filed by Becca

This week we attended a pre-production meeting.  It was amazing to see all of the things we have learned in classes being discussed and decided upon in a much larger scale.  I spent most of my time helping out in different departments at the production office.  This gave me a broader overall view of everything that goes into producing a film.  I never realized the extremely minute details that go into the preparation of each scene.  I am anxious to see all of the different departments come together to produce one scene as part of a movie.

filed by Michael

My first week of production consisted of working with the camera department for pre-production.  The work consisted of prepping two Genesis HD cameras and one Panastar 35mm film camera.  All prep work was done at Panavision in Woodland Hills, a few minutes from Hollywood.  Some specifics tasks included prepping filters, lenses and the VTR decks and also doing a "steady test" for the one film camera.  In addition, multiple focus tests were preformed on the two HD cams to ensure accurate focus calibration.  The three cameras are organized as follows: Camera A=Red, Camera B=Blue and Camera C=Green.  The labeling of all gear associated with each camera is extremely important to the prep process to ensure the right gear is with the right camera, and also so that on the shoots each camera/gear will be easily identifiable.

filed by mark

This has been an incredible first week in L.A.  Upon settling in, we went straight to Venice Beach and walked the strip of seemingly endless shops.  The beach and mountains behind it are quite a sight to see. 

As for the film production aspect, we went to a test shoot on Tuesday and were introduced to Sir Anthony Hopkins himself.  He's incredibly down to earth for such a famous actor and really gave us a warm welcome.  It seems that this film has truly been a labor of love for him and he told us it's great to have us working on it with him.

I've been overloaded with information and have learned more in the first week about filmmaking than I have in the past twenty-four years of my life.  I'm starting out in the Props Department and will probably be rotated to another after the first week.  I already like props just because of the sheer amount of prop houses I've visited.  They all have really cool stuff like fake weapons and set designs. 

We start shooting this week and I anticipate very long days and very tired nights, but it's well worth it because of not only the education, but the chance to work on a true Hollywood film.

filed by Dan

The first day I met the electric crew at Panavision Studios for a test shoot. Though they did not have much for me to do the first day, I simply observed the entire production process. I mostly tried to get names right and figure out the structure of each crew and their roles on set.

On Wednesday we sat in on a pre-production meeting with the heads of each crew, where they read through the script and discussed each scene and what complications might arise. What was interesting was that the Assistant Director ran the meeting, not director, Anthony Hopkins.

The end of the week was prep work. I went with the electric crew and loaded their production truck, which was a three-day process. The amount of lights, stands, and cables needed for an independent film was immense.

filed by Jeff

The first week was pretty laid back. We had plenty of time to figure out what we were doing and to feel out our surroundings. We saw the sights a bit (Venice Beach, Mulholland Drive, Hollywood) and also had a bit of time to actually see some of the preproduction work. I spent the majority of my time in the office as an intern for the Assistant Directors. The things I have learned thus far are invaluable to me as a prospective filmmaker and I can only imagine the things that are going to come in the hard work of the next few weeks.

filed by tim

So with week one in the bag I can honestly say that I never would have thought that things would go so smoothly.  I was assigned to the grip department and after meeting the Key Grip, Michel Barrere, was quickly folded in to the mix helping out my new “brother grips” with nearly every task.  I assisted Michel, Danny Duggan and Charlie Edwards on the first test shoot with Panavision’s Genesis camera--really cool stuff.  We then spent the rest of the week at Paskal Grip in Hollywood prepping and loading our grip truck, which will be the grip base camp for the next eight weeks.  I’m learning new things every day: equipment names and uses, knot tying, how not to hammer my thumb to a 2x4 — all very technical stuff. 

I’m so incredibly appreciative of everything I’ve already learned and look forward to increasing that knowledge on set while observing Dante Spinotti at work.

filed by laura

On Monday, June 5th, we decided to travel to Hollywood, locate Anthony Hopkins’ star and photograph the students lying on the sidewalk around it. As we searched for the star, I received a call from the production coordinator who informed me that the students were invited to a camera test the next day. The film was being shot on Panavision’s new Genesis HD camera, and final tests were to happen on Tuesday. At this time, students received their initial assignments. Dan Marder was assigned to electric, Mark Hoffmeister to props, Michael Gentile to camera, Tim Piper to grips and Becca to wardrobe. Becca’s assignment was later changed to sound.

Since I announced this program, I was continually asked if I thought we would be able to see Hopkins without binoculars. Amazingly, not only did we meet him, but after greeting each student, he carefully rehearsed their names. He was warm and welcoming, as was producer Stella Arroyave, who is also acting in the film. They both thanked me for bringing the students to work on the film. In the stuffy, crowded, over-lit and over-heated Panavision soundstage, this all seemed very surreal.

The general feeling on the set was very positive. The crew was very friendly and welcomed us aboard. The students found the set to be endlessly fascinating. Some of them wandered past my chair at the camera test and just murmured things like “I am definitely moving here” ...“I have always wanted to do this”...“I am trying to memorize everything I see”...“Though you told us repeatedly, I never understood how important lighting was.”

On Wednesday, we attended a production meeting. The students insisted that we always arrive early, and I willingly complied. We followed Robert Katz into a large room with tables and chairs arranged to accommodate about 40 attendees. The students were encouraged to get coffee and bagels while we waited for Dante Spinotti, the cinematographer, to arrive. The entire crew introduced themselves and we were invited to do the same.

We all listened carefully while the assistant director, Jim Sbardellati, walked everyone through the script scene by scene. He mentioned changes from the previous version, putting off detailed discussions to a later meeting time. During the break, I was approached by the sound person, David Ronne, about the possibility of assigning a student to work on sound. The other person who requested an intern was special effects coordinator Ron Trost.

We ended week one rather successfully — all having learned a good deal about actual Hollywood film production. Monday, June 12, is the first day of the shoot so we will arise at 6 AM for a long drive and a 7 AM call in Pasadena.