At the site

We shot a few days ago for the second round.  Didn't get very far, as Prudence had an allergic reaction to an insect bite.  Life began to imitate the fiction. Thus this became a dress rehearsal. Harriet was very tired.  I was worried about not having makeup, but in fact, I didn't need an artist, as she showed the signs of fatigue naturally.  The walk wasn't long, it may have been the effects of the bite.  She went to the doctor.  It was nothing, but he gave her benedryl.  Have to make sure to bring and actually use the bug spray, and not have it just sit in the car.
Generally, it's important to make sure that the talent won't have problems that would prevent them from coming the next day.  Just go over all things.
Got some great shots by the mansion.  The leica won't do for static or roving shots, but for tracking and follows, it's great.  I didn't check the night lens rig, but at least now I can do some day for night post production tests.

Along the western shore.

Getting close.  Still finishing conforming the shot list/storyboard to the revisions in the script.  I'm feeling okay about things as of now.  I do want to go back to the site for.  Monday is the last rehearsal.  I really want to work on Chase's accent and voice, and I want to see the whole thing with Leanne off-book.  I haven't had much of a chance to judge her performance.  Ella was pretty tired at the last rehearsal.  It being right before her surgery.
For the makeup I chose a wheel not normally used.  In fact I couldn't find it in stock here in NYC.  Having it shipped from Cali.  Hoping it gets here in time.
Meeting with the makeup artist on Sunday to go over the zombie, the hag, the injuries.  I still have to get a hag, or fairy.  It starts out like a fairy.
Waiting for two corsets.  Bought a lot of corsets at the end of the day.  These things have to fit evidently.  I weathered bonnets, with the exception of the one from England.
Still have to finish with the shot list though.
I'm going to shoot this, and take a break.  Well, at least until I have a money source.  I'm looking forward to working, while finishing 'Ye Arkham'.  Getting cabin fever in the office so much.

Testing Night Work

Spending much time on the visual effects.  Picked up some filters for day for night shooting, and did some tests in the park today with all the lenses.  Still have to work on the redscale for the nightmare.  Probably using undeveloped film sandwiched between to UV filters, or a UV and a skylight.  Up top is a day for night set up.  An opteka linear polarizer stacked onto an agfa circular polarizer with a tiffen 80A.  I underexposed significantly.  Turning the linear polarizer turns the combination into a variable neutral density filter.  Ostensibly, turning the both the linear and circular, can reduce or enhance reflections off non-metal, to give nice negative space.

For this I used a Hoya 80B.  The Tiffen looks brighter.  

Editing Workflow

I finally found the settings to make the 4:2:2 footage work in my FCP.  I'll be shooting MJPEG, rather than AVCHD.  It'd be nice if there was a stable 1920x1080 setting in the hack I used, but I couldn't find one.  I'll be shooting 1536x864.  That was the largest 4:2:2 MJPEG I could find.  I don't know how that would stand up to theatre resolution though.

I want to put together the rest of the balloon film.  I shot the dream sequence the other day, -that reminds me, I have to revise my ad at Mandy.  I need someone for the role of the fairy.  Don't know how that's going to film, but I want to try it.  I have to make sure it can stand up to scrutiny.  The redscale looks powerful.  I'm shooting it through two layers of unexposed, developed film.  Gives it a thick quality.

Casting, Ads

The production is getting a wind behind it.  I've put an ad on Mandy, and another on NYCasting.  Also sent an email to Ella.  Still haven't heard from Rachel, but we'll see.  I put an ad for Prudence, and it'd suck to have to re-cast this role, but shit.  It'd suck.  Haven't gotten any responses yet, which I'd depended on, but I forgot you have to wait until they approve the ads.  I'll put one on Craigslist too.  I want to get used to that.

I'm also thinking about the production itself. I know it'd be great if some of the leaves fell off of the trees.  We'd have more visibility in that forest.  But that may also be a weakpoint for shooting at Pelham Bay Park.

