant cable that splits off into about 8 Edison plugs at the end. This cable was really useful because we could hang it in the grid and run a ton of lights off of one main cable. Overall, it was a great shoot and I learned a lot about both the grip and electric side of things. I've worked off the same 5 ton truck a bunch of times now and I am really getting to know the ins and outs of all the gear and where it all belongs on the truck. Hopefully I'll continue to work with the same crew as they are all great guys.

Music Video: "Triple Threat"

2011-08-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

___Last weekend I worked as a 1st A.C on a music video for a song called "Triple Threat" by an artist know as "The Analyst." The video was directed by Austin Ahlborg, who developed an amazing concept and visual style for the video. In the video, "The Analyst" is depicted as 3 separate individuals in 3 separate worlds, each representing a different part of his personality. Throughout the video, these 3 separate characters and their respective worlds intertwine until they eventually become one. We were working with a Sony F3 and a set of ZEISS CP2s. This was my first time working with the F3 but it was pretty simple as the menu structure and exterior configuration are VERY similar to my EX1. We also had the AJA External recorder in order to bypass the native compression of the F3 and record PRORES 422 files via CF cards. The AJA was a bit tricky at first but with some troubleshooting we got it up and running correctly. This was also my first time working with the CP2s. It was refreshing pulling focus with them as opposed to the DSLR lenses that have been so popular in the indie world lately. It was great having precise marks on the lens for accurate pulls. The D.P, Wess Tracy, liked to shoot between a 4.0 and a 5.6 so he made my job a bit easier as the depth of field was not crazy shallow. I respected him a lot for this decision as I think with the rise of DSLR's, the hand held shallow depth of field look is just way overdone and played out at this point. We had some awesome set design and locations and I agree with Wess completely that it would be a waste to throw it all out of focus. Sometimes I feel like not many people appreciate frame composition and wide shots anymore. Everyone just wants close ups with nauseatingly shallow depth of field so it was cool that Wess didn't like shooting wide open.

It was definitely a crazy weekend full of insane camera moves and lighting techniques, straight from the mind of Austin Ahlborg. We pulled off some insane camera moves that we really had no business pulling off with the equipment that we had. What was cool about this shoot was that nothing was impossible. If Austin thought it up in his head, he was going to figure out a way to pull it off, regardless of if we had the right tools. If a shot didn't turn out as planned or wasn't working, Austin would improvise and find a different way to pull it off. One shot was supposed to consist of the Artist sprinting down a narrow hallway with a home made"doggy cam" attached to his chest. The shot ended up being too shaky and it just wasn't working out the way Austin and Wess had hoped. Instead of cutting the shot, Austin opted to put the artist on the dolly WITH the doggy cam and pull it down the hallway at 1000 miles an hour instead. Despite that being insanely unsafe and crazy, we did it anyway and the shot looked amazing. For these "doggy cam" shots as well as a few other shots in the video we used an 11-16mm zoom in which the artists face was extremely close to the lens. I really liked the look of all these shots because they came off very uncomfortable and weird and that's the look I think Austin and Wess were going for. Also, this lens offered a wide depth of field at a close distance and it once again broke the mold of the nauseatingly shallow depth of field look that is so stupidly popular right now.

Another memorable shot consisted of "The Analyst" hitting his head on the wall (which was playing to the viewer as the floor because the camera was tilted 90 degrees to start) then rolling forward in a chair while rapping to his female companion at a table. Another complex shot consisted of connecting two dollies together on the same track with 2x4s. The artist was on one dolly while the camera team was on another. This allowed the artist to "float" down the hallway while rapping. Austin and Wess also constructed a vest that had a built in 1k Tota light attached to it. So the artist was not only floating, but also emitting 1000w of light from his chest. Overall it was a crazy fun weekend of shooting. I think the creativity and uniqueness of this video will really make it stand out among the masses. I can't wait to see how it turns out in the edit.

Music Video: "Pepe Aguilar"

2011-08-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

___At the beginning of August I worked as a swing Grip/Electric on a music video for spanish guitarist Pepe Aguilar. We worked off of a 5 ton truck and were shooting with a 4 camera set up. We had 1 ALEXA as A camera, 2 Sony F3's as B and C cam and a Cannon 7D as D camera. We lit the location with an array of Leko's and Pars. We posted up 6 "trees" surrounding the set and mounted a combination of 4-6 pars and Lekos on each tree. Each light had a specific band member that it was to be focused on. We also had six 9 light fays that were positioned behind the performers to bring up the ambient level in the background as well as create a soft back light. We also brought in a few tweenies and positioned them on baby plates to create splashes of light on background walls and foreground elements.

It was great to have a 4-5 hour pre-light time to concentrate on getting everything perfect before the cameras rolled. Once we were done lighting I volunteered to dolly grip so that I could talk to the guys in the camera department about the ins and outs of the ALEXA. It was cool to talk to the lead camera operator as he was really nice and answered all the questions I had about shooting on the ALEXA. This was the first shoot I worked on that shot on it so it was great to learn so much right away. Overall it was a great shoot with a great crew and I hope I continue to work off this 5 ton truck in the near future.

TV Series Pilot: "Love Finder"

2011-08-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

____At the beginning of July I worked as a Key Grip on a TV series Pilot called "Love Finder." It was a 7 day shoot and we were working with a 1 ton lighting and grip package. The shoot consisted of some pretty involved night exterior set ups as well as a bunch of scenes in a night club which offered an outlet for some creative lighting techniques. I was really impressed at the area we were able to cover for night exteriors even with a small package.
The biggest light we had on the truck was a 2k Fresnel but we were still able to light every night scene properly.

One of the setups I was most proud of was a night exterior in which the main character walks down a long patio along side a house and then stops to talk with another character at the far end of the patio. (LEFT) This was one of the widest night exterior shots and one of the most complex lighting setups of the entire 7 day shoot. We used the 2K Fresnel on a high roller to illuminate the bushes and ground on the far side of the patio as well as a Daylight CFL softlight behind camera to provide a backlight as well as additional ambient "moonlight". We then strung an array of tungsten bulbs under the bushes along the bottom of the patio walk way to back up a few practical units that were in frame. We then placed 2 Kinos with tungsten bulbs and an additional tungsten softbox on the inside of the house shooting out onto the patio walkway to provide a warmer light source motivated from the house. The tungsten softbox at the far end of the house also provided the key for the second character.

