Pics from Solitude...

Check it out, here are some pictures from the shoot Too Loud A Solitude when I gaffed for Isidore Mankofsky ASC.

http://homepage.mac.com/tomas_arceo/TLAS/

Puppet Pics

Here are some pictures of me on "Too Loud A Solitude" with Isidore Mankofsky. I will post more of the pics that I took later.


Me and Izzy


The puppeteers on the basement set... so hard to light and then re-light around puppeteers.


Isidore showing me how to meter ambiance.

Back Online!

After a week of lighting rod puppets for 12+ hours a day, I am not back online! Woo-hoo! We finally fixed our router and internet. However, I can't blog for too long because we have all our little pick-up shots to do tomorrow(but it shouldn't take long)

I promise I will write in great detail about working with Isidore Mankofsky and lighting puppets, etc. I'll also post pictures, too!

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
If you are a gaffer or best boy(or any other position with a boss on a film set) always try and stay within earshot and eye sight of your boss so they don't have to look around for you... especially if your boss happens to be an ASC Cinematographer;)

Too Busy to Blog

This seems to be a theme recently, I do apologize for it. I have been slacking on documenting my adventures here in LA, our constantly sputtering internet connection here at our apartment(thanks to Time Warner) doesn't help, either.

A lot has happened, I had a great Thanksgiving, I hope everyone else had a good one. I went up to SF and visited my family and friends and then stayed for a week. It was a good long vacation. I had a great Thanksgiving, it was good to see my family(and friends because Andrew was there, too, along with one of Peter's friends from USC who joined us). Lots of good food, tons of laughter, and a funny game of catch with the football which included a naval rescue, a magic stick, and Peter taking a bow.

Before I came up, Larry gave me the good news that he is working t try and transfer me to the lamp dock at Warner Brothers for a year, This would get me into the union and it would give me a free pass to observe a working studio from the inside, to which I might model my studio after in the future. On top of that, Karolina offered to move down t LA for a year as I work at WB and then work for 6-8 months in the union on what ever show I en up getting picked up on... well, only if I get her a puppy.

I pretty much bummed around SF during my vacation. I did a shoot with Matt, Joe and Spenser which was a lot of fun, and then I surprised everyone at school on Monday. I was sad that I didn't get to see Karen Holmes(my favorite teacher at SFSU) but I did get to say hi to Ray, Roy, Anay, and the Cinema Collective. I went to the meeting and did a little lighting demo and hung out in the Collective office all day like old times(only the office was a little neater and organized back in my day- hahah)


Tuesday I went to Lucas Ranch(no, I didn't see George). My friend Erin works there for this section called Jack Doc, she is currently working on documentaries for the bonus disc of the Young Indiana Jones series being released on DVD. I got to see Skywalker Sound and the rest of the ranch grounds! The security guards have X-wings on their security shoulder patches!!! I took my picture in front of The Indiana Jones hat, whip, Holy Grail, Grail Diary, Temple of Doom Stones, Idle, and Staff of Ra! For some reason I all of a sudden got so much more genuine resect for George Lucas because I could tell that he has a real respect and love for cinema and film making and film history because in every office, in every hallway, on every wall there is an old original movie poster. I can't explain it, but I just got so syked and excited to create a studio up in SF. I pretty much decided that I needed to take the Warner Brothers job and then come back as soon as I can and start it. If you build it, they will come... as they say.

Wednesday was Karolina's birthday, I got her shoes and made her dinner, but I think she was just happy to see me. Thursday I went to the movies with Patrick, we saw The Fountain. And that is when I got the call...

Larry called me and wanted to know if he could give my number to Isidore Mankofsky (yes, the man who shot The Muppet Movie) as a possible gaffer for a shoot coming up next week. So Isidore called me and hired me for the shoot, 5 days shooting this short film(with hopes of becoming a feature) with puppets and miniatures. You all can check out the pictures and sets, etc, at the films website: http://tooloudasolitude.com. Oh, and I found out today that Paul Giamatti is the voice of the main character...!



The week was finished with a screening of 5 MFA films; I had worked on one of them. I felt like a celebrity because everyone was coming up to me saying they had heard that I was doing well in LA and asking me all sorts of questions. It was fun.

I had a relaxing weekend and then flew back home on Sunday morning, ran over to Isidore's house for quick meeting in the afternoon, bused over to USC to boom op and help out on the film Andrew is helping produce.

Monday I helped out at Mole for this Kodak workshop(yay- more free film for me). Tueday I did a long work day on a music video during which there was a physical altercation at the end of the night between the 1st AD and Key Grip(see PhillM tip-of-the-day)but I was working under Rob Hauer(from the Aquarium shoot in Boston) which is always a pleasure working with him. Wednesday I helped out again on the film Andrew is producing and then Thursday I went to the pre-production meeting for this puppet movie.

And now if is Friday. I just got back from a location scout for the USC project I am gaffing at the end of this month called Loon which I am very excited for. Now it is time for sleep because I have the pre-rig tomorrow for the puppet film... it's gonna be a long weekend.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
As a producer, AD, director, or other person of power on set, it is always good to make sure you thank your crew and encourage them. If you are going longer then expected, it is a good idea to apologize and then ask. Please do not take advantage of your crew. Remember- you are only as good as your crew.

Way Too Long...

Wow, sorry guys, it's been way too long since I have written- 11 days... unacceptable. Oh well, I guess it's good because I have been so busy. Here is a little catch-up on each day.

Saturday Nov 4th
Went to the Hollywood Bowl with the Feinermans to see a little band called The Who! Ely has seen them 7 times now... dang. I ran into Sean Christensen and Laureen Briggs from school there, it was funny because I am the only person Laureen knows in LA and they only came down for the show.

Sunday Nov 5th
I worked on that shoot that I was helping out on Friday.

Monday Nov 6th
Back at Mole, Art Institute came in, it was fun.

Tuesday Nov 7th
AFI again, like every Tuesday... the guest DP was Tom Stern who works for Clint Eastwood. He's not ASC, but he was very interesting to work with, he was a former gaffer and is very abstract in his thinking and verbalization of film. He's not very grounded in the tech part of it, which was refreshing. Very nice guy, very easy to work with.

Wednesday Nov 8th
USC came in, they already knew everything, but we still stumped them with a few things... satisfying.

Thursday Nov 9th
LA Film School came in and we did power distro. Easy stuff... but it gets hot when you're doing it in the direct sun.

Friday Nov 10th
UCSD came in, they were great! After class, I went to a shoot for an ld friend that I went to 8th grade with. She's in the Stark grad producing program at USC and works with Andrew, he recommended me for this shoot, so I went out to it.

Saturday and Sunday I literally did nothing...

I'm not kidding... I got up, walked over to the couch(had Andrew get me my coffee) and watched TV, movies, played video games, and played with my new Treo!

Monday Nov 13th
LARRY GOT FOOD POISONING!!! So Chris and I taught the whole class ourselves! It was amazing!!! We were helped by the fact that these students were prepared, they were from LA Community College and they had more passion and guts then some of the students from USC, AFI, LA Film School and other big film schools we have come in. Their teacher was amazing as well, Larry has nothing but good things to say about him!

And today, Tuesday Nov 14th
Jim Plannette came in, he's Steven Soderbergh gaffer(Soderbergh is director and DP of his movies now) He's gaffed a few small movies including Young Frankenstein, Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, The Family Stone, Syriana, Solaris, Traffic, Magnolia, She's All That, The Rainmaker, Jack, Twister, Braveheart, Legends of the Fall, The River Wild , The Fisher King, Night Shift, E.T., and this new movie called The Good German.
I was talking to him before the class(everyone else was late and he showed up early(on time). I told him that I saw a preview for his new move The Good German and I was excited because it was high contrasty black and white and that I told my mom that I was excited and the first thing she said was, "What's the matter with them, can't they afford color!?" as a joke. Jim just starts laughing and told me that if it makes her feel better, they shot it on color film and then changed it to black and white in post.
Then, after class, I went to a screening of my friends film at AFI. My friend Sandra(also one of Larry's former students) shot this short film and it was being screened, so we all went to see it. it was a beautiful little film, good story, very, very pretty little story.

Well, time for bed.

PhillM tip of the day:
If you are early then you are on time.
If you are on time then you are late.
If you are late then you are fired.

