Tarts Fools & The G-Men [Archive] - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

lyonfilms

04-01-2009, 08:10 AM

"Tarts Fools & The G-Men"

One objective. One hour. Three crews.

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_Temp_Poster_01.jpg

"The Plan"

3/30/2009 - Initial story meeting. Concept and characters locked down. Pitch submitted to mods. Pitch approved. Thinking about locations...
4/2/2009 - Temp poster finished and posted. Composer and sound designer on board (see next post). Cast starting to come together.
4/4/2009 - Secured sweet ride for the Tarts. '69 COPO Camaro. Gaffer and PA on board.
4/6/2009 - Talking about camera and workflow tests. Todd Robinson on board as "The John."
4/10/2009 - Casting meeting. Secured one of our locations. Great visual. (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1606167&postcount=45)
4/15/2009 - Time slots for potential "tarts" to come in and read are filling up. Some great talent.
4/16/2009 - First draft of script done.
4/20/2009 - Prop guns are in. Sweet.
4/22/2009 - 7 potential "tarts" reading for the 2 roles. Pics likely on Thursday.
4/27/2009 - Casting nearly complete with both "tarts" cast. Now, only one more "Fool."
5/5/2009 - Final cast member now on board. Picture to post later today or tomorrow.
5/20/2009 - First day of the shoot.
5/21/2009 - Second day of the shoot.
5/24/2009 - Final day of principal photography
5/30/2009 - BTS and framegrabs posted. Post coming along well.

lyonfilms

04-01-2009, 08:14 AM

THE TEAM - CREW

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/crew.jpg

Crew Links:

Director - Devon Lyon (http://www.lyonfilms.com)
Director of Photography - Ryan E. Walters (http://www.ryanewalters.com)
1st AC & Post Guru - Jerry Turner (http://www.jerry-turner.com)
1st AD & Writer - Kevin E. Curry (http://www.lyonfilms.com)
Sound Design & Mix - Matthew Tibbs (http://www.matthewtibbs.com)
Composer - Siddhartha Barnhoorn (http://www.sidbarnhoorn.com)
Gaffer - Brad Reeb (http://www.vimeo.com/user543259)

lyonfilms

04-01-2009, 08:15 AM

CAST

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/Tarts.jpg http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/Fools.jpg

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/G-Men.jpg http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/John.jpg

Cast Links:

GENO ROMO (http://www.genoromo.com) - As seen in A/S/L, Rid of Me and Street
GAVIN BRISTOL (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2763312/) - As seen in Management and Twilight
TODD ROBINSON (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1274586/)
JILLIAN RABE (http://www.jillianrabe.com) - Model & Actress
SHANA SWENSON (http://www.mod-abstract.com/6/Shanna_Kae.html) - Model & Actress
CHRISTOPHER TOYNE (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0870302/#actor)

lyonfilms

04-01-2009, 08:15 AM

BEHIND THE SCENES

BTS PHOTOS:
DAY 01 (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1643311&postcount=79)
DAY 02 (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1643318&postcount=80)
DAY 03 (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1646048&postcount=111)
DAY 03 (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1646446&postcount=118)
ALL BTS PHOTOS (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page3/page32/page32.html)

VIDEO BLOG:
Rick Dancer's Blog (http://blog.rickdancer.com/2009/05/tarts-fools-and-the-g-men-no-this-is-not-a-story-about-politics/)

Journey with a Cinematographer (Blog Postings):
Part 01: An Introduction (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/6d2c093a97934e15f0c4fde2e17bd449-45.html)
Part 02: Planing For Preproduction (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/1cbb08c99fecae3b6881e4c077aaf22a-46.html)
Part 03: Story Boards (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/e628737165d1a776d6de48da516a0ed6-47.html)
Part 04: Creating A Look. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/6ef7450bc3e36ea973bd4b15d0d5dd40-49.html)
Part 05: Camera Test- CTB Filter. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/7ba17121c6256a3af860623a97135ba1-50.html)
Part 06: Camera Test- Black Pro Mist. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/2039f036aa0f32e5665b1df83044bdbc-51.html)
Part 07: Camera Test- Speed Ramping. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/6e1f911a225c622baa2f739fbf8647e2-52.html)
Part 08: Location Scouting. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/3b5a3dca3475e0de2c7395ce1bb1abec-53.html)
Part 09: Overhead Diagrams. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/f8e2facf7a415a430585559fea987dc4-54.html)
Part 09: Overhead Diagrams. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/f8e2facf7a415a430585559fea987dc4-54.html)
Part 10: 2nd Unit Work. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/25aa961fe046b1c1ef64d33ed35220e5-55.html)
Part 11: Disaster Strikes x 3. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/a513efa9a847a0d8da287e7f31b7f688-56.html)
Parts 12: Production & Post. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/17a2f4fa6d21875789bade270e71c244-58.html)

FRAME GRABS: (Rough / Sample Grade)
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/Backroom-RoughGrade-01.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/RoughGrade-02.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/Driving-RoughGrade-01.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/GraveYard-RoughGrade-01.jpg

ZazaCast

04-01-2009, 08:25 AM

No reservation... Welcome to the fest!

Rodney V. Smith

04-01-2009, 08:42 AM

DUDE! Love the title

Ryan E. Walters

04-01-2009, 09:59 AM

I'm looking forward to being a part of the team on this one. Should be fun! :)

fixitinpost

04-01-2009, 02:06 PM

This should be a fun one... looking forward to doing some crazy focus pulls on it.

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-01-2009, 02:15 PM

rock on! looking forward to seeing this

kyrre

04-01-2009, 03:54 PM

Nice!

Looks like a good team! Cool title as well! :beer:

MrKilloran

04-01-2009, 06:15 PM

Sweet lookin RED ... welcome.

lyonfilms

04-01-2009, 06:55 PM

Thanks for the welcoming comments!

Also, have fun at NAB Nelson. You should stop by our studio now that you are up in our neck of the woods (not that you were that far before).

Cheers.

stinkpot

04-01-2009, 10:41 PM

Hey, I just checked out your reel (and website). It looks like you are bringing some pro-skills to the fest. I'm looking forward to seeing your film!

Welcome to the fest.

:beer:

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-02-2009, 11:43 AM

Thanks for the welcoming comments!

Also, have fun at NAB Nelson. You should stop by our studio now that you are up in our neck of the woods (not that you were that far before).

Cheers.

Thanks Devon! Are you going to NAB as well?

I'd love to swing by Studio O' Lyon, where is it? I'm in Beaverton now.

lyonfilms

04-02-2009, 11:45 AM

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-02-2009, 11:57 AM

Skipping NAB this year. No real reason to go other than to geek out (which of course is actually a good reason, but not justifiable :) )

We are technically in Tigard although our address is Portland. Fairly close to the Bridgeport Mall off of I-5. Would love to have you stop by dude.

For me it's more about networking and staying on top of what's coming down the pipeline, geeking out being a nice fringe :-). I wasn't going to go, due to being exceptionally broke right now, but airfare and hotels are cheaper than i've ever seen them! That and I'm only going for two days (instead of my usual 8).

I JUST finished dumping boxes into my new house in Beaverton, so once I get liveable I'll contact you about swinging by.

Cheers.

hunter richards

04-02-2009, 12:02 PM

I thought I read "Farts Tools and the G-men"- a bit dyslexic. Looking forward to what you come up with.

fixitinpost

04-02-2009, 01:21 PM

Temp poster is up in the first post:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_Temp_Poster_01.jpg

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-02-2009, 01:47 PM

I get it now! Shouldn't it be "Tarts, Fools & the G-Men"?

dang it! I wanted to do a babes-n-guns over the top action extravegenza! now you guys will have to show me how it's done :-D

fixitinpost

04-02-2009, 02:26 PM

Grammatically, I think it's correct either way, although the comma would make it flow better.

Haha... you should do one too. Two are better than one! :Drogar-Love(DBG):

Ryan E. Walters

04-02-2009, 02:27 PM

This should be a fun one... looking forward to doing some crazy focus pulls on it.

LOL! :) Yep, it will be a fun one to say the least!

Ryan E. Walters

04-02-2009, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the banner & the poster- Great work Jerry! :)

Sid Barnhoorn

04-02-2009, 04:21 PM

Looking forward to working with you again, Ryan! :-)

Ryan E. Walters

04-02-2009, 04:33 PM

Looking forward to working with you again, Ryan! :-)

Likewise- the team is coming together, I think we'll have a solid crew and cast!

lyonfilms

04-02-2009, 08:07 PM

Cast and crew updated on the front page. Got a lot of great people on board.

Chad_from_Chad

04-03-2009, 06:30 AM

darn it, that's the style of font for my poster... it's like we're gonna show up to the party wearing the same dress.

Ryan E. Walters

04-03-2009, 08:17 AM

darn it, that's the style of font for my poster... it's like we're gonna show up to the party wearing the same dress.

LOL! Only if you decide to use that font- looks like Jerry was quick on the draw and beat you to the punch. ;)

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-03-2009, 10:55 AM

I looked at the cast...yeah...cut to the chase and post some pics of actresses in bikinis!

:-D

Ryan E. Walters

04-03-2009, 11:01 AM

I looked at the cast...yeah...cut to the chase and post some pics of actresses in bikinis!

:-D

Good things come to those who wait ... :)

We are in the process of cast them, so we do not have them locked in yet. But you will not be disappointed when they are cast.

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-03-2009, 11:04 AM

Good things come to those who wait ... :)

We are in the process of cast them, so we do not have them locked in yet. But you will not be disappointed when they are cast.

Tough job you have there...good luck gentlemen

:Drogar-Evil(DBG):

Ryan E. Walters

04-03-2009, 11:22 AM

Tough job you have there...good luck gentlemen

:Drogar-Evil(DBG):

Yeah, no kidding- it has been tough sifting through all of these pictures. But someone has to make that sacrifice ;) .

Richard J. Johnson

04-03-2009, 09:09 PM

Looks dope. Welcome to the fray!

teresadecher

04-03-2009, 09:33 PM

Devon,

This looks so awesome! Good picks for the cast and crew. :)

Chris_Keaton

04-04-2009, 11:03 PM

Sounds like 'Smoking Aces', but better. :thumbsup:

mattspat

04-05-2009, 12:10 AM

Looks neat!