Another thing I'm thinking about is the feature itself.  I'm blocking about what to do about Jarrod's role. I got in an argument with the lead, and we haven't spoken for some time.  We'd be working on the production over maybe 3 months, hopefully less, but it'd have to be someone that has some staying power.  I could begin scheduling this, while I'm waiting for  the girls, the only thing is if I wait, I may lose what I have now.  It'd sure be good to wait until there was some overcast.  In the meantime, I can begin breaking down some of those scenes as well.

Notes 6-16-12

I'll need to do better work with my shot order.  Maybe do some research.  I know they say to do all the shots with one a wider lens, then get closer, but that wide simply doesn't tell me enough.  That could be impatience though.  Still, I'm missing shots, that I mean to go back and get.  In covering a scene, I'll have to remember the closeups.  What'd be good if I had two cameras, but of course, then you have a problem of placement.  It takes long enough to place one camera.

Knife In The Water

Watched 'Knife in the Water'  Roman Polanski's debut feature.   Fantastic film.  Yesterday I shot the scene of 'ye arkham balloons', where Hester believes Claire is a beast, torturing Prudence, in the shared hysterical delusion.  My moves are so shaky.  'Knife in the Water' was shot handheld as well, but the shooting is bolt straight.  Well not bolt, but beautifully round and steady.  My moves are so jagged with the pistol grip, most likely because I'm just using the handgrip, as well as what's probably a 135mm lens.

 I need my rig, but I also need a short center post, to really be able to use it correctly.  Nevertheless, since I don't have the money, I'll try an inverted center post mount, with the rig on the bogen.  Be difficult to focus like that.  Unless I can get this lotus sitting position down.  Been getting limber and losing weight.

Also thoughtful about  my color and picture options.  I don't plan on doing it alone in the end, but since I'll need to be able to communicate what I want, I better get some 'looks' and 'moods' going.  Some dude had a basic way of reducing the saturation, and adding it in again with something else.  I'll try a few things in Motion.

The film will have a bare look to it, so it'll be good to get experienced in bringing out the suspense in a bare, non or very little sfx style.  The only element I have like this in the story is Mara.  I like Mara.T
Also, been thinking about changing the name to Anne, not Elizabeth.  Although both could do.  Claire is seeming, maybe maybe not.

I finished putting together part of 'Balloons', the short 'ye arkham maides' made with balloons.  It's challenging, but gives me an idea of what I'm going to need, a way to gain experience and lessons, also a way to hone my workflow.  I'm looking for a way to gain from the experience in a better way, so for now I'm going to use the journal.
 I can see that most of the film would be better served with these Mamiya lenses.  The 4x5 focal length is pretty frame filling with m4/3rds.  The 58 helios that I used for the scene a few months ago is great for a filling medium and perhaps full, but doesn't have the impact of the larger lenses.  Don't want it to get too screen shaky though.

This new layout hasn't helped.  When you come back to something, you want familiarity.  Google changed the interface of the blog post page.  I'll live.  Almost finished with the balloon work.  Been going back and forth to the park, staging sets using balloons.  This way I won't have to try and be van gogh in 60 seconds or less when I'm on the shoot.
I got a minivan for production.  Transferred the plates from the pontiac.  I've got to fill out the forms and all, I'll take care of that this weekend.  Had to get the radio fixed, the lights replaced.  Dude was cool.  Old Haitian family man.  He lives on one street, his large extended family live on the next streets.  They own their houses.  The Haitian was so colloquial, I only got a few words here and there.  It's a Nissan Quest, '94.  145000 miles. Which reminds me, I have to finish filling out the form, and call Geico and cancel insurance on the pontiac.

Just finished painting the door trim.  Natalie had a heart attack about the rust.   Getting ready to take it up to New Paltz.

