It's been quite some time since I last posted anything. Nearly 9 months now. Hopefully, this post will help you catch up on a few things.
Shortly after my last post, I started my Digital Cinematography class in which we shot the short film "Tribute" written and Directed by my friend Edson Florez.
Long hours and plenty of hard work was put into this short considering we had to build and stock a convenience store. After only one day of lighting and building, we had two days to shoot. I personally think that we put together a great looking set and did a great job in preproduction. We had very few problems during principle photography and most everything went off without a problem. The biggest problem we ended up having was with our lead actor. A mere two days before principle photography was to begin, our intellectually challenged lead actor decided to "do his own stunt" on another shoot and ended up breaking his collar bone. Fantastic. We were able to secure a last minute replacement and our shoot, luckily, was back on track.
With that completed, we were able to start editing. We had one month get our edit completed and turned in which, to me, was ample time. At the end of the 4 weeks, we screened each edit and voted for the best. My friend, David Acampora, had decidedly the best edit and his was shown. In the end, I think there were a lot of problems with the movie and not everything was thought out before we started shooting despite the fact our preproduction went so smooth. In any event, you can decide for yourself.
Next up was Documentary Filmmaking. This class excited me because I had a wonderful idea for a documentary. I wanted to gain access to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and film a Shuttle Launch from a mere 3 miles away. We ended up agreeing that documenting the end of the Space Shuttle Program was the best possible subject considering that it ends next year. After painstakingly contacting every last person who works at NASA, we finally found out who can give us access to the Complex 39 Press Site. First, we needed news gathering credentials. This was taken care of by contacting PBS in Orlando. Rather enthusiastically, PBS agreed to sponsor our documentary and even show it on TV once it was completed. With everything in order, we submitted our applications for clearance to NASA and they were quickly accepted.
Not only did we get to wander around Complex 39 and meet some pretty cool people, we also got to drive straight up to the shuttle and take a picture. Not only that, but we got to meet up with Hubble IMAX 3D cinematographer James Neihouse. After a few quick questions, he agreed to become our Technical Advisor for our documentary considering he has put cameras in space. Quite impressive. James also took this picture of me and my crew standing in front of the Space Shuttle. Sweet. With everything in order, we started shooting. It quickly became the longest, most stressful week of my life. Starting at T minus 4 days, the crew, myself included, were only able to get around 10 hours of sleep over 5 days. Needless to say, it was exhausting. It was however, some of the most fun I have ever had in my life. The project, while the 7 minute version for class was completed and submitted, is still being worked on and will be completed early next year. The documentary will be submitted to Cannes Film Festival then move on from there to pretty much every film festival we can think of. For the time being though, here is the completed seven minute version that was submitted for class.
Finally, let's look at what I have been up to for the past 4 weeks. I am currently in preproduction for my script "Precious Cargo". It's pretty much a pulp comic style space western in the same vein as "The American Astronaut". We just completed all of our paperwork and are currently working on building the set. While a lot has been done, we are still struggling to get everything ready for our shoot days next week. Not all my news is good new, however.
Last Monday, my apartment was robbed and all of my brand new film equipment (tripods, cameras, lenses, audio recorders, microphones, etc.) was stolen right from my living room. It wasn't exactly the best day of my life to begin with and when I got home I discovered I had been robbed. Wha-hoo. The police have been informed but I really don't think the equipment will ever be found. Which is kinda depressing. Hopefully, insurance will cover the gear and I can get most of this back.
Well, that's about everything. Hopefully you learned something from my experiences the past several months. I'll keep everyone updated as the time draws near for principle photography on "Precious Cargo"
->SPLICE HERE<-
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