Untitled from Tom Keeling on Vimeo.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Evolution
Since I've been in Florida I've grown immensely in understanding cinema, the art of orchestrating a project from concept to finished (deliverables) product, and how to cope with the solidarity that this business, this industry, thrusts upon those who wish to accomplish their dreams. For me, Full Sail can be summed up in a few words, but also with a lot of emotion.
I guess the purpose of this post is to briefly describe some of the steps of this evolution that I've experienced since I've been here in Florida.
Digital Cinematography: Assuming Leadership
I remember going into class not knowing what to do. It was the first month I was fully integrated with my new (and graduating) class, I didn't know anyone and the egos in the class were obvious. Furthermore, when the opportunity to assume an immediate leadership role arose, in the position of Production Manager (PM) for my group, I was timid about taking that responsibility. I didn't know anyone, and it was going to be hard. I could have taken the easy route and done nothing, but after more than a few discussions, I decided to step up, lead and make my mark.
As a result, my group did a great job working together and we had by far the most fun of any group in our class. The result of this was a pseudo group the formed among us (we don't consider ourselves a clique because we like to work with everyone) as the "other" dominant film crew in our class. And we stayed fairly true to that all the way until now.
I look back at this class, and despite our neophyte status, I think we did a fairly good job. I was speaking to one of our teachers the other day, and she told me that she's still never had a group quite like ours. Our movie wasn't great, but then again it wasn't supposed to be. The class wasn't about a finished product, but about the crew that put it together. It was my first true learning experience, and the beginning of what was to come...
Documentary Storytelling: A Period of Healing
This is without a doubt the most rewarding project I worked on while at Full Sail. Up until the night before we shot the documentary we didn't know if we were really going to make this project happen. But, when I finally heard David's voice on the other end of the line and he conveyed his enthusiasm for this project, I knew it was for real.
This project was something of a dream for me. Back when the Beijing Olympics were happening I had heard about a local Olympic sprinter who had a good chance at medaling and possibly winning the 110m high hurdles. It was at this time that I tried everything I could think of to get in contact with David Oliver. As things would turn out, communication initially started well with his manager but went cold right after the season ended, and all seemed lost.
It was around that time too, I went through one of the most trying periods of my life and a time when I don't think I ever felt more hurt, lonelier or isolated. There were a lot of emotions flying around as things spiraled downward quickly; completely out of control. There were more than a few conversations that involved quitting Full Sail and giving up on this dream, and myself. It got to the point where couldn't watch movies and most of the time I would just lay in bed, motionless...
...and then the impossible happened.
About mid-way through October, I shot an email to David's manager on a whim. I hadn't heard anything in almost two-months, but I figured why not. Amazingly there was a response, and then more correspondence and finally contact with David's coach. I couldn't believe it, this looked like it might actually happen...and surely enough it did.
As we were filming, hearing David's story firsthand - about a wonderfully gifted prodigy who followed his dream, took his talents for granted, nearly lost everything, only to regain it again and achieve unparalleled success - meant more to me than he could know. David is someone who stature as an elite athlete gives him privileges most of us will never experience, yet without meeting me, he allowed my crew to come into his home (his personal space) and document him and his story.
What resulted from that were about 2-weeks without sleep, continually working on editing, cutting and putting together a documentary that I felt best expressed David's life. Yet, as my editor and I approached our own finish line at 5am the morning of my birthday I couldn't help but tear-up, knowing this project which had consumed me, breathed new life into my lungs and brought me back from my personal purgatory, was ending.
As I left lab at 7am, I received an unexpected text. It was David. It simply said, "Happy Birthday."
I don't know what I did next, but I know I the tears began to flow as a gauntlet of emotions overwhelmed me. I didn't have anything left that morning, but after months of wandering aimlessly, David helped me find my way again. His friendship showed me humility, his story inspired in me to chase my dreams, but most of all his sincerity helped me find myself again.
I continue text David every once in a while, and whether he knows it or not, he helped me more than he'll ever know. And his friendship has been instrumental to everything that has come to follow.
16mm: The Beginning
For those of us who slaved over our portfolios for 16mm, we were rewarded with the positions we desired. I was pleasantly awarded the sought after position of director for the 'Alone'.
