An exterior of the 1880′s Bank with actors in place just before the shoot out

Amongst the various locations that welcomed our team to South Dakota, there is one that really stands out: an 1880’s style town about 22 miles west of Murdo, SD.  The entire crew pulled into the town, jaded from the previous two weeks of shooting.  One by one, our caravan drove through the large wooden arch of what seemed to be a ghost town.  Little did we know, this would serve as the location of one the most lively scenes for the entire film; an old fashioned Western shootout.  As we walked down the dirt road, through the center of town, our crew marveled at the sights of an authentic 1880’s saloon, a blacksmith’s shop, a general store, a U.S. Marshal’s office, and an original 1880’s National Bank.  As a matter of fact, all of the buildings in the town were original 1880′s buildings relocated and preserved to create a nostalgic Western municipal.  The Bank is featured in the opening shot of the film’s trailer.

Fire in the hole!

The bank served as the centerpiece of this incredible, timeless town known as South Dakota’s original 1880 town.  Situated in the center of the 1880’s town, the bank was the target for yet another robbery by the London brothers gang.  Led by Beau London, our cast of gang members were strategically positioned outside the bank in the center of town for an epic gun fight sequence.  ”Cowboy,” our trusted gun specialist and horse wrangler, loaded 4 of 7 firearms on set that day for a shootout that would be covered by 5 cameras.  The main camera was a steadycam that followed the fast paced action at the entrance of the bank.  The secondary cameras were all rolling on other characters reacting to the chaos that ensued.  We did a dozen takes of the action without the firearms to get all of the choreography down for the scene.  Then Cowboy made the call before action, “Fire in the hole!  Live gunfire here!  Live gunfire!”, all cameras rolled at the call of the AD, and then the director called out, “ACTION!”  Being a camera operator myself, it was far more intense of an operation when the gunfire was going off all around you and to be honest it was quite stressful.  On little sleep and long work days it felt like some form of advanced military training school.  We carried on with this scene for the rest of the day until sundown.

The 1880′s Saloon with cast around the table

That night, we moved shooting to inside a nearby 1880’s saloon.  A major scene takes place in this saloon, where the London gang discusses their plans to venture further west into the hills where Beau believes there is more gold.  The gang is positioned around a classic circular saloon table, with moonlight pouring in from outside through a nearby window.  The light was created by an Arri 575 watt HMI unit outside the window to give back light to a few characters in the scene, while at the same time illuminating big western style letters in the window that spell out “Saloon”.  The warm interior lighting of the saloon contrasted nicely with the cool summer night lighting outside.  We carried on in this location until the morning hours.  At one point during the shoot I can recall one of the boom operators fighting desperately to keep his eyes open during a couple takes.  We had two “marathon” days with full access to the town and its buildings, so we had to make the most of each day; waking up bright and early and shooting late into the night.

DP Phil Toran operating a 30′ crane on the Western border of South Dakota

Nothing compares to shooting a film on location, especially with a Western film.  The great frontier of the Western United States is not something that can simply be replicated in a studio or substituted on the East Coast.  We found it necessary to venture west to capture this story.  The beauty and awe of the landscape is unparalleled.  It was everything but urban, and it was an experience many of us will seek to re-live at some point in our filmmaking careers.  The completed Western film has just been accepted and recognized in the Black Hills Film Festival and the Long Island International Film Expo.

]]> http://thewolfpackblog.com/a-new-frontier-for-companion-pictures/feed/ 0 http://thewolfpackblog.com/crazy-train/ http://thewolfpackblog.com/crazy-train/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:31:03 +0000 matty http://thewolfpackblog.com/?p=993 During our on-location production of Dawn of Conviction in June 2009, we endured the most pressure-packed morning of shooting of our young careers. Two essential scenes of the film required use of an authentic 1880’s train and we were allotted only a few hours to capture them. Our 20-person crew had to perform at an elite level under extreme duress, with the clock ticking away knowing that wasted moments could mean missed opportunities.

Yours truly doing my best Pinkerton impersonation

With a 4AM crew call (the prior day’s shoot ended around midnight) we arrived at the train before daybreak. I was directing a fairly lengthy scene on the moving train first thing in the morning with only 3 crew members. After the train pulled out at about 8AM, we filmed for about 35 minutes before the train came to a stop – which was one of only two chances to film the characters’ reactions – at which point we changed our position to make it look like we were moving in the same direction on the return trip. We got one more crack at the reaction to the train slowing to a halt, then one final setup on the stationary train. An entire scene, requiring an empty train in motion, was shot and wrapped in less than 90 minutes.

