Previous Entries

Week 1 (june 5)

filed by Becca

Working with sound is one of the most interesting departments on the set. David Ronne took the time to explain how sound works. He has also explained how sensitive the human ear is compared to the microphone, the difference being 1 million to 1. He has explained how the mixing board works and how to hold a boom mic properly. I really enjoy working with people who take such care in the performance of their work.

filed by Michael

Week two Cam story: This is the story of capturing light, drawing attention, and creating a visual style that is both unique, and effective.

Wk 2 Prod story: This is the story of dedication, creativity, and careful attention to detail in the completion of each task.

filed by mark

Our first week of shooting has just commenced, and the energy level seems to have risen considerably. Time is definitely the most important aspect of creating a Hollywood film, as you only have so many hours in a day and only so much sunlight. Props works in an on/off sort of way, in the sense of having an hour of chaos to set up the scene and get every character set up with their on-screen props, and then downtime when the scene actually starts shooting.

We filmed this week at an abandoned hospital, the outside of a coffee shop, a hotel, a horseracing track, and multiple rooms at a lodge. We also got our first look at special effects this week, including a smoke generator and a vat of broken mirror shards filled with water to cause a reflection on the wall.

All of the cast members are very hardworking, and on Thursday and Friday John Turturro gave some of the best live performances I’ve ever seen. Next week, I’ll be rotating over to the sound department to learn on-set recording and the fundamentals of sound itself.

filed by Dan

The first week of filming was incredible. Throughout the week I worked with the electric crew. I began to anticipate what needed to be done instead of just waiting to be told. I realized that the job entails working as fast as possible to set up the lights on set so that the scene can be filmed without delay. Then we must be ready to adjust anything to make the shot look exactly as the director and director of photography envisioned.

One of the most exciting things I was able to witness was the acting done by Anthony Hopkins. He had a big emotional scene on Wednesday. As soon as the camera cut, he was all smiles and began discussing the next shot. The way he was able to turn on and off his emotions like a light switch was phenomenal.

filed by Jeff

Everything went into full swing this week. The principle photography began and everyone started his/her various jobs. My job this week was to continue working with the assistant directors. My responsibilities varied from day to day, but included helping lock up the sets (making sure that everyone kept quiet during filming and that no one walked into a shot), helping actors to their trailers and to the set, and doing lots of copying of schedules. Every day there is a call sheet given out usually with a map. This tells the cast and crew about the following days shooting schedule and location. I was the one who copied and stapled these together.

My job consisted mostly of filling in the gaps in the AD department so that everything would run more smoothly. It was a job that demanded me to be on the radio constantly and to be alert at all times and to do whatever job was needed around the set – even things as mundane as getting coffee or water for people.

It was a wonderful week and I learned so much about the specifics of coordinating all of the various departments so that everything and everyone works together as one big, productive machine. I can’t wait to see what I will learn next week in the desert.

filed by tim

With week two over I can honestly say that things couldn’t be going any better. Working with the grips has continued to develop my vocabulary and understanding of the manipulation of light on film. The greatest thing about working with the brother grips is being on set and an arm’s reach away from Dante Spinotti. It’s one thing to study a master’s work from the confines of a classroom, but it’s quite another to be able to watch the master at work.

I continue to believe that the precious few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to work on this production have been far more valuable to me as an aspiring filmmaker than any number of film theory classes could ever be. Whatever this experience leads to in my future, I’ll forever be grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and the connections I’ve made on set. So much of this business is about work ethic and social skills and this week I hope to not only further develop in both areas but prove myself to those around me as well.

filed by laura

We have had an amazing week here. The students have been involved in every aspect of this production, working long hours alongside the crew. When I asked the production photographer to be sure to get the students working, he paid us the greatest compliment by telling me he couldn’t tell them apart from the crew.

Though we are all rather exhausted, we all love what is happening, drawn to the glow like moths to the light. It is a bit like magic watching the creation of a beautiful shot from what looks like a rather ordinary place. An empty building becomes a hospital room; vacant rooms are transformed into living quarters or emergency rooms. Students watch as the crew carefully designs each shot with light, set and props. Once action is called, the set falls to silence while everyone watches the actors perform sometimes repeated takes to get the very best performance.

We have been shooting on location around the LA area. The entire crew, its trailers and its equipment move around like a self-contained city on wheels. We will be posting photos to give you a sense of what this all looks like.

We will drive to the desert and spend the week there shooting. Then we will return to LA for the weekend and move to another location the following week. I had a chance to spend some time with the editor, Michael Miller while in LA. We discussed various shots and now, having seen many of them in production, I am anxious to see how he will edit them together to complete this intriguing script.