Production Notes- Camera

Today's blog has to do with the camera we are using for filming "Uncle Louie". Some people have commented that it looks like a pretty serious camera. In a scale of video cameras, that so many of use have used to film our family events- it is serious.
In the current technology, almost all cameras can acquire pictures in "high definition", but there are major differences in the consumer models that you pick up at Best Buy, and the type we're using, only available through professional video equipment dealers. The cost, is of course significantly higher, too. Now I could write a text book on cameras (and they are out there),but lets highlight a few things.
First, the "Uncle Louie" camera, made by JVC, is a 3 chip (or 3CCD) that are 1/2 inch in size. Most consumer cameras are an 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch max. The bigger the chip, the better is processes colors and the more control it has over light. It also allows for various "frame rates". This gives a certain look to the footage. Most television programs are shot at 30 or 60 frames per second. Each frame, or picture, lasts for 1/30th or 1/60th of a second. We are filming at 24 frames per second- the same rate as motion picture film. It gives the production a more film like look, but also allows the footage to be transferred to actual film because it matches the rate. Although some movies theaters are switching to digital projection, most still use film.

The camera also allows for the use of different lenses for the type of action being played out. In the efforts to curb cost, we are using one lens, with a built in zoom which would cover almost any shot. The lens can cost as much as the camera! No consumer grade models has any of the "control" you can get with the pro cameras.

I've trained on over 9 different cameras for professional use, with about 11 models currently used. Some large scale cameras, such as used in the big Hollywood productions can run as high as $180,000 plus the lenses. But, that's why the big films look so good. In "Uncle Louie's" case, I'm trying to make it as close as I can to these, and it'll look damn good, for whole let less money!

There is a lot more to cover- maybe in future posts. I also welcome any questions or comments to the technical side of things.

Would You Like Anchovies with Your Cake?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!

The crew celebrated Kyle Mayer's birthday with a great chocolate cake as Uncle Louie reveled in his fresh tomato and anchovy salad.

Cast and crew endured the smell of the anchovies for the entire shoot but the cake was still delicious!

shit storm in the microwave

We asked Nick D'Arpino to write the blog on the weekend following Thanksgiving because we were taken up with other things following shooting. Specifically, we had to deal with the aftermath of a fire started by co-writer Joe Mangelli in the crew's microwave.

It happened this way: Mangelli was trying to melt some chocolate covered coffee beans to be used in lieu of dog droppings, and decided that the microwave oven was the best way to accomplish said task. Thinking that he was saving the production from having to wash yet another dish, our co-writer placed the chocolate on a newspaper and then hit high on the microwave.

Who would have guessed that the chemicals in newsprint would lead a microwave to explode? We watched aghast as the chocolate and newspaper caught fire. Responding quickly, Joe Mangelli pulled the newspaper and chocolate out, at which point we tried to stamp out the fire with our feet. Failing at that, Joe ran to the sink and drowned the fire in tap water.

Anybody know where we can find a used microwave at a reasonable price? The inside of the oven is black and there are areas that have melted. The simulated dog crap is gone though, wiped clean. Thanks a bunch Joe.

Production Notes

Hi, this is Nick D'Arpino aka Uncle Louie. Many of you have posed questions about the production side of the shoot such as camera, sound, lighting, and continuity. Now, I'm no Francis Ford Coppola, but after working on over 38 film and television productions- behind the camera-I'm happy to give you some insight, especially in relation to "Uncle Louie".

Let's start with the shooting schedule. A lot of you have asked, "Why do we shoot out of sequence- why not start on page one of the script and shoot each page in order"? I have never heard of or been involved in a production that shoots in order. While, for organisational purposes it would be a lot easier, there are many factors involved in scheduling. Many times an actor is available only on certain days or for a limited time- so the schedule might reflect getting all the the scenes with that actor first. Location might be another factor. Shooting a scene at a "live location", such as someones private home, or a public building, may have to done when the location is available. Weather is another factor. A few days of rain might call for exterior shoots to be done later. There are a variety of reasons to shoot "out of sequence", almost too many to list here.

The schedule is set by the producer, director, and if on the crew, a script coordinator. Most films that are ninety minutes to two hours, take about 24 to 32 days to shoot. This is called principle
photography, which does not include adding digital effects and final editing. Editing can take longer than shooting, with major films taking up to six months to edit.

In the case of "Uncle Louie" , we are shooting on the cast an crews availability. Since most of us have regular jobs, we are shooting mostly on weekends. The process seems longer, but would still amount to about 26to 28 days, overall.

Check back for more production notes and information. I'll be posting regularly.

That voodoo that you do so well

November 7, 2009

The rainy season is upon us, which makes it imperative for our film crew to get as many of the outdoor scenes out of the way as possible. Luckily, today was our day. No rain, a clear California day.

Maybe we should give our character Jacinthe the credit for the absence of inclement skies. He is, after all, a voodoo priest. If he can raise Uncle Louie from the dead, he sure as heck ought to be able to call in a few favors to get us good weather.

Our set was located in the back yard of some friends on the Los Gatos/ San Jose border. Now this was no suburban back yard, but one of the most unique residential yards we’ve ever seen. For, you see, our friends have chickens (within the city limit no less!) and these birds provided a wonderful soundtrack for the filming of today’s voodoo ceremony. With all their clucking and squawking, you might think that it was one of them that was to be the sacrificial victim. Or maybe it was. But no, isn’t our dog Fidel the one that’s supposed to die so Uncle Louie can live again? Have to wait and see...

In addition to the soundtrack provided by our friends’ chickens, we had the brilliant drum work of Craig Ward, who plays Jacinthe, and who is a musician and teacher in real life.

A diverse group of extras witnessed today's black magic. Grown children, the favorite Mangelli granddaughter, wives, neighbors and friends of the writers and director, mostly. All ages, all walks, and fairly representative of the ethnic groups here in the county of Santa Clara. One of them fainted when she got a load of Jacinthe’s voodoo. A beautiful girl, check the cast and crew page to find out who she is.

Day of the Dead...Zio Luigi!

October 31, 2009

Today our cast and crew brought Uncle Louie back from the dead. No, we didn't just get an injection of cash to prevent the shutting down of production.  Rather, our cast and crew raised our favorite dead uncle from the grave. It was only fitting that we shot this segment on Halloween.  Utterly accidental and serendipitous was the timing. We swear. 

Of course it all started with the work of our makeup artist, Vroula; she made Louie look appropriately cadaverous.  But that was just the beginning. Louie's burial suit was covered with grass stains, tufts of dirt, and dusty soil by the time she was through with him. Then presto! Our gangster ghost arrived, a bloodless and startling apparition, fresh from the laborious work of pushing up daisies.




November 1, 2009

Today was about stamina, and it showed us what we were made of. There were periods of the filming day that were fraught with frustration, but when it was time to wrap up, we held fast to our hopes.  And with good reason.  Many of the scenes  we played back on the monitor were as good or better than we imagined.  Particularly satisfying was a high shot of Uncle Louie enjoying wine and anti-pasta on our dining room table; conceived by the director and the DP, this shot involved a strenuous set up and hand-held work by camera operator Kyle Mayer. The quiet, contemplative scene captures the solitary bliss of one of life's simple pleasures: the consumption of good food and wine.

EDITH

Vroula worked her make-up magic on Edith (she is really 29, or at least that's how I remember her). The crew created a great set in Joe Mangelli's guest room for the nursing home scene. While waiting for it to get dark to start the shoot, crew members sat around talking about films and eating pizza. It was a smooth shoot. Edith looked like a pro.