One of the other locations that was pretty cool was a night club on Santa Monica called Voyer. The producers had a connection there and we were able to get the location during the day when the club was not open to the public. It's a great looking place and added a ton of production value to the film. (ABOVE) We used a fogger a lot in this location as well as a mixture of party gels on a bunch of 650w fixtures. The smoke gave the colored lights shape and created a cool atmosphere. I have heard that the pilot is being pitched to networks like SPIKE TV and Comedy Central. I hope it all comes together in the edit as we were able to capture some pretty sweet images.

Short Film: "Open Road"

2011-06-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

___In the Middle of June I worked as a 1st A.C on a short film entitled "Open Road." We were shooting on the RED with a small crew. Mostly all the coverage was on sticks so there weren't any insanely hard pulls. We used .9 ND Hot-mirror all day in order to open up the lenses to around the 4.0-5.6 range. We used the 50mm mostly but we did pop on the 200mm for a specialty long shot of an actor riding his bike toward camera from a distance. That was probably the hardest pull all day.

We had a great location on a long dirt road in the desert and were able to capture some really great visuals. We had a 12x12 frame that we used 1/4 Grid in to knock down the harsh sunlight. We also switched out the 1/4 grid rag for an ultra bounce when we needed a strong key. I really liked working with this D.P as he used a light meter for every set up and was open to sharing his insight with me. I haven't worked with many D.P's who meter light and it is something that I have been trying to do more on sets in which I am D.Ping. It was a solid day with the only issue being the insane amount of planes that were flying over our location the entire day. Overall it was a relaxed shoot and I definitely learned a lot from the D.P.

Director of Photography: Music Video- "Bummer Summer"

2011-06-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

___At the beginning of June I shot a music video entitled, "Bummer Summer" for The Hub Network. It was a simple shoot consisting of all day exteriors. We had a 6x6 frame with full silk along with a few reflectors. We used the 6x6 frame to knock down the harsh sunlight and we used the silver side of the reflectors to give strong back and edge lights to the actors. I had an ND fader that I used a lot on the 35mm lens in order to open it all the way up to a 1.4 when I could. There were a few shots which involved the 70-200mm but for the most part we stayed on the 35mm.

The director, Jason Perlman, is a good friend of mine who I have been collaborating with a lot recently. He is meticulous when it comes to pre-production and I wouldn't have it any other way. I like working with Jason because I always know exactly what the day consists of and how much time we have to get it done. I'm a huge fan of planning ahead and I'm glad Jason is too. He is also great at keeping the energy level up on set which is really important when working on pieces for The Hub. Everything is always high energy and the actors need to have exaggerated movements and animated facial expressions because the target audience is young kids. It was a good shoot and I think we got some really pretty stuff despite the small amount of grip equipment we had to work with.

Director of Photography: "The TKO 2.0"

2011-05-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

____In the middle of May, I traveled to Orlando Florida for a 7 day commercial shoot for professional magician Jeff Kaylor. We shot mainly in the "Magic Estate" where a stage was set up for performance purposes. We used this stage as our main backdrop for the commercial piece, "The TKO 2.0." We had a very small lighting package but it got the job done. To light the scene, I used a 650w fresnel to rake the background curtains, two 300w fresnels w/ 216 diffusion as back/edge lights and a 300w bulb threw an umbrella as a key. For fill I bounced another 300w bulb off an umbrella. It was a simple set up but it worked well. For product/close up shots I just made small adjustments.

We also shot some run and gun street magic over the course of the week and that footage looked great as well. It was a relaxing shoot and a great time over all. Check out Jeff here: www.thekayloroption.com.

Gaffer: Short Film- “Last Words”

2011-05-13T10:46:00.001-07:00

____I recently gaffed a short film entitled "Last Words" staring Mark Pellegrino (LOST, Supernatural) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead). Friend and fellow D.P Jess Dunlap asked me to come on board and work as his gaffer on the project. Jess and I have collaborated on a few pieces together in the past and I really enjoy working with him. The short, written by Dan Perrault and directed by Tony Yacenda, is a comedy about a dying civil war soldier’s not so profound last words to his comrade.

The film consisted of all day exteriors so our main goal was to utilize and shape the natural light to create contrast. In the early morning hours there was cloud cover so the light was relatively flat and diffused. We used a 6x6 frame of griff plus scraps of duvetyne that were hung from the bottom of the frame for negative fill. As the sun rose higher and the cloud cover cleared we switched out the griff in the 6x6 for full silk and used it to knock down the harsh sunlight. We brought in a 4x4 bead board to bounce for a key as well as a smaller show card to wrap the key even further. Eventually we had to tabletop the 6x6 silk as the sun rose directly overhead. To avoid seeing the hard edge of the 6x6 frame shadow on the ground, we cut off branches from a nearby bush and clipped them to the edges of the frame so the shadow would blend in naturally to the shadows already thrown on the ground from a nearby tree.

Everything looked great based on the few times I was able to see the frame. The location worked well as a civil war setting as the framing was kept relatively tight to avoid any nearby houses, power lines etc. The wardrobe and hair/make up was spot on, I really believed that these were civil war soldiers in the midst of battle. There was even a battalion of 7 fully outfitted extras bearing muskets as well as one on horseback. I’m sure the “battle sounds” that will be added in post will really help bring the scene to life even more. Overall, it was a good shoot and it was great to work with some new people. I’m looking forward to seeing the final product.

Director of Photography: Short Film- Blackstone (Day 2)

2011-04-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

___The second day of production took place at a private residence that we used for a total of 5 different locations in the film. In the interior of the house, we used a bedroom and a living room (more affectionately coined the "murder room") and the exteriors took place in the front yard, a storage shed and a small alleyway at the side of the house.

The scene I was most proud of on Day 2 was the "murder room" (ABOVE). When we did the original location scout, I saw that the room had a fireplace and immediately wanted to incorporate that into the scene. I knew that it would be a great motivation to use some creative lighting techniques. One of the main goals I had with this production from a lighting standpoint was to mix color temperatures. I had done very little of this in prior projects and it was something that I really wanted to explore. In the scene, a mother and father are tied back to back on the ground by numerous "assailants" who circle them ominously before going in for the kill. We shot the scene day for night so all the windows and doors were tented to eliminate any sunlight spill. We left a small portion of a window uncovered in order to key with a 1.2 HMI through 216 diffusion from outside the house. We gelled this with 1/2 CTB so that it would play as moonlight. We added an additional 1K Open Face with full CTB as well to bring out some more detail in the book cases. Then we hid a flicker box with a 650w fresnel gelled with 1/2 CTO on the ground behind the two subjects. This was our motivating fire light. It provided a nice flickering hard edge. Our last light added was a pepper shooting up from the floor also gelled with 1/2 CTO to fill in the mother's face with a soft orange glow that was also motivated from the fire.