For those who know me well, it's been well documented that my #1 all-time movie is Alien. It all started for me growing up, because it was the first movie that I genuinely had continual nightmares about and it affected me in ways no other movie has. As a result, I'm a bit of a sci-fi geek and was immediately drawn to the story of a man alone in space as he slowly loses his sanity.
As for this project, we weren't granted absolute freedom to shoot this as we had to abide by set restrictions to film this movie per the parameters of our class (a pointless Full Sail rule that is complete and utter crap). Yet, this was the first opportunity for me to delve into the realm of actual film directing and immerse myself into the position of desire. And as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility - and I was lucky enough to have an outstanding crew aide me in working seamlessly to create a finished product that will be remembered for some time.
There were many things about this project that stand out, both good and bad.
Preproduction was tiring and difficult as we spent countless hours building our set - breaking in after the other crews finished filming and leaving just before they arrived for their call times the following morning, 'borrowing' props from rundown empty buildings that were about to be torn down, and learning about film through the eyes of what some in my core group consider our biggest competition in the class. Most of all, I learned about what I needed to do to set myself up for success when the time to call action was needed .
However, production was another story. I will not go into too many details about the trivialities that still harbors a bad taste in my mouth. Going in, I knew I had some of the hardest shots to accomplish and I was given only a fraction of the time to accomplish them that the other directors were afforded. Politics were an issue. Yet, despite our problems (among them involving me creating a new way to shoot an entire scene in 30-minutes that ended up containing arguably our best shots from the film credit, having the DP call action for a shot without my approval, and the continual behind the back slandering on set) we ended up finishing ahead of schedule and under budget (filmwise).
From this, I learned first and foremost that filmmaking is a series of compromises. There will always issues that arise, and the best always have an answer (either right or wrong) to solve that problem rather than sitting on it and losing it. I also learned how to communicate with my talent. This was the first time I had ever done this in a setting like this, and I know I made a lot of mistakes but at least I know what they were and how to fix them. And lastly, I learned how to take a project from the ground and mold it into a finished product.
No matter what I feel or how much I would like to have some things back from this set, I wouldn't change it for anything. It's alway the mistakes that we learn from the most - and although this project turned out better than anyone would have expected, the mistakes are there and from it I learned how to improve myself for the next film to come along.
This Film served as the mark of the beginning for what's to come. And it will always represent my first efforts to put something together to show my talents as best I can.
35mm: The Personal Journey
I don't know what I can say about Final Project that hasn't already been said before in this blog. The only way I can sum it up is as a personal journey into filmmaking. There were no easy outs, no other directors or teachers to assist, but most of all looking past having my peers sit and watch me direct for 4 12-hour days, scrutinizing me and my every move (as only film students can do), as I worked on piecing together something that meant something to me but for which my crew had no active interest in other than for a grade.
It began as just a little thought in the back of my head from the first place I visited when I moved to Florida; Kennedy Space Center. And yet, it morphed into something that I will most likely be remembered for long after my time here has passed.
This experience was a series of trials and in the end, given circumstances that could have acted as serious detractors (we had issues with actors' egos, the 1st AD quit, sound problems, ruined cans of film, etc) that would severely hampered any of the other projects, we overcame it all and finished off what I consider my first true film.
When we wrapped, there were a lot of compliments thrown around, including one from our lead actor Paul Boffano who wrote my 2nd AD and me," I had such a great time and it was such a positive experience. Your graciousness and professionalism throughout the entire shoot was nothing less than amazing. I don't think I'll miss my guess when I say that both of you have very exciting and successful careers ahead of you. I'm so glad I could be apart of your film."
I honestly do not care what my classmates think of me - but when the person who puts their trust in you like our actors do, and they come back to thank you, that's how know you're on the right path and that you are doing something right. Paul was nothing short of amazing on set, and reading his words left me humbled. Because in the end, it's the actor who is on screen and the audience who has to believe their performance. That involves a lot of trust and is also a very difficult thing to accomplish. And in the end, those are the only two opinions that matter to me...and I couldn't be more humbled to know that we had such a positive affect on Paul...and as I later learned, the entire crew as well as the instructors.
I guess the purpose of this post is to briefly describe some of the steps of this evolution that I've experienced since I've been here in Florida.