Robert Eldon

04-05-2009, 10:45 AM

Very cool poster! Good luck on this. Looks like fun!

Ryan E. Walters

04-05-2009, 07:48 PM

Thanks for the encouragement. :)

dsto

04-05-2009, 07:58 PM

By far the most intriguing title! Looks like you have things well under control. Best to you.

Ryan E. Walters

04-05-2009, 08:22 PM

So Kevin secured us the car for the Tarts!

A hot looking car for some hot looking ladies!
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/CarFront.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/CarBack.jpg

KTOOFRESH

04-06-2009, 02:57 PM

cool stuff, are you shooting on red?

Ryan E. Walters

04-06-2009, 03:03 PM

Thanks. :)

Yep, we'll be using my Red for the shoot. Should be a fun one.

SMarston

04-06-2009, 03:32 PM

wow you've got it all worked out, im very impressed. haha. i havent got anything set in stone, its nice to see people that know how to get it done. good luck

lyonfilms

04-07-2009, 12:11 AM

More crew on board (see second post, first page).

And... presenting:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/John.jpg

RodThompson

04-07-2009, 04:37 AM

This thread makes my PeePee shrink.

lyonfilms

04-10-2009, 02:51 PM

Had a good meeting about casting this morning.

Also secured a location:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_loc_tractor.jpg

Kevin E. Curry

04-10-2009, 05:07 PM

Welcome to the tractor graveyard, where bad things happen to bad people...and to tractors.

Geno Romo

04-12-2009, 01:33 AM

We Gettn r stunt pay right?:) that place is crazy!

lyonfilms

04-13-2009, 09:47 AM

Geno -

We cast you b/c your tough. Um...plus, you're not in that scene. :)

Chris LaMark

04-13-2009, 12:24 PM

Nice can't wait to see it.

Ryan E. Walters

04-14-2009, 12:25 AM

Nice can't wait to see it.

Thanks. :)

Great to see you on the boards Chris.

lyonfilms

04-15-2009, 07:08 PM

Casting for the "tarts" is great. We will have an announcement next week and pictures. Stay tuned...

Bro. Stephen

04-22-2009, 02:20 PM

looks interesting, can't wait.

Shawn Philip Nelson

04-27-2009, 10:36 PM

crickets

Ryan E. Walters

04-28-2009, 07:52 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/journey-tfg-p01.jpg

What does the work of a cinematographer entail and look like on a narrative film? What is the process? What happens? What is he/she thinking? Why are decisions made the way they are? What are the struggles the cinematographer faces? ... These are the questions many aspiring cinematographer's wonder about. I know because they are the same questions that I was asking when I began, and still ask to this day. Being a cinematographer is a journey of discovery- discovery about yourself, and how who you are as a person influences your vision when it comes to the visual aspect of filmmaking. I do not claim to have all of the answers, nor do I think that I will ever have them all. But I do have experiences that I draw on that help shape the direction, methodology. and choices I make. As production begins on the short film "TARTS, FOOLS, & THE G-MEN" (TFG), I want to take you along on my journey. From preproduction, production and through to post production you'll get a front row seat to the inter-workings of what it means to be a cinematographer ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/6d2c093a97934e15f0c4fde2e17bd449-45.html)

This is going to be a series of blog postings that I'll be adding to my blog, updating with links here in this thread, and answering questions in this thread. Hopefully it will be helpful and informative- at the very least it will be a good experience me. :)

Ryan E. Walters

04-28-2009, 07:55 AM

crickets

Yep- we have a bunch a stuff in the works with more news to come. With NAB and other work we've all been pretty busy. Hopefully my journey series will provide more regular updates- so be sure to check back as there is more to come...

RanRanBobandyMan

04-28-2009, 02:23 PM

reminds me a bit of SMokin' Aces

based off my small knowledge of the plaot, anyways

good luck

lyonfilms

04-29-2009, 01:34 PM

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/Tarts.jpg

Maximus

04-29-2009, 01:59 PM

Instant production value! :) Look forward to it.

Ryan E. Walters

04-30-2009, 11:28 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/journey-tfg-p02.jpg

Planning for Preproduction.

The preproduction methods vary from cinematographer to cinematographer, and I do not think that there is one correct method for preparing. However, there is a wrong way to prepare and that is to not prepare. The demands of each production depend on the specifics of the project, and the cinematographer will fail to deliver consistent results if no prep work is done for the project.

The first set of questions that I think about before preproduction even begins are what are the parameters of the project? What issues should I be concerned with? What are potential problems or challenges that I may face? & How can I best prepare myself for the production? The answer to these questions help to inform what I need to accomplish during preproduction. The answers to these questions are always reshaped and informed by the specific needs of the production, the director, and the constraints of the schedule and budget ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/1cbb08c99fecae3b6881e4c077aaf22a-46.html)

lyonfilms

04-30-2009, 11:39 AM

Updated the Behind the scenes section with Blog links.

AmyO

04-30-2009, 09:25 PM

OMG! You got Rick Dancer! Awesome. I remember him from his days on the news in Eugene. This is gonna be fun. Looking forward to it. :)

Ryan E. Walters

05-03-2009, 09:57 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/page2_blog_entry47_summary-journey-tfg-p03.jpg

Story Boards.

Story boarding is not technically an area that a cinematographer is directly involved with- at least it is not expected or common for the cinematographer to be drawing the boards. However, with "TARTS, FOOLS, & THE G-MEN" (TFG) I am taking on that roll. The budget for the film is miniscule (Translation: No budget for a storyboard artist.) and after our second production meeting we had discussed some great ideas for the opening sequence and before those ideas slipped away I found myself drawing them out ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/e628737165d1a776d6de48da516a0ed6-47.html)

lyonfilms

05-07-2009, 11:46 PM

OMG! You got Rick Dancer! Awesome. I remember him from his days on the news in Eugene. This is gonna be fun. Looking forward to it. :)

Glad you're looking forward to it! Really excited about the fantastic cast and crew that are on board.

Final role (the other "Fool") has been cast!

CHRISTOPHER TOYNE (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0870302/#actor)

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/Fools.jpg

We start shooting in a week and a half!

Ryan E. Walters

05-13-2009, 09:45 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/journey-tfg-p04.jpg

Creating A Look.

The very first thing that I do for a narrative piece is to read the script a couple of times just to get a feel for the story and the characters. I do my best not to jump a head and start figuring out how I would shoot & light it- but that is easier said then done. After I have a solid understanding of the story and the characters I begin to think through the technical and creative approaches that might lend themselves to this particular production. I then discuss these ideas with the director to get a feel for the direction that he/she feels is best for the film. And it is through this exchange of ideas that a final look and feel is developed ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/6ef7450bc3e36ea973bd4b15d0d5dd40-49.html)

Ryan E. Walters

05-14-2009, 11:26 PM

Well since I was out shooting today for the film, I guess that makes it the first shoot day- although it is not officially the first day, since I was just out shooting footage for some rear projection that we'll be doing. I had a fun time coming up with a rig for my car. You can see what I came up with below. (I rolled down the windows for shooting of course.)

http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/CarRig01.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/CarRig02.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/CarRig03.jpg

Ryan E. Walters

05-15-2009, 07:42 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/journey-tfg-p05.jpg

Camera Test- CTB Filter.

As you may or may not already know the Red One camera is a daylight balanced camera. That means that you will get noticeably better results shooting under daylight balanced light, then when shooting under tungsten balanced light. There are three methods for approaching this fact: 1. Shoot with only daylight balanced lights; 2. Gel all of your tungsten balanced lights; & 3. Filter the lens. While my personal preference is to go with the first option, that is not always possible. For example, I will be shooting a scene that will be lit with candles which fall in the tungsten range of the color spectrum. This means that I cannot use daylight colored light, nor can I gel the lights. (Although gelling candles would make for an interesting day on set ). So this leaves me with one option- filtering the lens ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/7ba17121c6256a3af860623a97135ba1-50.html)

lyonfilms

05-17-2009, 09:09 AM

After much prep, including thorough write-ups by our talented DP, Ryan Walters, we are ready to start principal photography. We shoot two scenes this Tuesday and we are all very excited.

This short film ended up with quite a bit of pre-production work, more so than I think we thought when we first started down the road. Fortunately, we have a great team, both in front and behind the camera, and I am convinced the short will turn out well (God willing).

So Tuesday we are shooting:

1. The "Hotel/Bedroom" scene - a very stylized opium-den type set...I am excited for you to all see it.

2. The "Tractor Graveyard" - we found an amazing location (see earlier post on this same thread which included a location picture) that I am excited to finally use on camera. I found the location on a drive with my family (on the way to Central Oregon for a fly fishing trip).

So - here we go!!!

lyonfilms

05-17-2009, 09:13 AM

For any of you interested in the process, Ryan E. Walters personal blog posts (which are all linked throughout this thread) provide an incredible step-by-step look at his approach. And for those of you who spend time really reading his posts, there are some cool videos featuring one of our actresses as Ryan tests different filters, etc.

Seriously, this is good reading for those learning the craft or hoping to improve their approach. I highly recommend you read his insights.

Ryan E. Walters

05-17-2009, 12:10 PM

Seriously, this is good reading for those learning the craft or hoping to improve their approach. I highly recommend you read his insights.

Thanks for the kind words Devon, much appreciated. :)

I do have more posts that are slated to come out. Unfortunately with prepping for this project, and the regular (paying) projects I have not been able to post everything as quickly as I have wanted. So more posts are coming, but they will be a bit behind the actual place that the production is in. So expect to see more pre-production posts, and then production posts in the coming days and weeks even though production officially starts this week.

Ryan E. Walters

05-18-2009, 08:58 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/journey-tfg-p06.jpg

Camera Test- Black Pro Mist and Classic Soft Filters.

