Today's shooting was great. The only nuisance were the bugs. Not really a problem but more like an annoyance. So glad that we were able to get the equipment in the house before the scattered t-storms hit. This will probably be the last blog that I mention this but my new name around the set if officially Hancock or Will Smith. No problem but I still say he looks more like me than I do him. To the crew members in the car, and you know who you are, you were right The Carter III is nice. :D
I cannot really say that I am looking forward to this weekend but I know things will go well. It feels good to work with individuals who are as passionate about this field as I am. There are virtually no disagreements plenty of suggestions and advice and lack of ego. Most importantly everyone is there or telling someone in advance that they cannot be present.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
To the Left, To the Left
These past few days of filming have created so many fond memories in my mind, that it is hard to even begin to describe how much fun I've been having. Of course, along with the fun we have been doing some outstanding work- and have been learning alot.
Yesterday at Zipps we had a blast. I felt like it was going to be our hardest day yet because we were dealing with so many obstacles- some we hadn't faced before. We had extras on set (who did a fantastic job), we were in a public location that we couldn't control, and we were dealing w/ the ever changing sunlight. However, our tech crew did a fantastic job and got everything done. There is nothing more rewarding then accomplishing everything you set out to do for a day. We had a blast on set messing around outside- and getting to know some of the people in Muncie. They all were very interested in our project, and seemed to think we had a good thing going. I also decided that I would like to purchase one of those beach homes because they are awesome!
Today we were back at the Baron House and filmed all of our exterior stuff there. After a quick run for more track we were "on a roll" (Haha- ok, no.) Those shots looked awesome and we had fun with that too. I was our interm "Offline Editor" today- however I don't look quite so much like Jake Gyllenhaal, oh well- I do what I can. In the morning Tara, Hossley, Brian, Heather, Starla, and myself were up in the bedroom trying to re-set dress- and I commented on how Tara did a fantastic job of making it impossible to re-create. She wasn't amused. So then I broke up my Beyonce ringtone to help assist her in her art hangin. Again, she wasn't amused. (The rest of us were) All around- we think we got it done- and it looked pretty good.
I also made a pretty bad Sean Penn joke- again- most people wern't amused- or they just didn't get it. Betsy did- so that was good.
I feel like these past few days have been a good "warm-up" for this upcoming weekend. We are going to have a ton to do- and we're going to be constantly doing things- no sitting around- and its going to be hard and tiring, but it is going to be so much fun. I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I'm sure the hilarity won't end.
Sam
Yesterday at Zipps we had a blast. I felt like it was going to be our hardest day yet because we were dealing with so many obstacles- some we hadn't faced before. We had extras on set (who did a fantastic job), we were in a public location that we couldn't control, and we were dealing w/ the ever changing sunlight. However, our tech crew did a fantastic job and got everything done. There is nothing more rewarding then accomplishing everything you set out to do for a day. We had a blast on set messing around outside- and getting to know some of the people in Muncie. They all were very interested in our project, and seemed to think we had a good thing going. I also decided that I would like to purchase one of those beach homes because they are awesome!
Today we were back at the Baron House and filmed all of our exterior stuff there. After a quick run for more track we were "on a roll" (Haha- ok, no.) Those shots looked awesome and we had fun with that too. I was our interm "Offline Editor" today- however I don't look quite so much like Jake Gyllenhaal, oh well- I do what I can. In the morning Tara, Hossley, Brian, Heather, Starla, and myself were up in the bedroom trying to re-set dress- and I commented on how Tara did a fantastic job of making it impossible to re-create. She wasn't amused. So then I broke up my Beyonce ringtone to help assist her in her art hangin. Again, she wasn't amused. (The rest of us were) All around- we think we got it done- and it looked pretty good.
I also made a pretty bad Sean Penn joke- again- most people wern't amused- or they just didn't get it. Betsy did- so that was good.
I feel like these past few days have been a good "warm-up" for this upcoming weekend. We are going to have a ton to do- and we're going to be constantly doing things- no sitting around- and its going to be hard and tiring, but it is going to be so much fun. I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I'm sure the hilarity won't end.
Sam
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Three Evils Embodied in Sight and Sound
Each day shooting success has been pin pointed to various areas of production and today was nothing different. But todays success came from a new area of the production process; the three Extra's involved in the gang altercation added with an impromptu back alley location, which provided further authenticity. Each Extra held an importance all to their own, while working collectively as a team. They took scene 28 and brought it to life.
Not only was today our first day with Extra's, but also our first day with a live, and often participating audience.
Not only was today our first day with Extra's, but also our first day with a live, and often participating audience.
To continue with the joke -
Jerry Owens or Will Smith, you decide
Date 6-26-08
Today we filmed in front of Zipps in Muncie. This day was the most unbearable so far in terms of heat. But the crew stayed positive as always which always makes the day go so much quicker. I had just gotten a haircut and now I look like Will Smith in Hancock. The crew made every crack under the sun about it. Some wanted me to sing some of Will Smith's songs unfortunately other than the Fresh Prince Belair Theme song I knew none by heart. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Grab focus, left... pan left..stop... tighten up
"Grab focus, left... pan left..stop... tighten up" Some people seem to think I say these things a lot, but until I learn ESP I will have to yell these things on set all day, every day. There is no better way to communicate with a camera operator. Maybe it is a curse of the DP, I don't know. I wonder if that is how it is on real movie sets, some guy yelling camera jargon from a far?
Ok now some input from my POV (point of View) haha, camera terminology joke.
This production has really started to move now. The crew has finally gotten comfortable, almost like a bunch of bunk buddies at camp, except we don't sleep in log cabins, with each other. Maybe some of you sleep in cabins, and if you do invite the whole crew over and it will be like camp. The crew getting use to each other is really showing because we are able to communicate and work more efficiently. We are starting to tackle some harder setups and tougher shooting situations. You really appreciate the maneuverability of a nice HMI light inside, after having to just deal with where the sun feels like shining light.
Note: DON'T SHOOT OUTSIDE AT NOON
1. if its summer, its the hottest part of the day
2. if you have skin, you sunburn, unless you generously apply sun screen like our crew does. ___ Normally I would insert a winky face here:
a. that may imply something
b. it would kind of look stupid
c. ;( ;) ;0 ;| I couldn't decide which one looked right.
p.s. I am not sure a semi colon really looks like a winking eye
3.oh yeah and three, there are fewer shadows to give a modeling, 3D quality to your video images.
I will say our camera and lighting crews are rock'n. I will say that as of right now I am 100% happy with about 85% of the footage we have shot already. Things are looking great, and for the things I was not as happy with was no fault of anyone. Honestly, they were all the shots that I wasn't the best prepared for. Just when Brian and I would have some basic idea of a lighting plot, things came out looking great. It was when neither of us had even thought of setups, that we were disappointed with the outcome of the image on screen. Other than that things could not look better, well maybe, but I am very happy with the look.
You can't plan everything, today at the Gang scene at Zipp's we stumbled upon the perfect location for it to happen. It was just in an alley behind Zipp's, not in the road, we did not have to try to close off a city block, we were not in anyones way for the most part, and it looked better than what I imagined for the scene. Zipp's was the best location yet. Thank you to the owner for allowing us to film there.
Jib cranes are awesome.
Ok now some input from my POV (point of View) haha, camera terminology joke.
This production has really started to move now. The crew has finally gotten comfortable, almost like a bunch of bunk buddies at camp, except we don't sleep in log cabins, with each other. Maybe some of you sleep in cabins, and if you do invite the whole crew over and it will be like camp. The crew getting use to each other is really showing because we are able to communicate and work more efficiently. We are starting to tackle some harder setups and tougher shooting situations. You really appreciate the maneuverability of a nice HMI light inside, after having to just deal with where the sun feels like shining light.
Note: DON'T SHOOT OUTSIDE AT NOON
1. if its summer, its the hottest part of the day
2. if you have skin, you sunburn, unless you generously apply sun screen like our crew does. ___ Normally I would insert a winky face here:
a. that may imply something
b. it would kind of look stupid
c. ;( ;) ;0 ;| I couldn't decide which one looked right.
p.s. I am not sure a semi colon really looks like a winking eye
3.oh yeah and three, there are fewer shadows to give a modeling, 3D quality to your video images.
I will say our camera and lighting crews are rock'n. I will say that as of right now I am 100% happy with about 85% of the footage we have shot already. Things are looking great, and for the things I was not as happy with was no fault of anyone. Honestly, they were all the shots that I wasn't the best prepared for. Just when Brian and I would have some basic idea of a lighting plot, things came out looking great. It was when neither of us had even thought of setups, that we were disappointed with the outcome of the image on screen. Other than that things could not look better, well maybe, but I am very happy with the look.
You can't plan everything, today at the Gang scene at Zipp's we stumbled upon the perfect location for it to happen. It was just in an alley behind Zipp's, not in the road, we did not have to try to close off a city block, we were not in anyones way for the most part, and it looked better than what I imagined for the scene. Zipp's was the best location yet. Thank you to the owner for allowing us to film there.