LA Week

This week was pretty busy. Monday I came into Mole, the class was cancelled but I organized and cleaned the stage. We had been having classes almost non-stop for the past month and the stage needed some attention. A new guy named Jason stopped by and helped. I also got to go across the street to sneak a peek at the new 10K Tungsten Par and the new 18K HMI par, the newest lights from Mole.

Tuesday was the regular AFI class. I hadn't been to one in two weeks because of that LA Film School shoot. Every seemed happy to see me, oh, and Wally Pfister was the guest DP. We did a low light/candle light scene... very The Prestigeesk. He was a nice guy, very easy and fun to work with. It was Halloween, so Wally worked through lunch and we all got out early. I just went home and slept(long weekend).

The next day was Wednesday, we had a class from Brooks Institute from 8am to noon. One of Larry's good friends and Brook's professor Cal Manning, a former studio gaffer, came over and did a bunch of power distro stuff. Cal was such a cool guy, we ran the genny and id all types of power scenarios. Brian stopped by and we all went down the street to this BBQ place.
During lunch I got a call from Rob Hauer. He wanted to give me some feedback about the footage from Aquarium, the short film I did in Boston. All the feedback was positive, I was preparing myself for some costructive criticism and for a few problems with the lighting, but the only thing "bad" he had to say was that he thought the processing would make the shadows darker but it didn't so he wished he had used more negative or had a slightly higher contrast ratio. I was excited to hear that he was happy with the footage, I can't wait to see it!
After lunch, Larry told me he got a call from LMU and there was a miscommunication and they were coming for a class in the afternoon. So I stuck around and made a few extra dollars teaching another class. We even turned on the 10K par and the 18K HMI par for them- yay! The lights looked very, very impressive and they performed better then expected.
Then Edwin and I went to a free screening of Cars at the Academy of Television in Burbank with CEO of Pixar, John Lasseter, Supervising Technical Director Eben Ostby and Production Designer Bob Pauley. I loved the movie and(as always) love Pixar a little more with each movie I see by them.

Thursday was LMU again. We did our normal dog-n-pony, turned on some lights, played with some c-stands, and distrobution a bit of power. Oh, we did do something awesome!! Larry turns to me and whisper, "oh, go turn the arc on, I know you like to do that." So I ran outside and warmed up the generator van and got the arc out. Larry showed the class a short video about the history of Mole and the history of lighting and then brought them outside. Then he blew me away by bringing out the 18K HMI and put it right next to the arc.
We did a side-by-side comparison color and f-stop test between them and I have to say, the 18K par is the closest light I have ever seen that even compares to the arc. The 18K blew it away with its intensity, but that is to be expected. The color temp on the new HMI was spot on, the closest HMI I have ever seen to true daylight. The new HMI also had very similar shadow detail and control to the arc. We still like the arc better because they are more fun but the 18K par is a beautiful light. We all walked away extremely excited.

And then today I helped out this DP who comes into Mole named Jongo. A bunch of the Mole crew helped out on this short film he is shooting. It was a semi-long day, but it was only DV and we could only shoot as long as the sun was up, which made it easy for us to pack up and wrap.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
The closer the light bulb is to the fresnel lens, the more flooded the light becomes, the further away it is, the more spotted it becomes. In general, you flood to the right and spot to the left.

SF Weekend

I went to San Francisco this weekend. Friday was a class from Mexico, so i went in early and pre-rigged the set for the DP. The class came in and we demoed a few lighting senarios for them, it was exciting. I left early because Andrew picked me up and drove me to the airport in Burbank.
I flew out at 8:30... but the plane was delayed so we took off around 9:00. I landed at Oakland and my parents picked my up and drove me to San Francisco, I gave my mom a Mole t-shirt because she answered the question in my last blog. Karolina was happy to see me... I guess I was kinda happy to see her, too- hahaha. Sofia was also excited to see me, as well.
Karolina had work on Saturday so I went out to school to meet up with Sam at the sound stage and to give Roy and Ray some t-shirts from Mole. I stopped by Aaron, Brandon, and Laura's house in the Sunset on the way to school, it was good to be back in SF. I got to school and saw Sam. Conor happened to be on the stage, too, so I got to see him and catch up a bit. I then ran into Ben and gave him a Dolby hat that I got for him. We also ran into Veronica, too- I was planning on not having time to see anyone on this trip but instead, I saw everyone.
I then took Muni downtown and met Karolina for lunch. We went to Macy's next door and our friend Rich ended up joining us later on. Karolina went back to work and Rich and I attempted to wander around the new shopping center on Market, but there were too many people. So we ended up walking back to the condo and met Joe as he got off work. Then Jenna and her baby came over and we all made dinner when Karolina got home.
Then, after dinner and after Jenna had left, Joe, Karolina and I went out to Kate's sister's house in the Richmond for a Halloween party. I didn't have a costume, but it didn't matter, I saw everyone there, Becca, Eric, Kate, Kate's brother, Kate's sister, Brook, Laura, Brandon, Allison, and I even got to talk to Spenser on the phone.
Sunday, Karolina an I slept in... the kitty slept in with us. We got up late, made pancakes(I got a txt from Andrew also asking me to make pancakes) and then got dressed and went downtown. We dropped my bag off at Crate&Barrell and went for coffee and cake at a cafe in the new mall. Then we hopped on Bart and went to Alameda. My parents picked us up and we went out to dinner at this mexican restaurant. Then we went to my parents condo before they drove me to the airport and I flew back to Burbank.
Edwin picked my up and drove me home just in time to walk in on Andrew in a Priest outfit, Kyle in a nun outfit, and Tim wearing all black with glowing eyes under his hood... awkward(they were going to a Halloween party... so not really).

And that was my weekend in San Francisco.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When soldiering c-stand, always face the tallest leg away from set so that you can pull a stand off the line easily and so they all stack up nice and neat.

Another Long Week

Yup, another long week.

On Sunday I had a quick 12 hour shoot, but it went over so I got $100 instead of $50. The shoot had five locations all across LA so we were forced to shoot very quickly. It was like a treasure hunt almost, pretty exciting. Plus I got to work with one of my favorite DPs, Miss Nikola Marsh from England. She got sick of my fake accent in the first hour...

Monday was day 1 of 7 for the LA Film School shoot. Sandra, an old student of Larry's, AFI grad, and the first DP I worked with in LA was day-playing on day 1 as 1st AC. The day took extra long, we got our first shot off 4 hours after we hand planned, so we were a little behind... and craft services wasn't on time or good for that matter. Remember: A fed crew is a happy crew.

Tuesday... Wednesday... Thursday... Friday... Saturday... Day 2... Day 3... Day 4... Day 5... Day 6. We were burnt out, the crew wasn't allowed to eat first(??) and there was almost never coffee in the morning. But we got through it. Friday night the crew walked the half-a-block to the local LA Film School hangout bar and had drinks to celebrate the film having only one more day(Sunday was out day off).

I had taken Saturday off of the LA Film School shoot to do some more work with Nik on another one of those treasure hunt days. But After we wrapped, I came and helped the LA Film School shoot until we wrapped and then went out. Andrew met up with us and long story short, we ended up at this dinner/cafe we always go to called The Brite Spot at about 3:30 in the morning.

We came home and crashed, I slept all of Sunday and then got up, played video games, iced my foot, and do absolutely nothing.

That is, until I met up with Edwin, Sandra, her husband Eric, our friend Kevin, and two of Sandra's friends at the Arclight to see the Prestige. It was worth getting off the couch for.

Monday was the last day of the LA Film School shoot and boy were we all glad it was over. I went home and slept after getting home around 9:00pm.

Tuesday I stayed home and iced my foot. Larry called and asked if I could come in tomorrow to teach a few guys about power distro and lights; I, of course, said yes. I continued to ice my foot and do nothing after a long, long, long... long week.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Volts x Amps = Watts. So in the US we run on 110-120 volts... most of our modern household circuits are 20 Amps... so how many watts can one circuit hold? Post a reply with the answer and I'll bring you a Mole t-short when I visit during Thanksgiving.

