Merging days

I didn't do very much work. When I arrived late at 5:45pm from being lost on my way back from the beach, everybody was hard at work setting up. Asking for work was practically getting in the way of work. They were setting up for a scene in which Paola's ex husband finds her and slaps her in the fire escape. Above you can see my impeccable work. On the glass door to the fire hose, you can see the sign which I was in the process of covering with red tape. Obviously I am the most important person on set :-) The straight thing that the man is operating is the mount for the camera. It guarantees a smooth tracking shot. Do you know the difference between tracking and zooming? Well, let me tell you! I learned this from Professor Knight in my first intro to film studies class. With a zoom you are adjusting the focal length of the lens. The background and depth perception warp a little bit with the zoom, whereas when you track everything stays the same. There is a scene in the Good Fellas in which the camera dolly's out, but is simultaneously zooming in, so the image distorts but remains the same. It is during the tense scene in the restaurant in which one of them is about to be murdered and knows it. Anyway, I thought since you were reading a blog about movie making, you should learn that little tidbit, because that's all I learn in film class. tidbits. fun facts. trivia. nothing like what i'm learning here. The actual process of making films. the specific and concentrated roles of people.

There's a brief struggle down the staircase, he slaps her. The door closes.

The guy who plays the ex has a great face. He looks like such an asshole. His eyes are deep set, probably as a side-effect of de maciado testosterone. His movements were awesome and dramatic, with good shoulder action when he slams the door in the face of the camera... or rather, the lens of the camera...

We then did this scene of Henry waking up in Paola's apartment, going to the bathroom mirror.
The ex then appears in the mirror in the form of a hallucination, but the way they did it was really sweet because they lit him up 4 times, each time getting progressively closer. There was also a camera in a plexiglas bowl filled with water, which Henry kept sticking his face into to try and clear his head. It looked so great, and I wish i had a picture of the shot, but not only did I not get a shot, but I realized it would be a copyright infringement if I did.

I then had to leave the set because a nude bathtub scene was going to take place, and it's in the actresses contract that she should have a closed set for all nude scenes. I wouldn't be able to do a nude scene if a camera was there. Or a director! Afterwards I was told that they got equally brilliant shots as henry's scene.

My aunt, sonia, keeps saying that before I got here the fight to make this movie was a constant uphill battle. They fought to make this dark themed movie, they fought for funding, they fought for a reasonable ending, and they fought for the camera man. The first camera man pictured above on the left, comes up with these amazing shots, as is the lighting technician (gaffer?) who is next to him. They both have very good intuition regarding lighting and composition and it comes naturally to them. When we're watching on the monitor, I am so overcome with aesthetic orgasms, and in Japanese I would say Kandou suru. Overwhemingly emotional shots with great composition. This movie is going to be so visually fantastic, even if the ending isn't prima. But i will keep my faith until i see the final product. I trust that when the time comes, sonia and rafi will make the right decision. They're passions are currently completely devoted to this film and they are living and breathing every moment with the characters in the film.

The fight for the ending had to be quickly resolved, and since today and yesterday i am filled with free time, i have been talking to the prop manager who is making final additions to props in the art room, and he had a fantastic ending scene where Henry enters a museum and we find that it's his exhibit. The main piece, which the twin artists are working on at the moment, is the centerpiece, and Paula is body painted and camouflaged into the painting. Her face comes out of the painting for a kiss, and then you hear her voice behind you, he turns around, and a flash in his face whitens the screen, and the credits roll.

Beautiful! You are left wondering if Paula is real, or if his imagination merely incorporated her into his painting and hallucinations.

But alas, this is not the ending. Henry's mother ambiguously flips out on him for being schizophrenic, Paula chases her out of the apartment and comforts Henry, and the sun rises and they lie naked on the rooftop or something poetic like that. But that's okay, because the movie up until then will be fantastic. And maybe one day I will remake the movie with the better ending :P

This morning we shot the scenes where Paola gives her self a renewing makeover. filled with emotion, she chops off her hair. It was great camera work once again, with some handheld shakiness reflecting the tumult that she feels.

she wears this really sexy outfit all this time which you can get a sneak peak of up above. When she stands you can see her body... I just ate dinner with the cast and crew, and all she had to eat was a piece of tofu and three slices of tomatoes. Anyway, the entire scene is just really sexy and passionate.

There is this lady on set who is the official photographer for all things publicity and web related. she has the job that I want. she has 3 different cameras, and so many different lenses and I cannot compete.
she is a black belt in kickboxing (look at those arms) and kicks my ass in every way possible!

Currently most of the crew is banned from the set, as they are doing a very intense scene between Paola and the ex husband. He invades her space, pushes her around, etc. Apparently it's a very hard scene to get because of the drama.

Oscar (the one who plays henry) worked in a soap opera for a year, and acquired this eye-brow lifting habit which makes it look like he's over acting, and so for the intense scene they had to mellow out his brow. Word on the set is that the actors are all too pumped up, and because of it they are over dramatic and affected. The physical ability of being able to manipulate your eye brow has become a hindrance to the quality of the film! nevertheless, i am jealous of those who can lift their brows :P