Jib cranes are awesome.
Day 7 Review
Here's the summary for today:
Weather: Good, but a little too cloudy at times.
Crew: Great! We continue to work well together and continue to amaze me!
Actors: Fabulous as always!
Location: Just what we needed. We were able to tailor the script to fit perfectly with the scenery.
The Locals: Very interested in our project and really nice!
And we finished ahead of schedule! Heather was right when she said we'd "blow it out of the park!"
I do believe this is my shortest post yet! Oh, as a side note, I hear other crew members are starting to dream about the film. I'm glad that I'm not the only one.
Talk to ya after the weekend shoot.
Weather: Good, but a little too cloudy at times.
Crew: Great! We continue to work well together and continue to amaze me!
Actors: Fabulous as always!
Location: Just what we needed. We were able to tailor the script to fit perfectly with the scenery.
The Locals: Very interested in our project and really nice!
And we finished ahead of schedule! Heather was right when she said we'd "blow it out of the park!"
I do believe this is my shortest post yet! Oh, as a side note, I hear other crew members are starting to dream about the film. I'm glad that I'm not the only one.
Talk to ya after the weekend shoot.
Zipp it!
Yeah! So, I could not think of a great title!
Today, was an amazing more rather "fab" day! No rain, thanks Mother Nature! Extras, we wonderful (best first take ever!) People in the community were very outgoing and curious! Crew is excellent, I personally feel like we are becoming this big ol' free wall family, we joke around and we get things done! A great combo! I love you guys! You make my job smooth! Can't wait till Thursday!
Today, was an amazing more rather "fab" day! No rain, thanks Mother Nature! Extras, we wonderful (best first take ever!) People in the community were very outgoing and curious! Crew is excellent, I personally feel like we are becoming this big ol' free wall family, we joke around and we get things done! A great combo! I love you guys! You make my job smooth! Can't wait till Thursday!
Cameras to the Grindstone (figuratively, that is)
The biggest thing we’ve been doing lately, of course, is filming our butts off.
This week, we’re filming Monday through Thursday, then we have Saturday-Monday shoots in Indy at the factory. All of these days are very long days, specifically the Indy weekend, as these are very important scenes that are integral to making an awesome film.
This week, we’re filming Monday through Thursday, then we have Saturday-Monday shoots in Indy at the factory. All of these days are very long days, specifically the Indy weekend, as these are very important scenes that are integral to making an awesome film.
From my perspective as a Producer, I want to keep everyone happy and positive concerning the film. Sort of like the “class mom” figure when we were in school. Keep everyone fed and on task, and using positive reinforcement throughout the filming day. I really don’t think everyone on crew realizes what AMAZING work they’re doing here. This crew works together so well, on both a technical and personal level. So what I’ve been doing is when I see someone doing amazing that day, I let them know. And I’m big on high fives, because they’re awesome. Pro-activity really is key on something like this. I use the word a lot on set and in other conversations, so get used to it, haha.
Betsy stepped in as the in-charge prof come second summer session, and I also have to say that I’m impressed with how she’s come in and jelled with the crew. She’s been a big help with giving advice and suggestions that are almost always used. And she’s got that trusty iPhone, haha. It’s unfortunate that she won’t be there for most of our Indy weekend, but she’ll be back on Monday, and I think it’ll be good to have both her and Rich back to be our sort-of “hands-off” EPs.
Today we’re shooting locally again, the “gang altercation” scene as it’s tended to be called. My only concern is the potential rain. It happened last week and put a bit of a damper on the rest of the filming day. But we’re also more prepared this time for rain, so I think we’ll blow it out of the park. :)
Monday, June 23, 2008
Twins, Puppies, and 3 hours of sleep
So on Sunday we had our prop set up at Eric's house. A select few of us showed up and were able to partake in the cutest puppy, the wrapping of 1 box and 2 suitcases full of bottles, and wrapping up the day with a little rock session. It was a ton of fun to get everything done and then be able to relax and rock out. Some of our crew members have some pretty amazing skills on the guitars and drums.
Today we had our first filming with the Jib at Eric's house. We had a fun time loading up all of our cars with equipment and driving the 4 minutes to Eric's house. unloading the Jib and figuring out how to set it up was the first major task. We were able to run around and get everything set up pretty quickly. For having new equipment on set I was shocked at just how smoothly things went. I was happy that I got to use the Jib for the first time today and had a blast doing it. I know that the guys pushing and pulling on the dolly did an amazing job because with all that weight and limited mobility it is not as easy as it looks and I don't think I could have done with as much grace as they did.
We had our baby on set today and minus a few little cryings here and there she did a great job. I was surprised at just how relaxed and easy she was at us moving her around all over the place and having a like 10 sets of lights and eyes on her. So I thought that this was rather a success. All of our actors were very easy going and great to work with.
Overall we may not have gotten done everything we wanted but I still think the day was a great success. It's funny what a lack of sleep will do to you.
And Sam and I just so happened to want to be twins today and wore the exact same outfit. You see what being on the same crew does to you. Pictures soon to come.
And one last note. I made a universal email address for our group. It's: freewall08@gmail.com, I made it so we could have one and also I needed one for our kodak gallery, which uses the same address. I will be emailing out passwords so everyone has access.
Keep up the good work everyone! We have to hang in there, this is going to be a long week!
Today we had our first filming with the Jib at Eric's house. We had a fun time loading up all of our cars with equipment and driving the 4 minutes to Eric's house. unloading the Jib and figuring out how to set it up was the first major task. We were able to run around and get everything set up pretty quickly. For having new equipment on set I was shocked at just how smoothly things went. I was happy that I got to use the Jib for the first time today and had a blast doing it. I know that the guys pushing and pulling on the dolly did an amazing job because with all that weight and limited mobility it is not as easy as it looks and I don't think I could have done with as much grace as they did.
We had our baby on set today and minus a few little cryings here and there she did a great job. I was surprised at just how relaxed and easy she was at us moving her around all over the place and having a like 10 sets of lights and eyes on her. So I thought that this was rather a success. All of our actors were very easy going and great to work with.
Overall we may not have gotten done everything we wanted but I still think the day was a great success. It's funny what a lack of sleep will do to you.
And Sam and I just so happened to want to be twins today and wore the exact same outfit. You see what being on the same crew does to you. Pictures soon to come.
And one last note. I made a universal email address for our group. It's: freewall08@gmail.com, I made it so we could have one and also I needed one for our kodak gallery, which uses the same address. I will be emailing out passwords so everyone has access.
Keep up the good work everyone! We have to hang in there, this is going to be a long week!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
You know something is taking over your life when...
Before I say what's on my mind, I would like to apologize for my last post. I might have come across as more negative than I intended. I can do that sometimes. Let me say that the shoot at the factory was a good day. We just had a few problems. I still have great confidence in this project and this amazing crew!
So, I had a dream Thursday night. (great segue, huh?) My dream was about the Free Wall film crew. We were at my church on a Sunday morning. The crew and I were actually members of the Youth Group. (Weird since most of us are seniors in College) Anyway, we were there for the worship service and were acting like it was just a typical Sunday morning. However, once the service was over, we started gathering our equipment because we were apparently filming somewhere in the church building. That's all I remember.
This just goes to show you how much this film is on my mind. I remember when I started dreaming about work. I knew at that point how much a part of my life it truly was. I guess the same can be said for Free Wall.
L8er
So, I had a dream Thursday night. (great segue, huh?) My dream was about the Free Wall film crew. We were at my church on a Sunday morning. The crew and I were actually members of the Youth Group. (Weird since most of us are seniors in College) Anyway, we were there for the worship service and were acting like it was just a typical Sunday morning. However, once the service was over, we started gathering our equipment because we were apparently filming somewhere in the church building. That's all I remember.
This just goes to show you how much this film is on my mind. I remember when I started dreaming about work. I knew at that point how much a part of my life it truly was. I guess the same can be said for Free Wall.
L8er
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pictures
I noticed that not everyone has signed up for the pictures on the Flckr account. I also noticed today that when I was trying to upload more pictures I couldn't upload all the ones I took. There is a set limit per month of how many we can upload. I am going to make a Kodakgallery for pictures that way it is easy to upload and share. I will send out the information to everyone but just wanted to give the heads up.
We can still use the Flickr account I just wanted to be able to post up all of my pictures as they come. Let me know if anyone has any problems with that or wants me to use a different site.
We can still use the Flickr account I just wanted to be able to post up all of my pictures as they come. Let me know if anyone has any problems with that or wants me to use a different site.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Baby Puke Green
So yesterday was amazing. I had the best time in the car with Betsy, Sam, and Heather. Might add Betsy has great taste in music as well. We had fun and led the pack to Indy. As soon as we got there they trusted my mapping skills and I took the production group out through Indy to try and find a CVS to get the props and ice for the day. It was quite an adventure, but we seemed to make it out alive.
