Had an interesting shoot the other week with Elastic Creative where we had to capture an exec bicycling through various streets from different angles and such. Now I’m a big fan of doing things practically, but this was the perfect time for using green screen. It solved a number of issues from having to jack the cost up with either a camera car or process trailer, depending upon the weather gods to smile, maintaining focus and having the proper locations scouted and locked. Not to mention the nightmare of light and shadow control. Plus since they wanted all sorts of angles, we’d need a crane and scout more locations to match. And as we’re dealing with an exec, his time was extremely tight … you don’t want to spend days dragging him around to various locations. You’re luck if he stay for the few hours he can commit to.
So green is good – but creates a new problem: how to have him realistically ride his bicycle. The easy solution was to simply put him up on a bike stand a tilt the image in post. But you lose the perspective shift that happens in a ride by and his weight will not be positioned correctly on the bike. Enter Josh Koral and the good folks at ACME. The same guy who made the outdoor living room in Justin Herman Plaza I shot for Elastic a while back. He made a simple but effective bike rig that gave us great control over the rig to tilt and spin it while he was riding. And there was just enough play in the handle bars to do a little twisting for the turns. The result was awesometown.
And how about that crane shot that was ordered? Well, that’s the beauty of having a tall stage with your own scissor lift – easy high angle shots (as long as they’re static). That’s our Red up there strapped to the top with Joe E. Rivera making sure it doesn’t take a header.
And here’s the final film.
We’ve seen our way through the first installments of the series we did with Siam. The basement section has been processed and looking delicious. We shot this section last as we knew that even at her chipperest, she would only be able to withstand a few minutes at a time. Plus it took us all day to rig up the box truss and harness to place her up there safely. Such things we do for art.
I think when done, this series and the other section may hang on a wall together, but may not occupy the same frame as originally intended. But things change and you have to open to where the road leads you.
The (super awesome fun time) team reads as follows: photo: Jason Mitchell; production (set) design / retouching: Stacey Ransom; model: Siam, model: Patrick; hair / mua: Mil u Ranon; clothing designer (Siam): Meli Innes-Brown; wardrobe stylist (Patrick): Laura Hollabaugh; rigging / gaffing: joe Mendoza, Jesse Dana; grip: Mike Boyd Williams; set dressers: Rachael Nichols, Mike Boyd Williams; set construction: Tyler Murray; wrap crew: Jewlz Comita
Okay, enough already, show us the pics …
… and I’ll let you know when the short film comes together as well. We always like to double load.
We are starting to kick out our first bits of work from our Consumption series … and first out the gate is Absinthe. And we’ve melded the photo and motion works to provide a complimentary work for an enriched experience. The photos were captured using a fresh Nikon D3x at 1/250 with an old 50mm 1.2 at f8. And then we retooled the set to work with HMIs and Kinos to do the motion work on Red with the Red Primes 60fps with the lenses wide open.
While the short has a very simple narrative it does bring the story of the photo out a bit, and it leaves in of the subjectivity enjoyed by the still medium.
A taste of Absinthe … and for the movie click here.
Had an extremely prolific week last week with a pair of photo/motion shoots for our consumption series (described in an earlier post). As always you are as strong as the team you pull together.
For both shoots we had the scrumptious fashions of Meli. She pulled together a couple of gauzie numbers and a special bustle to hide a flying harness. The details are always what make the outfit with little red bows dripping down the legs and black leather straps.
On hair and makeup was the freaky stylie Mill and some fantastically big hair. I had to grab a couple specials just to highlight his concoctions. The makeup was superb and flowed with the concepts nicely providing a great punch.
And I am a bit biased, but Stacey rocked three kick ass sets to put our models into an ocean of goodness. She flipped one of the old-money sets from the first shoot to make a decayed decadance for our Absynth drinking damsel. You could put the two next to each other and you’d be hard pressed to see the similar bones.