As I had mentioned in a previous post, camera tests are an important step in the preproduction process. They allow you test results and make educated choices before you are under the pressure of the daily schedule of the production. With the advent of many robust effect filters in the post world many question whether or not you should apply filters in post. After all, in post you have limitless options right, so why should you lock yourself into a choice on set? Well, this may work for a production or a director that does not have a clear vision, has unlimited time, and a cinematographer who is not sure of his craft, I would say that it is sloppy camera work on the part of the cinematographer. If you know the look you are going for, and you have a clear vision, then why not get everything possible to achieve that look “in the can”? It is going to be quicker, easier, and ultimately cheaper to get it on set then to try and figure it out in post. And it is these camera tests that help to guide the choices while on set. But I digress, this post is not about the importance of camera tests rather it is about one specific test: The Black Pro Mist filter ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/2039f036aa0f32e5665b1df83044bdbc-51.html)

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-18-2009, 03:51 PM

Ryan E. Walters

05-18-2009, 11:41 PM

Hey Ryan, awesome blogs man! I really dig your lightweight setup, get a shoulder pad and some handles on that and it'd be the ultimate shoulder mount rig.

Btw, what tripod head is that?

And why did you gaff the "RED"? :-)

Thanks, glad you like the blog and the rig. :) I've been trying to get the weight down to the bare minimum. I think I can shed another pound by going to the Long Valley rails. Having a lightweight setup has been fairly important to me as I do a lot of traveling, and I'm still gearing up for some doc work- so every pound counts! (Don't get me wrong, i love using the big rigs too- like on the soccer shoot I did with the 25 - 250mm lens!

The head is nothing special- again another choice in regards to weight. It is just an E-Image head.

As for the gaff tape- it is just meant to help keep eyes away from me. I realize that with the rig I have I will draw eyes anyway, but anything I can do to help deter additional glances - like cover up bright, reflective surfaces helps in that effort. For example, I was in the park this past friday doing some lenses tests, and the majority of people thought I was taking still pictures. Of course I do not think that it was solely because I covered the Red Logo- but keeping a low profile did help.

Ryan E. Walters

05-19-2009, 07:57 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/page2_blog_entry52_summary-journey-tfg-p07.jpg

Camera Tests: Speed Ramping.

Slow motion and action movie are almost synonymous terms, and that is especially true for “Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men” (TFG). There are various key moments where the film will be playing with the element of time. In TFG there will be two specific uses of slow motion that I wanted to test out before production began. The first application is where the action goes from real time to slow motion and then back to real time. And the second application is where the speed goes from real time to ultra fast motion ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/6e1f911a225c622baa2f739fbf8647e2-52.html)

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-19-2009, 11:26 AM

I recently re-watched portions of "Smoking Aces" which seems to be a big inspiration here, though are you guys going for a more campy feel?

Ryan E. Walters

05-19-2009, 11:51 PM

I recently re-watched portions of "Smoking Aces" which seems to be a big inspiration here, though are you guys going for a more campy feel?

I've never seen Smoking Aces, so I know that I can say that it has not directly influenced the choices that I have made. However, with all of the other heist movies I've seen, I'm sure that they do influence me.

As for the campy feel, I know none of us have our goals set on a campy feel, as we are all pushing for a more stylistic edge- something that is different the the usual corporate & industrial work that we do.

Ryan E. Walters

05-20-2009, 08:31 AM

Yesterday was the first official day of production. I'll be posting a more in depth entry about the days events in my "Journey" series on my blog along with some BTS pictures. But here is a quick overview:

What went wrong-
1. Last friday at the end of my shoot day my camera (Red) DIED. (It would not power on at all.) So I was out a camera ...
2. The Make up artist had a family emergency in the middle of the night, (the morning of the shoot) and was not able to show up.
3. We were shooting an exterior scene, and the only day that had rain in the forecast was that day. (And it did rain.)
4. After we did the company move to the new location we realized that the crane we were going to use did not make it to the new location.

What went right-
1. Red has AMAZING customer service, and got me a loaner body for while my camera is in the shop for repairs. The body showed up at about 10 am. The first shot was scheduled to be up at 12 pm.
2. The more important makeup needs are not until Sunday and the female leads were great about doing their own makeup.
3. The rain was only around while we were shooting inside. It did start to drizzle while we were setting up outside, but then it went away.
4. Jerry Turner (1st AC / Editor) and Kale Heily (Gaffer) put their minds to work and came up with a GREAT solution for building a crane with the grip parts we had on hand to get the last shot of the day!

Overall it was a great day! We got all the shots we wanted, and did not have to compromise on anything. I was very impressed with all of the actors- they were professional, looked great, and delivered the performances that Devon was looking for. I'm really looking forward to seeing the final cut.

Ryan E. Walters

05-20-2009, 09:36 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/page2_blog_entry53_summary-journey-tfg-p08.jpg

Location Scouting.

Location scouting is one of THE most important steps in the preproduction process for me. I do everything I can to get out to the location we’ll be shooting at prior to production. It is during this scouting time that I am able to see what opportunities the location holds, and what problems I may encounter. Ideally, I like to go to the location with the director. For Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men (TFG) I have been fortunate enough to be able to go to almost all of the locations with the director, Devon Lyon. Unfortunately, however, due to schedule conflicts we both had with paying work (TFG is a completely creative undertaking with no budget.) we were not able to visit the Tractor Graveyard at the same time. Devon visited the location first, and met with the owner. We talked over his experience and thoughts, and then I went out and scouted it in order to prepare for the shoot. While I was at the location I made sure to gather as much information as possible in order to make the production day be as beneficial as possible, and that meant asking a series of questions ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/3b5a3dca3475e0de2c7395ce1bb1abec-53.html)

Ryan E. Walters

05-21-2009, 01:38 AM

I just got home from a long day- it was our second day of shooting, and I am very happy with what we got. I have really enjoyed working with this team of people. Everyone has been a pleasure to work with, and each member has brought their "A Game".

BTS pictures and more info to come- I have got to get to bed, I'm beat ...

lyonfilms

05-21-2009, 02:02 PM

The first two days of principal photography were a smashing success! Here are some pics from Tuesday:

Gaffer Kale Heily hangs lights with the assistance of PA Aaron Larsen:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG1.jpg

Fedex delivers the Red loaner body to set (see Ryan's post above):
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG2.jpg

1st AC Jerry Turner unpacks the camera while director Devon Lyon watches:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG3.jpg

Tart Jillian Rabe during a line up:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG4.jpg

The director works with actors on location:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG5.jpg

Ryan Walters and Devon check framing:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG6.jpg

Jerry and Kale make due with what they have (see Ryan's post above):
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG7.jpg

The completed makeshift crane:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG8.jpg

lyonfilms

05-21-2009, 02:08 PM

Pics from Wednesday:

Jerry and Ryan checking sharps and rehearsing the move:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG9.jpg

The Tarts (Jillian and Shanna) waiting while lights are finalized. Rough cut of material from Tuesday on computer in background:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG11.jpg

The completed poor man's process setup. The car is worth more than 5x all the gear in frame:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG12.jpg

The Tarts talk about "the competition":
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG13.jpg

The director, playing serious, with the Tarts:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG15.jpg

Ryan E. Walters

05-21-2009, 02:27 PM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/journey-tfg-p09.jpg

Overhead Diagrams.

Overhead diagrams are a very effective tool in the preproduction process, and they are usually something that I create after the location scout. (Which is another reason I take so many pictures when I scout a location.) For my needs and use, an overhead diagram needs to accomplish several goals. The first thing the diagram needs to do is to describe the physical layout of the space that will be filmed. Knowing what is already there, or what will be added to the set on the day of the production will help me to plan out what light sources already exist, and what opportunities I have in camera placement. The next goal the diagram needs to accomplish is the layout of the movement of the actors ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/f8e2facf7a415a430585559fea987dc4-54.html)

Ryan E. Walters

05-21-2009, 02:31 PM

The completed poor man's process setup. The car is worth more than 5x all the gear in frame:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG12.jpg

The Tarts talk about "the competition":
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS1/TFG13.jpg

I REALLY enjoyed doing this! It was all kinds of fun to do rear (front in this case) projection. I'll talk about this more in an up coming blog post. There is nothing that quite matches the look and feel of projection work. We all loved the results, and the throw back to "old hollywood".

hunter richards

05-21-2009, 02:56 PM

Sweet deal! Love the speed rail dolly set-up.

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-21-2009, 03:33 PM

Nice pics!!

Btw, the car is worth over a quarter mil?

lyonfilms

05-21-2009, 03:41 PM

No, but it is in the six figures from what I understand. A college friend of Kevin is a car dealer and car collector so he was cool enough to let us use the beauty.

Noel Evans

05-21-2009, 04:04 PM

This looks... KICK ASS!

lyonfilms

05-21-2009, 04:08 PM

This looks... KICK ASS!

Thanks Noel!

Our goal from the outset was just to have a good time. Almost everyone on the production team works with each other on paying gigs so this has been fun to just let our hair down so to speak and have a good time. So far so good!

fixitinpost

05-21-2009, 05:24 PM

The last two days have been really fun. Hope to have some frame grabs up on Monday.

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-21-2009, 05:27 PM

Jerry, what are you doing with so much speedrail? :-)

fixitinpost

05-21-2009, 05:43 PM

Turning the dolly system into a crane after we realized that the Kessler didn't make it to our second location for the day. Good bit of inventive rigging on the fly. ;-)

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-21-2009, 05:49 PM

Turning the dolly system into a crane after we realized that the Kessler didn't make it to our second location for the day. Good bit of inventive rigging on the fly. ;-)

Lol, I can see that (and I was impressed in a Lego way).

I mean what were you doing with all that speedrail sitting around? Did you guys do a 3 ton rental?

Ryan E. Walters

05-21-2009, 06:03 PM

Lol, I can see that (and I was impressed in a Lego way).

I mean what were you doing with all that speedrail sitting around? Did you guys do a 3 ton rental?

A 3 ton would have been great. But no 3 ton. The speed rail is all part of the dolly system we were using. It is a great rig, quick setup and can go just about anywhere. The track was about 10'. (Probably just over 9' after you take into account the loss of the distance in the end piece tie down.

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-21-2009, 06:06 PM

A 3 ton would have been great. But no 3 ton. The speed rail is all part of the dolly system we were using. It is a great rig, quick setup and can go just about anywhere. The track was about 10'. (Probably just over 9' after you take into account the loss of the distance in the end piece tie down.

Rock on. Who's dolly system is that? On the closeup of you using it I can't see how speedrail is used.