On set I was able to operate the camera all day, with the exception of a subway break. This was the best feeling ever. I had an amazing time try to make the shots just the way Shawn wanted them. We had a few issues with either too much sun or not enough. The awkward shadows and reflections were issues at times but it seemed to work out the way they wanted in the end. I think I had more fun doing the second half of the day because it ran so smoothly until the wonderful downpour.
I was quite impressed with the running with equipment and packing the van skills. I thought that we all worked together nicely in getting things where they needed to be without damaging anything other than a few soaked bodies and a minor injury to Starla (which my handy dandy first Aid skills fixed).
I love how Starla's post said I'm riding with Hossley, oh my dear Starla how I missed our car adventures :) Sorry we didn't get to ride together.
I was disappointed with today. I was pumped about filming again after catching up on 12 hours of sleep. Instead I finished my book. But I hope that we can get in all of our filming next week so we don't get behind at all. I hate not filming because I feel like we are too far behind. But think overall we have done a great job with our progression in filming. I can't wait to see what everything looks like when we are done.
It's been fun working together and making new friends here on campus. And I am really excited to have everyone over next weekend for the pool party at my place. I think this is a great group and even if there are bumps in the road I think we will make it out on top in the end. ( sounds highly corny but it is the truth).
p.s. I must say though that baby puke green cars are not the way to go.
On set I was able to operate the camera all day, with the exception of a subway break. This was the best feeling ever. I had an amazing time try to make the shots just the way Shawn wanted them. We had a few issues with either too much sun or not enough. The awkward shadows and reflections were issues at times but it seemed to work out the way they wanted in the end. I think I had more fun doing the second half of the day because it ran so smoothly until the wonderful downpour.
I was quite impressed with the running with equipment and packing the van skills. I thought that we all worked together nicely in getting things where they needed to be without damaging anything other than a few soaked bodies and a minor injury to Starla (which my handy dandy first Aid skills fixed).
I love how Starla's post said I'm riding with Hossley, oh my dear Starla how I missed our car adventures :) Sorry we didn't get to ride together.
I was disappointed with today. I was pumped about filming again after catching up on 12 hours of sleep. Instead I finished my book. But I hope that we can get in all of our filming next week so we don't get behind at all. I hate not filming because I feel like we are too far behind. But think overall we have done a great job with our progression in filming. I can't wait to see what everything looks like when we are done.
It's been fun working together and making new friends here on campus. And I am really excited to have everyone over next weekend for the pool party at my place. I think this is a great group and even if there are bumps in the road I think we will make it out on top in the end. ( sounds highly corny but it is the truth).
p.s. I must say though that baby puke green cars are not the way to go.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
You'll Have That
Today was, without a doubt, my favorite day of shooting so far. (Yes I know, 3 to pick from, but hey- let me be) What I have learned so far is that even if I don't gain any sort of technical skill (which I don't think Rich would allow me to do) it is the stupid car rides, 20 minute relationships, and duck and covers that make this fun. I must say that riding with Heather, Hossley, and Betsy today was fantastic. Once on set today I got to (as a production person) participate in a little more of the "technical" things. I got to mess up Jeff's shot log thingy and hold a light for awhile. It was fun to see how all that cool stuff works too. I guess today was also emotionally scaring because within a half an hour I started and ended a relationship, and I'm clearly all broken up inside.
Then- as you all know the rain came. As production we were all standing together waiting for the first rain drop or thunder clap- then I felt the first one- but was accused of lying and Heather told me that it was simply Brian, or Betsy spitting on me. Guess what. They were wrong. Moments later we were running equiptment here and there and getting settled in for our baby storm. Overall I am glad to see that we are capeable of getting that "evacuation" compleated before any damage is done. So mad props to our crew and their ability to get their stuff done.
Tomorrow will be interesting because we will face a few new obstacles. A "populated" shooting location, extras, and again the changing sunlight. I have faith in our technical crew in that they will be able to get all this stuff done. Everyone's hands will be used tomorrow and we'll have to be ready for everything- and I know that we are.
Oh- and Did you all know that Shawn was in the musical Newsies? I know right! Ask him about it.
Then- as you all know the rain came. As production we were all standing together waiting for the first rain drop or thunder clap- then I felt the first one- but was accused of lying and Heather told me that it was simply Brian, or Betsy spitting on me. Guess what. They were wrong. Moments later we were running equiptment here and there and getting settled in for our baby storm. Overall I am glad to see that we are capeable of getting that "evacuation" compleated before any damage is done. So mad props to our crew and their ability to get their stuff done.
Tomorrow will be interesting because we will face a few new obstacles. A "populated" shooting location, extras, and again the changing sunlight. I have faith in our technical crew in that they will be able to get all this stuff done. Everyone's hands will be used tomorrow and we'll have to be ready for everything- and I know that we are.
Oh- and Did you all know that Shawn was in the musical Newsies? I know right! Ask him about it.
What we discover when we're under cover
The old saying "the third time's a charm" fell a little short today, but instead of dwelling on the list of negatives for day 3, I'll keep this positive.
As 3:00 p.m. rolled around, 9 hours past initial crew call, it seemed enthusiasm levels were dropping. In addition, a canopy of clouds started to cover our shooting location. It was only a few minutes until the initial hit of thunder could be heard, then a single raindrop, followed by several more. With no time to prepare, here came the pouring rain. Instead of chaos and confusion, every crew member took part in a 5 minute fire drill if you will, packing all of our gear in the truck.
So despite falling behind schedule, a valuable lesson was learned today. Don't trust the weather.
Also:
any new info on crew member shirts?
and does anyone own a packable tailgating canopy you see at Football games? This would provide cover for the camera, monitor and audio equipment if this situation should happen again.
As 3:00 p.m. rolled around, 9 hours past initial crew call, it seemed enthusiasm levels were dropping. In addition, a canopy of clouds started to cover our shooting location. It was only a few minutes until the initial hit of thunder could be heard, then a single raindrop, followed by several more. With no time to prepare, here came the pouring rain. Instead of chaos and confusion, every crew member took part in a 5 minute fire drill if you will, packing all of our gear in the truck.
So despite falling behind schedule, a valuable lesson was learned today. Don't trust the weather.
Also:
any new info on crew member shirts?
and does anyone own a packable tailgating canopy you see at Football games? This would provide cover for the camera, monitor and audio equipment if this situation should happen again.
The Rain Elves
So, today was kind of a hard day. We were scheduled to shoot all of the exterior scenes at the factory in Indy. We had practice shooting with the sun, but I don't think we had practiced with so little cloud cover. Let's just say the sun was winning today.
I think the group morale went down a notch today, too. We were in the hot sun for a good portion of the day, and things just didn't seem to be going as smoothly as they had been. We had to know a bad day was coming, but it was hard to accept. We ended up getting behind schedule and decided to cut some shots.
Then, the ominous clouds we had been seeing since about 2-2:30 decided it was time to make a bad day worse. We had been blessed with wonderful weather the previous two filming days (especially when you think about all of the severe weather and flooding that has been going on in the Midwest). And today was nice until we got that 20 minutes of rain. Luckily, we were able to get most of the important equipment into Steven's van before it started raining very heavy. As a few of us were sitting in the van waiting for the rain to pass, Steven started to worry that some of his equipment was still outside. Betsy told him the Rain Elves were going to steal it. Thus the title of my post was born, and thus I conclude. Time for bed at 7:44. Yeah, I'm that tired.
I think the group morale went down a notch today, too. We were in the hot sun for a good portion of the day, and things just didn't seem to be going as smoothly as they had been. We had to know a bad day was coming, but it was hard to accept. We ended up getting behind schedule and decided to cut some shots.
Then, the ominous clouds we had been seeing since about 2-2:30 decided it was time to make a bad day worse. We had been blessed with wonderful weather the previous two filming days (especially when you think about all of the severe weather and flooding that has been going on in the Midwest). And today was nice until we got that 20 minutes of rain. Luckily, we were able to get most of the important equipment into Steven's van before it started raining very heavy. As a few of us were sitting in the van waiting for the rain to pass, Steven started to worry that some of his equipment was still outside. Betsy told him the Rain Elves were going to steal it. Thus the title of my post was born, and thus I conclude. Time for bed at 7:44. Yeah, I'm that tired.
I'm Riding With Hossley!
Hey Everyone!
For the most part, I don't have to much to say; beside that fact everything is coming along great is amazing! Not sure if you guys have notice but I try to keep everything fun and funny, so you may hear me sing silly children songs, just to lighten a mood. I'm for being serious in serious matters, but when we have a month of filming, people's ego and attitudes can form: so please, please people remember we are a team here for a common goal of producing an excellent film. I just want everyone to look back on this summer and think I actually had fun, made new friends, and most of all learned the hell of of my job! With that all said and done good luck today everyone!
P.S. I got to shout out THE MIXX for being EMMY nominated within its first year! BIG UPS!