The set dressing was amazing and the Christmas lights added a nice touch to the background elements. Overall, the scene came out almost exactly the way I had envisioned it in my head, which is great. I loved the way the blue moonlight looked mixed with an orange flickering edge as well as a soft orange fill. We ended up having to open up all the way to 1.3 on an 80mm lens at the end of the scene in order to save time. I was extremely lucky to have 1st A.C Austin Ahlborg there pulling focus as the depth of field was insanely shallow and he nailed it all the way. Camera Operator Garret Williams also did great work as well as Gaffer Stephen Chang who quickly became the other half of my brain on set.

Director George Tunis commanded the whole operation and did a great job despite the tremendous amount of pressure that must have been on him to complete a 15 page short with "name talent" in 2 days. Producers Eric Goldrich, Ian Wallace and Adam Kuyt also worked extremely hard getting everything organized. I don't think Eric slept for the entire week prior to shooting. 1st A.D Jon Melick and 2nd A.D Brianne Richards did a great job keeping us as close to on schedule as humanly possible. Everyone on the crew was amazing and there are too many names to mention but as I said before, I was extremely lucky to be able to work with everyone and hopefully "Blackstone" is just the beginning of our collaboration together.

Director of Photography: Short Film- Blackstone (Day 1)

2011-04-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

____I recently shot a short film entitled, "Blackstone" starring JK Simmons (Spiderman, Juno, The Closer) and Sasha Grey (Entourage, The Girlfriend Experience). We shot on the RED MX with Zeiss superspeed primes. The budget was around $30,000 so we were able to get a great camera package, lighting/grip package and hire a great crew. It has been a long time since I have had the luxury of working on a project in which I was given both an amazing camera and lighting/grip team to work along side of. I was especially proud of the amount of pre-production that went into this project. There is a great feeling of confidence when you can walk onto set knowing that you are as prepared as you possibly can be for the whirlwind of activity and "organized chaos" that is about to consume your life for the remainder of the production.

I met with director George Tunis numerous times to discuss overall visual style and to create overheads of every scene that outlined the blocking as well as the coverage/camera position. I was also able to do a walk through of each location with Gaffer Stephen Chang and Key Grip Jeff Marlowe to discuss exactly where/what kind of lights would be needed for each scene. Stephen and I then sat down together and added these specific fixtures to the overheads so they could be handed out to the rest of the grip team. This way while we were shooting in one location, another location could be prepped at the same time. Without the overheads this would not have been possible. I live and die by those on set, they are more important to me than the shot list or script.

One of the setups I was most proud of on Day 1 was a scene in which J.K Simmon's character confronts Raven (Sasha Grey) in a small "interrogation room." (TOP RIGHT) One of the concerns I had early on about numerous locations in the film were the abundance of WHITE WALLS. I hate white walls. In order to break up the walls, Stephen and I discussed creating a subtle striped pattern on them by shooting a 1k through a single net that was taped off with black gaff. Mixing color temperatures also helped break up the walls as well. We discussed creating a sodium vapor look as if a street light were shining into the room through a barred window. We also had a skirted Kino mounted to the ceiling that provided a top-light as well as a key as it bounced off the silver table in between the actors. We gave Raven an edge light using a 650w fresnel that was gelled with the same color combination as the 1k. We then gave J.K an edge light from another Kino to help keep him and his black suit from blending into the surrounding darkness.

Gaffer: Short Film- Dogs of War

2011-04-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

___At the beginning of March I worked as a gaffer on a short called "Dogs of War." It was about a motorcycle gang and it featured some pretty cool locations. Day 1 we were at a night exterior location downtown near some abandoned railroad tracks. The location featured some cool brick buildings with some nice texture and it was surprisingly well lit with practicals. We used a 1.2 hmi through a full sick as a back light for the 3 main characters that walk down this back Ally. As they settle and stop to converse, there key comes from a diva light that I rigged to an 8 foot chain link fence. We also had a 1x1 LED panel that was held and moved with the subjects as they walked to provide a constant fill. There was also a very strong practical that was reading very warm in comparison to the lights we brought in, which actually made for an interesting color temp combination.

Another location that was really great was a metal scrap yard in the middle of nowhere. I don't even remember where it was, but it was cool. The main lighting set up there was in an "abandoned gang meeting house." It was basically a half finished small room with the wall frames exposed on the inside. It featured a few dirty windows which we half boarded up. These provided a great way to bring in a hard sunlight source. We punched 2 1.2HMIs with wide lenses straight in through both windows. This back lit 3 subjects and served as a key for the 4th that was tied to a chair in the center of the room. We also had a 400w joker that I rigged to the ceiling to provide a hard back light for the actor sitting in the chair. There was another "skinny man" Kino that we hid to provide more overall ambient light. There was one other "worklight" tungsten practical that would play as part of the scene. With a little bit of smoke added, the beams from the HMI's really popped and gave the scene a pretty cool look.

Camera Operator: U.S. Soccer Federation- Guatemala City, Guatemala

2011-04-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Through the end of March and into the first week in April I worked on an 18 day shoot as a camera operator at the U20MNT World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Guatemala. I was responsible for creating an episodic series entitled "20 Under 20" that followed the team as it prepared for and played in the tournament. The series relied heavily on interviews with the coaching staff. These were simple talking head setups that I lit with a small tungsten fresnel Arri Kit and a Rifa light. I used the Rifa as a key and wrapped it a bit frontal to spill onto the fill side. Then I used a 300w fresnel as an edge light opposite key side and one more 300w fresnel to put a slash on the background curtain. The rest of the footage consisted of b-roll from training, recovery sessions, meetings, video analysis and anything else the team may have done together while on the road.

Camera Operator: U.S. Soccer Federation- Montego Bay, Jamaica

2011-03-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

_____I recently shot for the U.S. Soccer Federation at the U17 Mens National Team World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was an 18 day shoot in which I was responsible for documenting the teams performance as they progressed through the tournament. I had to shoot interviews with both players and coaches before and after every game as well as cover practice and any other activities the team did together during their stay in Jamaica. I also created various "Get To Know Me" segments highlighting individual members of the team so that fans can learn more about their favorite players. It was tough at first because most of the boys were a bit camera shy (as anyone would be at 15 years old) but for the most part they interviewed well.