We topped it off with some lovely motion captures that should cut into something interesting. I’ll hopefully run it through next week and have a little something to show for our efforts. I finally have the edit suite up and running at the studio. It’s painfully easy to work there in the little opportunity I’ve had so far. There is a photo shoot in there Sunday that will give me a some more time in the seat.
Another important detail is that I need to dial in the music to the piece. Something that will compliment it and find the right tone. Again, a chance to dabble in something hehe.
I’ll post up a couple of karma shots when I get home (writing this post while killing time at the tattoo shop). I want to make sure you know everyone who’s responsible for what has become. Especially cats like Joe Mendoza and Jesse Dana who helped hang Hattie through a ceiling from a box truss. It’s nice to have commrads with skills.
You would think that the opening of the studio would be am all-consuming venture, bit somehow I found a way to shove in six hard-core days of production in there. This of course made the remaining time even more studio absorbant.
The jobs were pretty cool with one involving the zepplin, and the other one I can’t quit discuss yet.
So what’s left for the studio? What kind/color of chair for the studio / garage / lounge will best serve or clients and our budget. Chairs that will be used and abused by many to come. Something sturdy, comfortable and washable.
As with everything, it will be an evolution. Off to the pumpkin patch!
Here are some of the tasty fruit that came from our wonderfully fabricated arm pit jungle (thank you Stacey). First up is a link to our Old Spice Ever Clear spot on Poptent (where it currently vies for attention from OS).
It was sure fun creating and and at times we all had to excuse ourselves to go and get the giggle out. Nothing like arm pit goobers hitting an apple box to really set you off. Special thanks to Bob (the one with the hairy pits) for keeping it together while the rest of us lost our minds.
The last thing we went for on the jungle set was another fashion / editoral spread featuring make up by Don Tunnell, gowns by Cory Tron, Sydney from Stars and Soo Joo from Ford. The first image out is a beauty shot of Sydney looking stunning against the twisted and foggy background. There will be a bunch more served up on our website and at DA.
As it was written, Stacey gives you the arm pit jungle …
This little set will be used well … originally as an arm pit for a gal to walk through, then redressed for a fashion photo shoot, then redressed for a music video, then redressed for another photo shoot. Each will look somewhat different for sure and will have it’s own touch.
The first is for another of the contests for the folks at Poptent … this time for an Old Spice arm pit bar. It was from this concept that the jungle arose and Stacey just went wild. Even though the studio is mid remodel, we had to have the space to put this up. I built a 12×12 grid for her to hang bales of twisted willow from, the various sizes giving us wonderful depth. These should take light wonderfully and give us plenty to play with for each of the shoots. I’ll definitely post a little before / after once we post the projects.
Thursday saw Mark and I (and a tiny entourage) head down to the Santa Cruz Film Festival for our screening of DIF. This has been an interesting time to feel the impressions of the environment (read economy et. al). This was the first public viewing of the final version of the film. The latest updates include the indictment for al Bashir and his repercussions. This version is also being pressed to DVD shortly by DER and is available to order on our DER Page.
Mark and I cruised over and grabbed a burger at SC haunt Jacks … an experience in itself, but certainly not the burger that I was looking for. Not that it was bad, but it’s a beach burger, a slider, and I was after the thick and juicy type. Next time …
The festival staff was quite gracious and very interested in seeing our future work. It’s nice when people genuinely engage with you on that level after seeing your film. On the festival circuit, there are so many films that it is hard to make inroads. It seems you have to first make an impression (either personally or via a PR machine) before someone will schedule you in. The response after you’re afforded such an opportunity I find a good barometer for the merits of your film. You always have to weigh that in context of the viewer and situation, but it’s certainly informative.
So we finally shot the death scenes (where the band is killed off) and a number of the supporting photos of a bunch of different comedians who were so kind as to stop by. Now a little blood spatter and we’ve a finished visual product. This section will have the longest post process and will turn out pretty kick as with a very stylistic look. Each of the guys is really getting it.
I won’t say when we’ll have the whole project set, but at least we have the goods.
Another image from the photo shoot with Micaela that turned our great. This time in the series of tubes.
Micaela in hat and corset combo.