Train, actor, jib arm – many moving parts.

As the initial scene was going on, another unit built a 30 foot jib arm to prepare for the second setup. Our lead approached the train as it stopped while the camera swung around behind him in a tricky shot – and there was only one chance to do it right. The actor then jumped aboard the train where the sheriff and his deputies (one of whom was ably played by yours truly – did I mention I was directing in full costume and makeup?) were waiting to arrest him.

Two other units were tasked with gathering essential B-roll of the train in motion. Bob Cammisa camped out with a camera and tripod to catch stationary shots of the the train as it passed. With a production vehicle driving parallel to the train on the roads, Dennis Donovan stood up through the sunroof while flying a steadicam to create more dynamic shots that moved with the train.

Dennis risking life and limb to capture dynamic exteriors

About 8 hours after our wake-up call, the train shots were wrapped and the riskiest part of our entire shoot had been a success. With so many moving parts, there was a lot that could have gone wrong and remarkably, we came away with everything we hoped for. It’s a good thing too, because any other result and our whole production might have been derailed.

Inferno was a lot of “firsts.”

The pilot was written as a 1950s detective story set in a fictionalized world, which was perfect for film noir. This would mark my first attempt at the genre. We’ve been influenced many times in the past by different noir elements, but shooting a pilot completely in this style was a whole new ballgame for me.

Creatively, I had my trusted gaffer, Phil Toran. We’ve worked on many projects together, so we were definitely more excited than concerned entering into this project. Patrick Hendrickson was the director, and knowing Patrick, this shoot was going to require a very specific and challenging look. In short, mostly long dolly and wide takes, allowing the film’s locations to add to the story in meaningful ways.

We were not building any sets this time, which meant all the locations had to be found. Filming entirely on location is often challenging, but Phil and I almost prefer it this way.  It’s also exciting to scout and find fascinating locations that no one has ever seen before on film. Thankfully we had a gold mine nearby. The city of Bridgeport offers some incredible locations. After weeks of scouting and several locations in mind, I began serious meetings with Patrick, regarding the look of the film. Having spent some time with the script before hand, I came up with a few noteworthy shots to bring to the director. Patrick did a great job explaining to me the world and the vision he had. We talked about many films and compared them to our current project. We talked about characters, the tone, and the message, basically everything that helped us to finalize the look required for the project.

Once our locations were secured, I went back to them several times to “live storyboard” with stand-ins. I can’t draw to save my life, which is something I wish I took a little more seriously growing up. I do tend to enjoy this style of storyboarding though, because once on set I sometimes find very cool and interesting shots and by storyboarding in the same environment before hand, I often find some of these shots well in advance.

Many of our locations were in tight spaces. The biggest challenge was dealing with these spaces, especially the locations with no power. Majority of the pilot took place at night, requiring us to cover the windows that were not already boarded up by the city of Bridgeport. Running off of several generators, Phil and I had to be selective with our lights. Using mostly Arri 1ks, 650s and 300s, we were able to rig most of our lights to the ceilings. We often had several HMIs outside the buildings, shooting in through the blinds and the cigarette smoke, to help add to the atmosphere of each location.

The hardest location to shoot was easily the bridge that we shut down in Beacon Falls, CT. It was the largest outdoor area and the scene took place at night. It also involved actions that took place on and off the bridge.  Even with all of our lights we found it difficult to maintain a consistent look. We were constantly changing out flags and silks to soften the light and block shadows. A key set piece was a pay phone that the production designer installed on a wooden pole earlier that day. Phil had to create a way to install a practical light above the phone in order to add detail light to the phone and fill light for the actor. Shooting lasted all night and after several hours, we were presented with a new challenge, the rising sun. Placing the camera’s back against the sunrise, we had to crop out the sky and fight against the clock as long as we could. In the end we managed to complete the scene on time. While shooting this entire sequence I was initially very disappointed with the shots and the lighting at this location, but upon review of the footage I was pleasantly surprised. Thankfully we pulled it off.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to explore such a fascinating world. I believe our team did an amazing job tackling this genre. I think my favorite scene was the detective’s office and how we were able to achieve some very exciting chiaroscuro shots. Once we finished that scene I knew we accomplished the visual style we set out to from the very beginning. We definitely learned a few tricks along the way and I very much look forward to the next time we get to explore this genre again with the Companion Team.