For the most part, I don't have to much to say; beside that fact everything is coming along great is amazing! Not sure if you guys have notice but I try to keep everything fun and funny, so you may hear me sing silly children songs, just to lighten a mood. I'm for being serious in serious matters, but when we have a month of filming, people's ego and attitudes can form: so please, please people remember we are a team here for a common goal of producing an excellent film. I just want everyone to look back on this summer and think I actually had fun, made new friends, and most of all learned the hell of of my job! With that all said and done good luck today everyone!
P.S. I got to shout out THE MIXX for being EMMY nominated within its first year! BIG UPS!
Monday, June 16, 2008
auditory euphoric delirium, or something
Day two of shooting can be summed up in two quotes, the first by Johnny Depp "with any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying." Barry Umansky (Mr. Baron) and Joey Martin (Cole) proved this to be true as their emotions and body language brought the script to life. Berry must have some experience yelling, and Joey being yelled at.
The second quote is by Trevor Nunn, a television writer/director from England "I always believe it's better to have 30 imaginations working on a project, rather than one imagination telling the other 29 what to do." I choose this quote because although we all have different roles and duties, we all have one thing in common, and that's our creative imaginations.
Day one of shooting brought success and day two fell nothing short. Each crew member took it upon them self to contribute to the overall whole of the group. This meant that crew members were often helping out in areas other than their own while still maintaining their respected areas effectively.
So remember gang, Woody Allen said it best "eighty percent of success is showing up." Come Wednesday, everyone show up, because it's going to be an especially early morning. And don't forget your imagination.
-kevin shalkowsky
The second quote is by Trevor Nunn, a television writer/director from England "I always believe it's better to have 30 imaginations working on a project, rather than one imagination telling the other 29 what to do." I choose this quote because although we all have different roles and duties, we all have one thing in common, and that's our creative imaginations.
Day one of shooting brought success and day two fell nothing short. Each crew member took it upon them self to contribute to the overall whole of the group. This meant that crew members were often helping out in areas other than their own while still maintaining their respected areas effectively.
So remember gang, Woody Allen said it best "eighty percent of success is showing up." Come Wednesday, everyone show up, because it's going to be an especially early morning. And don't forget your imagination.
-kevin shalkowsky
chillin in the attic
On day dos of shooting I spent half the day in the attic of an auto repair shop and boy was it dusty up there, but at least my audio was superb. I had to take an old glove and wipe what looked like 5 years of dust growth off a plastic chair. I feel sorry for the owner of that glove and to be honest I was just happy to have a chair to sit in. I set up shop next to an old engine that I don't think works anymore because if it did why would it be in the attic? Who would carry an engine up to an attic anyway? That is no place for engines. Try a car or some other automobile. I hear they love engines, even broken ones.
The second half was a breeze. It took me ten minutes to set up and the rest was pool city USA. Not the swimming kind, but the kind with balls and sticks. I also remember hearing Berry say "Jesus Christ...wait...is Jesus Christ okay?" Ehhh you had to be there. Oh, and if half a bowl of chocolaty peanuts magically disappears it wasn't me, I swear.
The second half was a breeze. It took me ten minutes to set up and the rest was pool city USA. Not the swimming kind, but the kind with balls and sticks. I also remember hearing Berry say "Jesus Christ...wait...is Jesus Christ okay?" Ehhh you had to be there. Oh, and if half a bowl of chocolaty peanuts magically disappears it wasn't me, I swear.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
First Day Shuffle
You know, it's funny. If you had told me one year ago that I would be in charge of the Ball State Summer HD movie I'd have never believed you. My friend, Kris Knight, had directed last Summer's movie and as someone who looked to him as a friend and mentor, I never saw myself as being able to do what he did. A friend of mine has a phrase for it; he calls it the "TCom A-List." Members of the "A-List" include the top students in the program; the directors, the show runners, and the students that are used as examples to visiting parents of why a telecommunication major doesn't mean you'll be fixing phones (I've heard of many grandmas telling their grandkids that "AT&T pays lots of money"...).
Anyway, I realized on the first day of shooting that as a Senior, I was in that elite group of students. I myself had reached the "A-List." Did I feel different? Beside feeling overwhelmed, not really. The first day of shooting was a completely new experience for me. Being the director, it's not like they call you that and then you get to show up at the premiere six months later to look good in a tux. It takes a lot of know how, hard work, and a good crew to make it look as easy as Kris and company did so long ago (Thanks for that Kris. I probably looked pretty stupid tux shopping the day I found out I got the job). I guess what I'm getting at is that there's a reason the students on the "A-List" are considered so; it takes lots of work to stay there. Anyone can be a flash in the pan wonder, but to really stick around and be more than just a snobby know-it-all film school student, you have to keep at it. For me, that means there's still a very long road ahead, but I'm more than up to the task and I know that with such a solid crew behind me I can do it.
-Jon Moisan
Director
Anyway, I realized on the first day of shooting that as a Senior, I was in that elite group of students. I myself had reached the "A-List." Did I feel different? Beside feeling overwhelmed, not really. The first day of shooting was a completely new experience for me. Being the director, it's not like they call you that and then you get to show up at the premiere six months later to look good in a tux. It takes a lot of know how, hard work, and a good crew to make it look as easy as Kris and company did so long ago (Thanks for that Kris. I probably looked pretty stupid tux shopping the day I found out I got the job). I guess what I'm getting at is that there's a reason the students on the "A-List" are considered so; it takes lots of work to stay there. Anyone can be a flash in the pan wonder, but to really stick around and be more than just a snobby know-it-all film school student, you have to keep at it. For me, that means there's still a very long road ahead, but I'm more than up to the task and I know that with such a solid crew behind me I can do it.
-Jon Moisan
Director
Friday, June 13, 2008
00:00:00:01
Filming began with the above time code as we spent our first 30 seconds of filming recording bars and tone. As mentioned in previous post, I have made a spread sheet with columns reading roll #, page #, scene #, shot, ect. My role on set has been to record on paper everything that is record on tape. It took the entire day to really get a hang of this process. An interesting thing came up when we decided to record some extra shots of the interior bedroom walls (known as cover shots). Here, to avoid confusion, I labeled everything with an “X”. A new draft of the script came out the morning of filming so this added some confusion with me and the director in terms of renumbering scenes.
Obviously my job isn’t the flashiest, but that doesn’t make it any less important. I do think a good argument could be made that the offline editor needs his own “chair” during filming. I spend most of the shoot over the director’s shoulder anyway. As a side note, I am excited to see the designs for the crew shirts. This will also be my first film crew shirt so that also makes it cool.
Obviously my job isn’t the flashiest, but that doesn’t make it any less important. I do think a good argument could be made that the offline editor needs his own “chair” during filming. I spend most of the shoot over the director’s shoulder anyway. As a side note, I am excited to see the designs for the crew shirts. This will also be my first film crew shirt so that also makes it cool.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Shhh, can you hear that?
Standing at my proverbial podium I have a few things to share. First off, day one was a complete... success. With the sporadic Muncie weather and the built up excitement among the cast and crew, day one, despite a few mishaps here and there went rather smoothly. This was due to the commitment of the cast and crew in our preproduction process, which presented itself in everyones enthusiasm on set Wednesday. Lighting was perfect, Jon and Shawn framed each shot nothing short of fantastic and the actors meshed very well together, all of which made the audio teams job rather easy. If these things are any indication of what's to come, we should have a great summer.
My second topic is our Flickr site. The link is http://www.flickr.com/groups/freewall/ and invitations have been sent out to all crew members including all Executive Producers. Each crew member should have posting access. If you did not receive the email I sent or you are unable to post pictures to the site please let me know.
::speed::
Kevin Shalkowsky
My second topic is our Flickr site. The link is http://www.flickr.com/groups/freewall/ and invitations have been sent out to all crew members including all Executive Producers. Each crew member should have posting access. If you did not receive the email I sent or you are unable to post pictures to the site please let me know.
::speed::
Kevin Shalkowsky
Lights, Camera, ACTION!
First of all, I apologize for the cheesy title. I chose it because I feel it captures my sentiment about our first day of filming. We finally got to the action part of filming!
Overall, the first day of filming went really well. I was surprised to see something like 5 people there about a half an hour early, and everyone else showed up on time. Timeliness has been somewhat of an issue for our group, so it was great that we started filming off on the right foot.
For me specifically, the first day was great! Shawn and I had gone over lighting plots on Tuesday. So I had a good idea what I would be doing before the shoot. I think that the two of us are really working well together. He knows more about lighting than I do, but he honestly wants to know my opinion on things and will let me take the lead. I am learning a lot from Shawn.
I especially thought we did a good job of working together on the lighting for our kitchen scene. This was the scene I was most worried about getting the lighting just right. I figured it would be a pain. We had the lighting plot all worked out. The majority of our light would be natural light from the 4 windows in the room. We were just going to use a couple of Lowel lights. Eric and I had put ND on 3 of the windows earlier in the day to prep the room, and Rich and Jerry had "installed" mini blinds on all 4 of them.
