Take Five

(pictured: crew person Usi Ambrosio hard at work)

So we finished shooting earlier this week. The film has been sent off to be developed and telecined, after which we officially enter post production. A little editing and then a lot of sound dubbing (because unfortunately, Super 8mm is a silent medium) and it'll be done.

Keeping in mind the danger that the novelty of the experience may, at this point, have an inappropriately large influence I nonetheless feel like I may have finally found my creative outlet in film making. I have tried writing, afflicted both canvas and paper with an array of incoherent images, and even dabbled with musical instruments. But none of these pursuits, worthy though they undoubtedly are, have required the same commitment, nor left me with the same sense of satisfaction.

I hold no delusions as to my talent or current ability. After all, rare is the hobby (or, I suppose, the practitioner) that provides mastery to the novice. What's more, movies are even more complicated to make than it might seem. My little film, with all it may disclaim any artistic or theatric merit, has been an enterprise of staggering proportions (though admittedly, my own poor organizational skills no doubt contributed to it).

Only time will tell if I am able to continue exploring film making. At this point I certainly intend to, but the circumstances of life being what they are, it isn't clear if I'll really have the opportunity. In some ways I think that realization was always in the back of my mind, and it instilled in me a bit more ambition than was perhaps prudent in an introductory exercise. Still, there is little to be lost by aiming high, especially if you don't expect to succeed no matter where your goals are.

Love, and the soft glow of tungsten

(pictued: Annie Kim (bride), Simon Timony (sort-of groom), Rai Fierra (director of photography) and Robert (Rai's friend and assistant, didn't get the last name))

The picture above is a production still from my film. This last weekend was our second and third days of shooting, Saturday and Sunday respectively. We shot the wedding scene at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on Saturday, the subject of which the aforementioned photograph adequately portrays. I myself am not in the image, partly due to the fact that I am somewhat less photogenic than a traffic accident, but mostly because (as any good director is likely to do) I was off somewhere else bossing people around.

On Sunday we went on to shoot at Maggie Mudds, the Presidio (courtesy of Uncle Sam), and the Bernal Heights Neighboorhood Center. There are likely pictures of those shoots somewhere too, but I don't have one on me right now. However, all the photos we do currently have can be seen here.

We have one more shoot on Tuesday, the 19th, afterwhich it is my fond hope that we can enter post-production. I would not want to give the impression that I have not enjoyed making the film, but it has been a tiring and relatively expensive venture. On the whole I am largely satisfied with the way things have gone, but unfortunately I have had several times to compromise my aesthetic to conform to the realities of our my present capabilities.

I should not close the subject without mentioning the cast and crew. I will, or at least at this moment I so intend to, describe them in more detail in another post. All I want to say now is that none of this would have been possible without their tireless and (usually) cheerful and skilled efforts.