1... DAY... TO... GO...
Well, if I'm lucky, I think I only MINORLY fucked this shoot up. Basically, there were a lot of little things that I should have done differently, like... oh, maybe finalizing the grip & electric gear earlier than the DAY BEFORE WE PICK IT UP. I was holding out to see if we got any more responses for financing. (Which we did... Thanks Kiet!) Unfortunately, I held out a bit too long, and now they don't have any grip and lighting gear. What one would do - if they had a larger budget - is get a short-term lease on gear from somewhere else until the other rentals came back from the primary rental house. But I've cut a wicked deal with MPS and have given them every last penny, plus a bit more, so that we can have the necessary tools with which to make this film.
Thankfully Michael Roy, our cinematographer, arrived from LA today, and we sat down with James and cracked open the schedule. Line-by-line we figured out a way to make it work, and it's all going to be fine... as long as they actually have the gear they SAY they have!
Today was extremely busy. We got a GAFFER! Miracles DO happen! We locked in our core crew, confirmed our location and actor schedules for the first week, and have only a few small loose ends. Like "why the hell can't we find someone willing to let us use their Red Vespa Scooter?" Or, "do I have to bribe the airport official in order to get them to return my calls? Provide them dancing girls? Illicit pharmeceuticals?" I'm not above that - we REALLY NEED this location in exactly 2 weeks. I re-examined the DFW Airpory policy guide and we're doing everything right. YYEEAAARRRGGG!!!
It all begins tomorrow. At 7:30 Friday we have a location scout in the cemetery at the exact time which we plan to GUERILLA our first scene on Saturday morning. We have the perfect plan. I probably shouldn't tell you, but I checked the site stats recently, and only like 45 people have even ever looked at this blog, so I think the secret's safe.
Basically, the plan is that we've found out the cemetery's caretaker's name and the cemetery's official address, and we're going to get a certificate naming the cemetery as "Additionally Insured" on our insurance policy, same as all the other locations. (Note: An added bonus is that we'll actually be insured, as will the cemetery. No actual permission to shoot, but insured nonetheless!) In addition, we're going to fill out a location permit with all the same info. Tomorrow, we'll go to the cemetery to find the perfect spot to shoot in, with regard to shot composition and natural light. At the same time we'll see how tight the security is, and who the security guards are, but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will we mention any sort of film. Once we have found the perfect spot, I will note one of the gravestones that could possibly be my dead grandfather. (Note: That guy's already dead, and so is my grandfather. I'd like to think both of those old dudes would applaud my "moxie.")
At 8am on Saturday, with the dead dude's info, an insurance certificate, location permit, security check and game plan for the day, we'll have no problem shooting a half-hour "Documentary" about how "My Grandpa Milton Earned His Purple Heart in World War 2." We'll be so damn legitimate, the security guard wouldn't dare contact his boss that early in the morning! If for some reason he DID, we should be in and out of there in under an hour. Regardless, both James and I are there to run interference, and in the long-shot that the boss DID show up, I could occupy him with the insurance paperwork while Yen and Michael finish up the scene. Between the time we land, and the time we leave, our goal is to finish in 1 hour, if not less.
Well, I'm off to bed. We have to location scout, pickup the 10" Budget Truck, check-out and load camera, grip & lighting gear, get craft services, eat lunch, fill-out crew and actor releases, Create a proper call sheet, and be ready for our 8pm full crew meeting. And it sure would be nice to hear from a scooter owner or the airport peeps. Yeah?
Thankfully Michael Roy, our cinematographer, arrived from LA today, and we sat down with James and cracked open the schedule. Line-by-line we figured out a way to make it work, and it's all going to be fine... as long as they actually have the gear they SAY they have!
Today was extremely busy. We got a GAFFER! Miracles DO happen! We locked in our core crew, confirmed our location and actor schedules for the first week, and have only a few small loose ends. Like "why the hell can't we find someone willing to let us use their Red Vespa Scooter?" Or, "do I have to bribe the airport official in order to get them to return my calls? Provide them dancing girls? Illicit pharmeceuticals?" I'm not above that - we REALLY NEED this location in exactly 2 weeks. I re-examined the DFW Airpory policy guide and we're doing everything right. YYEEAAARRRGGG!!!
It all begins tomorrow. At 7:30 Friday we have a location scout in the cemetery at the exact time which we plan to GUERILLA our first scene on Saturday morning. We have the perfect plan. I probably shouldn't tell you, but I checked the site stats recently, and only like 45 people have even ever looked at this blog, so I think the secret's safe.
Basically, the plan is that we've found out the cemetery's caretaker's name and the cemetery's official address, and we're going to get a certificate naming the cemetery as "Additionally Insured" on our insurance policy, same as all the other locations. (Note: An added bonus is that we'll actually be insured, as will the cemetery. No actual permission to shoot, but insured nonetheless!) In addition, we're going to fill out a location permit with all the same info. Tomorrow, we'll go to the cemetery to find the perfect spot to shoot in, with regard to shot composition and natural light. At the same time we'll see how tight the security is, and who the security guards are, but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will we mention any sort of film. Once we have found the perfect spot, I will note one of the gravestones that could possibly be my dead grandfather. (Note: That guy's already dead, and so is my grandfather. I'd like to think both of those old dudes would applaud my "moxie.")
At 8am on Saturday, with the dead dude's info, an insurance certificate, location permit, security check and game plan for the day, we'll have no problem shooting a half-hour "Documentary" about how "My Grandpa Milton Earned His Purple Heart in World War 2." We'll be so damn legitimate, the security guard wouldn't dare contact his boss that early in the morning! If for some reason he DID, we should be in and out of there in under an hour. Regardless, both James and I are there to run interference, and in the long-shot that the boss DID show up, I could occupy him with the insurance paperwork while Yen and Michael finish up the scene. Between the time we land, and the time we leave, our goal is to finish in 1 hour, if not less.
Well, I'm off to bed. We have to location scout, pickup the 10" Budget Truck, check-out and load camera, grip & lighting gear, get craft services, eat lunch, fill-out crew and actor releases, Create a proper call sheet, and be ready for our 8pm full crew meeting. And it sure would be nice to hear from a scooter owner or the airport peeps. Yeah?
posted by jmac at 12:16 AM
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