Little Big Film

We have completed the first week of this feature film. It's been a bit mental. The first few days were spent shooting in a house location with little space to shoot and light and a lack of crew. For two of those days, me and the Gaffer/AC lit and shot it. For other days I have one or two Camera Assistants and one gaffer and it was still a push to get things done. With 3k worth of lights in a room, it got up to 35c and we were literally dripping with sweat while shooting. So much that while operating, sweat dripped from my forehead onto my glasses.

The director is good though for a first time feature and the production team are really nice people. The actors are good to too and everyone is friendly. The script is funny. During the cafe scene, most of us at one time or another tried to contain our laughs during a take.

I have been lighting it to the best of my abilities and am pretty happy with the resulting photography. I have learnt how to do some good stuff too. It's stressful in the way that it ups your game in making something look both natural yet photographically interesting for a film that has a good chance of being seen in a cinema.

Despite the 14/16 hr days, the lack of crew, proper diet and time of my own, I love every moment of shooting this film and it reminds me of how enjoyable this job can be when it works and everyday is a challenge that you miraculously pull through with shots that are lit and shot well- and directed and performed well to boot.

A few stills when i had time to shoot a few. Nothing obvious about the film, for obvious reasons.


Children's tiny loft room with 180 degree pan. With a 8x'5' space to light from. Soft and warm with spotted teddys. I cut holes in black wrap, clipped them to one 650watt and aimed them.



Living room. Soft directional light with some bluish fill. And back light. This is half the set up creating what is below.


Cafe. contending with natural ambient light. I took a pair of 2k's and a 1.2 HMI and created a daytime high key ambience where the round the table funny talk takes places. I had trouble operating at some point when one of the actors improvised the line with some quick wit.

I was supossed to fly to Manchester to shoot a corporate for Virgin Media but it got postponed. So now I have a day off. Sort of, as I have other work to be finishing off.

These days are challenging fun.

- J

A Change in Climates

Last year when I was in Beijing I was talking to a new friend, a Swedish born Chinese girl. She said everyone talks about China being one of the top carbon polluters but little is said about the measures it is and will take regarding this. Now may be the time. In the forthcoming New York Climate change talks, China and India are set to take stage in announcing it's aggressive cuts representing a 'breakthrough'. Both China and India, the worlds fastest growing economies wants to continue to grow. Neither country has played a large part in what the planet is reacting to. The 150 years of western industrialization accounts for that. The USA, China and India will account for the future. Yet it is these ancient societies that will take a lead in curbing this abuse of resources. It seems apt that a civilization and culture that has been around for 6 thousand years should be the one to contain the spillage that threatens all life. A culture that has survived all this time isn't going to suddenly steer head first into self annihilation because it wants cars and mobile phones. Human civilization will continue.

As if I didn't have to shoot the 6 day a week feature, I have more work on other stills and video projects in between- shooting on my day off and editing after work. But I need the money so... it's 7 day weeks for me for the next 5/6 weeks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/21/china-india-climate-change

Letting the steam while in the climate of a pressure cooker
- J

The end of a fast summer

Farkin hell. The last two weeks have been a bit mental. Mostly because of preproduction on this feature I am starting in a few days. With little money, I was trying to hire Focus Pullers and a Gaffer/Spark. I received some decent CV's and cover letters but most have been from left fielder's who don't have a clue about how to apply for job. Only in the low budget film world will one get a cover letter starting with, 'Hi there...'. Due to the token salary, we decided to hire people on a weekly basis so they wouldn't be out of pocket for the full five week shoot. This, still proved difficult. I was actually a little surprised i didn't get more 2ND AC's wanting for focus pulling experience applying. I even wrote directly to a few from diary services. One out of six replied, i think.

In the end, I managed to find seven 2nd AC's covering 5 weeks and three 1st AC's doing the middle 3 weeks. Am out on the first and last week. Also found last minute gaffer. Also a sound recordist. Also an Art Director. I may as well get an asscoiate producer credit too or open my own business as lastminutecrew.com.

I also managed to get the RED One, grip and Cooke S2 primes all under 6k. Also kept the lighting budget to 2k.

I will probably be starting the film sans Focus Puller.

With the advent of this film comes the end of summer. It was was quick but it was grand. It would be remembered as a summer of learning Tango and meeting new acquaintances. When I got my teeth in. The company of women wasn't too shabby either. It was a good summer. Though before I knew it was here, it was over.

After this mini comedy opus of a feature, I will be directing that music video for Allo Darlin. I do have one treatment which they liked but I will probably write more as am not completely happy with it. It will be, regardless of form, a John Hughes tribute.

"Life moves pretty fast... If you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Mathew Broderick as Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

- J

RED means GO

For a DoP (Director of Photography), or Cinematographer as we are, as freelancers, can go for weeks without working. It's tough at times, you have to have other things to do, you have to have hobbies. Luckily, I have many major ones.

Work has been sparse this year. Corporates and music videos. But I just landed a feature project that I convinced them to shoot on a RED. I also had to negotiate a fee. It's low budget comedy feature. Good script. Commercial. The most commercial script i have come across in my 7 years and seemingly the most viable feature to make it to major festivals and a strong possibility to get a theatrical distibition.

I wanted to shoot it but there was a discussion regarding formats as they wanted to shoot on a 5d mk 2 which is a DSLR. Not a professional format and with a large sensor, focus issues and other. I managed to converse with the director and producer who are both good guys and clued up and they took it on board. I was first choice but still, these things can go either way.

Shooting a commercially viable feature on a professional foramt is something I have been waiting to do since I started. Sure I like the creative shorts and idiosincratic but at the same time I need to make a decent living and make work headin that way. And this has possibly come fore.

We hope for things and hope they will materialize though not knowing when. I managed to get a living wage from this feature and it seems it will be great to do. I am excited.

I am just about finishing a feature on Super16mm this year (which begand last May '08). A project I have loved to been a part of. It's an idosyncratic piece of work which stems strongly from mine and the directors mind.

It's a slow crawl but it's worth it. Enjoying what you want to do and getting paid doing it. After shooting and editing corporates and promos this year, I am ready to do a feature 5 week shoot. It's been 4 years since i did a stint like that long. We become a family sorts on shoots. For 5 weeks, it's just heaven. But it is, 6 day weeks with a constant level of managable stress everyday.

I needed more experience on the RED and doing this feature now is fantastic. It can push my often stagnated career forward. But, your work (cinematography) is only as good as the finished film is.

I am still amazed that I can do this for a living. Just about...

- J