As we got closer to shooting that scene, I realized the sun was still going to be almost directly over the house. There wouldn't be enough light shining through the windows to light up the room. When Shawn came in, I told him what was going on. He wanted to set up some reflectors outside to direct the sunlight, but those blew a lot in the wind and it looked really bad on the monitor. I suggested we setup an HMI outside, and it worked perfectly. Not only did it provide the light we needed, it also added the mini blind lines onto the talent and walls. The shot was gorgeous! We ended up putting both HMI's outside and added one more Lowel and some different gels, but that was basically it. A lighting setup that I was afraid might take 1 hour took 20-30 minutes!
I would also like to say that Eric and I are working really well together. I worry sometimes that I'm getting a little too bossy, but we seem to be getting along. So, I'm evidently not bossy, or he's just putting up with me. Which is it, Eric?
To try and wrap up this long post (sorry), I am really happy with how the first day went. There were some things that went wrong or that could have gone wrong (I'll let someone else talk about those things), but in the grand scheme of things it was amazing how smooth the day went.
Until next time!
Overall, the first day of filming went really well. I was surprised to see something like 5 people there about a half an hour early, and everyone else showed up on time. Timeliness has been somewhat of an issue for our group, so it was great that we started filming off on the right foot.
For me specifically, the first day was great! Shawn and I had gone over lighting plots on Tuesday. So I had a good idea what I would be doing before the shoot. I think that the two of us are really working well together. He knows more about lighting than I do, but he honestly wants to know my opinion on things and will let me take the lead. I am learning a lot from Shawn.
I especially thought we did a good job of working together on the lighting for our kitchen scene. This was the scene I was most worried about getting the lighting just right. I figured it would be a pain. We had the lighting plot all worked out. The majority of our light would be natural light from the 4 windows in the room. We were just going to use a couple of Lowel lights. Eric and I had put ND on 3 of the windows earlier in the day to prep the room, and Rich and Jerry had "installed" mini blinds on all 4 of them.
As we got closer to shooting that scene, I realized the sun was still going to be almost directly over the house. There wouldn't be enough light shining through the windows to light up the room. When Shawn came in, I told him what was going on. He wanted to set up some reflectors outside to direct the sunlight, but those blew a lot in the wind and it looked really bad on the monitor. I suggested we setup an HMI outside, and it worked perfectly. Not only did it provide the light we needed, it also added the mini blind lines onto the talent and walls. The shot was gorgeous! We ended up putting both HMI's outside and added one more Lowel and some different gels, but that was basically it. A lighting setup that I was afraid might take 1 hour took 20-30 minutes!
I would also like to say that Eric and I are working really well together. I worry sometimes that I'm getting a little too bossy, but we seem to be getting along. So, I'm evidently not bossy, or he's just putting up with me. Which is it, Eric?
To try and wrap up this long post (sorry), I am really happy with how the first day went. There were some things that went wrong or that could have gone wrong (I'll let someone else talk about those things), but in the grand scheme of things it was amazing how smooth the day went.
Until next time!
I felt like a Mom on a first day of school...
Yesterday was our first day of filming, and while I couldn't be there for the morning portion, I was there for the heartfelt sendoff. I feel like we, in the production core (which has become to be known as "the cool kids") have done alot of work in pre-pro and have gotten everything ready, and now its Techs turn to take the lead, and it was almost heartwarming. To see all of our crew ready to get out and film was like sending them off into the real world- it was good though , to see everyone ready to go.
Once I got there everyone seemed to be doing quite well! The first day went exceptionally well and I'm proud of everyone! I didn't really do much- except introduce the Orange Juice into the kitchen shots. Other then that- I basically sat around and did what I was told! Overall I had a wonderful time, and I'm looking forward to the next one! (Ha! Monday- I guess I don't have to wait long...) Have a wonderfull weekend everyone!
Sam
Once I got there everyone seemed to be doing quite well! The first day went exceptionally well and I'm proud of everyone! I didn't really do much- except introduce the Orange Juice into the kitchen shots. Other then that- I basically sat around and did what I was told! Overall I had a wonderful time, and I'm looking forward to the next one! (Ha! Monday- I guess I don't have to wait long...) Have a wonderfull weekend everyone!
Sam
Monday, June 9, 2008
So Close.
Wednesday is the first day of filming! I think I can speak for the crew when I say that we're ready to just sink our teeth into filming. The separate departments have really been working their butts off in pre-production, and while there are still some things that need to be worked/reworked/started, I think that once everyone gets on set we'll really see how this is all going to play out.
The biggest snag we've hit so far came to us this weekend. Starla received an email from the actor playing Cole saying that unfortunately he would not be able to take on the role anymore. Right after I read her email I called Jon to find out his thoughts and we decided to try and contact our back-up immediately. This subsequently brought on a call to Rich to explain what happened and ask his opinion, then a call to Starla to ask her to contact the back-up, as she had all the contact info on the actors at the time. So, after all this, today I was informed that Joey Martin will now be portraying Cole in "Free Wall," and I am pretty happy about that fact! Joey will do a great job portraying Cole.
From a production core side, right now we're double checking all the things we're going to need coming up. Printing out contact lists of both the crew and actors to post in our production office, as well as making sure we have an almost finished script, locations and directions, release forms signed, etc. And we're still in the process of reworking our filming schedule- the shots that involve the characters painting on the wall need to be done very close together, in case they get painted over by local artists. We just have to fit it all in, and in such a manner that we're not overworking ourselves or trying to squeeze too much in on one day.
The biggest snag we've hit so far came to us this weekend. Starla received an email from the actor playing Cole saying that unfortunately he would not be able to take on the role anymore. Right after I read her email I called Jon to find out his thoughts and we decided to try and contact our back-up immediately. This subsequently brought on a call to Rich to explain what happened and ask his opinion, then a call to Starla to ask her to contact the back-up, as she had all the contact info on the actors at the time. So, after all this, today I was informed that Joey Martin will now be portraying Cole in "Free Wall," and I am pretty happy about that fact! Joey will do a great job portraying Cole.
From a production core side, right now we're double checking all the things we're going to need coming up. Printing out contact lists of both the crew and actors to post in our production office, as well as making sure we have an almost finished script, locations and directions, release forms signed, etc. And we're still in the process of reworking our filming schedule- the shots that involve the characters painting on the wall need to be done very close together, in case they get painted over by local artists. We just have to fit it all in, and in such a manner that we're not overworking ourselves or trying to squeeze too much in on one day.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Nap Time!
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!
I am the Unit Production Manager, and in a nut-shell my job is to make sure everything runs smoothly! "Smoothly"
A little bit about myself: I was a Fox-59 kid and from that moment on...I grew to love the world of media!
I am the Unit Production Manager, and in a nut-shell my job is to make sure everything runs smoothly! "Smoothly"
A little bit about myself: I was a Fox-59 kid and from that moment on...I grew to love the world of media!
My hometown is the lovely "Nap" or also known as IndiaNAPolis, Indiana. I am a senior production major and a theater minor. I have a passion for theater! I am very involved on Ball State's campus and the Muncie Community as well as the Telecommunication Department.
I am what you call a "Go Getter", I feel I can make things happen. If you want it, I'll find it and try to make it happen.
My computer charger burnt-out on me, so I am late with my first post. So, I will combine both posts.
"Location Day"
Was great! We bonded and we all have a great working system. "Lighting" was finding all of their outlets. "Director" was filming and recording locations on his personal camera. (Which was a very smart idea! Jon, I need one of those.) "AD" was drawing floor plans which was wonderful. Everyone was doing their jobs and things went "Smoothly".
-Starla Kay
Can I get an AP?
Hola amigos. My name is Sam Maples and I am your Assistant Producer for Free Wall. I am a Junior TCOM major and a POLS minor. I am from Fort Wayne and my favorite color is green. I am pretty excited to be working along side our producer, Heather Trojack. While we have been scheduling, making budgets, printing directions, and making spreadsheets (Excel and I are in a permament state of war) we have been having a blast. So far I have been doing paperwork, but last week I had the honor to participate in the motion screen test. So now everybody know that I can run, and flail my arms at the same time. I have made some awesome friends, and they have grown acustum to my generaly sarcastic attitude.
Since I failed to complete my introduction post on time, I will also include my feelings on our location scout day. On the way there I had the privilage of being stuck between Jon and Adrian, with Shawn driving (quite well I may add. The standstill red light run is still my favorite) Then once we arrived at the factory, we got to moonwalk and slide around on the slippery floors. Then for the rest of the day I rode with Piers and Nick so I wasnt stuck in the back of that little car. Piers also drove very well, even without his turnsignal. So my tour of downtown with them was fun. Then we messed around at the graffiti site and picked out some shots that I think are pretty cool. Then to Anderson, then back to Muncie to see Starla's appt. We concluded right around 4 and that was the end!
Overall these past few weeks have been fun. They have been difficult, time consuming, and at times frustrating, but overall, I would rather be here then working some random summer job. Look forward to hearing from me again!
