My first DVXfest... My short "Moments"

MovieTroll said:
As for the shots of the train. I'll be shooting guerrilla style onboard the lightrail in Los Angeles. I have thought this out a lot and I plan on doing this mid day during a non-rush hour time on a part of the line that is used the least. The crew is going to be just be myself and my two actors. With just the stock camera with a shotgun mounted to it and my college ID just in case we get stopped...gotta throw in that, "I'm a film student and this is for class" line.
Click to expand...
The on-board shotgun mic worries me a little. You don't want it picking up too much of the train noise. I would hit Location Sound on Riverside in North Hollywood at (818) 980-9891 and rent two wired lav mics for your actors. I rented a couple to do a test and they were only $30 bucks for the weekend. They plug directly into the camera's XLR inputs. This will also give you the freedom to vary up your shots because you won't be tethered to the distance of the shotgun. With the lavs, you can shoot them from across the train car and still have great sound.

Good luck!
 
I like your concept. I agree with StormFactory. It would even help to be able to use a boom pole allowing the mic to get in closer to the actors. All though, you would start looking less inconspicuous. Good luck.
 
Oooh, college ID ... GREAT idea. Sounds like this may have a cool documentary edge, if it's hand held on a moving train. Sounds fun, and looking forward to it.
 
Thanks StormFactory and jeremytuttle,

I agree with you guys that a shotgun might not be the best way. I phoned a friend of my and they said they I could barrow his lav mics for today.

Thanks Envision,

Oh yeah, I'm gonna milk that ID as long as I can. Thanks for the comment.

I leave for Los Angeles in half an hour.
 
Cant you just shove a mic on the inside of there collar shirt, or somewhere thats non reconisable? Looks good, by the way. Been looking back and forth a little...Good luck.
 
:UPDATE:

Alrightly well it's now the next morning and I thought I would give you all a little recap on what happened with the shoot. Total hours spent was 1, 10 in Pasadena and 3 in my dining room in Orange County. So here we go...

8:00

Packed up my car (which also doubles as the car in the movie) with all my gear and started to make the rounds picking up my cast. Got to my friend's house with the lav mics I was suppose to barrow but found out he had already loaned them out to someone else, even after the fact he said I could have them for today. Whatever.. so I just had the shotgun.

8:45ish

Everyone is in the car and we are driving up.

10:00

At a little before 10 we arrive in Pasadena. We plan on shooting all non-train scenes first and then break for lunch leaving just the train afterwards. We were mainly on Orange Grove, Congress, St. John, and Markham Place (for anyone that knows that area) just shooting my two cast members walking and smiling no lines, no tripod, no stoping in the same place for more then a few mins.

It was then I got my first warning of the day. We had taken a break and talking on the sidewalk then this little older woman probally mid 40's comes outside. She started quiet yelling (she was actually yelling quietly) at us wanting to know what we were doing there and wanted to see the permit. So, being the prepared college student I am I started telling her how this was for a class project and I even offered to show her my ID. Well, that seem to get her even more mad at us and demanded to know what college I was from. I told her and then she wanted to know why Pasadena and why we had to come all the way out here (I decided it was best right there that I didn't mention the shots onboard the light-rail :thumbsup: ). She then went into "mommy" mode and gave us a leature on the right and wrong way to do things. After that she went back inside and my cast and myself got off that street as soon as we could because we thought she would call the real police on us. And just for a comparison, on that same street there was a father playing catch with his 6 year old son and all he did was say, "good morning" to us as we were moving on.

I understand why she asked the questions she did about permits and such but honestly she could of did it nicer.

We shot all the other scenes we needed a block north of her street and headed back to the car.

12:00

We broke for lunch and went to a place called Barney's Beanery. Good food and oh man they had a television to customer ratio about 2-1.

1:30

We went to to the park next to the Del Mar light-rail station and shot the ending.

3:00

We finally boarded the light-rail. All of us had one of those Metro Day Passes so at least we couldn't get kicked off the train. Due to the crowding on both north and south bound trains we decided to ride it to the end of the line in Sierra Madre and ride it back to Del Mar. Had to to this 4 times as the train got too full. Around the second time we do this and get to Sierra Madre this weird homeless man gets on board and sits right behind my actress. I took notice on this but before I could tell my actress to move over to me a Metro Sheriff walks by on the platform. The homeless guy watches as he passes and seems to get a little nervous. He stands up and goes to the doors watching the officer and he walks down the line. He then comes back in and sits down. He gets up walks back and fourth a little then leaves the train and hides under the stairwell of the station.

Then right as we were about to leave he reboards the train and sits again right behind my actress. We get going and I notice he is twitching really mad, picking a scab on his face, and talking to no one in the air. Right then, I am singling my actress to come sit next to me and away from the homeless man. She refuses to move, she sees him in the reflection and doesn't want to do anything that might get him wound up. My other cast which are two guys also notice what is going on and they too keep an eye on her. We get off the next station and watch as the homeless man leaves with the train toward L.A.

4:30

All shots of the train are done and we are driving home.

6:00

I dropped off one person and headed back to my house for some more shots.

6:30

We were ready to go and I had set up the dining room really nice with all my lights and I had moved all the furniture out of the room. will post pictures of the setup if that's allowed) It is going to look like that all white room you see for those Apple commericals.