I didn't have any lighting equipment at my disposal for interviews so I had to spend some time scouting the resort to see where I could use natural light to my advantage. I tried to chose areas that would help capture the flavor of Jamaica and give the audience a sense of perspective. It was tough to keep the highlights from blowing out in the direct sun but I tweaked the gamma settings in the camera so that the highlights held a bit more and tried my best to pick locations where there were not huge variations in light level. After the first day I shot the interviews hand held to give the pieces more of a casual feel. Shooting them on sticks gave the interviews a more professional feel but the static frame combined with the nervousness of some of the players wasn't really working. Overall I think the pieces came out well considering the time constraints and strict schedule that the team had to adhere to. The boys ended up qualifying for the World Cup as well as winning the entire tournament so I would say it was a successful trip from both a shooting and a soccer stand point.

Director of Photography: Gatorade: G-Series Fit Piece

2011-02-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

____I recently shot a small promotional piece for Gatorade's "G-Series Fit" products. It was a quick shoot consisting of one interview set up with personal trainer Todd Durkin (www.ToddDurkin.com) as well as various b-roll of him training clients around the facility. This piece will be cut together with another piece about female personal trainer Lacey Stone (www.laceystonefitness.com) that will be shot in New York. For my shoot, unfortunately I couldn't turn off the overhead florescents in the gym so I had to let them play. I added a hard kicker/edge to the right side of Todd's face with a 650w fresnel through 216 diffusion. This added a bit of contrast and helped make the image look a little less flat. All of the b-roll was run and gun hand held but the content fit the shooting style and it seemed to work in the final edit. Fun shoot, good people.

Director of Photography: Short Films- Broken & Life In A Suitcase

2010-12-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

___At the end of November I wrapped principle photography on a 7 day shoot in which I shot 2 short films back to back. I was working along side gaffer/grip extraordinaire Jeff Marlowe who played an integral role in the success of both projects. We were working with a 1 ton grip package as well as a small Arri Fresnel Kit. We also had a few small additional lights at our disposal. The biggest challenge with these shoots was the fact that they were comprised mainly of night exterior scenes. Ir was a challenge to light these scenes correctly with only a small light package. I also shot most of these night scenes at a 1/125 sec shutter (about 70 degree shutter) to give it more of a strobey/frantic look. This meant we had to up the light level even more to compensate for the shutter angle. It was worth it though because I think action shots look so much better at a high shutter speed. In the end I think the night exteriors were some of the best looking scenes in both films.

Having the 1 ton grip package to play with was really helpful. I'm pretty sure Jeff's favorite item in the package (soon to be my favorite item as well) was the baby offset arm. It allowed us to get a back/edge light on the subjects for closeups without getting the light stand in the shot. It's such a simple piece of equipment, but it makes a world of difference. I think we used it on 90% of the lighting set ups. It was also really great to have single and double nets to use in addition to scrims. They really allowed us to be precise in controlling light levels. It seems that it is the simple pieces of equipment that really make the difference.

For the interrogation scene (See still top left) Jeff and I built a menace arm using two combo stands connected by 4 c stand arms. We hung a 650w right above the interrogation table that shot straight down so that the actors had a hard top light but were also lit from below because of the bounce off of the table. The funny thing was that the barn doors didn't fit on the light correctly when it hung upside-down so we had to shape the light with black-wrap and Jeff had to stuff a scrim inside it so it was held up only by the wrap. I was waiting for the scrim to fall down onto the table in the middle of the scene, but it stayed up there the whole time.

Looking back on it now, it was a challenging shoot but I think we got some really great shots and I definitely learned a lot.

Shooting On The Island of Pohnpei

2010-09-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

___My latest job as Director of Photography is on a documentary entitled, “Soccermen.” It follows two Englishmen who set out to play on the “worst soccer team in the world.” After wikeapediaing that very statement, they found themselves on a remote Island called Pohnpei. This island, along with 3 others, Yap, Chuuk and Kosrae are all part of the FSM (Federated States of Micronesia), which lie in the Pacific Ocean somewhere Northwest of Australia and Southeast of Asia. Shortly after their arrival, they quickly realized that they would be much better suited to coach the team and made it their mission to transform this group of youngsters into a serious futbol club.

My job is to spend the next 10 days documenting their training and preparations leading up to Pohnpei Soccer’s 3 game tour of Guam, culminated in a match against the Fifa ranked U19 Guam Team. This game involves flying 16 boys (most of whom have never left the island) to Guam to play their first official soccer game against real competition. I will also be accompanying them to Guam and documenting their experiences there for another 8 days before returning to LA on October 8th. These next few weeks should be pretty exciting.

Rise And Shine: The Final Touches

2010-09-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

After about 50 shooting Days and only 31 editing days, Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story is complete. This marks the end of my second feature in which I have taken on the roles of both D.P. and editor. I enjoy both positions and am glad to have taken them on, but shooting is definitely my favorite of the two. As my career continues to unfold, I really want to concentrate solely on cinematography and continue to learn more and more about the art of lighting.

This project has taken me to 3 different continents over the past 6 months and it is amazing to see it finally come together into something great. It has been a crazy ride, from dragging light kits on trains in London to running around shooting in the townships of South Africa. It has been a huge learning experience for me, as every project always is, and I am grateful to have had such an amazing opportunity. As I have said before, I can’t wait to see what is next for this film as it enters the festival circuit. Wish it the best of luck!

Director of Photography: Rise and Shine: CHICAGO

2010-08-22T15:56:00.001-07:00

___My last of the many stops around the world for this documentary was Chicago. We needed to pick up a few interviews from Jay's college teammates as well as some coaches at the Chicago Fire Reserves team. We also made a quick stop in Green Bay to interview Jay's old High School coach, Aldo. Jay commented on his calming "grandfather" type coaching style and I wanted this to be reflected in his interview set up. I lit it fairly even and soft to give it a warm, welcoming feel. I was glad we were able to travel with a small light kit. It was key for adding some drama to a few of the other interviews that we wanted to look a bit more edgy. As always we shot non-stop the whole trip. The film is growing nearer to completion every day. It is really starting to come together and I hope that it does well in the festival circuit upon it's completion.

Director of Photography: Rise and Shine: SOUTH AFRICA

2010-06-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

___My latest job as D.P. has taken me to South Africa to shoot at the World Cup! It was an amazing trip and I captured some really good stuff. I was able to connect with a guide to take me through the township Soweto. We drove around looking for kids playing soccer in the streets and in open fields. We found some really great locations that really captured both the landscape and the people of South Africa. I shot a lot of footage at a high frame rate, as I wanted to really see the detail in the grass and dirt as the kids kicked up dust while playing. I got some really great moments that I’m glad I shot in Slow Mo, as they could have easily been missed at regular speed.