I Broke My Toe at the ASC(...and it was worth it)

I hobbled down Hollywood Blvd at 10 o'clock at night and the only thing that I could think about was the cornfield scene in ET and how I was going to deal with my probably broken toe. Yes- I broke my toe at the ASC... I mean, when the old timers get together, they are just so passionate about film that they can get a little routy- haha, just kidding, I dropped a stand on it, well... the stand kind of jumped at me... but let me back up a bit.
I first went to the LA Film School for a pre-rig of the sound stage. We had the G&E team start building the soft boxes out of donated and damaged styrofoam board that we were hanging over the set. B(Brayton) and I started hanging the other lights using the scissor lift. We tried to rough the lights in the best we could but it was hard without most of the set built, art department was taking a lot more time then they thought there were going to take in set construction and already people were struggling with the amount of money given to each department to work with. Brian, the key grip from Boston, stopped by and helped me rig as well, he had nothing to do so he stopped by.
After the rig I went home a bit early and took a shower, got dressed, and then Brian drove me to the ASC club house. I ran around and turned on all the lights and then just relaxed. I got a drink at the bar(I felt funny ordering a coke) and then mixed with the crowd. At first I wasn't really talking to anyone but then this young guy Jared came up to me and introduced himself. He was the photographer for the evening and he hangs out at the ASC so we exchanged cards and talked a bit throughout the evening.
The Allen Daviau arrived with other ASC members. He stopped at the front door where there was a traffic jam of people and then disappeared for a bit. I was looking at all the pictures on the walls desperately trying to memorize faces and names when I noticed Allen sitting alone in as office that I soon realized was the ASC president's office. So I swallowed some courage and marched on in there and said, "Mr. Daviau, Hi- I'm Phill Matarrese, we met at Mole..." He remembered me and I gave him the message from Larry and almost expected the conversation to end there... but he kept talking to me so I ended up sitting down and chatting with him. Then I asked him about the flashlights and he told me that the prop master gave them to him(he was dreading the idea of having the actors wear battery belts to power the flashlights). So he said to call around to the prop houses and see. I also took the time to thank him for requesting the carbon arc lights because I had been wanting to learn how to operate them and if he hadn't asked for them, who knows when I would have learned to use them. I also told him that I loved the old styles and the old techniques and he told me to keep with it because if I know where I come from, it is easier for me to know where I'm going. I then went back to the party and that is when things started to pick up.(as if they could get better, right?)
I was walking through the main room to the front of the building and then Richard Crudo(the most recent president of the ASC) caught my eye. He waved at me as I passed and said, "Didn't I see you the other evening?" I told yes and we did the regular meet/greet hello, how are you, good thing and then he asked me if I had gotten anything out of what he said. I told him that after hearing him talk I wanted to become a cinematographer and he chuckled. We had a conversation about this and that and then I turn and this guy extends his hand to me saying, "Hi, I'm Woody". I said, "Hi, Phill, how do you do?" It was Woody Omen, former president of the ASC, and I almost half laughed as I introduced myself because his picture was in my line-of-sight over his right shoulder on the wall of former presidents. We talked a but and then Michael Goi(current VP of the ASC) took me by the shoulder as he and Rich Crudo showed me a camera they had on display right by the entrance. It was this huge camera that took three rolls of color film at the same time, one red, one green, and one blue, it was an ealry Technicolor camera. They opening it up for me and showed me how it worked, telling me stories of celluloid and the stuff they used to do. I(with my mouth hanging open) was amazing of course and then Mike dropped the bomb on me.
This is what I remember him saying, "An this is nothing, most f the really cool stuff is over the the Academy(of motion Picture and Television, because they are about to retrofit the ASC clubhouse and add a theater and undergoing parking). And the coolest thing that I am super excited for is we now have in our possession the camera that Greg Toland shot Citizen Kane with, it's being restored right now. The only problem is that the varnish they used is now illegal in the US so we are going to hand carry it across the border into Mexico, get it varnished and then bring it back, probably slap some film in it and shoot something." I flipped! I don't was so excited that all I could do was smile. I told him to call Larry and let me know when that happens because I would do almost anything to just touch the camera Toland used let alone put some film in it and help shoot something!
Then food was ready and we all sat down to eat. I grabbed a seat with a British DP, the editor for American Cinematographer magazine and the Kodak representatives. I was the youngest person at the party, so I felt like everyone was just staring at me the whole time, but my table made me feel welcome.
After dinner I video taped the speeches and award recognition... and this is when I had a couple epiphanies. The 1st one was that this was the first one of these events that the ASC has held. This year they were trying something new and were holding a dinner to honor the lifetime achievement winners and to get together before at the beginning of their award session rather then at the end. So I felt pretty special to not only light and video tape it but to eat and rink with them. The next revelation I had was when Allen Daviau was called up to receive his honor! I thought that only Gerald Hirschfeld(who I met at Cinegear 2005 and who I was told to say and congrats to by Larry) and Donald M. Morgan were the only ones receiving awards(who is the 1st winner of the 1st lifetime acheivement in TV work ever from the ASC), but Allen also won.
During filming the speeches I saw some amazing things: Isidore(Izzy) Mankofsky came up to me and asked for a copy of the tape from me, he was a nice guy, very small and cartoon like; I saw the ASC come together to support one of their favorite, but also one of their saddest(I use this in the most respectable way I could ever use it) members- Allen Daviau, and I saw Owen Roizman get teary-eyed when introducing Gerald Hirschfeld("He is human, after all," said Patty afterwards.) See, Gerald had fired Owen when Owen worked for him in New York and that made Owen learn and try so much harder so that he got hired back and became Gerlad's assistant. Gerald said, "It was the worst mistake he ever made, but the one he is most proud of," what a quote!
So people trickled out, I waited till the last minute and turned off all the lights, wrapped everything and then broke my toe. Like I said, I was wrapping the two light stands and was about to pick both of them up with the intention of bringing them inside when I glanced at the old wooden door with the big pane of glass in it that reads American Society of Cinematographers and decided that I would not be able to open the door while carrying two stands... So I tossed one down on the grass next to me but after hitting the ground it bounced back up and landed on my toe. I was wearing dress shoes so it stung a bit and right as it happened I remember thinking to myself, "...dang, I hope it's not broken. That would suck." So I finished wrapping, changed into my tennis shoes(should have done that earlier) and said bye to Patty before I left. She thanked me and said she owed me one(maybe I'll get to go the the ASC awards!) and then I walked home, getting a call from Larry who wanted to check in on how things went. It was his birthday, too, so I wished him a happy birthday, he's only 64 I think.
I literally ran into Andrew, Tim, and Kyle as they walked to this bar so they turned me around and took me to the bar they were heading to(the one I had just passed) and they got me a drink(I told them that the next time they go out they could buy me a drink). One of the bouncers mentioned my tennis shoes(I guess there was a dress code) and I was still in my dress clothes from the party, so I showed him my dress shoes in my bag and he laughed and let me in. I had the drink and then went home because I was tired and needed to rest for my shoot on Sunday.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Most electronic sockets and cables have their gauge printed somewhere on them. Keep an eye out for them, this way you can see what the maximum load they can handle or how much power they draw. They are usually shown in watts or amps with the voltage as well.

A Full Week

Man, it has been a busy week for me. Here is what happened...

Sunday Oct 8th
Mom left Sunday morning, headed back up to the bay area. I had a meeting with Leah, the DP for this LA Film School shoot that I am doing, at noon, so I met her at Borders and we went over lighting ideas, etc.
After the meeting, I ran back to my apartment, ate some food, and then took the bus down to USC to meet Andrew and watch Michel Gondry's new film The Science of Sleep. It was good, a lot of visual intensity, but the story and characters were not as relatable as in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But it was in english, french and spanish!

Monday Oct 9th
LA Film school came in around 8AM, so I was at Mole at about 6:30. Larry was already there, unloading his car because he borrowed some gear for a class down at Chapman University in Orange County that he did on Saturday. I came in early to clean the stage, so Larry and I set up chairs and made sure the stage was in ship shape.
The class went well, Larry told me that the next day we would take a little trip over to the ASC club house... so I was excited. Today was Chris Baber's first official day as an intern. He's one of Larry favorites, he's a good guy and I actually like having backup on the stage(I'm still the only one getting paid, though). After the class I came home, relaxed, and watched Studio 60. It was a good night.

Tuesday Oct 10th
The AFI second years came in, the regular Tuesday crowd. Fred Goodich was behaving himself, he's been more subdued then normal and I was surprised not to get a call from him in the end of the previous week about the class(he generally calls ahead and tells me what gear to have ready for him).
Richard Crudo was the guest DP. Sorry, Denis LeNoir, but I may have a new hero ASC member*(see Oct 3rd post Denis Lenoir, You're My Hero!). Usually the classes start with the guest DP giving a short lecture in the screening room about the days class as well as show some work they have done... here is what happened and why he is one of my new favorites...