Digital Cinematography: Assuming Leadership
I remember going into class not knowing what to do. It was the first month I was fully integrated with my new (and graduating) class, I didn't know anyone and the egos in the class were obvious. Furthermore, when the opportunity to assume an immediate leadership role arose, in the position of Production Manager (PM) for my group, I was timid about taking that responsibility. I didn't know anyone, and it was going to be hard. I could have taken the easy route and done nothing, but after more than a few discussions, I decided to step up, lead and make my mark.
As a result, my group did a great job working together and we had by far the most fun of any group in our class. The result of this was a pseudo group the formed among us (we don't consider ourselves a clique because we like to work with everyone) as the "other" dominant film crew in our class. And we stayed fairly true to that all the way until now.
I look back at this class, and despite our neophyte status, I think we did a fairly good job. I was speaking to one of our teachers the other day, and she told me that she's still never had a group quite like ours. Our movie wasn't great, but then again it wasn't supposed to be. The class wasn't about a finished product, but about the crew that put it together. It was my first true learning experience, and the beginning of what was to come...
Documentary Storytelling: A Period of Healing
This is without a doubt the most rewarding project I worked on while at Full Sail. Up until the night before we shot the documentary we didn't know if we were really going to make this project happen. But, when I finally heard David's voice on the other end of the line and he conveyed his enthusiasm for this project, I knew it was for real.
This project was something of a dream for me. Back when the Beijing Olympics were happening I had heard about a local Olympic sprinter who had a good chance at medaling and possibly winning the 110m high hurdles. It was at this time that I tried everything I could think of to get in contact with David Oliver. As things would turn out, communication initially started well with his manager but went cold right after the season ended, and all seemed lost.
It was around that time too, I went through one of the most trying periods of my life and a time when I don't think I ever felt more hurt, lonelier or isolated. There were a lot of emotions flying around as things spiraled downward quickly; completely out of control. There were more than a few conversations that involved quitting Full Sail and giving up on this dream, and myself. It got to the point where couldn't watch movies and most of the time I would just lay in bed, motionless...
...and then the impossible happened.
About mid-way through October, I shot an email to David's manager on a whim. I hadn't heard anything in almost two-months, but I figured why not. Amazingly there was a response, and then more correspondence and finally contact with David's coach. I couldn't believe it, this looked like it might actually happen...and surely enough it did.
As we were filming, hearing David's story firsthand - about a wonderfully gifted prodigy who followed his dream, took his talents for granted, nearly lost everything, only to regain it again and achieve unparalleled success - meant more to me than he could know. David is someone who stature as an elite athlete gives him privileges most of us will never experience, yet without meeting me, he allowed my crew to come into his home (his personal space) and document him and his story.
What resulted from that were about 2-weeks without sleep, continually working on editing, cutting and putting together a documentary that I felt best expressed David's life. Yet, as my editor and I approached our own finish line at 5am the morning of my birthday I couldn't help but tear-up, knowing this project which had consumed me, breathed new life into my lungs and brought me back from my personal purgatory, was ending.
As I left lab at 7am, I received an unexpected text. It was David. It simply said, "Happy Birthday."
I don't know what I did next, but I know I the tears began to flow as a gauntlet of emotions overwhelmed me. I didn't have anything left that morning, but after months of wandering aimlessly, David helped me find my way again. His friendship showed me humility, his story inspired in me to chase my dreams, but most of all his sincerity helped me find myself again.
I continue text David every once in a while, and whether he knows it or not, he helped me more than he'll ever know. And his friendship has been instrumental to everything that has come to follow.
16mm: The Beginning
For those of us who slaved over our portfolios for 16mm, we were rewarded with the positions we desired. I was pleasantly awarded the sought after position of director for the 'Alone'.
For those who know me well, it's been well documented that my #1 all-time movie is Alien. It all started for me growing up, because it was the first movie that I genuinely had continual nightmares about and it affected me in ways no other movie has. As a result, I'm a bit of a sci-fi geek and was immediately drawn to the story of a man alone in space as he slowly loses his sanity.
As for this project, we weren't granted absolute freedom to shoot this as we had to abide by set restrictions to film this movie per the parameters of our class (a pointless Full Sail rule that is complete and utter crap). Yet, this was the first opportunity for me to delve into the realm of actual film directing and immerse myself into the position of desire. And as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility - and I was lucky enough to have an outstanding crew aide me in working seamlessly to create a finished product that will be remembered for some time.
