So late in the fall (after Noodling), I decided to help out Gabe Miller who was developing a short web series titled “Ghost Car.” We shot over two weekends. It started in late September and wrapped the first week in October. It was a great project, and I’m glad that Gabe decided to work on this short series then dive head first into a feature film that he was writing. A smaller, condensed project such as this allows one to gain more technical know-how without being overwhelmed by the stress of larger productions. I’m hoping to gear up a few small projects like this next year.

For the span of the shoot, I had several roles. I started off more like a PA, operating the boom and handling the gear. Soon that changed to script supervisor. I had to keep track of continuity, decide which scenes to cut, and condense multiple shots into one. I even got the opportunity to be in the film as an extra! I make a little cameo as a druggie in the disgusting mobile home. During the final day of the shoot, Gabe was getting ready for his acting part in the film, so I was basically assistant director. I helped speed through the scene and compose some of the shots. That is probably my favorite part of assisting with films. I guess the technical term would be cinematographer. When someone tells me the action of a scene, I’m already assembling the shot in the form of a film in my head. It is sort of the same when I’m reading a book. As I absorb the story that is written, I’m switching shots and panning in and out of the action. This is going on in my head even if the book makes no indication that the point of view has changed at all.

I hope to get more work behind the camera in upcoming productions. I want to practice and see my work on the screen. If I cannot get any practice as a cinematographer, then I’ll have to wait until early next year when I upgrade my camera. Maybe I’ll start thinking of small productions that I could create and assemble a crew. Who knows!

Gabe is going to be working on post-production during the month of October. I’ll probably post the new trailer once it is finished and provide an update on the project. Until then, enjoy the current trailer!

During the first week of August, I spent a week down in the lovely city of Pauls Valley, OK. It’s about 30 min. south of Norman. The reason for me being down there was that I was asked to be set photographer for the short film Noodling. This has only been my third time as a set photographer for a film, but it was a fantastic learning experience.

The main difference between this film and other films that I have worked on is that half of the crew was from L.A. Rebecca Eskreis, the director, became fascinated in the sport of noodling and decided to create a fictional short film around that subject. While I hesitate to call most L.A. of the crew professionals (since most were still in grad school), they were more familiar with the industry than the crew from Oklahoma. The days were long and hot, and the set was a little disorganized at times, but I was able to gain a further understanding as to how others create films.

Probably the most impressive part of the shoot was the G&E crew (Grip and Electric). They were in charge of C-stands, lights, diffusers, generators, and general gear that can be found on a film set. They were extremely organized and were on top of their game. If a diffuser needed to be removed from a window, David (our talented DP) would tell Justin, who would radio to metal Jeff, who would direct the crew outside. They were quick, efficient, and reliable.

Ok, so now my job was to take the most wonderful photos that I could. I wish I had better gear, but I think most of my photos turned out great. At least they better! I took around 3,700 photos. My philosophy, at least on set, is that if people are going to be in the photo, chances are that they are going to mess it up somehow. So I tend to take 3-5 shots of the same angle to cover my bases. I never know when someone is going to blink, or make a weird face, or turn away quickly. I have a general rule that if one person messes up a shot, I will not use that photo. I am picky and try to learn from my mistakes. I’m happy with the photos that turned out well. In the end, about 300 were chosen to share with cast and crew.

After looking back at how production went, I realize that some of the crew did not mesh well and not everyone was adequate at their positions, but I consider the shoot a success. The footage that I did glimpse through the monitor was great. I’m happy with volunteering to help out with the film. Even if people have ill feelings about how things went, I hope in the end they can be proud that they were able to help create a piece of art for all to enjoy. I’m crossing my fingers that I get another chance to help out with any films that are going to be shooting in Oklahoma. By then, I should be the proud owner of a new DSLR (I’m leaning toward the Nikon D7000, but that’s for another post!). I want to get better and cannot wait to be back on another set! If anyone reads this and is interested in a set photographer, feel free to leave a comment or email me!

Ok so now for a proper update. So as of late, my funds have been insufficient, and I’ve had to make some small sacrifices. One of those would be $80 a year for servers. Hence why my blog looks like it’s a part of Blogger… because it is! So I’ve come to the realization that in the span of one month, you should not pay for a trip to New York, rent for two apartments, and dental procedures. After this month is over, I should be on the up and out.

Since blogger is simpler to maintain (for someone who’s not a programmer), I should be making more updates. I’m going to shoot for once a week. These first few posts are basically going to be “catch me ups” on what I have been doing since New York (early July) and on. Expect lots of photos, behind the scenes info, future projects, and current ideas to be expressed.

I’m expecting this relationship with Blogger/Google to be a win/win situation. Please be patient if the blog does not work correctly, or if I’m constantly changing the theme/style until I find something more permanent. Right now, I’m just hoping that people just have to put in the domain name that I bought. It appears to be finicky, but that just may take GoDaddy some time to adjust their DNS settings. So other than that, I look forward to posting more and showing what I have been working on lately. Ciao!