Dispatch - a Fat Monster film

We often took time to get things ready and would start a take and realize the smoke wasn't there so we'd have to cut and add smoke.
Haze from hazers like the DF-50 lingers in the air MUCH longer and is much finer.
 
Matty_g said:
I wish it was a hazer. It was a borrowed smoke machine that needed MUCH wofting and needed to be used between EVERY take.
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Yeah I suspected it might be a smoke machine, but it looked so damn even.

If there is $30 to $50 bucks for a hazer rental for a 1 day shoot it's sooooo worth it.

But this goes to the point again about RED vs GH1 and SPACE SHIP SETS vs LIVING ROOMS. Hazers make it easy to get the look. But if you are willing to stand around frustrated hearing "holding for smoke machine! some machine resetting! OK now we have to waft it. Wafting! Ok that's now it's dissapated too much. We need more smoke. OK smoke coming in! Wait. It has to reset again. Holding for smoke machine ..." repeat :) If you are willing, or forcred to put up with that then you can get that big budget hazer look with a party smoke machine and a wafting board.

All someone has to do is notice that that was a key element of the look and realize they can obtain it.
 
One other thing I wanted to mention was GET CREATIVE with your props/art direction!
I didn't like the ONE white wall in the main set so we taped up wallpaper.
The cops badge is made of pastic and says something like, "TOP COP KID PATROL"
and his walkie is a cell phone car charger with gaff tape buttons.

Also, while that O2 spaceship set looked GREAT on camera (MUCH of that due to Levie Isaacks ASC) When you were on it just looking around it was mostly just spare computer parts and trashcan lids.
 
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Matty_g said:
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The cops badge is made of pastic and says something like, "TOP COP KID PATROL"
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heh heh, I had a plastic Texas Marshall badge that I used for a web pilot.

I had one closeup of it to establish the character and place and used photo shop and after effects to composite "Shady County" over where the badge said "State of" and "Sheriff" over where the badge said "Marshall". I made the badge in Photo Shop and it was easy to track on the basically 2D shot in After Effects given that I was tracking it onto a 6 point star.


SCREENGRAB from FINISHES FX SHOT
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ORIGINAL:
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Basically there was no time or money to have a custom badge made. So you see this closeup to establish a few things right away, then we never feature it again.

Also, while that O2 spaceship set looked GREAT on camera (MUCH of that due to Levie Isaacks ASC) When you were on it just looking around it was mostly just spare computer parts and trashcan lids.
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And an amazing amount of painted styrofoam fast food containers like big mac containers. and quite a few tripod cases.
 
I know this has been mentioned but I find it probably some of the most valuable stuff in the thread so far. Jack and Jason hit it right on the head: write for what you have access to. You've got 6 minutes and you've got to fill it with as much interesting shi* as possible.

What is interesting? What would you want to watch? What do you want it to feel like? These are all the questions I asked myself before thinking: "Dude...This chick has to wake up with a stake in her heart....." I knew that would grab people and at least keep them interested. Not to mention it's a very easy thing location-wise.

Locations are always one of the most difficult things to obtain but I think you'd be surprised how interesting some of the locations you have access to actually are. Whenever I'm in other states I always think "Damn, look at these locations, no one would ever bother us here!" In L.A. it's much more difficult to steal locations and I've got friends in KY that say they got permission to use the local prison for free!!! A lot of Dvxusers live in some of these areas where locations can be obtained for nothing. I believe your location is so important in getting across whatever the point of the story is and it can really either help capture people immediately or throw them off immediately.

Aside from stealing or using your own location there are always the other cheap ways to save money. The badge for the police officer cost $2.50. The police clothes came from a friend who went to police academy and if you'll notice on the arm it says "trainee." The American flag was a badge that was gaffed on, the wardrobe was bought at thrift stores, the carpet was taken from a friend who was moving out of his home, the blood was made by me, the crew worked for free, the actors worked for next to nothing, the flourescent lights seen in the background were bought at LOWES and RETURNED!!!

It's all about hustling and working your ass off the days before and the day of.
 
on every feature i've made there has always been a run to home depot and k-mart with 90% of it returned the day after we wrap. no shame. :)
 
Zak Forsman said:
on every feature i've made there has always been a run to home depot and k-mart with 90% of it returned the day after we wrap. no shame. :)
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Awesome! I don't know if I can still show my face at Lowes, one time I basically did all the production design for a music video from Lowes. Curtains, lights baseboards, wallpaper etc. Had to return 90% of it.

Do whatcha gotta do.
 
You guys made some great points here about the production of this film. ANYONE of us could have made it. It was simple enough and the techniques used are available to each and everyone.
 
Matty_g said:
One other thing I wanted to mention was GET CREATIVE with your props/art direction!
I didn't like the ONE white wall in the main set so we taped up wallpaper.
The cops badge is made of pastic and says something like, "TOP COP KID PATROL"
and his walkie is a cell phone car charger with gaff tape buttons.

Also, while that O2 spaceship set looked GREAT on camera (MUCH of that due to Levie Isaacks ASC) When you were on it just looking around it was mostly just spare computer parts and trashcan lids.
Click to expand...

Yes yes yes yes !
 
Oh ****; sorry. My bad.

-

But really; I can't even deal with white walls and empty basements. Set Design is crucial.

But uh

Yeah, I thought it said Sex.
 
Gives new meaning to "painting the walls" there JR.

I totally agree on the plain white walls issue. I'm actually looking at some of the ugliest wallpapers known to man to dress any future sets and now have to research nondestructive ways of mounting said wallpaper. Apparently people respond more positively to wallpaper than to painting their house... go figure.
 
Lol

He said 'painting'

I think we touched on this in another thread recently; not only is set design aesthetically cool, but it absorbs sound as well.
 
I was watching "Lucky Number Slevin" recently and man they had an awesome collection of ugly wallpaper. Really made the scenes visually interesting so I'm thoroughly invested in following in that same line of thought. If it looks pretty in person, it's not that interesting on camera...

Absorption of sound is also very useful. Less echo, but then again good microphone placement is useful there too...
 
Rodney, we used clear tape to hold it up on dispatch. Geoff and Luis did an amazing job with it.
It was actually cream colored with small tan/brown stripes but ANYTHING helped.

I'm personally a fan of ugly wallpaper and shag carpet but it isn't for every story.
check out this music video FULL of it from one of my favorite dp's
http://mattiasmontero.com/music-videos/the-concretes/
 
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