Wouldn't life be grand if we all had a 3 ton truck loaded up sitting in our driveways? :-)

Ryan E. Walters

05-21-2009, 06:33 PM

Rock on. Who's dolly system is that? On the closeup of you using it I can't see how speedrail is used.

Wouldn't life be grand if we all had a 3 ton truck loaded up sitting in our driveways? :-)

The speed rail acts as the dolly track. At each end there is a junior pin coming off of a cross bar. The dolly itself is a small skate board dolly system that holds a 100mm hi-hat. As far as I am aware of, it is not "anyone's system" (There is no name brand behind it.). It is just a system devised by a local gaffer & grip here in town. His name is Just Ward. You can see a better picture of it in action on his web site: http://www.dragon-grip.com/gear.html (That is an older picture that does not have the hi-hat on it.)

Matty_g

05-21-2009, 06:49 PM

Looking good fellas!

Kevin E. Curry

05-22-2009, 06:05 PM

Rick Dancer, who plays the older G-Man, did a video blog for his website about the shoot on Tuesday:

http://blog.rickdancer.com/2009/05/tarts-fools-and-the-g-men-no-this-is-not-a-story-about-politics/

Ryan E. Walters

05-22-2009, 06:07 PM

Here are some roughly graded screen grabs from what we shot on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'll be refining the grade for the final edit once that is locked. But this will probably be the direction that I am headed in.

Enjoy!
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/Backroom-RoughGrade-01.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/RoughGrade-02.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/Driving-RoughGrade-01.jpg
http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/GraveYard-RoughGrade-01.jpg

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-23-2009, 12:09 PM

Love'em!!! More please :-)

Ryan E. Walters

05-23-2009, 12:41 PM

Love'em!!! More please :-)

Ask and you shall receive! :)

(Unfortunately I cannot post any other pictures as they give away story elements that we want to keep for the film.)

http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/GraveYard-RoughGrade-02.jpg

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-23-2009, 12:52 PM

Nice :-)

Btw, on that top pic of the cigars...the cigar to the left that has the burned stub, the tip looks uncut

Matty_g

05-23-2009, 01:13 PM

Looks like you could have used a little brighter projector.

Those things are always kind of a pain in the ass.

lyonfilms

05-23-2009, 01:32 PM

Nice :-)

Btw, on that top pic of the cigars...the cigar to the left that has the burned stub, the tip looks uncut

:) Thanks Shawn...quite the eye. Since we have about 6 different C/U of the cigars we should be okay.

Have you seen "Let the Right One In" yet? If not, go rent it.

lyonfilms

05-23-2009, 01:47 PM

Looks like you could have used a little brighter projector.

Those things are always kind of a pain in the ass.

We actually like the look and feel how it turned out. However, it was a very interesting experience setting that type of rig up (see the BTS pics on page 8 or 9 I believe). We are having fun, and that was/is the whole point.

Thanks!

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-23-2009, 02:19 PM

:) Thanks Shawn...quite the eye. Since we have about 6 different C/U of the cigars we should be okay.

Have you seen "Let the Right One In" yet? If not, go rent it.

Not trying to be picky here, but as a cigar aficionado it jumped out at me, since the first thing you do is either cut or punch the tip. We should smoke sometime, I'll show you :-).

Btw, I haven't seen "Let the Right One In" but I really like Vampires, so i'll have to see it

AmyO

05-23-2009, 02:47 PM

The speed rail acts as the dolly track. At each end there is a junior pin coming off of a cross bar. The dolly itself is a small skate board dolly system that holds a 100mm hi-hat. As far as I am aware of, it is not "anyone's system" (There is no name brand behind it.). It is just a system devised by a local gaffer & grip here in town. His name is Just Ward. You can see a better picture of it in action on his web site: http://www.dragon-grip.com/gear.html (That is an older picture that does not have the hi-hat on it.)

Dude! I used that on "Picture"! Came in handy for tight quarter dolly shots when the doorway dolly we had just was too much. Rented his HVX and he showed me the dolly while I was picking up the camera, so I called my DP and asked if he thought we could use it. Silly question - of course he'd find a way to use it. :)

Your BTS stuff looks great. Can't wait to see this put together.

Matty_g

05-23-2009, 03:08 PM

We are having fun, and that was/is the whole point.

Oh totally. Rear projection has a nice look to it. I've done three projection videos on red now, and even with the big panny's you're always pumping the brightness and limiting your lights because of the screen brightness.

Ryan E. Walters

05-23-2009, 03:58 PM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/page2_blog_entry55_summary-journey-tfg-p10.jpg

2nd Unit Work.

Although most of the preproduction work is done, the ideas have been solidified, and the plans have been made, this does not mean that things just move forward in a mechanistic fashion during production. It is actually quite the opposite - all of this planning and prep work will inform the choices we make on set, but they will not dictate it. They are just the jumping off point from which the creative process will begin. And although it will evolve and change as we move into production, it is time to go over all the elements and make sure that we have all of our ducks in a row before principle photography begins.

One of the elements that I have to have completed prior to principle photography is the creation of background plates for the rear projection that we will be doing for a driving scene in the film. So it is time to send out the second unit to get the plates ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/25aa961fe046b1c1ef64d33ed35220e5-55.html)

Ryan E. Walters

05-23-2009, 04:03 PM

Oh totally. Rear projection has a nice look to it. I've done three projection videos on red now, and even with the big panny's you're always pumping the brightness and limiting your lights because of the screen brightness.

One of the goals we have in this is to do things in a more stylized fashion. We knew from the outset that we wanted to go with rear projection because of the look it gives. We had access to a 3500 ansi lumen projector, and a front projection screen. Even though the projector was not bright enough, we were not going for a photorealistic effect. So the limits of what we had access to actually played to our favor as we were all happy with how it turned out. :)

It was also lots of fun to do- I had a great time and learned a lot! :)

fixitinpost

05-24-2009, 01:30 AM

I mean what were you doing with all that speedrail sitting around? Did you guys do a 3 ton rental?

That would have been awesome... I should buy some short lengths of speed rail and keep it in my kit. It's so useful for camera rigging.

Dude! I used that on "Picture"! Came in handy for tight quarter dolly shots when the doorway dolly we had just was too much. Rented his HVX and he showed me the dolly while I was picking up the camera, so I called my DP and asked if he thought we could use it. Silly question - of course he'd find a way to use it. :)

Your BTS stuff looks great. Can't wait to see this put together.Yep, that dolly system was super handy for fitting in tight spaces. I think PixThis has one almost exactly like it as well. Used it on a music video a couple weeks ago.

Getting ready for the final day of principal photography tomorrow afternoon/night. Need to re-grease the wheels on the camera cart.

Derrick_SA

05-24-2009, 02:33 PM

nice, just spent a bit of time to read through everything. awesome read. thanks for sharing your journey making this film with us.

look forward to reading more!

- Derrick

lyonfilms

05-25-2009, 01:14 PM

Here is an iPhone picture from last night's shoot. Kevin Curry (producer and 1st AD) stands on the roof.

http://lyonfilms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/tfg-kevin-on-roof.jpg

AmyO

05-25-2009, 04:41 PM

Now that's a light! How did the shoot go?

ZazaCast

05-25-2009, 04:50 PM

DAMN! I can't wait to see this one. Thanks for all the BTS stuff, it's great to see.
(lovin' the car)

fixitinpost

05-25-2009, 05:00 PM

Now that's a light! How did the shoot go?

Long... very very long (call time was at noon yesterday, and I just rolled out of bed after getting home around 6:30am, although in all fairness, I did have to drive back from Salem after wrap).

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-25-2009, 05:36 PM

Long... very very long (call time was at noon yesterday, and I just rolled out of bed after getting home around 6:30am, although in all fairness, I did have to drive back from Salem after wrap).

Whoa, so wrap time went from 1am to 5am? Hopefully that means you got all the shots you wanted!

fixitinpost

05-25-2009, 06:03 PM

We ended up wrapping around 3:30am. Took us two hours to wrap out. I'm pretty sure we got all our coverage. I think we did 20 or 30 setups in the last three hours.

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-25-2009, 06:31 PM

lyonfilms

05-25-2009, 11:53 PM

A few BTS pics from Sunday:

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS2/TFG_2_00.jpg

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS2/TFG_2_01.jpg

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS2/TFG_2_02.jpg

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/BTS2/TFG_2_03.jpg

PDX_DVX

05-26-2009, 12:21 AM

It looks like you guys have had a lot of fun shooting! I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to come out to the shoots, it looks like a good time.

BTS stuff looks great! That dolly system is pretty cool, I think Pix This rents a similar setup- they call it a "pocket dolly"

hunter richards

05-26-2009, 11:31 AM

Great location- Im really excited to see this film.

lyonfilms

05-26-2009, 04:05 PM

Great location- Im really excited to see this film.

Yep, the location proved to be a one-stop-shop. We were able to shoot in a basement, in a hallway, on some stairs, on the roof and in an alley.

Sorry we missed ya it would have been cool to see you.

Ryan E. Walters

05-26-2009, 04:09 PM

Ryan, today I've been reading a lot on filters and went back over your informative blogging about the filters. Did you carry through on using the Schneider Classic Soft 1/2? If so, thoughts after using it on production? Oh, and was this a 4x4, 4x5.65 or 5.65x5.65 size?

Sorry for the delay- I've almost recovered from the shoot. It was about 22 hours in total for me. (I showed up at the office to pack gear at 9:30 am Sunday and then got home at about 7 am on monday morning.)

Anyway- I did use the classic soft on all of the scenes that had just the Tarts in frame. i really liked it- it is a lot better then the Black Pro Mist IMO. I used the 4x4 since that is what i had access to for free. The 4x5.65 would have been better as it would have covered the lens on the wide end. To get full coverage on the wide end we had to remove the matte box and tape it to the lens.

I'll definitely be picking up this filter set in the future. It does a good job at softening and smoothing out the image while still leaving detail and not creating excessive blooming on light sources. I think it is a good filter to have around to make the talent more "Glamourous" or to help soften wrinkles in the skin.

Ryan E. Walters

05-26-2009, 04:11 PM

Now that's a light! How did the shoot go?

Yep- that is a 1.2k HMI into a 6x6 silver lame which acted as our moon for the shoot on the roof.

Ryan E. Walters

05-26-2009, 04:12 PM

Ryan E. Walters

05-26-2009, 04:14 PM

Great location- Im really excited to see this film.