...I am on stage, running around answering the questions of the ever-confused 2nd years when Richard Crudo walks in. I immediately recognize him from the day when I helped Owen Roizman take pictures for the ASC magazine of all those ASC memebers, and Larry introduces him to me and Chris. Fred Goodich calls Richard over to touch base and then turns to me and says, "Phill, why don't you and Richard go and test out his DVD." I say sure and lead Richard down the hall to the screening room where the classes start.
I tell Richard that I thought we had met before when Owen was over taking pictures of the other ASC members and he said, "Oh, yeah, you were helping Owen. I thought you looked familiar." I don't know if he really did remember me or not, but I still felt important.
So I set up the projector and the DVD player, Richard takes the remote and was the first DP/guest that I have seen in Mole who didn't need help using it. I could sense his self confidence, this was a man who knew what he was doing and also why he was doing it. He didn't seem too interested in showing off his work, but seemed to want to get out there and talk and shoot.
So he starts off with a great introduction of film vs digital... he articulated so well everything that I believed in about film and he backed it up with logical and quantitative evidence that even if you didn't agree with him, you still could not help but go along with it. He was such a good speaker that I was almost convinced to become a cinematographer!
He then talked about printer lights and the most surprising thing is that I actually understood what he was saying... not only did I understand, but I already knew what he was talking about. It was funny because I was taught to look at printer lights when I got my film back in order to check my exposure... and these AFI students had no ideas what printer lights were! I would estimate that half of the students in the LA area don'+t know what printer lights are because they don't have to pay for their film processing like we do up at State. When you pay for you own film, you have to pick up your own film from the lab and you learn to read printer lights. It just amazed me... And I was genuinely interested in what he was saying, too- which made it even better! I went up to him after, as the class was filing out of the screening room, and thanked him for saying exactly how I felt about film and he shook my hand and told me that he was holding back because a lot of students are into digital.
We then went into the stage and did his special camera test where he goes 2 stops over and 2 stops under by changing the lighting and now the f-stop on the lens. He says that he does this test and then doesn't use a grey card, which I applauded because it seems that so many students these days are obsessed with shooting grey cards when they don't need to unless they are in a totally funky lighting situation with crazy mixed light. People don't understand that the grey card is used to help the timer correct for exposure and undesirable color temperatures... but it isn't supposed to be a crutch and a lot of students shoot it because they are afraid of varying color temps and don't trust they eyes. I loved how Richard just saw it and shot it. He wasn't afraid to slap things together, keep it simple and not over think things- he just put it down on celluloid. Seriously, he reminded me of an artist who doesn't hesitate and over think it but just throws the paint on the canvas in the spots he thinks it needs to be. The way he works is exactly how I want to learn how to work.

The class continued to go well and the Larry took me over to the ASC clubhouse only a few blocks north in Hollywood. We met a woman named Patty there, she's not an ASC memeber but she has been running the ASC for 30 years now... Larry told me to stay on her good side and she'd probably ask me to take pictures at their events or something. The clubhouse was amazing, they have all sorts of vintage equipment collected from the 100 years of filmmaking, including 100 year old crank cameras that they still break out every so often and put film in and shoot(they still work!) Larry said to Patty, "It's Phill's first time to the clubhouse. See, his mouth is hanging open." And it was, I'm talking about the knowledge of over 100 years of filmmaking wrapped up and placed into one house in the middle of Hollywood. Anyway, Larry and I scoped out the power and figured out what lights we wanted to put where and then headed back to Mole. But before heading back, I got invited to the party by Patty, who asked if I was any good with a video camera and said they might give me one to shoot with.
I went home after AFI wrapped(but not before getting offered a paid gig on one of the student's MOS projects coming up in Nov)and then met with Leah and the bestboy electric, Brayton, for the shoot at the LA Film School.

Wednesday Oct 11th
Today Larry accidentally double booked... but we figured this out a week ago and decided to be bold and host two classes. It went surprisingly well. There were a lot of students but we had a lot of help.

Thursday Oct 12th
The next day I woke up early and walked to the ASC clubhouse, which turns out to be literally around the corner from my favorite spot in LA, Sid Graumann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. I was about 20 minutes early so I visited the handprints, making sure to visit the prints of George and Steve(Lucas and Spielberg). I met Chun Ming, another guy from Mole, there and we did a very easy and fast lighting rig for the exterior of the clubhouse. We heard it was going to rain that night so we covered all the bags and connections with garbage bags. It only took us a few hours to run power and put lights on the roof and porch and on the palm trees in the back.
It was exciting, Daryn Okada( the ASC president) stopped by as we were helping with the red carpet, that was exciting. We hung out with the clubhouse team and Patty, the kind-of manager of the ASC who has been working with the ASC since she was 20 years old. We stuck around for a pizza lunch and then I headed home.
I then met up with Leah and Brayton at the LA Film School stage for the equipment checkout and to meet the crew for that shoot that I am working on. The crew is super green but they were willing to learn, so Brayton and I did a grip and electric 101 class with them real quick.
After G&E 101, I met up with my DP friend Chris Hall who I am gaffing for on this USC project. We met at Starbucks in Gower Gultch and discussed the project, which I am super excited about. He stepped me through the visual references and what he was thinking about look and color and lighting and showed me a bunch of reference pictures of various movies, including Harry Potter and E.T.(it's a family film type project). I got excited because I was told by Larry to say Hi to Allen Daviau when I went to the ASC party on Saturday, so I figured that I would ask him his advice on approaching flashlights as practicals in a scene. If Chris wants the look of the E.T. flashlights then why not just go straight to the source and ask Allen how he approached it. I had been struggling with trying to come up with a way to get into conversations with these guys and Larry gave me the answer- he told me to say hi and congratulate people for him- brilliant!

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Instead of putting on ND gel to bring a window that is blowing out down a few stops, try using this stuff called Roscoe Scrim. It will bring the window down 2 full stops and you won't see it on film.

The Human Element

Mom

So this weekend was Parent's Weekend at USC, very exciting! I slept in on Friday and then got up and cleaned the house, waiting for my mom call at any moment and announce an early arrival or unannounced inspection... but she didn't. I walked down the street to Borders for a meeting with the DP for that gig that I just got- I saw a posting for the filming of Studio 60 in front of the Paladium just down the street for Monday... so I think Andrew and I are going to try and crash the set. Anyway, the DP and I talked about the project a bit and then she went to meet with the director and make tons of calls. I went back home and finished cleaning and then met back up with here at the LA Film School(just down Sunset from me) where we will be filming the project. I checked out the stage that we're going to be shooting on, the lights in the ceiling are all plugged into a dimmer board, but I think that I can figure it out, the stage is gonna work, I think.
I got back home and cleaned a bit more before my mom called. I met then outside and we went over to Mole real quick(to let Andrew finish cleaning and to see it before John went home for the weekend). I showed them the sounddtage and the lights and the offices that I work in, it was fun. On the way back, while sitting in traffic, we decided to go shoe shopping, so we did. This also gave Andrew some more time to organize and by the time we got back, our apartment(minus our bedroom) looked amazing!
mom then took Andrew, Peter and me to Roscoe's, and excellent choice, I must admit. Then I got some clothes and went with my mom and Peter back down to USC. I stayed over at the hotel my mom was staying at and she woke me up early(6:20) today and we drove down to Longbeach to watch Peter's crew team row. Peter is on the novice men's USC crew club team, Mom and I were very impressed by them. I am telling you, that team is just asking for a documentary to be made about them!
We got back to USC and had breakfast before we headed through campus to the bookstore on our way to the game. I got a USC shirt so that I fit in and we ran into Andrew and then Jenna on campus. We walked through the crowds of cardinal and gold clad students/alumns/fans and kicked the base of the flag poles for good luck before crossing into Exposition park. We found our seats and watched as the stadium filled up.
USC won, then beat the Washington Huskies 26-20... but it was close... very close. I saw Peter in the student section before the game and got a picture of him(you can barely see him in the crowd, but you can see him). It was an exciting game, it's a lot of fun to root for a team and to have something in common with complete strangers sitting next to you.
After the game, Andrew and Tim met up with us for the 5th quarter, the time when the band plays a few songs after the game. Mom and I walked back and met Peter at his dorm and we went to Fatburger right off campus. We went back to the hotel and Peter said by and then Mom and I went to Target and I got some jeans and a vacuum. She dropped me off and I unpacked and did some chores. Now it's time for bed.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
You can flip the pieces of wood in a C-47(clothepin) to make a C-48(some people call them C-74's... but that just takes to long to say). These have less grip, but a stringer pinch and are perfect for holding flat things like gels and barndoors... or gels to barndoors.