I also captured the sites and sounds of the city in the midst of the World Cup. There were fans everywhere sporting tons of gear in order to support their respective teams. It was a shame I couldn’t get nearer to the stadiums, as FIFA pretty much had those areas on lock down. I was able to get the massive crowds that gathered in the streets to watch the second South Africa game on a giant projection screen. It was fun yet hectic trying to run around interviewing fans from various clubs. They all had great things to say about the World Cup and soccer in general. I was also able to hop on board some safari trips and capture some of the wildlife as well. I got some really good close ups of Elephants and a few Lions at the Lion Park. Overall, I think I got more than enough footage to accurately portray the atmosphere in South Africa during this amazing event.

Director of Photography: Rise & Shine: LONDON SHOOT

2010-05-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

____After returning to LA for a few weeks after my trip to Green Bay, I set out once again with the rest of the crew to London. We spent 10 days shooting all over London. We had about 8 interview setups scheduled throughout the course of the trip. The rest of the spare time was spent shooting various parts of the city and capturing as much B-roll as possible. It seems as though we were always pressed for time, but we got a ton of great footage. Some interviews I was able to take the time to light, but others were pretty much run and gun. I was also able to get some really artsy shots along the way as well. I played around with extreme contrast and rolled on a lot of silhouette shots. Overall it was a successful trip and we definitely added to the ever growing pile of raw footage.

Director of Photography: Rise and Shine: GREEN BAY SHOOT

2010-04-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

____My latest job as Director of Photography has been on a documentary feature entitled, Rise and Shine: The Jay Demerit Story. It is the true story of a professional soccer player's struggle and eventual rise to stardom. It begins in a small Wisconsin town in which American football, not soccer, is more than just a game. Jay Demerit grew up here, a world away from the roaring streets of London that he would eventually find himself.

Our first part of the documentary consisted of shooting in Green Bay Wisconsin, Jay's home town. We spent 5 days shooting interviews with Jay's parents, friends, siblings, high school teachers and coaches. We also shot Jay's high school/middle school and numerous fields that he grew up playing soccer on. We got a chance to drive around and shoot the landscape as well. This was really awesome and I think these shots will really help capture the essence of Green Bay living.

We have some really great footage already and we have only completed one of the many trips we have scheduled for this entire documentary. Below is our shooting schedule for the rest of the documentary.

LONDON,ENGLAND: APRIL 20th-MAY 2nd
HARTFORD,CONNECTICUT: MAY 21st-26th
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: JUNE 7th-17th
CHICAGO: TBD

1st A.C.

2010-03-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

_Last weekend I worked as a 1st A.C. on a pilot for an episodic called, The Room. We shot on the 5D with a few different cannon zoom lenses. The setups were relatively simple because the premise of the show is that each character is locked in a room while being recorded by a video camera behind a pane of glass. There is also one other "security" camera shooting each character in their respective rooms. The camera that was supposedly shooting through a pane of glass was obviously relatively simple because it was just locked off on sticks. The only time I really needed to pull focus was if a character leaned in close to the camera to draw attention to a certain line or to "examine" the camera.

The "security" camera setup was really a challenge to pull focus. The operator was snapping the zoom in and out randomly as I was whipping the focus in and out at the same time in order to create a mechanical feel. We didn't want the focus or the moves to look organic and smooth, we wanted them to seem as if they were machine operated, like a security camera would be in real life. It was a challenge to return to the right point of focus after purposely making the image soft on either side of the focal plane but I think the footage came out great. I hit my marks when I needed to and I did a pretty good job of adapting to random movements from actors on the fly.

I think The Room has a lot of potential and if it is cut right, it has a good chance at getting picked up. The crew was small but everyone really seemed to gel and things went relatively smooth on set. I hope we all get a chance to work with each other again in the future. Good times.

Shooting a Reality Show on Medical Marijuana

2010-03-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

___I'm currently shooting a reality show pilot based out of one of the many Medical Marijuana shops in California. There are 5 total shoot days for the pilot and so far we have completed only one. We shot numerous interviews as well as some b-roll and I was pretty happy with how most of the footage looked. I only had a small lighting package to work with for the interviews but the director seemed happy with the look. I didn't want to use just ambient lighting even though it was a reality show but at the same time I didn't want it to look like a film. All in all I think the footage looks a bit more "filmic" than your every day reality show but I like it. We shot with two EX1's. I did most of the lighting and shot the tighter setups while the B-Camera operator covered the interviews wider and or profile. It was an interesting shoot to say the least. There will certainly be more than enough footage to cut together a 22 minute pilot. I'm interested to see what we are shooting throughout the next 4 days.

Christian Audigier's Tequila Shoot

2010-02-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I worked as a videographer shooting behind the scenes footage of a photo-shoot to promote Christian Audigier's new Tequila, Paco Chicano. There were 3 main setups that the photographer chose for his shoot, all of which were in a high end bar called the "R-Lounge." He was shooting on the 7D and the pictures that I got to see looked really great. He used a lot of his lights to create lens flares in the background of his photos. It was something different and I liked that. All the setups were basically models posing around the bar showcasing the new Tequila. It was a long night but it turned out to be a pretty fun shoot.

1st A.C.

2010-02-21T21:17:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I worked as a 1st A.C on a web-series called M.E.N. We shot it on the RED with Zeis lenses. The D.P. had a pretty cool and relatively inexpensive setup in terms of RED. He owned all his gear and his kit was much more manageable than than the massive kits I've seen with RED in the past. One thing I really liked was that he had a Red Rock mattebox that he customized with an Arri filter mount on the back. It was pretty cool because you could put rectangular filters in the front as well as circular filters in the back. A few shots outside we used ND in the front and a polarizer in the back. The polarizer was really cool, we could spin it around in the matte box to take glare off of certain parts of the image. There weren't too many difficult focus pulls but it's always good to get to work with lenses etc. I also got to really study the "false color" mode on the red, which this D.P. used a lot. It is a really interesting and different way to judge exposure and I like using it. It was a pretty laid back shoot and I learned a lot.

3D Shoot

2010-02-21T20:06:00.000-08:00

The other day I worked on my first 3D camera project. The camera operator from "Mother's Little Helpers" was shooting test footage for a documentary that will be pitched to Gatorade and he invited me to come with. It was a pretty guerrilla style shoot, no permits. The Sony 3D rig was set up inside a van which served as our portable video village as well. We spent the night following bikers around the city streets of L.A shooting first out the back of the van and then out the sliding side door. The rig was so big and complex it took us about 45 minutes to move it from one shooting position to the other. The rig itself was made up of two identical cameras, one that shot straight out like normal and another that shot straight down into a mirror that was attached to the bottom of the matte box. This allows both camera to shoot basically the same image at the same time. In video village, the DIT could adjust the "ocular distance" of the two cameras remotely. This adjustment changes how close or far away the two image beams intersect and become one. Any object that is in front of the image intersection will pop forward on the screen and anything behind it will fade into the background. The DIT can control exactly what elements in the frame will pop out.