Yeah that location ROCKED!!! It was all kinds of fun to shoot there. There were a lot of great parts of the building that were filled with texture and character. I really enjoyed lighting it. I only wish we had more time, as there were so many possibilities there!

jasonthewho

05-27-2009, 06:20 AM

This looks freakin sweet. Stoked to see it.

Ryan E. Walters

05-28-2009, 11:35 AM

http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/page2_blog_entry56_summary-journey-tfg-p11.jpg

Disaster Strikes x 3.

You know how they say that trouble always comes in threes? Well, that held up to be true for principle photographer for “Tarts, Fools, & The G-Men”. (Actually, to be more correct it came in fours.) Here is how it all broke down and what we did to overcome the trouble that came up during principle photography ...

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/a513efa9a847a0d8da287e7f31b7f688-56.html)

Rodney V. Smith

05-28-2009, 11:51 AM

Damn dude. What an unfortunate series of events. Glad you pulled through though (and documented everything for our entertainment). Cheers :beer:

Noel Evans

05-28-2009, 03:19 PM

READ THE FULL POSTING HERE. (http://www.ryanewalters.com/page2/files/a513efa9a847a0d8da287e7f31b7f688-56.html)

Read the full post Ryan. Great work by your crew. Well done!

Michael Anthony Horrigan

05-28-2009, 04:19 PM

Read the full post Ryan. Great work by your crew. Well done!
Just read that myself. On one hand I'm amazed that you and your crew made it through all the disasters. Great job! On the other hand I'm drooling over all the great equipment and crew. I mean, crap! Even the homemade crane puts anything I have to shame. :beer:

Well done.

MAH

Ryan E. Walters

05-28-2009, 04:50 PM

Thanks everyone. I thought it would be beneficial to post about some of the struggles that were encountered. Glad you all liked it. :)

Shawn Philip Nelson

05-28-2009, 04:57 PM

Just read that myself. On one hand I'm amazed that you and your crew made it through all the disasters. Great job! On the other hand I'm drooling over all the great equipment and crew. I mean, crap! Even the homemade crane puts anything I have to shame. :beer:

Well done.

MAH

"Devon Lyon and Ryan Walters: Their backup last minute gear is better than your regular gear".
(new TM slogan)

it helps if you imagine the moviet trailer guy saying it

AmyO

05-28-2009, 05:08 PM

Wow. Glad you were able to work all that out. You should send Justin the pics of his dolly-as-crane setup. He'd get a kick out of it.

Ryan E. Walters

05-28-2009, 07:33 PM

"Devon Lyon and Ryan Walters: Their backup last minute gear is better than your regular gear".
(new TM slogan)

it helps if you imagine the moviet trailer guy saying it

LOL!!! That's great. :)

Ryan E. Walters

05-28-2009, 07:34 PM

Wow. Glad you were able to work all that out. You should send Justin the pics of his dolly-as-crane setup. He'd get a kick out of it.

Yep, already done!

Marlon Ladd

05-29-2009, 09:06 AM

Damn! This one looks top-notch! Good luck!

Ryan E. Walters

06-01-2009, 06:49 AM

Just a quick heads up- there are more "Journey" postings to come. I'm headed out of town (Alaska) to work on a project, but will post more once I return.

Post is moving forward, and it is exciting to see things come together. :)

lyonfilms

06-01-2009, 07:39 PM

Production note:

As director I really appreciated the entire team's effort on this project. All involved had fantastic attitudes through the entire pre-production and production. A short film, done on the side for purely artistic reasons is always a challenge. Everyone involved is working around their normal work and personal schedules - and this short was no different. Thank goodness for true professionals both in front and behind the camera.

The edit process has begun and from what I've seen so far the story should come together. I really think that sound design and score are going to be absolutely CRITICAL. The visuals are great - honestly the stuff we shot looks very cool and the actors did really nice work. But in a short film that is aiming to be rather stylized the sound design and score are really going to sell the universe (at least in my mind).

After we finished our first SAG Indie feature, the film spent a year in post at a wonderful facility in Oregon, Mission Control, but it wasn't until BOTH the sound design and score were in place that the film really came together (thank you Dave Camp: Lift Music). I would estimate that one's emotional connection with a film is forty percent aural (music, mix, sound fx, etc.).

Sid, our composer, will *hopefully* chime in as well. I think we will all enjoy his notes as he works on the score. As well as Matthew Tibbs for sound design and mix.

Anyway, as soon as Ryan is back from his Alaska shoot, we will post a few more frame grabs.

Cheers.

Swiftrock LLC

06-03-2009, 10:43 AM

Not to mention that the elevator only went up to the fifth of seven floors. Gotta love sand bags and stairs! : )

Rodney V. Smith

06-03-2009, 08:04 PM

Keep 'em coming guys. Good stuff.

lyonfilms

06-05-2009, 01:56 PM

A few more frame grabs. Again, these only have a very quick grade applied, and may or may not represent the final look of the film.

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/frames/TFG_001.jpg

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/frames/TFG_002.jpg

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/frames/TFG_003.jpg

Derrick_SA

06-05-2009, 02:46 PM

geeze that first grab is awesome, can't explain why, but that shot works, he he.

- Derrick

fixitinpost

06-05-2009, 04:43 PM

Cutting some climactic dialogue. Laughing so hard I'm crying.

Kevin E. Curry

06-05-2009, 04:49 PM

Actually, watching/listening to Jerry edit the rough cut, I'm thinking we should rename the film "Tarts, Fools and F-Bomb".

lyonfilms

06-05-2009, 06:25 PM

geeze that first grab is awesome, can't explain why, but that shot works, he he.

- Derrick

I agree. The scene is even better in action as Gavin Bristol just has great energy.

I also concur with Ryan and Kevin's statements above. There are a few moments of fun serendipity :)

Rodney V. Smith

06-05-2009, 07:04 PM

This is officially one of the MUST SEE films of the festival. Or GOTTA SEE if that suits ya better. :beer:

ramsaur

06-06-2009, 12:47 AM

dude your grabs on the first page look amazing! what are you shooting on by the way?

I'm definitely looking forward to see this film!

fixitinpost

06-06-2009, 12:52 AM

Thanks! The edit is coming together well... rough cut should be done tomorrow.

We shot on Red, although we almost ended up shooting on the HPX300 as detailed here: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1648889&postcount=127

ramsaur

06-06-2009, 12:57 AM

ahh the RED. nice! I was looking at the footage and was like that really looks like it was shot on the RED. No wonder I said it looks amazing

Edit: My Medal of Merit film was actually very close to getting to shoot Red by renting one but me being stupid missed the phone call when I was half asleep when he called.

AmyO

06-06-2009, 12:57 AM

Lookin' good, gentlemen. Excited to see the results of all this effort.

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-06-2009, 11:49 AM

Cool screen grabs!

Btw, what's the aperture on that first shot outdoors? Looks to me like a 16/22 split

fixitinpost

06-06-2009, 01:20 PM

I think it was closer to 5.6 1/3. We had an N6 and POLA in for that shot. I'll check the metadata for you when I hit the office again.

fixitinpost

06-06-2009, 06:22 PM

Rough cut is done!

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_Rough.jpg

Now for tweaking...

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-07-2009, 12:05 AM

I think it was closer to 5.6 1/3. We had an N6 and POLA in for that shot. I'll check the metadata for you when I hit the office again.

Huh? the DOF is enormous, from the near blinds all the way out

conrad_johnson

06-07-2009, 07:10 AM

Jeez guys, save some production value for the rest of us. :)

Ryan E. Walters

06-07-2009, 10:32 PM

Cool screen grabs!

Btw, what's the aperture on that first shot outdoors? Looks to me like a 16/22 split

Jerry will have to check the metadata- but it was somewhere around the middle of the lens, as the lens was filtered. The perceived depth of field is greater as we were on the wider end of the lens. (They walk from a wide shot into a close up.)

Ryan E. Walters

06-07-2009, 10:34 PM

Rough cut is done!

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_Rough.jpg

Now for tweaking...

Jerry has done a great job on the rough cut. I know he has been working overtime to get this done- as he has been out working in the camera department on Leverage. I can't wait to see the locked edit, as well as when the Sounds design and the score are added. It will be fun to grade this once the edit is locked. :)

Rodney V. Smith

06-09-2009, 08:40 AM

Good god dudes. You're rocking the house. The rest of us really have to step up the production value now. My plastic Walmart guns don't stand a chance now...

fixitinpost

06-09-2009, 10:08 PM

Against our plastic Amazon.com guns?

Rodney V. Smith

06-09-2009, 10:09 PM

Against our plastic Amazon.com guns?

well since you put it that way.... i think i need a BIGGER gun.

lawriejaffa

06-11-2009, 05:27 PM

This looks ridiculous - absolutely ridiculous and is definately why its ranked up as one of my favourites hehe! I like the stills you've posted too!

You see this kind of comic book pulp idea is a difficult one to pull off, i mean so many try it right? It ends up being utterly cheesy (i dont mean like entries in these fests, but you know young guys rushing out to film themselves acting tough and 'cool' only to look like heated dog poo waving on a stick!)

But this DOES look cool! I am loving some of the cinematography here too from these stills! Keep it up Lyon and good luck in the competition mon amie!

lyonfilms

06-11-2009, 06:42 PM

Half way through a post production meeting:

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_meeting.jpg

Going over the edit, discussing ideas with our sound designer, etc.

RodThompson

06-11-2009, 06:45 PM

I am SO out of my league...lol. This is going to be a RIOT! Kaiser Chief style!

lyonfilms

06-11-2009, 07:46 PM

lyonfilms

06-12-2009, 01:03 AM

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_Tease.jpg

Three weeks to go!

RodThompson

06-12-2009, 04:00 PM

^^^ That pic is beyond Gnarly!...I must retire to a cold shower.

Kevin E. Curry

06-12-2009, 04:45 PM

Organizing some notes today and came across this typed two lines of dialogue we used when auditioning the Tarts. Originally, neither line was in the short, this was just written on the spur of the moment to give them something to read during auditions that was different than script dialogue. Devon literally said, "Kevin go write me two lines." In the end, however, Jillian Rabe who plays one of the Tarts loved part of the line so much she asked me to include it in the short. So I found a spot and it fits quite nicely.