Balloons

It's back to the woods for me.  I've been going on and off since the shoot.  Took several weeks off after shooting the first scene when my main actress disappeared. One learns.  But I also learned I can reduce the time significantly, by not only having the storyboards, and shot list, but also I'm going to shoot the movie with balloons to mark the placement at the sites.  Give myself more room on the set.   Since the trains have been running awfully, under the guise of massive 'repairs', it takes upwards of 3 hours to get there and back during the day.  Which reminds me, I've got to get out of here.  Anyway I'm going to map scene 4 today.

Ye Arkham Maides Production

The production is ready for shooting.  I've mapped out the sites at both locations.  The meadows are nice with sloping hills which lead to a wall of trees.  I'll use Establishing shots I've also gotten response from several crew interns and pas.  I'm waiting to hear from the several actors, to confirm dates.  Costumes also need to be distressed, but this shouldn't take long.

I met with Marie yesterday to do a few mockups of the hag.  We also went over the makeup for the rash, -which I should have photographed, as well as the bruised skin.  Still need to get a smooth full latex appliance for the facial swelling.

Ye Arkham Maides:Costumes, Crushed Silk Organza

Crushed organza gives me the random wrinkles I want.  Crushed taffeta in poly has great 3d, with random 'rivers', but is too stiff for my comfort, can't find crushed silk taffeta.  Crushed silk chiffon or poly chiffon has very nice drape and flow, but has a laid pattern that I can see.  I think there's one that doesn't have such a laid pattern.  At Nousha's. I don't want the pattern in the 'hero' close in the dream, to be a laid but a random pattern, before going out of focus.  My thoughts are it'll lend more drama if it's random.  

One could say that the discomfort that the dark brown poly brings may be of dramatic use.  This is for the nightmare sequence.  I'll stew on that.  Jevyn and I found it at Mood on 38th, but I found a cheaper dude on 35th that has the same fabric yesterday.  Didn't buy it straight away though.  I want to head over to the bureau to work on the wrap first.  Take some pictures and send them over to Jevyn.  Going to test an Indian wrap called a Chaadra.  Used for ceremonial purposes, I can mix it with a little venus de milo drape.
Getting a lot of info and inspiration from a lord of the rings costume forum.  Details about things like the fabric of Liv Tyler's gown in the dream sequence are helpful. It's a good thing to be able to analyze the work of the pros.  Picked up some crushed poly organza at the fabric store on Bway to test.

No, Chaadra didn't work.  But this is okay for a draft.

Ye Arkham Maides: Costumes

These textures lend themselves to underexposure, which I want to use in the cinematography.  Doesn't have the flow of, say a ruffle dress, like in the period dramas of the forties, but it has it's own drama.  We're going to use the blue dress as a petticoat, if rather than this, if it ever gets here.  Styling is going to be a challenge.  Made an adjustable bustle pad to hold up the skirt, just in case it needs adjusting.  It'd b nice if someone had a ruffle dress,  would be nice in the opening sequences..

Location Scouting; Ye Arkham Maides

 

Many textures in this forest.

Costumes; Ye Arkham Maides

It took me a good year to find corsets for the girls. I didn't want it to be over the top, the girls are picking herbs... didn't want it to be uncomfortable. Had to be sexy, but again, not over the top. In the end I ended up re-purposing several vintage dresses designed in a retro style, about 30 years ago. Trying it out tomorrow for the first time.

Zombie Honeybees & Decapitating Flies

Much talk lately of colony collapse disorder, when worker bees suddenly leave the bee hive.  Although unexplained, a variety of issues maybe causing the phenomenon. Apocephalus borealis, a parasitic fly which has already been attributed to a symptom in which the bees wander around aimlessly before eventually dying, as well as planting it's larvae in the bees' head, causing the heads to pop off after the larvae develops may be responsible for colony collapse from California to South Dakota.

Olde New York

There's places like this that remind me of the old New York. Is it the chipped paint? The darkness? Or some quiet. Getting back from the site in the Bronx late with Natalie. We walked from the south end and found an opening in the fence where we hoped to get over to the north woods, but instead got trapped in the never ending meadow of a golf course, as there wasn't another opening.