Due to the nature of past Companion projects, we have rarely enjoyed this luxury. But for FOLEY, the latest project from Companion Pictures, our crew was able to shoot the entire 10-page script inside a controlled space. Foley follows a young studio intern who is mistaken for a prodigy and lucks into a dream job as a foley artist with one catch – he has no idea what foley is.

The only location FOLEY called for was a recording studio. After an extensive search we came across Studio Unicorn owned by Grammy nominated composer/producer Paul Averginos. Located in Redding CT, Studio Unicorn was right in our backyard. Driving up the winding, woodland roads that lead to Studio Unicorn one might think iPhone maps once again was the cause for misdirection. But the studio is situated at the edge of a 10,000 acre wildlife sanctuary. The space fulfilled all production needs and provided us with privacy and peace of mind. But most importantly, director Matt Petterson was satisfied with the aesthetic. The space met all his directorial needs.

The studio space was divided into two, very spacious rooms: the control room and the recording room. The production demanded that we use both rooms, sometimes simultaneously. The control rooms contained most of the mixing stations, consuls, and computer equipment. The actual recording room contained all necessary instruments, microphones and stands. We filmed the scenes with band (Ula Ruth) and voice over artists in the recording room.

Studio Unicorn was designed by Mr. Averginos to capture the absolute best audio possible for his clients. It was a blessing for us to be using what was essentially a sound stage. Not only was Studio Unicorn secluded in a wildlife sanctuary but the walls, glass and doors were all sound proof. When the main unit was filming in the control room, we could have make-up, costume and actor holding in the next room without worrying about sound issues.

For the two days of production, there were no delays due to weather, sound or any obscure environmental factors. Shooting inside a recording studio was a luxury for the Companion Pictures crew – something we would love but shouldn’t get used to.

Our team has worked with some talented sound designers and mixers, but we also have experience creating the sound design for projects including getting the location sound, recording ADR, Foley, and mixing.  Actually, the idea for our Foley web series came from doing Foley for our own productions. We felt it is a part of film that does not get much attention and thought it could be funny having an audience learn what goes into creating Foley sounds.

I had the privilege of being the sound engineer for the Foley series pilot. Knowing the importance of sound, I wanted to make sure we got the best location audio.  I used wireless lavaliere microphones on every actor in addition to having a boom operator with a sennheisser shotgun. Luckily for me everything was filmed in a recording studio.  The rooms were very quiet since they had sound deadening material in the walls.  There was no ambient noise that caused problems on set.   Compared to many of our previous location shoots,  this was the most contained situation for location audio. Since the series is about Foley, a number of Foley sound effects need to be added in.

We continue to learn new methods to improve our quality of sound with each project we do. The sound designers we work with teach us new techniques and bring our projects to the next level.  As we learn, it heightens our appreciation for sound when we watch others’ material.   I feel that few moviegoers pay attention to the names of sound personnel in credits. These talented artists deserve more praise for their work. Whether it is the dialogue, footsteps or subtle wind ambiance, the sound brings the picture to life.

But someone’s misfortune is often another’s opportunity.  For Companion Pictures, Bridgeport offers awesome locations for film production, and we have taken advantage of the city’s unique look and character.  On our recent production of Inferno, an exciting noir web series inspired by Dante’s classic, The Divine Comedy, we found some great locations owned by the city of Bridgeport.  The second floor of an abandoned store and office building a few blocks from city hall was offered to us as the set for Inferno’s police department, and we readily accepted.  Even though the police headquarters was meant to be seriously deteriorated, we still had a huge job of set design, turning a former accounting company’s space into the offices of Detective Virgil Palmer and his superior, Ed Stansky.

Since the building was abandoned, we had to provide our own power for the set and all the production equipment.  Luckily our production truck is equipped with a huge generator, so we ran lots of cable up the stairs from the street, and made the place very usable for our film.  We had a full crew for all departments—camera, electric, grip, sound, production design, direction—and everyone worked hard in their respective areas to transform the space into a very believable, seedy station house.