You just never know where or when a good piece of dialogue will hit you!

http://lyonfilms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/photo.jpg

lyonfilms

06-12-2009, 06:37 PM

http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_Tease.jpg

Three weeks to go!

I took this pic and really love seeing it with the title sequence Jerry created.

ZazaCast

06-12-2009, 07:20 PM

I don't know if it's even worth entering? From the looks of this, you have the festival locked up! Damn...nice stuff. You have everything going in this one...even animals, is that a camel toe I see?

:):):thumbup::beer::):)

RodThompson

06-12-2009, 07:29 PM

...even animals, is that a camel toe I see?

:):):thumbup::beer::):)

Only if the camel has a square foot. Lol.

Honestly, after reading this entire post, I think we should seperate into PROFESSIONAL and AMATEUR DVXFests. Two different fests for people like this dude, who make epicly gnarly films, and people like me who can't compete with people like him. LMAO.

ZazaCast

06-12-2009, 07:43 PM

Only if the camel has a square foot. Lol.

Honestly, after reading this entire post, I think we should seperate into PROFESSIONAL and AMATEUR DVXFests. Two different fests for people like this dude, who make epicly gnarly films, and people like me who can't compete with people like him. LMAO.

I agree...I'm a one-man-show and consider myself lucky if I can con someone into holding a boom for me! ...but it's just too much fun!:beer:

lyonfilms

06-12-2009, 09:23 PM

This is a totally for-fun project. Volunteer from top to bottom. Seriously.

lyonfilms

06-12-2009, 09:29 PM

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-13-2009, 03:10 PM

Against our plastic Amazon.com guns?

Did you guys distress, age and paint them? Certain airsoft guns badly need this

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-15-2009, 03:43 PM

:) Thanks Shawn...quite the eye. Since we have about 6 different C/U of the cigars we should be okay.

Have you seen "Let the Right One In" yet? If not, go rent it.

So I finally saw 'Let the Right One In'. Wow! Uh, very well done but a really messed up movie :-D. What made you think of me in regards to it? Afterwards my wife told me that she doesn't care to watch movies with me that aren't comedy! lol

Kevin E. Curry

06-15-2009, 05:08 PM

Did you guys distress, age and paint them? Certain airsoft guns badly need this

To "break them in", we took them out, robbed some banks and convenience stores, got chased by the cops. You know, the usual stuff.

Oh, and one of them came apart during a take and smacked Jerry in the ankle, drawing blood. Good times!

lyonfilms

06-15-2009, 05:09 PM

So I finally saw 'Let the Right One In'. Wow! Uh, very well done but a really messed up movie :-D. What made you think of me in regards to it? Afterwards my wife told me that she doesn't care to watch movies with me that aren't comedy! lol

Not sure...I just really enjoyed the film for so many reasons and thought you might like it as well.

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-15-2009, 05:58 PM

Not sure...I just really enjoyed the film for so many reasons and thought you might like it as well.

I did! Not sure I'd watch it again, but it was very well made and fascinating to watch.

Although the 'Crying Game'esque revelation was a big "oh no......" moment :-)

fixitinpost

06-15-2009, 11:34 PM

The edit is locked! Sent out to Sid and Matt for sound design and score. Now we begin FX and grading.

Kevin E. Curry

06-17-2009, 03:13 PM

As the script writer, watching the lockdown edit is always interesting. Having been integrally involved in the production - from casting, through location scouting and acting as AD on the shoot - makes it even more so. Comparing the lockdown to the script, including my pre-script notes on blocking etc., we didn't do too badly capturing the vision. There are always sections where you say "Knowing what I know now", and that is true on this film as well. That is the great thing about being so involved, I believe it makes you a better writer knowing the work that goes into all other aspects of the production.

fixitinpost

06-18-2009, 06:13 PM

The conform is killing me. Curse you Red, and your fancy new build 20, that released at exactly the wrong time!

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-20-2009, 12:37 PM

The conform is killing me. Curse you Red, and your fancy new build 20, that released at exactly the wrong time!

why should that matter? which conform process are you using?

fixitinpost

06-21-2009, 05:05 PM

We cut the film in Premiere, using the native r3d support. At this stage in the game, we can only get the new color science through RedAlert (unless I missed something). Of course, we wanted to use the new color science. This necessitated us getting an EDL into an app that could generate TIFF sequences through RedAlert using the new color science. Seems like all the apps that do this don't accept a standard EDL. So we had to export an EDL out of Premiere, haul it into FCP (after manually fixing truncated file names). From FCP, export an XML EDL, haul that into Clipfinder, and render. As usual, nothing ever goes right with the conform. The second half of the edit got completely screwed up in the EDL (wrong clips, wrong timecode, clips re-arranging themselves). Ryan and I put a tremendous amount of time into it, before finally deciding that we just didn't have the time to mess with it if we wanted to meet the fest deadline.

All that to say that for the fest submission version, we're going to stick with the old color science, and an easier workflow. We'll re-master when we have more time to mess with it.

ZazaCast

06-21-2009, 09:02 PM

Ouch... I think my brain just exploded! Remind me again why I enter these fests?

Shawn Philip Nelson

06-22-2009, 12:01 AM

fixitinpost

06-22-2009, 01:25 AM

I completely agree. That's the great thing about projects like this, though. You can try crazy stuff without having to worry about what the clients might think.

lyonfilms

06-22-2009, 11:44 AM

Working with our production sound designer, Matt Tibbs, this morning. Feeding him "clean" tracks and wild tracks of all the production audio so he can continue to build the sound mix and design. Looks like we are only going to need to ADR one section of dialogue - now we just hope the actor is free to come in...

lyonfilms

06-26-2009, 09:55 AM

Yes...we are still on top of this...I swear.

Seriously, this is FUN! Worked on some more sound design elements yesterday. The first half of the score has been done for a week and the second half is scheduled to come in today from Sid.

This weekend Jerry Turner is going to be finishing all the AE work and then he will hand it off to Ryan E. Walters for final color grade (which is seriously important for our fun little romp).

I will have Jerry post another screen grab this weekend...

lyonfilms

06-26-2009, 04:12 PM

Just listened to the entire score. SID ROCKS! Love it.

Kevin E. Curry

06-26-2009, 04:13 PM

http://lyonfilms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/gavin-bristol-adr-tarts-fools-the-g-men-300x225.jpg

We had one little bit of ADR to take care on this and Gavin Bristol popped in to take care of it yesterday. Here's a picture of him, sounds designer Matt Tibbs and director Devon Lyon.

Kevin E. Curry

06-26-2009, 04:14 PM

Ditto, man it is so sweet to see the score and sound design coming together. Really, really adds to the overall feel of the film!

Just listened to the entire score. SID ROCKS! Love it.

lyonfilms

06-26-2009, 04:16 PM

Rodney V. Smith

06-26-2009, 04:50 PM

lyonfilms

06-26-2009, 05:02 PM

I think we've all been lucky to have such a talented bunch of composers available to us. Especially since most of them live in another country, but it's one of the wonders of the internet community.

I've listened to Sid's stuff and I know you guys have got a killer score going on there. If I hadn;t gotten such a kickass score from Damian, I'd almost be jealous.

I couldn't agree more. Often with small films, indie projects, or for-fun shorts, the audio, mix, sound design and score are often given short shrift. I can understand this as most people invest first in cameras, NLEs, etc., and then think about sound. Much less the techinical skills necessary for both mix, design and score. So it falls away, is given less attention and time. You know what? Good sound is at least 30-40% of the quality and impact of the final production.

We are lucky. Truly lucky.

Rodney V. Smith

06-26-2009, 05:14 PM

...Often with small films, indie projects, or for-fun shorts, the audio, mix, sound design and score are often given short shrift. I can understand this as most people invest first in cameras, NLEs, etc., and then think about sound. Much less the techinical skills necessary for both mix, design and score. So it falls away, is given less attention and time. You know what? Good sound is at least 30-40% of the quality and impact of the final production...

I learned this the hard way and had to shift my perceptions quite a bit. My priority recently has been more sound related, to getting good (not just decent) sound that the nice score you've gotten, doesn;t overwhelm the dialog track. A good sound mixer is key in this and we as filmmakers really have to trust these guys to do their jobs and not jump in and do it for them... and end up doing it badly becasue we haven;t a clue.

I'm sure you guys have paid for things and services where needed, as well as calling in favors, or even owing some favors, and it's all towards getting a movie that's going to rock on all levels and truly compete in any marketplace. Instead of someone saying something like "It was good, but the sound was off".. or worse "good movie, decent story,but horrible music"...

Our composers have our backs and those of us who haven;t used a composer, preferring to use canned tracks or music from a local band.. that stuff only takes you so far.

I expect "Tarts, Fools and G-Men" to completely rock the house on all levels, and seeing the level of care and detail you guys put into every aspect of this film makes me really wanna see it and cheer you guys on.

fixitinpost

06-27-2009, 10:35 PM

I'll give a cookie to the first person to figure out why I did this track:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_track.jpg

RodThompson

06-27-2009, 10:49 PM

Changing eye color?

Matrix-like sunglasses?

Noel Evans

06-28-2009, 12:30 AM

I'll give a cookie to the first person to figure out why I did this track:

Because when you shot it you accidently forgot you were jumping on a trampoline and now your putting fun glasses on him to show his lighter side.

But back to serious, yeah there are some great composers that frequent here, totally struck gold.

fixitinpost

06-28-2009, 09:30 PM

Well, that's it. VFX are done! ...for now. By my count, we turned around just over two dozen shots in three days. Ryan starts the grade tomorrow. If everything goes according to plan, we'll be uploading on Wednesday or Thursday.

Because when you shot it you accidently forgot you were jumping on a trampoline and now your putting fun glasses on him to show his lighter side.

...in the middle of the Bollywood style musical scene they shot when I wasn't looking.

lyonfilms

06-29-2009, 01:14 PM

Busy day.