Sam
Since I failed to complete my introduction post on time, I will also include my feelings on our location scout day. On the way there I had the privilage of being stuck between Jon and Adrian, with Shawn driving (quite well I may add. The standstill red light run is still my favorite) Then once we arrived at the factory, we got to moonwalk and slide around on the slippery floors. Then for the rest of the day I rode with Piers and Nick so I wasnt stuck in the back of that little car. Piers also drove very well, even without his turnsignal. So my tour of downtown with them was fun. Then we messed around at the graffiti site and picked out some shots that I think are pretty cool. Then to Anderson, then back to Muncie to see Starla's appt. We concluded right around 4 and that was the end!
Overall these past few weeks have been fun. They have been difficult, time consuming, and at times frustrating, but overall, I would rather be here then working some random summer job. Look forward to hearing from me again!
Sam
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Last Dance
Today we did some location scouting and my car crew had a wonderful time at getting to know each other. In between the singing, the laughter, and car chase we made it out pretty well. I agree with everyone else in today I really felt like we all pulled together as a team and got our heads in the game for what is soon going to be a reality. It's awesome to think that in just a week we will begin shooting.I was really impressed with the sites that we went to. I hadn't seen the footage and it was great to see it all in person and really put the movie into perspective. I forgot a camera so I just took pictures on my phone, so they are not the best quality.
I am looking forward to working more with the crew in making this movie something we will all never forget. It all begin with a single singing car ride. Thanks Brian for putting up with us ladies ;)
Location Survey -- My Perspective
So, today we did a lot of driving to look at our locations for the film. I was one of the drivers, and I had the honor of chauffeuring 3 wonderful women around. (Ladies, I know I might have complained, but I was just joking. I really had a good time!)
Anyway, It felt really great to get out with the crew and to see these places in person. I got to be in "Lighting Director mode," which was nice. I sketched floor plans for the locations with emphasis on the location of electrical outlets, windows, and the direction of north. Electrical outlets are important so we know where to plug in the lights and other equipment. Windows provide a natural source of light to work with (or against in a few cases), and knowing directions tells me where the sun will be during any given time of day.
Today was the first time I felt like we were really a film crew working together. I know we've had tons of discussions and practice shoots, but I really started to feel like everyone was doing their job today, and working well together.
As a final thought, I would like to point out something that happened in my car. As we were driving from the "Free Wall" location to get lunch, Heather noticed one of the local stores sold Hawaiian shirts. I think I speak for my entire group when I say we are proud of Rich for not stopping at this location to get a new shirt!
That's all she, Umm, I mean he wrote!
Anyway, It felt really great to get out with the crew and to see these places in person. I got to be in "Lighting Director mode," which was nice. I sketched floor plans for the locations with emphasis on the location of electrical outlets, windows, and the direction of north. Electrical outlets are important so we know where to plug in the lights and other equipment. Windows provide a natural source of light to work with (or against in a few cases), and knowing directions tells me where the sun will be during any given time of day.
Today was the first time I felt like we were really a film crew working together. I know we've had tons of discussions and practice shoots, but I really started to feel like everyone was doing their job today, and working well together.
As a final thought, I would like to point out something that happened in my car. As we were driving from the "Free Wall" location to get lunch, Heather noticed one of the local stores sold Hawaiian shirts. I think I speak for my entire group when I say we are proud of Rich for not stopping at this location to get a new shirt!
That's all she, Umm, I mean he wrote!
Location Survey -- The Factory
As part of our day-long location survey, we visited MS Fluid Technologies-- the factory in which our primary characters meet and work within the film.
The factory will provide a wonderful location that will illustrate how difficult this type of work can be, and also how these types of chemicals that many of us use and take for granted each day, are created.
The top photo shows the "mixing room" where various liquid composites are created.
The bottom photo is taken from the platform located within the "Acid Salt Prep Room."
Acid salt is highly corrosive and just one of the hazards that the crew must prepare for during our production.
An excellent example of how quickly tragedy can strike on set occured when the faculty advisor (me) slipped and almost fell while climbing down the stairs from this platform.
Only moments before I had been discussing with one of the crew members how slick the floor was in many areas of the building, and how we needed to provide sheets of plywood for the performers to stand on during the production.
In the end, I was lucky and only "skated" down five or six steps without actually falling or hurting myself in any manner. However, it did provide a reminder to everyone-- including me-- that we are working within someone else's domain when we shoot on location, and that requires additional attention to safety at all times.
Minus my acrobatics, the survey went well and we all have a much better idea of how to plan ahead for the upcoming weeks.
Special thanks to The managers and staff of MS Fluid Technologies. Our production would not be possible without their support!
You can learn more about the products produced at MS Fluid Technologies by visiting their website at www.msfluid.com
Location Survey -- The Free Wall
Today the crew (16 strong) piled into cars and traveled to Indianapolis, Anderson and various locations throughout Muncie. We surveyed the majority of our shooting locations, including the "Free Wall" -- one of our primary backdrops for our film.In the first picture, you see Nick Wilhoite (white shirt) Sam Maples (red hoodie) watching as the Director of Photography for our production, Shawn Weyerbacher, performs a camera test.
The Free Wall is located approximately 5 blocks south of Lilly Pharmaceuticals' headquarters-- near the south split of I-65 and I-70 in Downtown Indy's near southside.
In the second picture, you see the north end of the Free Wall. This will be the location where our artists will create the new painting that will be featured in our movie. Note that this wall is not part of an abandoned structure. There is a business in operation within each of the buildings.
Dear Diary
Hello, this is Adrian Vasquez de Velasco. I grew up in Holland and Texas and currently attend NYU film school as a sophomore. I'm in Muncie for the summer crewing as a camera operator for this HD production. Mostly, I'm eager to get some action in on the Sony F900, but I'm also glad the crew we've got is turning out to be more solid and fun that I could've wished for.
Today we rode around all day checking up on all our locations around Indy, Anderson and Muncie. I rode in Shawn's car since I remember it smelling nice one time. He changed the air freshener, though. Damn.
Anyway, we're getting close to filming--which starts halfway through next week--and I'm excited about getting this thing rolling. I'll keep you posted on the way things unfold the way they look from my perspective, which hopefully will be an interesting one.
Till next time,
A.
Intro
My name is Eric Abbott and I am a Senior. I am working on the lighting crew right now. I'm trying to learn as much as I can in this position because lighting seems to be something that is easily overlooked despite its importance, so I'm getting familiarized with the equipment and different techniques. I am originally from Anderson, so I'm not too far from home. hoorah.
Hello, my name is Nick, and I am on the Camera Crew
My name is Nick Wilhoit. I was born and grew up in Carmel, Indiana. I am a senior Telecommunications student at Ball State. For this project I am on the camera crew and I'm excited to learn all about the HD camera we are using and the steadicam equipment. Director of Photography, Shawn Weyerbacher, really knows his stuff and I have already learned a lot from him. The whole crew is great group of people and I am having fun; the project is going to be a great chance to build experience working with people and getting the job done the way we want. I have done small individual projects for my TCOM classes, and I have also helped produce and shoot stories for Indiana Outdoors. Indiana Outdoors is a Ball State TCOM organization that makes documentaries about and promotes outdoor activities and locations throughout Indiana. After graduation I hope to study History in graduate school, and then my goal is to make documentaries and programs for The History Channel or Discovery Channel.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Offline Editor
My name is Jeff Greer and I’m a senior Telecommunications major with a minor in Theatre. I’m also from Boonville, Indiana (same town as the Director of Photography, Shawn Weyerbacher). Again, Boonville is just a few miles East of Evansville.
I am the Offline Editor for the film. Offline Editors and Online Editors, though sounding similar, actually have very different jobs. The Offline Editor plays an important role in the production process digitizing and organizing the daily footage so the Director and Online Editors can easily navigate through everything later. Although we are filming in HD, I’ll be capturing everything in a lower resolution in order to save hard drive space and work faster. The Online Editors will follow my template into post production where they will edit the full resolution video.
So far, I have been putting together a spreadsheet that explains the video file naming structure. I am collaborating with the Director and Director of Photography on the layout and organization of the storyboards. I will also be in charge of notations on our slate during filming. The most difficult thing is deciding on an efficient way to name video editing files. This may seem like a simple process, but when you are on your fourth tape, nineteenth scene, fifth take using angle three while still incorporating time code, things can get a bit overwhelming. Outside of my job I am getting a lot of great experience in everything from lighting to camera to producing. I even got to do a little acting for short test setup recently. Overall, this should be a diverse experience for me and I am anxious to get started filming.
I am the Offline Editor for the film. Offline Editors and Online Editors, though sounding similar, actually have very different jobs. The Offline Editor plays an important role in the production process digitizing and organizing the daily footage so the Director and Online Editors can easily navigate through everything later. Although we are filming in HD, I’ll be capturing everything in a lower resolution in order to save hard drive space and work faster. The Online Editors will follow my template into post production where they will edit the full resolution video.