I learned a lot about 3D but there is sill a ton that I don't understand. Hopefully if Gatorade likes the test footage, the project will get a green light and I will get a chance to work with the 3D rig again.

Day Trippin

2010-02-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I shot a pilot for a television series called, "Day Trippin." It's a documentary style show that follows a female host around as she visits various attractions in California. On saturday we shot in a spa, at the beach, at a wine tasting venue, and then a roller derby. Santa Barbara is a pretty beautiful place. There were a ton of people surfing on the beach, I want to try it so bad. Once I start making a little more money surfing is the first thing on my list of things to try.

Sunday I got to shoot out of a helicopter, it was insane. They took the door off so I could basically hang out and shoot straight down. I got some really cool footage. I wish I had a better mount but I got some pretty steady shots for just being hand held. The biggest challenge was the difference in exposure between the inside and outside of the helicopter. Every time the host wanted to be on camera or talk to the pilot I had to quickly readjust exposure/ND level for the inside of the helicopter and vice versa for when I wanted to shoot the landscape. Overall it was an awesome weekend and the client seemed happy with what myself and the other camera operators had captured. They will sure have plenty of footage to sort through in the edit. I'm excited to see how the final 30 minute show comes together in post.

First Feature in LA

2010-02-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

After getting settled in LA for a few days I managed to get on board a feature called "Mother's Little Helpers" starring Denise Richards and Jim Belushi. I can't believe after 4 days here I'm already a part of very legit production. I've gathered from people so far that it is extremely hard to break into the industry and to get on any sets at all, never mind a feature with some big names attached to it. I consider myself extremely lucky to have already gotten such a great opportunity and I'm working hard to make it count. This one job could make or break my career out here.

I really like everyone on set and I'm trying to learn as much as I can from the people in each department. There is a really fine line between not asking enough questions and asking too many. It's hard because you want people to notice you and the fact that you want to learn, but at the same time you don't want to be annoying and interrupt the flow on set. It's only my second day but I'm already beginning to feel that camaraderie that can only come from spending 14 hours a day in a hotel room with the same people night after night. I forgot how much fun it was to be a part of a team again.

Hopefully if I work hard enough on set this next week and a half, someone on the crew will be impressed enough to want to hire me on their next project, and so on and so forth until I can start making some money and officially say I made it in this crazy industry.

Off to L.A.

2010-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

I'm officially heading out to the west coast in search of feature film work. Ever since wrapping principle on my first feature, I have been dieing to get on board another and start the movie making process all over again.Doing freelance work around the Boston area has been great, but I miss being part of a larger crew. I will be staying with a friend in Hollywood for at least the month of February to see what I can get myself into. I'm excited to see what the scene is like and hopefully find some work on any kind of feature film, indie or mainstream. My flight leaves today and the job hunting starts tonight.

Shooting the Eastern United States Danceport Championships

2010-01-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

My last freelance shoot was at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel in Boston for the Eastern United States Dancesport Championships. I've shot live performances in the past, but this one was one of my favorites. A ton of colorful clothes flying in and out of frame made it a fun shoot. Every style of dance dictated my own shooting style. I liked being able to switch up the movements according to the music. I'm interested to see what kind of a piece will be made with the footage I shot. There were definitely some really good moments captured that night. I've never seen so many talented dancers before. It was a much bigger event than I had expected and I was glad I got the chance to work it.

Video Lock

2010-01-13T09:20:00.001-08:00

After one last meeting with the director, all major decisions were made regarding the video and my responsibilities as both cinematographer and editor have finally come to an end. We have reached yet another important milestone in the progression of this film, and I hope it will continue to move at a steady pace. After working on The Mercury Cycle for almost a year and a half now, it feels weird to finally be moving on. I know big things will come in the near future for this film, but for now at it enters post audio, things will be quiet for a while.

The Real World

2009-10-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm officially out of college and have left the world of "student" productions behind, I figured a website would be a solid way to showcase my work as freelance cinematographer. The site looks good so far and will be constantly updated as I build a larger body of work.

Here is the link: www.zachsalsman.com

Looking Back

2009-05-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

It is crazy to think about how much we have accomplished in just one semester. We set out to finish principle photography and we did it. If it weren't for our lead actress dropping at the last minute way back in December, we would not even have to shoot the few pick ups we have scheduled for after graduation. I am so proud of everyone for sticking with it and accomplishing something that I'm pretty sure no other undergrads have ever done before. No other grad program either. We shot an entire feature while still passing our classes, barely. For that we should all be proud. I know we still have a lot of work ahead of us in post, but I absolutely can not wait to show the final product to all the teachers and administration at the school. I can't wait to show all the people that laughed behind closed doors when they heard what we were trying to do. No one believed in us except ourselves. We all believed we could get it done and thats all that mattered. I can't wait for everyone to see what all our hard work amounted to and realize that we have accomplished something truly great.

Almost There

2009-05-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend went very well overall. Like always, its tough to look back and reflect because at this point in time, every day blends with the next. Friday we shot a pick up scene at the shadowy house and it went very smooth. It's amazing how much less pressure there is when you only have one scene to shoot as opposed to 5 or 6. Everyone is more relaxed and you can concentrate more on little details that you sometimes have to forgive when you are working against the clock. We also had a small crew, which sometimes makes this go faster rather than the opposite. Kelly and I stayed a bit longer to shoot some shadowy house establishing/cut in shots.

Saturday was a big test for me because I knew that Kelly was not going to be on set and that lighting was my responsibility. I know that I have learned a lot about lighting in these past few months but I was still a bit nervous about having to do it myself. My biggest problem is having confidence when it comes to lighting. I used a lot of CTB to cover the overhead halogens in the cafe and utilized the light from the sun through the big cafe windows. I used the omni's to fill in some more general light on wide and 2 shots. I had to use the soft box later on in the day because the sun was setting and not giving enough light through the windows. I know they weren't the hardest lighting set ups in the world but I was really proud of the way most of the lighting came out. Saturday really helped boost my confidence. We also did the really complex cafe shot that involved dollying in on Bobby at 12 fps. It was really tough because bobby had to stay completely still for like almost 4 minutes while all these other people were buzzing around him. I felt bad because his eyes kept watering because he was trying not to blink. I wish we had more extras for the shot. I was really impressed with Cody's system for controlling the extras in the background. He grouped them by numbers and called out each number when he wanted certain groups to move. I thought that was really cool.