Picture of Ryan, the project DP, working on the grade.

http://lyonfilms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ryan-grades-300x225.jpg

lyonfilms

06-29-2009, 01:15 PM

Tibbs finalizes the audio mix...

http://lyonfilms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/tibbs-grades-300x225.jpg

Matt Sconce

06-29-2009, 01:20 PM

I'll give a cookie to the first person to figure out why I did this track:
http://www.etchantdigital.com/TFG/TFG_track.jpg

I want a cookie! You did this to do a reverse stabilization and make a facial change that stays with his face as he moves.:beer:

Ryan E. Walters

06-29-2009, 01:30 PM

Busy day.

Picture of Ryan, the project DP, working on the grade.

http://lyonfilms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ryan-grades-300x225.jpg

Yep, the grade is going well. :) Just taking a little break now to have some lunch.

I'm REALLY excited to see this come together.

Kevin E. Curry

06-29-2009, 01:57 PM

I'm sure you guys have paid for things and services where needed, as well as calling in favors, or even owing some favors, and it's all towards getting a movie that's going to rock on all levels and truly compete in any marketplace. Instead of someone saying something like "It was good, but the sound was off".. or worse "good movie, decent story,but horrible music"...

Actually, the only hard costs were props and food. Everyone donated their time on this because they wanted the opportunity to work on a creative project, hone their skills and have fun.

Kevin E. Curry

06-30-2009, 11:54 AM

Watching the rough cut has reminded me of an important piece of advice for screenwriters, at least in my opinion! It is: Don't be afraid of letting the actors ad lib or try your lines in a different fashion. Don't be so married to your own written word because you never know what you'll get from the actors.

On set, actors will often ask my opinion about a change they are thinking about for the line. I am always open to those because they may see the character's motivation or actions a little differently than when I wrote them. So, many times I will tell the actor what the main point I need to get across in the dialogue and be open to their interpretation. For example, "I just need to make sure the audience knows she is pissed about her boyfriend cheating on her." If the actress has a better take on the dialogue, let's give it a shot!

There is a specific point in Tarts, Fools and the G-Men where an ad-libbed line ended up being better than anything I could have written. One of the Tarts says "Stay to the left, baby, I've got the bitch in the suit!" At the time we were shooting it, it didn't stand out necessarily. But upon edit, the way it ended up working in the film, was just gold. It brings a smile to our faces everytime!

Ryan E. Walters

07-01-2009, 10:23 PM

Well the color grade is done, and now Jerry is working his voodoo magic and compressing the file down to the required minimums. I can't wait to see the final flick. (Unfortunately the system I was grading on could not play back the uncompressed 2k file in real time. So I've only see the offline version with the final mix and the online version at 9 frames a second ...)

Noel Evans

07-02-2009, 01:21 AM

Yes, Im rather certain this is going to be gold.

Shawn Philip Nelson

07-02-2009, 08:57 PM

come'on, upload! :-)

I'm very excited to see this!

lyonfilms

07-03-2009, 08:33 AM

I love hype, but man the good natured hyperbole is scaring me :)

Anyway, we really had fun as a team making what we wanted to make. It's uploaded.

Tim Joy

07-03-2009, 09:51 AM

What a production! It's going to be awesome, for sure. Thanks for taking us along for the ride.:beer:

Shawn Philip Nelson

07-03-2009, 12:31 PM

I love hype, but man the good natured hyperbole is scaring me :)

Anyway, we really had fun as a team making what we wanted to make. It's uploaded.

Hype nothin! Jerry and Ryan are assuring everyone that this is solidly the best DVXUser fest entry of ALL TIME, so I'm looking forward it mostly based on that

Ryan E. Walters

07-03-2009, 01:50 PM

Hype nothin! Jerry and Ryan are assuring everyone that this is solidly the best DVXUser fest entry of ALL TIME, so I'm looking forward it mostly based on that

LOL!!! Yeah I'm sure that's right ;) .

We are very happy with what we have accomplished with what we were able to pull together. Everyone has pitched in and put their best efforts into the project. But this is no multimillion dollar picture. It is something that we are proud of, but all the hype is starting to worry me...

Michael Anthony Horrigan

07-03-2009, 01:53 PM

It is something that we are proud of, but all the hype is starting to worry me...I have my hopes up. :)

Girgej

07-04-2009, 03:12 AM

Great Shots ... Good Luck

Ryan E. Walters

07-04-2009, 11:00 AM

I just wanted to share with everyone how much the final compression of a film can effect the final result and in turn the perception of it. Jerry our post guru ran several different compression schemes on the final 2k master to get it into the festival submission specs and the resulting images are starkly different.

The final submission copy I'd say is about 95% there. There are still some color renditions and nuances that did not make it through from the color grade- but I know Jerry worked hard to get it done in time for the submission deadline. (There were a couple of last minute changes that were made so there was not a lot of time to finesse the final compression any more.)

Anyway- I thought this would be a helpful insight for the rest of you to see- as how you compress your film will effect the final look of it as much as anything else you do:

http://www.ryanewalters.com/downloads/TFG/Three-Shot-Comparison_Face.jpg

Ryan E. Walters

07-04-2009, 11:03 AM

Oh, BTW- the one in the upper left corner is the one that comes closest to matching the original. :)

And for the final deliverable that we'll be giving to the cast and crew we'll have the time to finesse it some more.

Rodney V. Smith

07-04-2009, 11:06 AM

Kinda shows why color correction ends up being so important. Even if it's just darkening the blacks. Compression killed me as well. Not so much, but I had some issues with my submission, so I feel your pain. Your final comp looks like it should be good to go.

Shawn Philip Nelson

07-04-2009, 11:37 AM

Jerry, can you please post a runthrough or a blog link to a runthrough on your compression findings and setting? I'd love to read about it!

Shawn Philip Nelson

07-04-2009, 11:46 AM

uh oh, just saw that your submission is flagged as needing correction, hope that gets worked out soon!

lyonfilms

07-04-2009, 12:02 PM

Yeah, we are trying to take care of that now...

fixitinpost

07-04-2009, 02:10 PM

Issue fixed, new upload in progress. We'll be compliant in about 20 minutes.

Definitely hoping to do an advanced writeup on compression for this project. Still have to do a little more research to better understand some of the details before I feel comfortable enough with them to write about it.

Ryan E. Walters

07-04-2009, 04:09 PM

Few! We made it! All uploaded. I'm looking forward to checking out all the other films. Shoudl be a fun fest. :)

Tom Shortridge

07-04-2009, 04:11 PM

fixitinpost

07-04-2009, 05:03 PM

I'd left a custom universal counting leader on the front end (before the DVXfest logo animation), for audio sync purposes. Experienced some issues with audio sync when trimming it from the final muxed file in QT Pro. We missed the bit in the rules where the DVX fest logo had to be the first thing in the submitted file, though. Trimmed off the counting leader, and re-uploaded. Sync seems to be ok this time around.

Noel Evans

07-04-2009, 08:18 PM

Just initial thoughts here. Ryan this is fantastic cinematography. Top of the class for you. Really amazing stuff.

Ryan E. Walters

07-04-2009, 09:54 PM

Just initial thoughts here. Ryan this is fantastic cinematography. Top of the class for you. Really amazing stuff.

Thanks, I appreciate it. :)

ramsaur

07-05-2009, 12:48 AM

Awe, man this was good! Good action and good thrill. Loved the camera work, editing, acting, and color grading. My only concern is at the top of the roof when they begin to shoot. How come no one gets shot or hurt on the first shoot?

Lawsuit_Boy

07-05-2009, 07:59 AM

My only concern is at the top of the roof when they begin to shoot. How come no one gets shot or hurt on the first shoot?

This was really my only concern as well. But I'll get to that.

To begin, I'm not necessarily a fan of the sort of "wild-and-out" assassins pitted against each other films unless they're done with enough style and strong use of film language to make it truly and uniquely compelling. This film conjures up images of things like Smokin' Aces and a number of Tony Scott films. To a lot of people, this is a good thing. To me, it's a detriment. But somehow, by the grace of the production and skill exhibited, it doesn't really bother me. The film moves effortlessly and keeps the viewer's interests.

Now, I'm not really sure what to make of the writing. In my opinion, it feels like an assassins/crooked FBI project that was constructed merely out of adoration for films like Smokin' Aces or Leon (The Professional), lacking any sort of motivation for the characters besides finding the box on the roof. How they all knew it would be there after being duped either wasn't available or went over my head. Some occasionally sparky dialogue was certainly available, but was rarely delivered with the confidence it requires to make that kind of syntax and semantics believable and "snappy."

I thought the performances were all fine throughout, but some of the felt a little dry and ineffective. It frequently a case of trying too hard or not trying hard enough. None of it was bad by any stretch, but it just wasn't compelling enough.

The cinematography really was quite excellent. I enjoyed the atmosphere created and the colors used (the rear-projection was used well, I thought). The movements were fluid and cut very well together. This is a testement to both the DP and the director. Strong vision all around.

Editing--I thought the split screen was a serviceable tool, but the completely arbitrary speed ramps scattered throughout the film are, in my opinion, always a gimmicky effect designed to heighten the experience for those who know little of film language and the history of good cinema. I'm not nailing this as a way to denigrate your film. It's just a general concern I have with the hyper-active, low attention span trickery that some action films have been falling into for the past decade.

Finally, the rooftop scene was a mixed bag. I loved that you set up a three-way situation like that with a mystery fourth party appearing at the end (I believe it was the man from the beginning, right?), but once the shots were fired, the scene lost all credibility. With more than six minutes to work with, this scene could have made for great dialogue and new dramatic beats. Instead, it falls into an extremely unbelievable shootout in which everyone misses, even from a few yards away, and the girls have time to sneak in and beat up a clown. If this sort of thing happens in a film, the actor should be choreographed well enough to really help sell the speed and grace. To me, it just feels like the story didn't have anywhere else to go but up to a roof for a meager shootout with a twist that doesn't really add up to much. Once again, this is a problem with the time limit. It works well enough because the audience understands the concept of double-crossing and the history in cinema that it has (and it is sprinkled through all of international cinema), but everything is completely unknown, which leaves a "tart" taste in the mouth.

Altogether, an interesting film with strong cinematography and direction. A very solid entry. :thumbsup:

lyonfilms

07-05-2009, 08:38 AM

First, thank you for a very well thought out, reasoned review of the short. This type of input is exactly why we decided to enter the fest for the first time.