Best Day Ever!

Ok, so besides having a great day 2 for the Psycho Hillbilly movie and meeting some really great people, I got some good news! First of all, I got a call from this cinematographer from LA Film School who is shooting a thesis film and she got my name and number from a co-worker at Mole, Janice Pearson. I G/Eed for Janice on the first shoot that I worked on down here, and AFI thesis(also where I met Rob Toth, the DP for Psycho Hillbilly) that she was gaffing. The LA Film School cinematographer wanted Janice to do it, but Janice has to travel for Mole and recommended me for the job as gaffer! So I just called her back and we're meeting up tomorrow to go over the schedule... oh, and it's paid! I am for sure going to get $500, but she wants to bump it up to $1,000 and it is just down the street literally, so that was good news.
Then, as if I could get more excited, Larry(my boss) gives me a call. It turns out that the ASC is having a party to announce this years nominees for their ASC award(equal if not more prestigious then an Oscar because you are being recognized by your peers) in a few weekends and they've asked Larry and Mole to do the lighting for it. So Larry asked me and this other intern guy, Chun Ming, to do it. This is a big deal because not only do I get to go to the ASC clubhouse(which you must be invited to get in) but there is a string possibility of being invited to the actual party! This means I get to rub elbows with the top DPs in the world and remind them that I have met them at Mole during so-and-so's class and give them my card! I am sooooo excited!
Well, time to eat, clean and then sleep(my mom is stopping by tomorrow, so I need to clean)

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Never(try not to) let your generator get bellow 1/4 tank, it will start sucking up all the sediment and other crap resting at the bottom of the tank. Always keep your eye on it and refill once it hits about 3/4 empty... DON'T(try not to) go into the red or reserve on the fuel gauge.

Psycho Hillbilly Cabin Massacre! (that is seriously what it's called)

So I did my first(of 2) days on my friend's thesis film. My buddy Rob Toth is the cinematographer on this AFI thesis film called Psycho Hillbilly Cabin Massacre!... seriously. It was a long day, I got picked up at 6:30am and we drove out to Topanga Canyon... we were the first ones there. The people were great, the equipment wasn't half bad, and the food was plenty.
We wrapped around 9:00 and I got home at 10:00... nothing much else to report.

by the way- pics from Boston:
http://robmeyer.smugmug.com/gallery/1956745
official website:
http://www.robmeyerfilms.com

My lighting! That's all me!

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When an HMI is turned off, the bulb is very hot and fragile, so try to avoid moving it right away. I always let the head(the light) cool down as I unplug and wrap the ballast and head and feeder cables before I even lower or move the light.

Denis Lenoir, You're My Hero!

Ok, for the record, if every cinematographer who came into Mole to teach was as good as Denis Lenoir, the world would be a better place. He greeted me as soon as he walked in, remembering my name and everything! He moved quickly wit the students, we watched a few examples of his worked but he didn't talk for too long- he wanted to get out there and light.
He didn't shoot a grey card or color chart, he shoots in this controlled chaos, almost from the hip but he knows what he is doing every time. He had them do a test trying to get to the same color temperatures using first HMIs and then tungsten sources. He articulated things very well, answered questions directly, and didn't spend too much time setting up the shot but just shot away!
on top of all of that- he gave me his card and let me give him my card! He told me that I had a purpose for giving him my card and saw that I do grip and lighting and asked which one do I prefer. I told him that I hope to be a gaffer, if anything and he said he hoped to hear from me.
...So of course I just got through sending him an email thanking him for his great class and mentioned that I hoped to work with him sometime in the near future. So we'll see what happens.

Small SC

Today was a small class... totaling at 4 people, all USC 1st time production students. It was actually a lot of fun, it is so much easier to teach people who are just starting out then people with experience. Larry and I had a fun time, especially since we ended up having a small Mole reunion with all Larry's former students just popping up randomly. Edwin showed up, Chris Babers popped in, Chun Ming stopped by, and Christy from Chapman drove up to help teach the class, too. Even better is that she asked me to come out and co-gaff her project that she is doing at school.
I then spent the remainder of the day(from noon on) getting things ready for tomorrows class. Fred and the AFI 2nd years are coming in to learn from guest ASC, AFC member Denis Lenoir. Fred and Denis stopped by to check out the stage and inspect the equipment, Denis is such a nice guy, we ended up talking for a while, he remembered my name when he left(good sign!) with Fred.
I got home, did the dishes, and relaxed in front of the TV watching Studio 60! Time for bed, call time for me is 8AM for AFI.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
On the color temp scale, a change in color temperature in the lower end of the scale(3200K/ tungsten) will register as a greater change then a change in temp in the upper part of the scale(6500K/daylight). So a few hundred degrees when working with HMIs won't change your color all that much, however, a few hundred degrees shift while working in Tungsten will dramatically change your color temp. So be aware of your color temperature, they play a huge part in how your film is effected.

A Long Two Daze

Well, the feature that my friend was cinematographer on(the one with the long hours) is finally over. We shot two days at this club in Pasadena and Edwin(the DP), Kevin(the Key Grip) and I are soooo glad to be done with it. Talk about insane hours and unorganized schedule, we decided that if we could make it through this one and come out with a few good looking shots, then we can get through anything.
Call time yesterday was 4AM and we shot till 4PM, then the call time was pushed up by 2 hours for today from 4AM to 2AM. We wrapped at 4PM again, so I am tired... and I'm going to bed.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Always carry q card on you with your email and phone number, you never know who you might run into on a set... could be your next job.

Deciding...

Local 600- Day 2

Scratch that- it wasn't $100... it was $228.16, the wage a camera assistant gets paid when they are just starting out!

Today was day 2 of that Local 600 workshop. I got to Mole at 7:30AM, got a free craft-service catered breakfast, helped set up some lights, got a free craft-service catered lunch(it was good, too!), and got some overtime because I locked the doors five minutes after 6:00PM.

Big Mike Martin gave me a ride home and then Andrew and I watched Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang an amazingly shot and executed film(...ohhh, that sounded violent- haha). Andrew has been getting over a cold so we went to Cafe 101 a few blocks away because he was hungry. I got fries. Yum.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When creating a make-shift boom to help boom in a light or anything else(known as a menace arm), please, please, please don't forget that the ratio for weight distribution is 2:1. That means So your pivot point is 2/3 from the boom point(where the item is being hung) and 1/3 from the back of the "boom arm". So you have 2/3 out front and 1/3 in back. This will prevent your boom from snapping.

The Magic 8-Ball Was Right, I Did Eat Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles and Didn't Have to Pay For It!

So I got into Mole a bit behind schedule, around 8:45- I was soooo tired. But Edwin, the DP from the long-dayed shoot I helped on, brought us Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles from breakfast at Mole! It was yummy!
Local 600(the camera/cinematographer's Union in LA) stopped by to pick up the equipment they were borrowing for a workshop at Kodak that I was hired on for. Fred Goodich, the professor from AFI who always asks too much of Larry's hospitality at Mole, asked if Larry had anyone he could spare for the workshop... so Larry said that he would have to pay me. It feels good to have your boss watch out for you- all bosses out there: take notes.
A cool $100 just to play with some lights and try out the new Arri 416 camera that isn't even on the market yet with a top cinematographer! So I did that until 5:30... and it involved some manual labor and heavy lifting, but I miss that, so I don't mind getting paid for it. So I did that from 1:00 to about 5:30 and then I have to go into Mole tomorrow for the continuation of this Local 600 Camera/lighting workshop. I am gonna have to get there extra early to clean up the mess of gear just piled on the floor(what we returned today for the workshop at Kodak) so I will be at Mole around 7AM... leave at 6...

............get up at 5...