Of course not everything went as planned.  Even though we had permits, the City of  Bridgeport awarded us parking tickets for our vehicles, and we did have some issues with nearby bathrooms for cast and crew.  The production went long on one of the days—until almost 4am and we were a little concerned about some suspicious characters lurking nearby the abandoned building which we were using for exteriors. In the end, all went well, and we captured some fabulous noir drama in locations that helped us create a uniquely Inferno world!

A set demands that everyone KNOW and OWN their respective roles. Mine required coordinating a live band, reminding the players of a funny bit they came up with during an earlier improv, or any number of details that nobody else knew to worry about except me. It’s my responsibility to make sure my vision for this piece was realized to the best of my ability. There’s an entire crew backing me up to take care of everything else.

In the Fall of 2012, Companion Pictures produced a medieval reenactment web series pilot.  The comedic piece written by the talented writer Ryan McCree and directed by Jim Mayzik is about reenactors who believe they live back in the Middle Ages.  As producers of the project,  Patrick Hendrickson and I knew finding the locations were going to be the toughest challenge. They  included a medieval beer hall and blacksmith shop, which are hard to find seeing that the oldest structures in the United States only date back to about 400 years ago.  We ended up turning to the Connecticut Film Division for a bit of help with our search.  They were extremely willing to help and gave us a few suggestions.  One in particular, Cunningham Tower in the Mohawk State Forest, looked perfect for the blacksmith shop.

At first glance, the isolated three-story stone tower looks as though it could have been built when archery and sword play were part of daily activities, but after more examination one will find that it has modern metal support beams that definitely would not have been available more than a hundred years ago.  Turns out that Seymour Cunningham erected the stone structure in 1913 (Litchfield Historical Society). Today it is not in the best shape –the roof is completely gone, graffiti covers the first floor and the five metal support beams are all that is left of the second floor.

A wide trail from the main road leads straight to the structure, which would have allowed us to transfer our equipment from our vehicles right at the steps of the tower. As a producer that is exactly what you want because it allows for easy setup and breakdown.  Unfortunately, there is a gate at the main road that prohibits vehicles from driving on the trail.  I did a bit of digging to see if the gate could be opened.  Turns out it could be, but for a fee…an eight hundred dollar fee.  A state forest employee would have to be paid overtime for every hour the gate was open.

Patrick and I pondered for a while: Do we spend the eight hundred for gate access or do we have our crew carry every piece of equipment to the tower? Did I mention we had a lot of heavy equipment and the trail to the tower was about the length of two football fields…uphill?  In light of having a tight budget, dinner seemed to be more important than the expense of having the gate open so our crew worked up their appetite dragging large cases and props up that trail.  Don’t worry we rewarded them with a Chinese buffet dinner.

As expected, the circumstances added serious time to our set up and breakdown. The breakdown time basically doubled in length because we were doing it in the dark.  This may be the reason why we ended our last shot that night at 2AM, but did not leave the location until 4:30AM.  Regardless of the circumstances, our dedicated crew worked diligently without complaining.

The production designer, Bec Sloane, did a phenomenal job designing the set.  She turned the inside of the tower into a medieval blacksmith shop with various pointy weapons, anvil, taxidermy weasel, cauldron, even a roaring fire.  Outside, two tents were placed in front of the tower along with a number of props including hay bales, animal pelts and small barrels.  If it wasn’t for all the expensive film equipment on set, you would have believe you stepped back in time.

Jim had the idea of doing a complex overhead dolly jib shot from the second floor.   Of course this required much preparation and even a bit of building.  Our set carpenter, Roger Toran and gaffer Phil Toran went to tower the day before shooting to construct a platform within the tower, so a dolly track could fit on the metal beams of the second floor.  This allowed for a beautiful over the head shot of our lead actor, Ricardo Muñiz, stoking the fire as he forged a new sword.

It may not have been the easiest location to transfer the equipment and props, but Cunningham Tower served to be just what our production needed to make the audience believe they took a step back in time.  As we finish editing the pilot, I look at the footage and it was definitely worth the time and effort. If not for the CT DEEP and CT Film Division’s extreme generosity we would not have gotten this location for the project.  We cannot thank them enough for all of their help.

[Hollywood Reporter: European YOUTUBE, Base79]