So far, I have been putting together a spreadsheet that explains the video file naming structure. I am collaborating with the Director and Director of Photography on the layout and organization of the storyboards. I will also be in charge of notations on our slate during filming. The most difficult thing is deciding on an efficient way to name video editing files. This may seem like a simple process, but when you are on your fourth tape, nineteenth scene, fifth take using angle three while still incorporating time code, things can get a bit overwhelming. Outside of my job I am getting a lot of great experience in everything from lighting to camera to producing. I even got to do a little acting for short test setup recently. Overall, this should be a diverse experience for me and I am anxious to get started filming.
Hi! I'm Piers.
My name is Piers Bosler. My hometown is Carmel Indiana, and I am a senior at Ball State University. I am the writer for the film "Free Wall." This is the first major film that I have written, and I'll be the first to say that I still need some work. I am very fortunate to be working with such a great crew, and I have learned so much already.
This film is loosely based off a summer in my life and a close friendship that was formed. In this film the character COLE represents myself. Also, the character JAMES is based off of a friend that I met that summer. Most of the other characters are based off of real people as well. However, JERMAIN, the antagonist, is a combination of people that have passed through my life.
The editing process was pretty stressful because this story is so personal to me. I have learned that being a screenwriter is all about making sacrifices. The director and I butted heads on a few issues, but in the end we were both satisfied. After pumping out many different drafts of this script, and a lot of great advice from the whole crew, I believe that the story has turned out great. I am confident that this crew is going to do and outstanding job, and I can't wait to so my story come to life.
From the Chair
Remember students when Professor Swingley or Pollard show up look extremely busy - be chatting and always have a clipboard with some storyboards on it - always! Good luck with this summer venture!
I capture the sound of the location
Hi, this is Steve and I am in charge of the location sound. During pre-production I have been getting comfortable with some of our audio gear. Probably my favorite piece of gear is the wireless rack, but the flash recorder isn't too shabby either. I still have to get some of the bugs out of our setup, but that will come in time. I'm just counting down the days till we actually begin shooting the real thing. I'm looking forward too our long days working with a great crew.
Director of Photography
My name is Shawn Weyerbacher. I come from Boonville, IN. That is a small town about 20 miles East of Evansville. I am a Senior Telecommunications major, minoring in Theater.
( This is NOT a picture of me)
This job carries a lot of responsibility. I am in charge of making sure our video image looks the best it can. That includes: working with the Director to find out what kind of shot they want, having the camera crew put the camera where it needs to be to get the shot, framing up the shot until it looks good compositionally, then coordinating with the lighting crew so we get lights where we need them to create the mood and feel of every shot, making sure each shot has lighting and visual continuity. I guess the quick way of saying that would be, the Director tells me what he wants and I figure out how to get it.
Ok, thats long enough.
My background in video production started senior year of high school where I produced the morning televised announcements. I made my first movie that year for Project XL, "Wondering Mind..." I have since been involved in several student short films. I produced/directed a package for Connections, "Magic Drew". My most recent project was the a webisode series "Evenly Odd." I was the DP for the series. Most of my experience has been lighting and camera work. I have experience with several different cameras, lighting kits, and various video equipment. I try to know about as many different things as possible, because there is nothing you can learn that will hurt you in the business.
I am the Director of Photography for "Free Wall".
( This is NOT a picture of me)This job carries a lot of responsibility. I am in charge of making sure our video image looks the best it can. That includes: working with the Director to find out what kind of shot they want, having the camera crew put the camera where it needs to be to get the shot, framing up the shot until it looks good compositionally, then coordinating with the lighting crew so we get lights where we need them to create the mood and feel of every shot, making sure each shot has lighting and visual continuity. I guess the quick way of saying that would be, the Director tells me what he wants and I figure out how to get it.
Ok, thats long enough.
Another Intro
Hello, Everyone! My name is Brian Daugherty. I am a senior at BSU, and I am the Lighting Director for Free Wall. I am a Munsonian (for you outsiders, that means I'm from Muncie) born and raised!
As Lighting Director, it is my responsibility to plan the lighting setups for the film. This includes organizing all of the equipment, sketching lighting diagrams, and leading the lighting crew. There are probably a few other things I'm leaving out, but I'm new to this role and I have a lot to learn! However, this is a learning experience for us all. Throughout this process, I work closely with the Director and Director of Photography. It is critical that the lighting helps to portray the look that the Director wants for the film.
So far, I have been busy learning how to do my job and how to use the equipment. I am now gathering the equipment we will need and making an inventory of it all. Also, I am reading a book to help give me pointers. (Thanks Starla!)
So, that's all I've got right now. More posts to come!
As Lighting Director, it is my responsibility to plan the lighting setups for the film. This includes organizing all of the equipment, sketching lighting diagrams, and leading the lighting crew. There are probably a few other things I'm leaving out, but I'm new to this role and I have a lot to learn! However, this is a learning experience for us all. Throughout this process, I work closely with the Director and Director of Photography. It is critical that the lighting helps to portray the look that the Director wants for the film.
So far, I have been busy learning how to do my job and how to use the equipment. I am now gathering the equipment we will need and making an inventory of it all. Also, I am reading a book to help give me pointers. (Thanks Starla!)
So, that's all I've got right now. More posts to come!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Hometown
I am from Prince Georges County Maryland and am preparing for my senior year (hopefully) my last year at Ball State University
Introduction
Hello my name is Jerry Owens Jr. I am part of the camera and documentary crew for this project. I just got back from a study abroad trip in China and at this point am trying to get caught up with everyone else. I have read the script and am learning about the equipment we will use and my responsibilities.
Gettin' My Producing On...
Hello hello. My name is Heather Trojack, and I'm from Medina, Ohio. (I just tell everyone I'm from Cleveland or Akron though.) I'm a senior TCOM major in Production, as well as a Latin minor. I plan on graduating in May of 2009.
My role on "Free Wall" is Producer. Most people don't really know what a Producer does, and to be completely honest, I'm still learning as I go along. I've found that the most important thing for me to do is be extremely organized. In pre-production on this film, I've taken lots of notes, made plenty of spreadsheets and written lots of emails. I work most closely with the Asst. Producer, the Unit Production Manager, and the Assistant Director. We've drafted: a shooting schedule which is currently in the process of being revised, a budget to potentially get the film some funding, and "one-liners," brief summary of each scene being done each day. I'm also one of the main contact people for the crew members, and in the absence of our professors (the Executive Producers), I make decisions concerning the technical aspect of things.
The most recent thing the Production Core has worked on is our Production Office. We organized and put furniture in there so that once we get a final schedule, storyboards, packing lists, etc., we have somewhere to post them up so everyone on the crew can see them and find information easily. It's also a place to store equipment and go over daily itineraries before we leave for filming once production begins. I'm glad we have a space to use as we need to- it's helping this really feel like a film environment, in comparison to just a class where you make a short film.
My role on "Free Wall" is Producer. Most people don't really know what a Producer does, and to be completely honest, I'm still learning as I go along. I've found that the most important thing for me to do is be extremely organized. In pre-production on this film, I've taken lots of notes, made plenty of spreadsheets and written lots of emails. I work most closely with the Asst. Producer, the Unit Production Manager, and the Assistant Director. We've drafted: a shooting schedule which is currently in the process of being revised, a budget to potentially get the film some funding, and "one-liners," brief summary of each scene being done each day. I'm also one of the main contact people for the crew members, and in the absence of our professors (the Executive Producers), I make decisions concerning the technical aspect of things.
The most recent thing the Production Core has worked on is our Production Office. We organized and put furniture in there so that once we get a final schedule, storyboards, packing lists, etc., we have somewhere to post them up so everyone on the crew can see them and find information easily. It's also a place to store equipment and go over daily itineraries before we leave for filming once production begins. I'm glad we have a space to use as we need to- it's helping this really feel like a film environment, in comparison to just a class where you make a short film.
I Make Noise
My name is Kevin Shalkowsky and I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, two thousand plus miles from Ball State University. After gaining some experience in New York City, I transferred from St. John's University in Queens, New York to Ball State University where I am now a senior.
When it comes to "Free Wall" I have several roles. Currently I am working on the audio crew as the Sound Designer. During production I will keep track of Foley and ADR requirements that will be carried out come the fall semester when students in Rich Swingley's audio production class edit the audio for "Free Wall." During this time I will be supervising groups of students in his class as we all work together to complete the audio postproduction process in Ball State University's industry standard audio studio. During this time I will get very little sleep.
Along with being the Sound Designer and supervising the audio postproduction process, I will also be working on the website, focusing on the website graphics. This will provide a great opportunity as I can encompass my knowledge in graffiti into a digital discipline. Along with creating graphics for the website, I will also include information on how to read many different forms of graffiti, as this can often be difficult to do.
Currently "Free Wall" is still in the preproduction stage. As Sound Designer, I am focusing my attention into the future, identifying audio, which will need Foley and ADR work. This can be a very tedious process as everything makes noise. I am also using Adobe Photoshop CS3 to create graphics which will be on the "Free Wall" website in the future.
- Kevin Shalkowsky
Your Assistant Director is in the Building
Hey guys,
My name is Tara Perry. I am from Fort Wayne, IN, and I am attending Ball State University. I'm majoring in Telecommunications (Production Option), and, if all goes well, I will be graduating in the spring of 2009.