There were many things about this project that stand out, both good and bad.
Preproduction was tiring and difficult as we spent countless hours building our set - breaking in after the other crews finished filming and leaving just before they arrived for their call times the following morning, 'borrowing' props from rundown empty buildings that were about to be torn down, and learning about film through the eyes of what some in my core group consider our biggest competition in the class. Most of all, I learned about what I needed to do to set myself up for success when the time to call action was needed .
However, production was another story. I will not go into too many details about the trivialities that still harbors a bad taste in my mouth. Going in, I knew I had some of the hardest shots to accomplish and I was given only a fraction of the time to accomplish them that the other directors were afforded. Politics were an issue. Yet, despite our problems (among them involving me creating a new way to shoot an entire scene in 30-minutes that ended up containing arguably our best shots from the film credit, having the DP call action for a shot without my approval, and the continual behind the back slandering on set) we ended up finishing ahead of schedule and under budget (filmwise).
From this, I learned first and foremost that filmmaking is a series of compromises. There will always issues that arise, and the best always have an answer (either right or wrong) to solve that problem rather than sitting on it and losing it. I also learned how to communicate with my talent. This was the first time I had ever done this in a setting like this, and I know I made a lot of mistakes but at least I know what they were and how to fix them. And lastly, I learned how to take a project from the ground and mold it into a finished product.
No matter what I feel or how much I would like to have some things back from this set, I wouldn't change it for anything. It's alway the mistakes that we learn from the most - and although this project turned out better than anyone would have expected, the mistakes are there and from it I learned how to improve myself for the next film to come along.
This Film served as the mark of the beginning for what's to come. And it will always represent my first efforts to put something together to show my talents as best I can.
35mm: The Personal Journey
I don't know what I can say about Final Project that hasn't already been said before in this blog. The only way I can sum it up is as a personal journey into filmmaking. There were no easy outs, no other directors or teachers to assist, but most of all looking past having my peers sit and watch me direct for 4 12-hour days, scrutinizing me and my every move (as only film students can do), as I worked on piecing together something that meant something to me but for which my crew had no active interest in other than for a grade.
It began as just a little thought in the back of my head from the first place I visited when I moved to Florida; Kennedy Space Center. And yet, it morphed into something that I will most likely be remembered for long after my time here has passed.
This experience was a series of trials and in the end, given circumstances that could have acted as serious detractors (we had issues with actors' egos, the 1st AD quit, sound problems, ruined cans of film, etc) that would severely hampered any of the other projects, we overcame it all and finished off what I consider my first true film.
When we wrapped, there were a lot of compliments thrown around, including one from our lead actor Paul Boffano who wrote my 2nd AD and me," I had such a great time and it was such a positive experience. Your graciousness and professionalism throughout the entire shoot was nothing less than amazing. I don't think I'll miss my guess when I say that both of you have very exciting and successful careers ahead of you. I'm so glad I could be apart of your film."
I honestly do not care what my classmates think of me - but when the person who puts their trust in you like our actors do, and they come back to thank you, that's how know you're on the right path and that you are doing something right. Paul was nothing short of amazing on set, and reading his words left me humbled. Because in the end, it's the actor who is on screen and the audience who has to believe their performance. That involves a lot of trust and is also a very difficult thing to accomplish. And in the end, those are the only two opinions that matter to me...and I couldn't be more humbled to know that we had such a positive affect on Paul...and as I later learned, the entire crew as well as the instructors.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
GSJG_CG Footage Stills
So we finally got our CG footage back from the guys over in Computer Animation. Despite our concerns over when they were going to get it to us, they finally came through a delivered to us what they said they would!
Below are some stills from the film so you can see the difference, pretty phenomenal job, eh?! Got to give it to those guys over in CA!
Note: the shot with Green Screen in it was not cropped to 1.85:1 ratio - which is why you can see the dolly track, wires and so forth.
Below are some stills from the film so you can see the difference, pretty phenomenal job, eh?! Got to give it to those guys over in CA!
Note: the shot with Green Screen in it was not cropped to 1.85:1 ratio - which is why you can see the dolly track, wires and so forth.
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