Busy busy busy

When I started this blog I thought to myself, "I'm going to update it all the time! It'll be great!"  But then I got really busy with work and haven't touched the site in quite a while.  The last update was about a project way back in May - it's now September...

That being said, I have been ridiculously busy lately and have a bunch of interesting projects coming down the pipe over the next two months.  Stay tuned.

i am i

Way back in May...

My friends Cora Olsen and Jen Dubin produced a feature film called I AM I.  We had worked together last year on another feature they produced called THE PERFECT FAMILY which had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April.  I was the BBE on this one.  My buddy Evan Pesses gaffed and Andre Lascaris was the DP.  It was an awesome shoot and lot of people from "The Perfect Family" where on this one too, which made it better.

They financed half of their film through a Kickstarter campaign.  They not only reached, but surpassed their financial goal of $100,000.  I think that's pretty amazing.  Cora and Jen are awesome producers and I have no doubt they will be making many many more films.  This was their pitch video for Kickstarter:

Funny or Die!

I've worked on a couple Funny or Die Exclusives that hit the web recently and I wanted to share them.  I love working on comedy sets; being around genuinely hilarious people is one of best perks of working in the film and television industry.  When you laugh your way through the day, it makes everything that much better.  I was the Gaffer on "Nurse Jackee" and the Key Grip on "Besties Night".

Nurse Jackée from Jackée Harry

Bestie's Night from Tommy Lee

A visit to Panavision

Recently, I spent a day at Panavision in Woodland Hills, CA prepping camera for use on my friend Joselito's USC thesis film, UNSETTLED, that we are shooting in Wisconsin and Illinois in two weeks.  We are shooting on the GII which was first introduced back in 1987 (two years after Back to the Future, fyi just for reference).  I think it's amazing that we are still using it in 2011; talk about engineering something that works (and lasts).  Most cars from 1987 are off the road on cement blocks somewhere or were pressed into a tiny cube of twisted metal long ago.

The movie will be shot on 3-perf 35mm film at 2:35:1 aspect ratio.  We've got a sick lens package comprised of Panavision Super and Ultra Speed lenses as well as a massively heavy 25mm-250mm zoom (T3.8).  One of our lenses is a 50mm prime that opens to a T1.1!  I hope we don't shoot that wide open, but at least we have the option too!  Interesting tidbit: in the photo to the right, the magazine on top of the camera isn't actually dirty at all.  It's a faux-marble design on the mag.  Seriously.

While I am only the 1st AC on this project, it makes me think about why I really enjoy shooting on film: it forces you to do your homework beforehand and really get what you need while shooting.  You will run out of film is you are indecisive on set.  That's an expensive mistake to make.  And your film will suffer.  Shooting on film encourages discipline, both for the DP and the director.  You both made the decision to shoot on a limited supply of film, so you both have a responsibility to get the movie in the can with the raw stock you have on hand.  On low budget productions, shooting on film is, at the very least, a great exercise in efficient filmmaking.  You can't always throw money at a problem until it goes away.

That being said, shooting digitally allows you the freedom to run those extended takes when you need to.  I was recently talking to a camera operator on the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation and she was telling me about how they will just roll and roll and roll on entire scenes getting everything at once.  That coverage strategy would bankrupt the show if they shot on film.  And I don't want that to happen - Parks and Rec. is hilarious.

Unsettled should be a good time.  The DP is my friend Jon Barenboim and I am excited to work with him again.  I'm also excited to be able to travel for work.  Once again, I get to see places I've never been while making a film.  Living the dream...

The BMW 328 Hommage

My good friend, the extremely talented director Phil Hodges, recently asked me to shoot a promo video with him for BMW.  Five days in production in full: three out in the desert at Willow Springs Racetrack and at Soggy Bottom Lake Bed and two days in a studio shooting the two amazing BMWs in the video. We were following the photographer Christopher Wilson and his crew as they shot the cars in each location.  It was an interesting experience working around another crew.  We did our best to stay out of their way, but still get the shots we wanted.  Everybody was very accommodating and we all had a great time that week.

We shot most of this video on the Canon 7D and T2i with a bit of the GoPro thrown in for good measure.  It was a challenge trying to use DSLR lenses for doc-style work.  Even at an f11 on an 85mm lens at 16ft away you only have 4.73 feet of focus to carry a moving subject in the frame.  Small pulls are the most difficult on these lenses because of the extremely close barrel markings on the lens.  Luckily the background was usually far away so it was still soft despite being at such a deep stop.

I brought a Genus ND Fader filter for use on our L-series glass out in the desert.  Genus claims up to four stops of ND, but I swear it could do more.  On the darker end of the filter though, the sky took on a yellowy/brownish tint that was definitely not desirable, but that's what you get with relatively cheap polarizers.  Regardless, serious ND is essential on these DSLRs for daytime exteriors.

We shot a ton of daytime exterior footage with the GoPro at 720p60 that didn't make it into the video.  The perspective you get from the 127 degree lens is awesome!  And in slow-motion!  You can rig it almost anywhere easily because of its really small size.  The GoPro leaves a lot to be desired in low light, but outside in the bright sun it looks pretty good. 

All in all, an amazing gig.  I would love to work with BMW again.  And also own one of their awesome cars.  A 328i Wagon.  With an M series sport package.  That's right, I'd totally buy a BMW station wagon.

Rooftop photography

I recently found the courage to climb up the fire escape of my building onto the roof of my apartment building to take some photos. See, I have something of a fear of heights so this was difficult at first, but once I got used to going up and down the ladder I was fine.

So not only did I face my fear, but I got some amazing photos to boot.

Give Up the Ghost

I recently shot a USC thesis film called "Give Up the Ghost" directed by Jeff Hersh. We shot on a RED MX with RED Pro Primes provided by the excellent gentlemen over at 3 Guys and a RED.  Our grip and electric package came from the fine people at Cine Power and Light.  If it weren't for the generosity of these two companies, this film would not have been made.

The director wanted a high-key look slightly on the side of hyper-real so we tried to give the characters a hard edge light wherever we could motivate it. I used an 1/8 Black Pro Mist filter in front of the lens for the entire film just to soften the Red Pro Primes a bit and glow the highlights.

90% of the film was shot handheld with a Mantis rig on my shoulder. I knew the RED was heavy from previous shoots, but I'd never done an entire film handheld with it. Two weeks later and my right shoulder is still sore. The guys at 3GuysRED were great at helping me accessorize the camera in order to alleviate the strain.  With the camera perfectly balanced on my shoulder and the EVF in a comfortable spot at my eye, I found I didn't need to use my arms nearly as much to operate the camera. It was way easier to swing my hips and shoulders about, moving the camera more smoothly and holding it for longer periods of time.

fitness note: a strong back is critical to a job that requires lifting heavy things all day.