..................................... ... 4... 3(yawn)... 2... 1...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz


PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When ordering or renting Kinos or any other type of fluorescent lighting, it is always a good idea to get both tungsten(3200 K) and daylight(5600 K) tempered bulbs. This way you can instantly change the color temperature of your source without loosing your footcandles by having to add a color correction gel.

The Saga Continues...

There was a screen test being shot in Larry's stage today by one of his old students for this feature he's shooting. I met this gaffer who graduated from AFI and has known Larry for a while... he's worked with Spike Lee six or seven times and does a lot of stuff in New York. So it was pretty exciting.
A buddy of mine from State, Derek Jackson, stopped by Mole for lunch, too! He's gonna be in LA for a few weeks trying to get some money together for this film he is working on up in San Francisco. I showed him the lights and where I work, introduced him to Larry and the guys and had some lunch. It was good to see him, like all those childhood fantasies about meeting your director friend for lunch to talk about his next picture!
After we wrapped, I got a call from Edwin- he needed my help on their night shoot that was happening. So I was picked up by one of the PAs and driven out to Van Nuys for the shoot. I hung around till about 3AM and then was driven home by one of the grip/electrics. I hated to bail on them, but I have to be at Mole tomorrow(...er...today) at 8:30AM.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When checking out an HMI from a rental house, ask for a color temperature meter and check the lights, make sure they are as close as possible to 5,600 degrees Kelvin. If you find one that is close, make sure you hold onto that light because most HMIs are a lot hotter- around 8,000 or 9,000 degrees Kelvin!

Alive In Joburg

This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. Producers: Neill Blomkamp, Simon Hansen, Sharlto Copley, Shannon Worley.

Wow, this is a film by the guy who will direct the Halo movie! It is amazing!

Larry got back from Europe on Saturday so he was back at work today. He had me do some tests with the Mole Beam Projector lights- that was fun! I learned how to replaces a 20K globe(the biggest globes you can get in the industry... and the most expensive) by myself! We went over the schedule for the next couple of weeks and then Larry went home to get over the remaining jet lag. I went home, made dinner, and Andrew and I watched Studio 60!

Saturday, Sept 23rd, 2006
Saturday I got picked up at 3:00AM by Edwin, a cinematographer friend of mine who I am helping out by gaffing his feature. We drove out to Burbank to this club where we were going to be filming from 4:00AM - 4:00PM. However, the director(who is also the producer) forgot to confirm the location, so the club was closing as we arrived and the employees went home. So I was driven back home around 4:30AM.
I slept in a few hours and then got up, made breakfast, played video games, cleaned a bit and then I took a bus quick bus over to Silver lake for the wrap party/BBQ for the desert movie Pitstop that I was Keygrip/Best boy on. It was fun, we had burgers and hotdogs and the 1st AC, the gaffer, the grips and I all got into this huge discussion about cinema and film history and film school.
And USC won their football game- fight on!

Sunday, Sept 24th, 2006
The next day, Edwin was going to call me with my call time for the same club location, but it ended up getting canceled and they weren't using lights so they didn't need me. Yay! Jenna came over to pick up her iPod that Andrew ordered for her because he got a new Mac Book. Andrew and I made pancakes(declaring Sunday's as Pancake Day like in the TV show How I Met Your Mother) and watched whatever football games were on. Later that night we watched The Inside Man, I loved it, a very good looking film.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
If you are directing, don't be the only producer. The director is supposed to have the vision, the producer is the one who helps deliver or not deliver that vision. You can't have someone who is supposed to be money conscious also be the one with the vision. If you are directing/producing, always have a couple other producers to help you and DON'T be afraid to spend money because you get what you pay for.

BBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I woke up this morning around 10:00. I got up, did some dishes, took a shower and the played some video games in between doing chores. The Feinerman's picked me up around 4:00 and we drove over to USC to pick up Peter. They wanted to give us a home cooked meal so we decided to BBQ some burgers.
We got down to Torrance and started the grill. We had delicious cheese burgers(they made us take home the left overs-haha) and chips and corn. It was good to see them, sharing stories about Peter being at USC, me being at Mole and the good news about Becca(their daughter I know from college) who just got an internship and will possible get a job as a buyer. We ate and hung out for a while and then they drove us home.
I am going to go to bed now, I am getting picked around 3AM for this shoot that I am helping out on.

PhilM tip-of-the-day:
On the topic of sleep, a lot of people don't realize how important getting sleep is for a crew. Make sure that when you are planning your schedule, have at least a 12 hour turn around- 12 hours between when you wrap one day and the call time the following day. Remember, a tired crew is not only slow and grumpy, but dangerous(to themselves, the talent, and other crew members)!

Practically Brown

I slept in today a bit and then went to Mole to clean the stage and check on the Carbon Arc. John in the art department ordered pizza for everyone today because Patrick's last day is Friday. Patrick Lee Brown(or Practically Brown as he calls himself) has been with Mole for almost 16 years, but recently got married in August and has decided to move on. It was sad, I am gonna miss Pat's humor and the goofy voices he makes when answering the phone sometimes. As a parting gift, he put together a complete Mole catalogue for me with all the sales, rental, and parts info together in one 3-ringed Mole-Richardson binder.
Big Mike came over and quizzed me by having me start the van generator on DC and then had me strike the arc. I passed. We were trying to spot the problem we were having on Tuesday with the smoking wire, it turns out there is a loose connection in the fuse that us built into the cable, the arc is fine. I sat outside eating pizza and talking to Mike for a bit, he gave me his card and told me to call him if I ever had questions while on a shoot.
I came home, played some video games, checked my e-mail, and watched a bit of A Streetcar Named Desire before forcing myself to go to bed.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
If you an electric, it's always a good idea to carry at least one regular photo-flood bulb with you. You never know when if will come in handy for a china ball, gem ball, or practical.

Sorry No Posts...

Sorry I haven't posted for the past few days, here is what happened:

Monday Sept 18th, 2006:
I went into Mole and finished my prep on the stage for the class. I got my coffee in the morning to help me get over my tiredness from the shoot the day before. I painted the set, ordered some 10Ks from rental, got the Carbon Arc out, and just made sure the stage was ready. Malibu Rob Hauer stopped by to visit for a bit, he got a call and may have gotten "us" another job, as he put it- a very good sign that he might take me on his next project. I also got a call that day that a friend of mine just got on as the cinematographer for this feature, so he's going to try and get me on. The camera was dropped off just before I left and then I went home and relaxed... went to bed super early because...

Tuesday Sept 19th, 2006:
Call time is 8AM, but I got there at 7:30 so that I could get trained on the DC generator and the Carbon Arc light. Big Mike Martin showed me how to run the van generator on single and triple phase AC power as well as DC power- what the arcs need to run. He then showed me how to load and trim the carbon rods, how to strike the lamp, and how to maintain the lamp as the rods burn.

Malibu Rob was there to help me with the AFI class and to meet Allen Daviau. The class screened some scenes from Avalon and discussed Allen's approach to lighting the scenes and choosing colors, etc and then started setting up some scenes to shoot. We broke for lunch and then I fired up the arc and we did a few shots with it at the end. We had to turn it off sooner then expected, however, because one of the cables was smoking. It was too bad, too, because the arc in the lamp was perfect and I struck it at the perfect angle with the right amount of force. Mike Hodgens(another arc operator and big guy at Mole) came over in the morning to check on my progress and said I was a fast learner- yay!

Then after the class, my friend Edwin, who just go the feature, called me to ask if I could help out that night on the shoot. I said that I would, though it was going to be a late night- he sounded like he needed help with it. So he picked me up and we went out to the guerilla shoot(no permits- yikes!) and helped them. I don't want to sound full of myself, but I have no idea what they would have done without me!

Wednesday Sept 20th, 2006
So Edwin dropped me off at 5AM, I had to wake Andrew up so he could let me it- they installed a new gate and lock as part of the remodeling to our building. And then I slept till noon, Andrew came home from work and we went to lunch(breakfast for me), lounged around and watched Mrs. Henderson Presents and then he left for a few hours of projecting at USC and now I am doing chores.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Please remember... try to stay in your own department unless you are asked to help. Offering to help is good, but don't take it personally when someone tells you that you can't do anything to help. Having too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the soup, as they say. I(no offense) don't trust a lot of people with lighting or grip equipment unless I know that they know how to use and treat the equipment. Just be cautious, there is a big territorial thing with a lot of crew members, so try not to step over those boundaries.

