I directed & DP’d this short for a regional documentary film program sponsored by the Central Valley Community Foundation in Fresno, CA. This is an extended cut of the original, which was limited to 5 minutes and had a broadcast premiere on the local PBS station last week.
The film tells the stories of the oldest and youngest engine crew members at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in Fish Camp, CA, right outside of Yosemite National Park. The railroad is a recreation of a historic logging line that was abandoned in the 1930s. All of their equipment, including of course the locomotives, dates to the early 20th century...amazing machines!
This was shot over three days in July-August on the FX9 in full-frame mode, using three SLR Magic Micro Primes (25/50/75mm), a 1/4 Black ProMist throughout, and an EasyRig. I had hoped to shoot on the Amira, but with a very limited budget, it just wasn’t going to happen. That said, as a current FS7 owner, I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the newer model. It was obvious from the start that, apart from anything else, the FX9 colors are a major step up from the FS7.
This was my first time shooting doc-style content on primes, and I absolutely loved it -- both the creative limitation and of course the savings in weight. I use primes for travel photography and have always preferred that way of working for stills, so I decided to take a risk and abandon my customary zooms for this project. I’m very pleased with the results...as far as I’m concerned, it totally paid off. I honestly can’t think of any specific shots that I ‘missed’ by not having a zoom on the camera.
Everything except for the two interviews was shot in natural light, very much run&gun style. I think there are only three ‘staged’ shots in the final cut -- the two portrait-style shots near the end, and the shot of the enginehouse door being closed for the night. I had to move quickly to keep up with the engine crew as they went about their daily schedule. A challenge for sure, but definitely exhilarating with such a fun subject.
The interviews were lit with a Astra 6x bicolor through a softbox and 4x4 silk, a Hive Wasp 100C for BG fill in one setup, and a ton of negative fill. Between budget limitations and coronavirus concerns, I was able to hire only one assistant, so our setups needed to be lightweight and manageable for two people. With a little planning and a trusted AC, we were able to stay on schedule from start to finish and get everything we needed.
Would love to hear your thoughts, and I’m happy to answer questions. Enjoy!
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