7:30

Break for dinner. Went to a place called Lawry's Cavery. Brought back the food for everyone.

8:30

Shot the last shots of the night and striked the set.

9:00

Everyone is safety home and I collapse into bed.

=================================

[SIZE=+0]Well, there you have it. Hope you enjoyed my little update. As for myself right now I am going to go shower and get ready for today. Planning out more shoots for the only two scenes left and also going to post some comments on fellow DVXusers Dramafest projects. [/SIZE]


:beer: :dankk2: :thumbup:
 
gotta love shooting!!! Sorry about the "little older woman" incident. You just never know what is going to set someone off. Out of curiosity, how old are you if 40s is "older?"
PS, Kyle is going to take your post apart on spelling errors.
 
MovieTroll said:
:UPDATE:

It was then I got my first warning of the day. We had taken a break and talking on the sidewalk then this little older woman probally mid 40's comes outside. She started quiet yelling (she was actually yelling quietly) at us wanting to know what we were doing there and wanted to see the permit. So, being the prepared college student I am I started telling her how this was for a class project and I even offered to show her my ID. Well, that seem to get her even more mad at us and demanded to know what college I was from.
Click to expand...
And that's why bring school ID doesn't mean much without the forms and permits and could actually make things worse.

You handled it nicely and it worked out but I wouldn't have told her anything. The police are the only ones you have to answer too. Maybe a security guard if you are on the private property that the security gaurd gaurds, but even then the only thing they could make you do is leave. Other than that you don't owe anybody an answer at all.

If put in that situation again, say that you are tourists or shooting a family video. Glad you made it though.

How did the sound turn out. I think you can post photos and still be cool.
 
That was a great update, a fun read.

My advice to guerilla filmmakers: Befriend at least one cop in your city! There is undoubtedly one cop that thinks filmmaking is cool in every city. Bring him/her along on your quick shots, and promise a special thanks to him/her.

This is not an overnight thing, as you need to get to know one, but it works, I promise you. I know, because I was a cop in my city for 10 years. I am fortunate enough now to know I could shoot anywhere in Daytona Beach with no worries. If you get to know one, he'll/she'll talk to buddies! Call it a networking thing!

Can't wait to see this film!
 
Hey guys!

Sorry for my absence here recently. Things have slowed down a little, school and work have been kind of hectic lately. I have been working with the footage for the train scenes a lot and I hate to say it but it looks like I may have to reshoot that part. There were way to many continuity errors, mainly having to do with the other people on board the train. So I think I may either try to reshoot it or maybe rework the script a pinch and change the train to something else.

Also, leogardini vbmenu_register("postmenu_", true); was very kind and PM'ed me and he will be doing the score for this movie.
 
So I think I may either try to reshoot it or maybe rework the script a pinch and change the train to something else.
Click to expand...

I've faced this problem many times and I will share what I've learned from years of experimentation, trial-by-error and hard work. When you have to rework a train scene in a short film you will always come out ahead if you change the scene to a low-rent strip club.
 
MovieTroll said:
I have been working with the footage for the train scenes a lot and I hate to say it but it looks like I may have to reshoot that part. There were way to many continuity errors, mainly having to do with the other people on board the train.
Click to expand...
This is where shooting with a 35mm adapter would be great. With the shallow depth of field the continuity errors will be less noticable because they will just be out of focus blurs.

Try renting the M2 or buying the the Letus35 Flip Enhanced.
 
Mark Johnson said:
I've faced this problem many times and I will share what I've learned from years of experimentation, trial-by-error and hard work. When you have to rework a train scene in a short film you will always come out ahead if you change the scene to a low-rent strip club.
Click to expand...

I'll drink to that... :beer:
 
Mark Johnson said:
I've faced this problem many times and I will share what I've learned from years of experimentation, trial-by-error and hard work. When you have to rework a train scene in a short film you will always come out ahead if you change the scene to a low-rent strip club.
Click to expand...

Well, in a way I your advice. But instead of a low-rent strip club I choose a more static meeting ground. But to still add the little bit of movement I'm going to add some filler shots with voice over of some boats in a harbor. The Newport Beach harbor to be exact. Things are still moving forward smoothly and hopefully a rough cut will be ready in a few weeks.
 
:UPDATE:

Well things are still moving forward. FCP is rendering right now so I thought I would update you guys on what's been going on.

Shot the filler scenes, even though I know for a fact only like one percent will make it into it. But it's good to have the extra. All scenes are shot with only maybe one or two reshoots (maybe).

Also, I didn't realize it at the time but I ended up doing a little green screen. My former film teacher let my crew and actor come over and use his in studio green screen and grid system. I'm so thankful I was one of his favorites, he let us do this even with a class going on. (The classes never use it anyways).

He also told me something I got a little excited over. When the contest is over, he told me he will air it on his channel. Since he works for the school district he has a deal with Time Warner which lets him broadcast anything he wants out of his studio. So, I'm pretty stoked about that.

My only real concern right now is the running time. It's going to be interesting because I know I've gone over the time limit so some creative editing and storytelling is going to have to really step up a little to get it in under the limit.

Well, I think FCP is finished so i'll be back later.

Bye guys!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top