Desert II: Cruise Control

Wow, the desert was actually hot today... and not windy! We came, we shot, we conquered.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
A little tip about set food: pizza gets old, try to mix it up, keep it healthy, and have lots of filling and nutritious snacks available. A well fed crew is a happy crew. Some good ideas for snacks include: vegetable and fruit slices, crackers, cookies, bagels, muffins, cheese, and anything else that doesn't need to be refrigerated. Always try to have complete meals for everyone, including a salad, some type of meat, and some carbs. Also, make sure you have plenty of water, Gatoraid, coffee, tea, and try to avoid(but do have) sodas as well.

28 to 10

That was the score of the USC-Nebraska game. USC won. Fight on!

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
It is always good practice to thank your crew at the end of everyday for all their hard work. Don;t forget- you are only as good as your crew, so please, please, please treat them right, have respect for them, feed them well, and be patient with them and they will attempt to perform miracles for you.

Desert Sky...

Got picked up at 5:15AM today by Brian, we drove out to Lancaster and got to set around 7:00AM. We shot in the windy, cold but sunny, and very dusty desert for almost 12 hours. It was fun, it looked good, and I am tired- so I am going to bed.

Our first set up in front of the fake gas pumps. The "dinner" is actually 2 trailers put together, the whole exterior is fiberglass, and the inside is all movable bar and dinner set pieces. I guess there are a bunch of these sets out here in the desert. Turns out Pirates 3 is filming a few miles from us... in the desert!?


It was so windy, Chris had to hold down the 6x6 even though it was close to the ground. Still, he's all smiles!


I love this picture of Nikkola, the Cinematographer.


A lonely stop sign.


The set.


Brian in front of the Kill Bill church... seriously, they shot it right there!


Edwin relaxing in the muscle cart.


Sunset as we drove home.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Always bring rain gear and cold-weather gear to set you never know when it will rain, snow, flood, or the wind might pick up, so be prepared.

The Third Man on a Thursday

So I went into Mole today around 11 to get as much done before the weekend as I could for the class on Tuesday. I swapped out the set windows, got the gel rolls we needed, called rental for some 20Ks and 10Ks and painted part of the set. I got a lot done, so now I just need to prep everything on Monday and the class should be good to go.
I am really excited about Monday because I am going to be taught(fingers crossed) how to operate a Carbon Arc. It turns out that only 3 people in the entire Mole-Richardson company(a company that once manufactured arcs) know how to operate them... and the one that does it the most is out of the country(Larry). I will be the 4th person at Mole who will know how to operate an arc and I am very, very excited. It is a dying art, only a hand full of guys exist in the industry, I'm told, and I look forward to the opportunity to become one of them.
Today was also pay day- yay!

I came home and finished watching The Third Man. All I can say is "WOW!" ...I had seen most of it before, but never finished it, boy is it a beautiful film. Not only is the acting incredible, but it is one of the most visually elaborate and fine-tuned films I have ever seen. Talk about a movie to set your lighting standards by. I love it, what a perfect way to tie in the theme of learning an old art like the carbon arc by watching a film that taught so many people how to light! I agree with Roger Ebert who says this is among the top ten best films ever made!
Matt Elium and his dad treated me to Roscoe's tonight for dinner- boy was it good... as always! They were down here working on a small TV show pilot thing his dad is putting together. It was good to see him and to talk about LA and San Francisco and everything. One thing that came up, something that I am still trying to understand, is how fast I seem to be "moving up the ladder". I don't really understand why it has been so easy(I'm sure a lot of it is being lucky) or if it means anything. It is just kind of odd to me, I don't really understand it, but I'm just gonna go with it, see what happens.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When lighting, start with bigger units and scrim down. You can always lower the intensity of a big light but you can't make a smaller light brighter. However, the saying goes: What do you call a light with too many scrims in it? The wrong light.

Allen & Me

I came into Mole today around 11:00, cleaned up the sound stage a bit and hung out until Fred and Allen Daviau stopped by. Allen is a great guy, very funny, loves telling stories. We discussed what they would do for the class, what equipment to have ready, all between stories of Allen and Spielberg on E.T. or The Color Purple or Empire of the Sun. It was amazing all the stories he told about his films.

I got home and started watching The Third Man before re-heating some left over pizza and doing a bit of cleaning. Matt Elium just called me, he and his dad are going to try and stop by Mole tomorrow evening, they are down here shooting a pilot episode of this TV show idea they are working on. If they can't stop by Mole, then we are at least going to go to Roscoe's for dinner.

Some behind the scenes footage of the basement scene.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
Use paper loads to calculate the total amperage of your lights, this way you leave a bit of a safety space between your actual amperage pull and what your equipment can handle. For example, use the following table as a guide:
1,000W= 10 amps
2,000W= 20 amps(a modern household circuit maximum is 20 amps)
5,000W= 50 amps
10,000W= 100 amps

Two New Shows!

Wow! The only word I could say or think of after watching screener copies of two new shows that are coming out: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Heroes.
Studio 60 is all about a SNL type show that has gone down hill by submitting to censorship but must hire back its old writing/directing team when the current director, during a live broadcast, rants about beginning censored in America. So talk about a very powerful and poetic opening! The characters in it are easy to relate to and very endearing, the subject matter is exactly what people need to hear right now, it is funny, fast, political, and very fresh! On top of the incredible cast, impeccable writing, and exciting story, it is shot beautifully! Plus, since it takes place on a set, I see Mole lights everywhere! If you are able to, please watch this show, it is going to be huge!
The second screener I watched is called Heroes. This is shot in the same way as the CSIs, the Grey's Anatomy's and other crime or medical dramas: like a film. Only this show is not afraid to light realistically(not tons of blacks and shadows). Even though there is a semi-dark subject matter(a handful of individuals across the globe who have special super-power-like abilities who are being hunted...?) it is still a well light and bright show with very deep blacks yet shadows only where they need to be. Cinematicly, it is beautiful, and story wise, I wished that I could have shut it off so I could get stuff done that I needed to do, but I was stuck to the couch and the screen. Like Studio 60 I route for the characters, yet they are all normal people(not doctors, cops, or soldiers). I have a feeling the show will have a lot of amazing in-camera visual effects, so far there have been some breathtaking, gruesome, scary, and exciting visuals(I had to hold my breath more then once) and I think that they will keep it pure leaving most of the suspense and horror to come from the audience's head.
TV is getting good!

Allen Daviau didn't come in for the class today, they had another DP come in... Boring. But Fred is stopping by tomorrow around noon(so he says) to bring Allen by and prep for next weeks class. We'll see.

Here is that music video I worked on in July:
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~azt5a/Films/rockyou.mov

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When bouncing a light, make sure that you completely fill the surface you are bouncing in order to get the maximum punch out of your bounce. So make sure the light is completely filling the space without spilling off.

Got a Case of the Monday's

So I got to sleep in a bit, at least I didn't have to get up at 5:00AM today. I strolled into Mole around 9:00 but Fred called me and said that him and Allen were not gonna come in today because of scheduling... which meant I could go to USC and save the day on set!
I got three hugs as I walked into Carson stage. They had been moving slow in the morning I guess(I arrived around 11:00) and were glad to see me. I had to laugh, wasn't expecting the praise. We shot all day, had a good lunch of California Pizza Kitchen and then wrapped around 6:00PM. I got a ride home from Roberto, an AC who's subbing on G&E for this shoot.
I cleaned the kitchen and living room and sat down for dinner and a movie. I just got The Caine Mutiny on Netflix so I popped it in, had dinner, ice cream, and then some popcorn. And now I go to sleep because call time for me is 7:30AM so I leave around 6:30 so I wake up around 5:30... dang.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
A note to all directors, make sure that your Assistant Director does not say, "Roll sound," as a way to get everyone to settle down. The sound guys don't appreciate that. Make sure the AD follows the proper command sequence... should go something like this:
-AD: "Is sound ready?"
-Sound: "Ready."
-AD:"Is camera ready?"
-Camera:"Ready."
-AD:"Ok, let's settle for a take, picture is up."
(everyone settles for the take)
-AD:"Ok, roll sound, please."
-Sound:"Sound is rolling."
-AD:"Ok, call it."
-2nd AC:"Scene 2 Delta, take 1."
-AD:"Roll camera."
-1st AC:"Speed."
-AD:"Mark it."
(2nd AC closes the sticks on the slate and exits frame.)
-1st AC or DP:"Camera set."
-Director: "Action!"