The short film format is very, very challenging for many of the reasons you outlined below. With six minutes to tell a story the writer has a steep curve to bring the audience into the film quickly but in a meaningful way. This is tough.

I think one of the biggest challenges is actually the production time. Meaning, most people have very limited time to shoot these things (us included). So, not enough time is spent working each scene, working with the actors, really drawing out subtle performances...much less choreography...As the director it is always hard when you wish you could spend more time but need to get to the next shot. The challenge of the "balance". How much time can be put into a short film? How many shoot days do you ask actors who are doing it "for the art" to be present? How much budget can be raised to buy food, etc. I wish we had a little more time (production time) to work on the roof sequence more. Anyway, I am likely preaching to the choir.

But somehow, by the grace of the production and skill exhibited, it doesn't really bother me. The film moves effortlessly and keeps the viewer's interests.

Thank you. Noting everything above, I appreciate the comment.

I thought the performances were all fine throughout, but some of the felt a little dry and ineffective. It frequently a case of trying too hard or not trying hard enough. None of it was bad by any stretch, but it just wasn't compelling enough.

In my opinion the actors did well with what we gave them. Meaning, "go! go! go!" LOL. We had to quickly move from one shot to another. I know I would have liked to spend more time on certain shots/performances and I KNOW the actors would have as well. But that is the reality of the time.

The cinematography really was quite excellent. I enjoyed the atmosphere created and the colors used (the rear-projection was used well, I thought). The movements were fluid and cut very well together. This is a testement to both the DP and the director. Strong vision all around.

Thank you!

If this sort of thing happens in a film, the actor should be choreographed well enough to really help sell the speed and grace. To me, it just feels like the story didn't have anywhere else to go but up to a roof for a meager shootout with a twist that doesn't really add up to much. Once again, this is a problem with the time limit.

I agree. We all joked that these people need to go back to "criminal school". Horrible shots :)

Rodney V. Smith

07-05-2009, 09:40 AM

Gentlemen, Tarts and respective Fools:

Excellent work. Stunning visuals (great cinematography there Ryan, not a false move anywhere), great lighting, excellent locations. Seriously good locations there. Music was absolutely top notch and carried the movie well... There was a hell of a lot of style to this movie and that rocked.

Loved the fact that the Fools weren't revealed until one of the Tart's lines. And that was the point where I went "huh?" The Blonde Tart's delivery was the only false note in the performances. Everybody else was rock solid. I just never believed the blonde.

Everything was set up for strong visuals, and the story suffered especially with so many characters to keep track of in such a short time. Still can't see how they all made the conclusion that the item was on the roof. The really mystifying thing is that the roof was the only place their paths crossed. How did they end up all going to a different empty room in the same building, but yet end up on the roof?

Choreography for the gun battle was interesting and very stylized. It was more to push story elements and one liners forward than anything else, and they were all such bad shots! Even with a shotgun. Never give a gun to a clown! First rule. Silly buggers.

Anyway, all of that setup and it seemed the only reason was to kill them all off. Why hire two gangs to do the same job?

Great music from Sid and a pretty good sound mix.

All in all a very stylish film, firing on all cylinders and engaging. Kept me well entertained all the way through and wishing I could shoot with as much style as Ryan.

Good job dudes.

Ryan E. Walters

07-05-2009, 09:54 AM

Gentlemen, Tarts and respective Fools:

Excellent work. Stunning visuals (great cinematography there Ryan, not a false move anywhere), great lighting ... All in all a very stylish film, firing on all cylinders and engaging. Kept me well entertained all the way through and wishing I could shoot with as much style as Ryan.

Thanks for the kind words- this was a fun undertaking. I really enjoyed the opportunity to push things creatively. :)

excellent locations. Seriously good locations there.

We really lucked out there- the location that we shot the roof scene at had all of the other interior locations as well. Everyone wished we could have shot there longer, as there were even more great parts of the building that could have been used. But as it was, we spent over 20 hours one that one day there shooting everything...

Rodney V. Smith

07-05-2009, 10:16 AM

We really lucked out there- the location that we shot the roof scene at had all of the other interior locations as well. Everyone wished we could have shot there longer, as there were even more great parts of the building that could have been used. But as it was, we spent over 20 hours one that one day there shooting everything...

Damn! And I thought I took a long time (6 hours) shooting my opening sequence. How long did the rooftop itself take to shoot?

lyonfilms

07-05-2009, 10:54 AM

I think we only had about 3 hours for the roof. What took sooooo long is that the elevator only went to the 5th floor and the roof was on the 8th floor. It just took forever that day to move around the building (alley, exterior building, basement, hallways and then up to the roof).

Also, because this was all volunteer we didn't exactly have grips and a bunch of PA's...it was the core team (me, Ryan, Jerry and Kevin) plus one grip/gaffer and one PA. A lot of time was just spent setting up and breaking down.

Plus - the location was 1 hour away from where we all live, so that time included packing up, driving down, unloading as well and then packing back up and driving home/office.

LOL - it was a crazy day!

Ryan E. Walters

07-05-2009, 11:04 AM

Yeah, a 20+ hour day is not standard for us. A usual day would be 8 - 10 hours, with a long day being around 12 hours. Ideally, we would have shot there two days, but with all volunteer cast & crew and the location being an hour away everyone pushed through and got it done in one day.

Chris_Keaton

07-05-2009, 11:09 AM

Whats the trick to viewing this? I'm getting 'Error -2041: an invalid sample description found in the movie' message when I try to run the movie in Quick Time?

Rodney V. Smith

07-05-2009, 11:12 AM

Try fromt he zip file. That one seems to work best. Should be #6

Ryan E. Walters

07-05-2009, 11:29 AM

Interesting that people are having trouble viewing this one. I had no issues, but I downloaded all the films from the zip file ...

back to watching more films! :)

Chris_Keaton

07-05-2009, 11:45 AM

Try fromt he zip file. That one seems to work best. Should be #6

Yeah, that's what I did?

Geno Romo

07-05-2009, 12:30 PM

I was just happy to be killed bye the hands of the H%^#% Tart! :)

ramsaur

07-05-2009, 12:56 PM

Yeah, that's what I did?

Chris, try VLC or play it in iTunes.

conrad_johnson

07-05-2009, 04:22 PM

Typing as I go here gents:

Opening shot: very nice use of color and values in the lighting. Must be rough with the latitude on the red :)

That guys sex face and noise weirds me out, but I'm a boy so I guess it's to be expected.

Why does she punch that guy? Also the punch sound sounds like you dropped a cardboard box on a microphone, maybe add some "slap" sound to sell it more.

Gun hitting face is also a little fake sounding.

ADR doesn't line up at 1:07

I like the acting, but I have no idea what these characters are doing.

Beautiful shots in the clowns looking at the plans shots.

Some weak line delivery from the tarts.

They're literally clowns...LOVE IT!

What are they after?

Clowns from stairs shot: gimmie a HELL YEAH, Composition on that is the bees knees.

It was a setup!

I like the tri-screen stuff, very cool

gun sounds, not really buying it.

I'm at 4:45 and I still don't understand the motivation behind the characters. Why are they after something and what is that something?

Who shot who at the end?

I assume it was the guy doing the shooting, but I'm thick in the noggin..

Overall, a very nice job, esp. visual storytelling. Hats off to you!

-Joe

Ryan E. Walters

07-05-2009, 04:45 PM

Yeah, that's what I did?

If VLC or iTunes doesn't work, also try renaming the extension to .mov . Sometimes that works for me when a video will not play....

Ryan E. Walters

07-05-2009, 04:58 PM

Thanks for the feed back, much appreciated. :) I was responsible for the Cinematography & Color Grade, so I can respond to that, however, I'll also add some other thoughts, the rest of the team can correct me / add to what I say if needed.

Typing as I go here gents:

Opening shot: very nice use of color and values in the lighting. Must be rough with the latitude on the red :)

Thanks. Yeah it is very tough having only ~10 stops of latitude ;) I really like working with the Red for just that reason. For me, it is the closest thing to working with film in the digital arena in terms of latitude / dynamic range.

Why does she punch that guy?

She was done with him, and headed out with the other Tart to get the goods.

Beautiful shots in the clowns looking at the plans shots... Clowns from stairs shot: gimmie a HELL YEAH, Composition on that is the bees knees.

Thanks. :)

What are they after? ... I'm at 4:45 and I still don't understand the motivation behind the characters. Why are they after something and what is that something?

The "goods" - AKA "the MacGuffin / McGuffin". What they were after was only a plot device to move the story forward.

Who shot who at the end? I assume it was the guy doing the shooting, but I'm thick in the noggin..

It's "The John" at the start of the flick.

Chris_Keaton

07-05-2009, 04:58 PM

Renamed it .mov and it worked fine.

Lawsuit_Boy

07-05-2009, 06:12 PM

First, thank you for a very well thought out, reasoned review of the short. This type of input is exactly why we decided to enter the fest for the first time.

The short film format is very, very challenging for many of the reasons you outlined below. With six minutes to tell a story the writer has a steep curve to bring the audience into the film quickly but in a meaningful way. This is tough.

I think one of the biggest challenges is actually the production time. Meaning, most people have very limited time to shoot these things (us included). So, not enough time is spent working each scene, working with the actors, really drawing out subtle performances...much less choreography...As the director it is always hard when you wish you could spend more time but need to get to the next shot. The challenge of the "balance". How much time can be put into a short film? How many shoot days do you ask actors who are doing it "for the art" to be present? How much budget can be raised to buy food, etc. I wish we had a little more time (production time) to work on the roof sequence more. Anyway, I am likely preaching to the choir.

Thank you. Noting everything above, I appreciate the comment.

In my opinion the actors did well with what we gave them. Meaning, "go! go! go!" LOL. We had to quickly move from one shot to another. I know I would have liked to spend more time on certain shots/performances and I KNOW the actors would have as well. But that is the reality of the time.

Thank you!

I agree. We all joked that these people need to go back to "criminal school". Horrible shots :)

All good points. It really is such a tricky thing to master--the balance, especially with a shoot like yours. From the looks of it, it seems that with all of the locations, actors, and set-ups, it might have been a complex shoot. And I think that the whole team deserves a pat on the back for the obvious effort and hard work put into the project.

I also find it refreshing to see the amount of R-rated content that I'm seeing in this festival.