A little bit more about myself: I am an absolute nerd when it comes to Telecommunications and movie-making. I love every aspect of the filming process, though I must admit pre-production is not my favorite. After I graduate, I plan to head out to California and begin my career. As of right now, I haven't completely decided on what exactly I want to do as far as a full time job, but I do know that it will be dealing with something within this industry.
As far as my role with this film, like you might have guessed from my blog title, I am the Assistant Director. It's my job to basically work with both the production crew as well as the technical crew to make sure everything is organized and on schedule. I also help the Director with anything and everything. On set, it is my job to make sure we stay on the daily schedule. Also, if there are any problem I have to be able to think on my feet and work with the production crew in order to handle the situation, whether that is something like unexpected weather or other complication such as injuries. If for some reason the Director can't be on set on day, it is my job to step in and make sure everything still gets done.
So far I have worked mostly with the production core. I try my best to help them with scheduling of the film and overall organization of the pre-production process. I have participated with the casting of the movie as well. I was present for several of the auditions, and have been apart of the decision process to come up with our essential cast members. I have also worked with the technical crew a few times as a way of getting more comfortable with working together. So far, I've enjoyed working with everyone on this crew, and I look forward to filming this movie within the next week or so.
Camera
My name is Hossley Partington and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I am a Senior at Ball State studying Telecommunications, with a minor in Digital Imaging. I will be graduating in December.
A little bit about myself: I tend to love being a behind the scenes kind of girl, working on helping produce and edit a piece. I have been all over Europe and love to travel anywhere I can. I have sang in some of the world famous Cathedrals. I love to do anything hands on and artsy, especially photography and painting. I was a competitive swimmer throughout my childhood and lifeguarded for two years. I am very much a people person and am happy to learn anything about anyone.
My role in the film is with the Camera crew. Operating the camera, working with the equipment, and helping out anywhere else on set that I can. I hope to learn more about the HD camera. I will use my creative eye to try and capture the look we want in order to have an amazing film. Being a lifeguard I will also look out for any injuries on set, just simply out of habit.
Up to this point we have been in the preproduction stage. Basically working out every detail we need to know before we can start filming. As far as cast, locations, props, equipment knowledge, and anything else pertinent to producing a film. I personally have worked hands on with setting up the stedicam, putting together all the camera equipment and camera, and actually working behind the camera to shoot practice footage. I am learning a lot that there is to know about a whole production process instead of just making a piece solo. I think that "Free Wall" will turn out to be a great piece of work that will enhance my credibility, help me to learn more with the hands on process, and show our Ball State talent of what we have acquired in knowledge as students. I am excited to work with all the crew in making a piece we will all remember.
A little bit about myself: I tend to love being a behind the scenes kind of girl, working on helping produce and edit a piece. I have been all over Europe and love to travel anywhere I can. I have sang in some of the world famous Cathedrals. I love to do anything hands on and artsy, especially photography and painting. I was a competitive swimmer throughout my childhood and lifeguarded for two years. I am very much a people person and am happy to learn anything about anyone.
My role in the film is with the Camera crew. Operating the camera, working with the equipment, and helping out anywhere else on set that I can. I hope to learn more about the HD camera. I will use my creative eye to try and capture the look we want in order to have an amazing film. Being a lifeguard I will also look out for any injuries on set, just simply out of habit.
Up to this point we have been in the preproduction stage. Basically working out every detail we need to know before we can start filming. As far as cast, locations, props, equipment knowledge, and anything else pertinent to producing a film. I personally have worked hands on with setting up the stedicam, putting together all the camera equipment and camera, and actually working behind the camera to shoot practice footage. I am learning a lot that there is to know about a whole production process instead of just making a piece solo. I think that "Free Wall" will turn out to be a great piece of work that will enhance my credibility, help me to learn more with the hands on process, and show our Ball State talent of what we have acquired in knowledge as students. I am excited to work with all the crew in making a piece we will all remember.
Introduction
Tim Pollard, Co-Executive Producer/Faculty Advisor.
My job is to work with Rich Swingley, Betsy Pike, and Jonathan Huer to bring about the best possible learning experience for students working on this movie. We attempt to replicate a "real world" environment that students, once they graduate, will encounter. This means working long hours, arguing endlessly, and allowing the creative juices to flow to bring the audience a viewing experience they will enjoy.
I'm behind-the-scenes during the summer. Rich and Betsy take the lead working with the students. I'm there as support. I help working on the script, coming up with ideas, and taking care of "things" that crop up. My real job kicks in the fall semester. This is where my production class will handle the post-production work on the movie, along with Rich Swingley's audio class. An added dimension this year is that Stan Sollars, another audio instructor in the Department of Telecommunications, will bring his class into the mix to record the music.
All-in-all, nearly 160 students will work on this project with 4 faculty and 1 professional staff person supervising the entire operation. It is a true team effort and the results should be impressive--a movie, DVD, CD, special features, and an experience second-to-none.
I hope that you will enjoy "Free Wall."
I Direct The Movie
Hello one and all,
I guess I should give some information about myself before I begin blogging away. No one wants to blog a stranger! ...Or something like that.
1. First of all, my name is Jon Moisan. I'm a senior Telecommunications major and because I enjoy traveling to exotic and faraway places, I'm from right here in Muncie, IN.
2. My role in the film, as you may have gathered from my ultra creative blog title, is to direct the movie. As director, it is my responsibility to guide and shape the movie as a whole. I come up with the look and style of the film and help to communicate it to the Director of Photography. I also help to edit the script and make sure we have a solid story providing the backbone for the film. In addition to this, I also help to direct the actors into giving the best performance they can for our film. Essentially, I am the boss for the film and help to oversee every decision that gets made.
3. Thus far has been an extremely busy period as we are currently in what's known as preproduction. The first thing I did was to help edit the script. This was a very strange process for me as I had to work very closely with the writer to produce a combined script. For me, this was probably the hardest process so far in that neither the writer nor I wanted to give up too much of our creative vision. It led to some minor disagreements to say the least. Thankfully we worked through our issues and came to a nice happy compromise for everyone involved. Another job I've been very happy to do is to work on coming up with a style and color palette for the film. When this whole thing began, I immediately went to my movie collection to find examples of what I would like our movie to look like. One thing I knew for certain was that I wanted this film to be something completely different from any other film Ball State has ever created. This means choosing dynamic colors, camera movements, and styles. I think I can safely say that "Free Wall" will have one of the widest aspect ratio of any Summer HD movie ever. With my choices of style, I must also make sure I work diligently to storyboard the film, by making sure that I take the vision I have in my head and relay it to everyone else involved as clearly as possible. Moving forward, I also had the pleasure of being able to oversee the casting of the movie. I've done something similar to this before, but never on such a professional level. I'm so glad I have such an amazing group of producers to help me through the process. I know I would never be able to keep myself organized enough to do everything. Right now, I'm going to cut myself short before I begin to ramble. I'll save that for another post.
-Jon
I guess I should give some information about myself before I begin blogging away. No one wants to blog a stranger! ...Or something like that.
1. First of all, my name is Jon Moisan. I'm a senior Telecommunications major and because I enjoy traveling to exotic and faraway places, I'm from right here in Muncie, IN.
2. My role in the film, as you may have gathered from my ultra creative blog title, is to direct the movie. As director, it is my responsibility to guide and shape the movie as a whole. I come up with the look and style of the film and help to communicate it to the Director of Photography. I also help to edit the script and make sure we have a solid story providing the backbone for the film. In addition to this, I also help to direct the actors into giving the best performance they can for our film. Essentially, I am the boss for the film and help to oversee every decision that gets made.
3. Thus far has been an extremely busy period as we are currently in what's known as preproduction. The first thing I did was to help edit the script. This was a very strange process for me as I had to work very closely with the writer to produce a combined script. For me, this was probably the hardest process so far in that neither the writer nor I wanted to give up too much of our creative vision. It led to some minor disagreements to say the least. Thankfully we worked through our issues and came to a nice happy compromise for everyone involved. Another job I've been very happy to do is to work on coming up with a style and color palette for the film. When this whole thing began, I immediately went to my movie collection to find examples of what I would like our movie to look like. One thing I knew for certain was that I wanted this film to be something completely different from any other film Ball State has ever created. This means choosing dynamic colors, camera movements, and styles. I think I can safely say that "Free Wall" will have one of the widest aspect ratio of any Summer HD movie ever. With my choices of style, I must also make sure I work diligently to storyboard the film, by making sure that I take the vision I have in my head and relay it to everyone else involved as clearly as possible. Moving forward, I also had the pleasure of being able to oversee the casting of the movie. I've done something similar to this before, but never on such a professional level. I'm so glad I have such an amazing group of producers to help me through the process. I know I would never be able to keep myself organized enough to do everything. Right now, I'm going to cut myself short before I begin to ramble. I'll save that for another post.
-Jon
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