Saturday night was just alright. We shot in a classroom, there were a ton of white walls and not really much we could do about it. In the interest of time, we were forced to use the shitty florescent overhead lights. They blew out the walls a lot which sucked but at least they didn't look green. I hated having to use them but to be honest we would have been shooting till 2 a.m. easy if we didn't and we had another big day early in the morning on sunday. It was a sacrifice we had to make. Enough about that.

I lit again without Kelly on sunday. I wasn't as nervous going in because of the small bit of confidence I was still riding on from saturday. It was also not the most complicated scene to light and I knew my main source would be motivated by the single window in the room. I clipped the soft box to a shelf next to the window with the mafer clamp to mimic sunlight and used the Omni's to fill in some more general. It was actually pretty simple. Maybe I just think its simple because I know more now... or maybe it was just simple. There were only a few shots that I wasn't completely happy with lighting wise on saturday but once again the clock was ticking and not everything can be perfect. I think the weirdest thing about sunday was that Brianne wasn't there and Cody was doubling as the A.D. It was so weird because Cody is always the one that wants to do just one more take and he had to play the opposite roll and be aware of time instead. I will never forget the moment that I wanted to do one more for safety and he looked at me and said, "we have to move on." I was so shocked because I'm usually the one thats pressing the time issue and he is usually the one that wants to do one more. It was actually kind of refreshing to have Cody as A.D. because it forced him to be more aware of the time. I found myself more relaxed, probably at the expense of Cody being more stressed haha. At the end of the day we moved over to the studio to shoot one dolly shot for the montage sequence. I used a a few of the studio lights for general and I used an Omni to backlight the students sitting and another one to light David and Lancaster. It was a fun shot to light. I'm actually starting to have fun lighting things. I remember when I used to hate it.... interesting.

Shooting Day 12-14

2009-02-24T07:27:00.001-08:00

It's hard to rewind all the way back to friday when we start our marathon of shooting every weekend. It seems as if fridays shoot was months ago. We shoot so much everyday it's hard to believe that the footage I'm reviewing was shot only a few days ago. Everything we shot on friday was at night because classes don't end until around 4. Overall it was a good night of shooting, we ended on time, which is a rarity for us, but we are getting better. Cody and I started meeting with Brianne (A.D) Before every shoot so she is even more on the same page as us as to what time we should be finishing each scene. Cody and I have also been drawing up overheads to go along with the shot list so that everyone can more easily understand where the camera will be positioned for each shot. This helps us all become more efficient.

The only really memorable moment from fridays shoot came when we were lighting an exterior car shot. We had 2 stingers running across the road with a power strip resting a foot away from the curb. We were running our lights and monitor off the power strip. All night we had been waving cars through, all of them running over the stingers no problem. Then this women comes down the road with no head lights on and I'm already thinking she must not be the the brightest bulb in the tree. I watch as she slows down when she sees all the lights and the people. She then proceeds to turn to the right as she crosses the stingers and runs right over the power strip, crushing it to pieces and killing all of our power. I started flipping out and had to walk away for a few minutes. That power strip was by no means in the middle of the road. This women had about 12 feet to the left of that strip to drive and she still ran over the box.

Saturday we shot from 9:00 A.M to 9:30 P.M. We were on the 12 foot jib for a lot of shots on saturday so that was fun. We were running behind schedule for one scene that was supposed to be during the day and the sun had already set so we had to shoot night for day. We had shot day for night plenty of times but not the other way around. It was changing to light the room the scene took place in because it was a wide shot so their was not much play as to where we could put lights. Kelly and I's first thought was put 3 lights outside and shine them directly through the window. Bad idea, lights were too direct and casted harsh shadows all over the place. Then I thought maybe we could bounce all the lights outside off a reflector inside to throw a softer light on the scene. This didn't work either because the lights just weren't powerful enough to shine through the window and bounce off the reflector to produce enough soft light. So then Kelly (gaffer) brought all 3 lights inside the room, lined them up just out of frame and bounced them off the corner off the wall and ceiling so that the bounced soft light filled the room. Yay, it worked. Took us a long time but hey we are learning. Next time we have to shoot night for day, we will know how to do it.

Sunday we shot from 9 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. We shot one of my favorite comedic scenes from the film in the morning. It was a fun scene to shoot not only because it was comedic, but because it was in a new location. We shot at my friend Dina's house. Her house is full of colors, hot pinks, purples, greens, reds. This was a refreshing change from the boring plain white walls of the Aspen Glen apartments (previous interior location). This scene went pretty smooth. We had to fake that there was snow on the ground for one exterior shot so Justin (art director) ran around with a purple shovel that Dina game him and shoveled as much snow into the frame from the few remaining mounds scattered about the yard. It was funny to watch him run around with that gay purple shovel.

Late afternoon we transported back to the white walls of Aspen Glen. We had some minor scenes here that went smooth but the two major scenes were the "make out" scene and the "after sex talk" scene. These were both very significant moments in the film and we wanted to make sure we got them right. Bobby and Jess (male and female leads) were both really nervous about the "make out" scene. They tried not be but you could easily tell they were. Cody and I had everyone leave set except for Josh (lead camera) and Aaron (audio). We hoped this would make it feel less like they were making out for an audience. Once we were ready Jess and Bobby went out in the hall for 10 minutes. I think they might have been making out to break the ice but I'm not sure. Thats what I would have done. Anyway, they came back and we did the scene. I think we got it in 6 takes. It wasn't exactly how I had envisioned it but I did not want to overstep my bounds and try and direct the scene. Cody had a vision and had went over blocking so I didn't want to step in and change things.

Next came the "after sex talk" scene. Bobby and Jess weren't as nervous for this I guess because they didn't have to make out. We shot this scene from the Jib and a few other angles for coverage. I really liked how this scene came out visually. I didn't have an audio hook up so I couldn't hear their lines but I'm assuming they nailed it because Cody was happy. We ended 3 hours late but those scenes were really important so it was okay. Solid weekend.

