48HFP Baltimore
Got done shooting my 48-hour Film Project: Baltimore film a couple hours ago.
I had found a team about two weeks ago on one of the email lists I'm on to get audition notices. I got the obligatory phone call and emails Friday night, and the director said they wouldn't need me until 2PM at this one office building in Arlington (yes, Virginia. A lot of DC-based crews take a crack at Baltimore). Apparently we drew "Buddy Film," but the writer had a sci-fi sort of idea that he crammed a buddy dynamic into. Turned out okay though, and if it is edited well it could end up being a pretty good movie.
So I get there at 1:40, and of course the doors are locked because it is an office building on a Saturday. So I call the director, and he says, "Did you get the email that said don't come until 2?" I said, "Dude, it is 20 till 2 now," and he says, "Wow, time flies. Okay, we'll be there in about a half hour. Oh, great, that tells me one thing - no script supervisor (the hard-ass who makes sure the script and shoot schedule is followed, and gets on people's cases if they are falling behind).
Well, about an hour and a half later they come rolling in. Then they have other scenes still to shoot not involving me, so we didn't get started with my stuff until about 6:30 or so - a half an hour before the time he had said I should be free by. Fortunately, I knew better than to make any evening plans.
They were using one camera, so they shot all of the long shots first, since things were placed pretty precisely on he set. Then he did select close ups. The writer/director was also the editor, so he knew which lines he was going to want. Saved time in shooting, but it limits his options in editing, so I don't know if that was a good move. Time will tell.
We wrapped at about 11:30 PM.
BTW, we are "Future Productions" and we are group C that screens June 23 at 7:15PM if anyone is interested. Unfortunately, I won't be there, since I have a rehearsal for the Capital Fringe Festival play I'm in that performs in July.
Thursday I did a student film project with a class at Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts (Georgetown campus).
Eight students each had to storyboard and shoot a scene without dialog as determined by a paragraph that was going to be voiced over the action. Each had access to the same pool of three actors. I was told to come dressed as a homeless person.
I had just moved two months ago, and so had discarded or donated most of my old ratty clothes, so I had to take the most worn ones I did have and distress them further. I tore and cut holes in a t-shirt, then wore it over a worn sweatshirt to keep it a family film, and dirtied it up with some food stains and dirt. And all the night before too.
So I get there, and everyone likes the wardrobe, and we proceed to shoot. Each of the 8 students had 50 minutes to shoot what they needed, and some didn't use all of their time. So we were on schedule the whole day. They paid for lunch, and I got a decent stipend to boot (well, invoiced them for a decent stipend. we'll see how long it takes for the school to pay it.).
This job gave me the opportunity to make an interesting observation. I have now, on three separate occasions, been paid more to _not_ speak in a film than I have ever been paid _to_ speak in a film. Not complaining, because on two of those occasions, I still got to act. Just making an observation.
EDIT: I got the date wrong for the 49HFP screening. We are in group "C", but that group screens on Wednesday June _24_ at 7:15. I was correct about my rehearsal commitment and inability to attend the screening though.
I had found a team about two weeks ago on one of the email lists I'm on to get audition notices. I got the obligatory phone call and emails Friday night, and the director said they wouldn't need me until 2PM at this one office building in Arlington (yes, Virginia. A lot of DC-based crews take a crack at Baltimore). Apparently we drew "Buddy Film," but the writer had a sci-fi sort of idea that he crammed a buddy dynamic into. Turned out okay though, and if it is edited well it could end up being a pretty good movie.
So I get there at 1:40, and of course the doors are locked because it is an office building on a Saturday. So I call the director, and he says, "Did you get the email that said don't come until 2?" I said, "Dude, it is 20 till 2 now," and he says, "Wow, time flies. Okay, we'll be there in about a half hour. Oh, great, that tells me one thing - no script supervisor (the hard-ass who makes sure the script and shoot schedule is followed, and gets on people's cases if they are falling behind).
Well, about an hour and a half later they come rolling in. Then they have other scenes still to shoot not involving me, so we didn't get started with my stuff until about 6:30 or so - a half an hour before the time he had said I should be free by. Fortunately, I knew better than to make any evening plans.
They were using one camera, so they shot all of the long shots first, since things were placed pretty precisely on he set. Then he did select close ups. The writer/director was also the editor, so he knew which lines he was going to want. Saved time in shooting, but it limits his options in editing, so I don't know if that was a good move. Time will tell.
We wrapped at about 11:30 PM.
BTW, we are "Future Productions" and we are group C that screens June 23 at 7:15PM if anyone is interested. Unfortunately, I won't be there, since I have a rehearsal for the Capital Fringe Festival play I'm in that performs in July.
Thursday I did a student film project with a class at Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts (Georgetown campus).
Eight students each had to storyboard and shoot a scene without dialog as determined by a paragraph that was going to be voiced over the action. Each had access to the same pool of three actors. I was told to come dressed as a homeless person.
I had just moved two months ago, and so had discarded or donated most of my old ratty clothes, so I had to take the most worn ones I did have and distress them further. I tore and cut holes in a t-shirt, then wore it over a worn sweatshirt to keep it a family film, and dirtied it up with some food stains and dirt. And all the night before too.
So I get there, and everyone likes the wardrobe, and we proceed to shoot. Each of the 8 students had 50 minutes to shoot what they needed, and some didn't use all of their time. So we were on schedule the whole day. They paid for lunch, and I got a decent stipend to boot (well, invoiced them for a decent stipend. we'll see how long it takes for the school to pay it.).
This job gave me the opportunity to make an interesting observation. I have now, on three separate occasions, been paid more to _not_ speak in a film than I have ever been paid _to_ speak in a film. Not complaining, because on two of those occasions, I still got to act. Just making an observation.
EDIT: I got the date wrong for the 49HFP screening. We are in group "C", but that group screens on Wednesday June _24_ at 7:15. I was correct about my rehearsal commitment and inability to attend the screening though.