A word to all Assistant Directors: be polite, don't swear, don't yell(but talk loud enough for your intended audience to hear), and always say please and thank you. The 1st AD is THE most important crew member on set to have and a good AD keeps moral up and the project on time.

Lazy Sunday

Like the Calvin and Hobbs book, it was a lazy Sunday today. I woke up and went to breakfast around the corner at Roscoe's with my Uncle Johnny, my cousin Eric and Peter. Roscoe's was good(like always) and then we walked down to Amoeba Music afterwards to explore. Uncle Johnny and Peter had never been there before so Eric and I took them.
After Roscoe's I came home and cleaned the whole kitchen. Then I relaxed and finished watching Man of La Mancha. And now it is time for bed, got to get to Mole on time to meet Fred and Allen.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
When you dim an HMI, the color temperature actually goes up and it becomes bluer even though the amount of light decreases!

"Pitstop" Day 2

Today was day 2 of Pitstop... man am I tired! Considering I got only about 4 1/2 hours of sleep. Nikkola(the DP) called me at 5:30AM and said she was gonna be at my place in 10 minutes... I was still in bed! So I got up, threw on clothes, and jetted out the door.
Another great day of filming on the Carson stage. I had a lot of fun, again- I love working on stages. Oh, so I got a call today from Fred Goodich's TA. Fred is a professor at AFI and they are coming in for a class on Tuesday. His TA told me that they were dropping the camera off on Monday in the morning Fred and Allen Daviau are coming in. Allen Daviau is a world famous cinematographer who did a few small pictures like Amblin', E.T., Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun, Congo, The Astronaut's Wife, and Van Helsing. I'm excited.
I came home after the shoot, did some dishes and cleaned a bit and then got a call from my Uncle Johnny. He and my cousin Eric are coming up tomorrow and want to meet me for breakfast. They might pick up Peter, too.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
On HMIs, you should only be concerned with flicker if you are shooting frame rates other then 24 frames per second. The electronic ballasts have a "flicker free" button on them that creates a square wave and gets rid of flicker... but then you get singing from the HMI bulb... but if you're running anything other then 24fps, you're not doing sound anyway, so it shouldn't matter.

USC Shoot and Dragonforce

So I was supposed to go into Mole today to help teach a group from Tijuana, missing the first day of this project that I'm helping out on as a grip/electric/bestboy/gaffer/etc, but the DP called me and said that the really needed my help. So I called Larry late last night(which I felt bad about) and he said it was ok cuz he had five other former interns coming in to help. When I build my studio I am going to build a statue of Larry, talk about having the coolest boss/mentor ever!
So I got up at 5:00AM, threw on some clothes and got picked up to go to USC.
We were shooting in the Carson Television Studio where they have their sitcom classes. The set was amazing, we set up a backdrop of the desert outside of the set windows of this almost deserted gas station. I loved working on sound stages and I love working with backdrops. It reminds me of Disneyland or something, I just see endless lighting and shooting possibilities when working on a stage with a backdrop. Something about how it looks makes we want to light it and it seems to have endless possibilities for how to use it.
Peter(my little bro and freshman at SC) stopped by the stage between classes and I showed him the set. He liked the big classic 10K light(he takes after me, what can I say?) and he brought me some snacks, too, haha. After we wrapped I went over to his dorm. It's amazing how much dorms are alike no matter the school. We went to the EVK, which is one of their dining centers... ah, memories of the DC back at State. EVK had the same unreliable yet frighfully adventurous menu choices that I remember from school, but I was hungry and it wasn't that bad. I saw Pete's room and met his friends on his floor before we headed out to the Wiltern, a concert venue on Wilshire and Western.


Now, the reason we were heading to the Wiltern is because one of Peter's friends sent him tickets to the sold out Dragonforce show. Dragonforce is a supposedly awesome power metal band. Honestly, after seeing the keytars, permmed hair, and trampolines(yes: trampolines) I have to agree: very awesome! So we get there and the first band to play was All That Remains, they were ok but their singer screamed instead of sang so they got booed. The next band, HORSE the Band(yes, that's they name) was better, the singer only screamed half the time and sang the rest. Then we thought there was going to be a band called Five Finger Death Punch, which just sounds like awesomeness is oozing out of their pours with a name like that! I have an old kungfu movie called Five Finger Death Punch, I wonder if this band has seen it.
Anyway, so they are getting the stage ready for Dragonforce and we first see them set up a wide platform in the back with the drums on the right and the keyboards on the left. They put small stairs in the middle of the back platform. Then they bring out this little stage and put it in the middle of the stage at the front. We were like, "why are they putting a little stage at the front?" And then they brought out the trampolines and the crowd cheered! Peter and I just looked at each other in eager anticipation for the awesomeness to come! The one of the roadies seemed to take one of the trampolines away and the crowd let out a resounding awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, but he was really just switching them around, to the delight of the audience.
The lights went down, we all stood up, and this powerful voice introduced the band members one by one as they started to play. And when a band who has songs with such titles as Through the Fire and the Flames, Disciples of Babylon, Heart of a Dragon, Operation Ground and Pound, or Trail of Broken Hearts begins a show, they begin it right... with choreographed leaps onto stage using the trampolines to get as much air as possible while soling on your guitar. One by one they leaped forth and then ran and jumped to the small front stage with cheers from the awe-struck audience. This was when we realized why they had paced the small stage there. The platform was there to elevate the band members enough so that the five power fans under the stage blew they long permmed hair back as they struck their epic power metal solo pose! Amazing!

The band was complete with a drummer, and keyborardist, two guitarists, a bassist, and a lead singer, ass of which jumped on the small stage after a power metal jump off the trampolines. They played super fast, complicated songs with epic lyrics of fighting armies, dragons and unicorns(seriously) in the singers high-pitched wailing voice as they pranced around the stage in synchronized formations, no song having shorter then a 4 minute solo in it! At one point, the guitarists stood on the center platform and soloed and then the keyboradist ran out to join them with his keytar! It was AMAZING! They played seven or eight songs(long solos=only a few songs) and after 2 encores, the show was over and a loud, new memory was burned into my brain!
Andrew picked us up and we drove Peter to USC and then headed home. Now I can get four and a half hours of sleep before I am gonna get picked up for day 2 of the USC shoot.

PhillM tip-of-the-day:
You know you have to replace your 12/18K HMI globes when they start to bulge on one side. This means they are getting old and WILL explode once the glass gets too thin.

Boston Pics 1

The plane ride out.

1st AC Connor Robinson, DP Rob "Malibu" Hauer, and Key Grip Brian Deutch on day 1 of shooting.

It's Karolina in spring water form.

Day two at the park where we built the largest work-in, on-location "soft box" I have ever seen!

Connor T. Robinson, 1st AC with a Panavision Gold II 35mm camera.

Rob Hauer inspecting the first attempt at the car rig.

The first car rig, after the park scene.

Boston Pics 2

Our second attempt at an amazing car rig

Angus on the hood of the car. Look at those headlights!

Day one in the New England Aquarium at the top of the Big Ocean Tank.

Following the camera van into downtown Boston.

The New England Aquarium- the first modern aquarium ever built, the first to have a large ocean tank.

Looking down through to the bottom of the Big Ocean Tank four stories bellow.

Connor and I doing a myspace picture at the top of the tank... but how many myspace pics have a Panavision Gold 2 35 in them?

My Kino trick that saved the day and made up for my earlier embarrassing disaster moment of not being prepared.

Boston Pics 3

Old State House.

Brian posing while we got lost on the T.

The dock at the pond location.

Spielberg couldn't make a better sky.

What an awesome leveling job! Only in Boston do you see track done like this!

How many guys can we fit on a Fisher 11 dolly?

Angus the lake pirate and his trusty dog Precious.

Not bad for a digital camera, eh?

Boston Pics 4

The drowned stuffed animal dog and wagon... how morbid!?

Our crazy rig that took five hours in the dining room.

Connor re-threading the camera in the dining room... sounds like a clue game.

Our amazing tents to black out the windows. Did I mention that there are Kinos under there and it was raining the whole time?

The schedule board.

The last day's location. Look at the amazing color of those tanks and all the Indian Jones type practical lamps hanging everywhere!

The amazing TJ and my kino trick that saved the day.

A shot from the camera position. I lit that!!!