Shooting Day 9/Pick Up day 1

2009-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

The week from hell didn't result in a complete wast of a weekend. We were able to shoot half of what we were supposed to on friday. Everyone scrambled to put together one robe and one mask, the bare minimum for what was needed to shoot half of fridays stuff. We lost saturday completely unfortunately because we needed robes and we just didn't have them. Sunday we salvaged as a pick up day to shoot the few scenes that we had missed on prior days. It was a good feeling to pick up all the scenes. However, although these scenes are now picked up, the scenes that we lost because of robe issues on friday/saturday put us back in the hole, thus leaving us in the same position that we started.

Friday's shoot was one of the hardest shoots in terms of lighting set ups. We shot on a back road with no street lights. All the lights were powered from a generator that my Dad brought to set. The generator worked great for power but we are going to have to do ADR for the sound because the generator engine was so loud. It was really tough lighting a night scene without making it look unnatural. Having Kenny there really saved us. (Kenny is Kelly's boyfriend who works as a professional gaffer in the "real world.") He really helped a lot.

I think the production meeting we held on saturday was very productive. It was basically a meeting to discuss what went wrong this past week that led up to the "almost blown" weekend. It was also an open forum for anyone in the crew to discuss concerns that they had. This went very well and I was glad that we handled this near disaster in a professional way so that something like this will not happen again. It is so important that we work together as a crew and get all our problems/opinions out on the table so that their is no boiling resentment on set that could potentially hurt the overall outcome of the film.

Week From Hell

2009-02-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

This week has been filled with nothing but opportunities. Everything that could have gone wrong, has. First, we were denied our shooting location on circular ave. that prior to this week we thought was all set. Then, we found out the costumes for the actors were not even CLOSE to being ready for this weekends shoots. Then, Cody and I realized that some of the scenes that were scheduled to be shot on saturday the actors were not prepared for. It seems there just isn't enough time in the week for us to be fully prepared.

With all this said, shooting must continue. I wrote a letter to the women who denied us our location emphasizing the validity of our project and trying to convince her that this was something worth reconsidering. After a battle of almost an entire day, our location was once again set. OPPORTUNITY ONE SOLVED at the expense of me and others wasting a whole day battling and not getting any REAL work done.

Vinnie, Justin and others took off for New York to head to Vinnie's Grandmothers house to sew like mad. Vinnie's grandmother apparently has a sewing machine and her and a few of the crew members are going at it with trying to sew the robes for tomorrows shoots. I haven't heard an update from them yet but I'm going to be optimistic and say, OPPORTUNITY TWO SOLVED.

Cody and I went back over all the scenes for the weekend and cut a few that the actors were not prepared for. These cuts should not set us back in the long run because we are returning to the circular Ave. house anyway in the spring to shoot some other scenes. We will shoot the scenes that we cut out from this weekend then. Our day wont be as long as we expected on saturday which is also good. OPPORTUNITY THREE SOLVED.

Cody did some work on the website earlier and then I spent forever on the website today getting it up and running finally. I was glad when I finished but now its 4:30 and the shot list still isn't finished because I've been spending my time on things that I shouldn't have to. However, the show must go on and at least now we have a website to send out to EVERYONE.

Shooting Days 6-8

2009-02-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

So we all survived the weekend... barely. We stayed in a shitty hotel thursday night, woke up at 5 A.M. to shoot at sunrise and continued to shoot late into friday night. Fridays shoots went relatively smooth considering we were down crew members. We had a few issues with missing wardrobe pieces that were vital to the scene but we ran to Walmart and carried on. I had to take over for Josh (The Engineer) as well as worrying about each and every shot. It was tough doing Josh's job, he knows the equipment so well and I think it slowed us down that it took me longer to prepare the camera etc. I was happy with the shots on friday and the dedication everyone showed. Late friday night we found out that the diner scene that we planned to shoot on saturday was no longer happening because the owners refused to let us film. They said the weekend was too busy for them even though that had agreed on the date months prior. It sucked that we couldn't shoot in the diner but after seeing how long saturday turned out to be without the diner scene, I don't think we would have survived if it had not been canceled. Saturday we woke up at 5:00 A.M. once again for sunrise and didn't wrap up shooting until 1:30 in the morning. We shot everything we had planned but I wouldn't exactly consider that "making our day." We had a break in the mid afternoon but we can't consider a 21 hour shooting day a complete success. We can't expect the crew and the actors to perform at their best if they are getting 4-5 hours of sleep for 3 nights in a row. We need to work on faster setup times. Everyone, including myself, was really struggling this weekend and it made me nervous. However, we got through it with a bunch of really great shots, and I respect everyone in cast and crew for sticking it out. No one gave up and thats what is important. Kelly and I had a long talk on the way home about improving set up time and I think Cody will be onboard when he hears what we discussed. Kelly and I also went over the shooting schedule for next weekend on the way home. It will be another long weekend with some tough lighting set ups but I am confident that we can pull it off. Thats all for now, looking forward to getting a good nights sleep.

Shooting Days 4 & 5

2009-02-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

After shooting 14 hours on saturday with a 5 hour turn around into sundays 8 hour shoot, we are all still standing. We shot night for day on Saturday's shoot, so Kelly and I tented all the windows and doors, allowing no natural light to fill the set. It was long and intense, but we got through it and we made the day. If I didn't have a pocket full of granola bars I probably would have died. I can't say all of us were in the best of spirits as 1:00 A.M. rolled around and we were still shooting, but the important thing is no one gave up. Pulling onto campus at 8:00 A.M. the next morning and seeing some of the crew already beginning to congregate at the meeting place was a great feeling. This was one moment where I knew that there were others in the crew that were as dedicated to TMC as I am. To see the commitment and dedication of others in the crew really makes me feel great about this film. In terms of creating a shot list, Cody and I have gotten better at visually expressing where the shot will be set up to one another so that there is no confusion on set. Communication as a whole on set is getting better, not quite there completely, but getting better. Every shoot we get more efficient as a crew, and thats what counts. Overall I would say it was a successful weekend. I learned a lot, as I do every shoot. We are holding a meeting today with the heads of every department to discuss how we can do better next weekend and eliminate any "opportunities" that we had last weekend from popping up again.

It Begins

2009-01-26T18:34:00.000-08:00

Pre-production has long since wrapped and principle photography has now begun. We have already run into a few "opportunities" (our replacement word for "problems" on set) but the show must go on. Everyone handled the first speed bump extremely well and believe me, it was by no means a small one. I have complete confidence in the crew and being able to trust everyone involved is extremely comforting to me. My eye grows stronger with every shoot. I notice color and light in ways I never have before. We didn't make our day on saturday, but I'm not worried. Each shoot is a lesson, and there is still much to be learned. Next weekend will be a challenge, as is every weekend, but thats what makes us push to do our best, and I know we are all up for it.