More Prep week

I realized after the last post that I had miss placed a few photos of the areas that we located. One thing about this film is that ever since that first phone call,with my director Christian, its been an adventure that seems to be getting bigger. What I mean is the scope of the film seems to be growing in size, I honestly am not sure what the budget is on this movie but my wife and I do know that the lights will be on for a long while.
Enough of that but we have some interesting locations considering its a dance action film. The Stunt coordinator asked me if there was anything different in 3D when dealing with stunts, good question. I told him as far as the best vantage point for him nothing much changes. 3D is definetly more of a POV perspective when it comes to film making. A point given in my 3D seminar at Sony as well as our seminar here, that was held by our stereographer/3D technician Florian CEO of Stereotechnica, a German based company. Its pretty fun at times that he and his assistant Sara, both of whom are from Munich Germany, speaking in Germanenglish then the rest of the crew speaking in Koreanenglish, and then us African Americans with our own vernacular of English can make an interesting car ride.
So within our United Nations Korean action dance flick, I am trying to approach each lead character with a certain hora that will follow them around, via both lighting and camera. The camera aspect definetly is going to be tricky with the 3Dimensional aspect. I say that because what I'm use to possibly using as a Close Up can be "experienced" by the audience as too big or cookie cutter flat. Camera positions/eye lines need to be inline with the viewer. In regular movies/2D the rules are a bit different. So within our scout, its a matter of thinking about how much room does the rig have and can we put the audience in the best view point to understand whats going with the use of that 3rd Dimensional aspect.
Within my use of color I'm trying to play it quite simple in the use of saturation with characters to convey something emotional, a nice little tid bit many of us cameramen use from the likes of Vittorio Storaro A.I.C, and Ernest Dickerson ASC to name a couple. I'm getting at the fact that I try to make up some rules about color while I see a space that we might shoot in, and then ask the director about the character and analyze if these major variables will go together to push our story further. So here are a few more picts from the scouting of locations and also from our seminar with our Stereographer/3D tech expert Florian. I must say I have experienced a full corriculm about motion picture 3D in less than a months time. Florian has been playing with 3D for about 8 to 10 years. He is a true Stereographer and understands both creative and technical story telling and is always on his calculator to save myself and the audience from having our eyes go sideways....literally!
Gotta tell you I LOVE every minute of it even when
I got sick from Soju. :-$

Preping

So as this experience goes on so is the daily work and preparation for this film. I must explain that I came into this film half way through the prep for another cameraman that I did not know. So a little bit scattered and uncertain I had to put many pieces together, nothing that a few life experiences haven't already prepared me for , so here it is. The basics like a shedule, that was ever changing, an equipment list that wasn't truly built, and so on. All the while compounded with a new 3D work flow for my camera dept, and cultural dynamic that I was trying to figure out. A whole lot of excuses/challenges that get me no where with complaints.

So I start with actually seeing the locations, to a script that is not locked, and I ask where do I find the visual language/visual arc for this story. My director and I looked at the work of Michael Barrett who shot a movie called "Takers." A certain level of colorful sophisticated crime drama, is what we are going after , and even though we haven't seen the movie the trailer seems to have a bit of what we are looking for. So between that and a book called "The Impossible Image." We have a beggining for what the story seems to be shaping up to be.

So as we roll around and see plenty of Seoul I have to be honest and tell you that I have experienced only a fraction of it, which is a bit disappointing. None the less from a work standpoint I get to appreaciate the design aspect of this great city. I didn't realize until we scouted late at night that this city DOES NOT SLEEP! So the photos in this blog are a few of the great examples of exactly where I'll be shooting and where I will be shaping
the visual language of this story.

MORE FOOD PICTS

I thought that I would post more food picts of some interesting things that might seem pretty familiar, and to think I get paid to enjoy a little bit of this stuff. Thank God for that. PeaceMADDOX
























For My sis Kyla...---------------------------------------------------------

Food....

So in the midst of this prep week I've experienced my fair share of Korean food , way beyond the LA Korean BBQ. In all honesty I haven't even had Korean BBQ since being here. Seeing that my wife and I are lovers of world food it was easy to appreciate the delicacy of Seoul. The uncertainty that a young brother from LA would appreciate their cuisine and know how to use chopsticks was quite a surprise. The first day upon arriving we went out to a great traditional Korean restaurant. The moment was a bit of a reality check of being a guest in someone else house, and having them had to order for me because I couldn't recognize anything on the menu nor read the language.
Having only my two small experiences with Korean food while living in Hollywood, I gotta say I was like "ehhhhh, its aight." Gotta say as cliche as it may sound it was a different experience here, the taste was a little familiar but the flavor was on something different, different and pleasing than my first experience in K-town LA. Being that Ethiopian is one of my favorite kinds of food to eat, the whole idea of a community table is truly intimate. Especially when you don't have the slightest idea of who you are eating with, nor what you are eating until you taste it. Mind you we did have a translater, JP, but he only gave brief descriptions of the non-pork items that I participated in. It was great and I truly surprised my hosts in how much I genuinely enjoyed the meal. This just kicked off a full week of tasting experiences that has yet to stop.

One thing that is so funny and great out here is the delivery system, my director Christian being who he is wanted to see and experience McDonalds. Mc Ds has a fleet of delivery scooters. This whole city has delivery scooters for everything! It trips me out because these cats ride so close with no fear but just the mission in mind. So being a shameless American I had to take a pict.

Gotta say this first week has felt like a month between the pre-production and working out the schedule and just getting adjusted. The food and the little night life we've experienced has left a lasting impression already. As my wife knows, great food for me/us makes a world of difference in how I am experiencing a sunday afternoon in LA or a tuesday in the middle of Seoul Korea. Its amazing out here and I am truly enjoying immersing myself in this blessed experience in the sharing of this human experience of life with many new friends. Peace and blessings. Thanks TMU



Making Lisa proud as a humble guest.

The Team

So Friday morning we get up and really start to meet the team. I'm thinking to myself how exactly is this going to happen/work out. I have to admit the anxiety made me realize just why I jumped at this experience. To put myself as a Cinematographer into a different dynamic setting with a language barrier , and still execute onto a format that is big and new to me. It is........exactly what we as artist LOVE to be challenged by so I had to jump in.

So first off starting at the airport there is a level of curtosy and respect for the Director and Cinematographer that they had set the tone for by having a team ready to take our bags and chofeur us to our lodging, which is awesome by the way, in their new Media City towers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3CfLbVQ5k
So we live and work inside the same court yard multi towers, and no matter what they are there as a support team to help over come any and all challenges we may have. I gotta tell you to hear and try to remember their Korean names is one of the hardest things I've done in a while. The names closest to English of course I remember first. I remember thinking to myself when explaining the visual language of this film at this moment (1st group pict), did I ever think that I'd be in such a working environment 2 months ago...NO? How do I communicate this through my interpretor/1st AC (in the hat) of just exactly what I want, and is he fully understanding it to be able to interpret it? How do I know that my Gaffer Joon, on my right, is qualified and has a any real idea of how to approach this in a fast and inventive manner, while keeping the visual integritty that I bring to the table in the U.S? These ignorant ideas made me have to take a step back and really exhale and comprehend that people make great movies all over the world, and that Joon may have more experience than I in all the above.

In Korea Gaffers are known as Lighting Directors and are held in high regard with the cameramen and Directors. Because of the US/Korea joint venture the producers decided to keep things toward the American way, of the Gaffers role of working for the Cinematographer only. It hopefully makes sense but it puts a level of responsibility on me to respect and trust Joon even though our verbal communication is a second hand interpretation. Yet we both have an affinity of Light and story telling that goes beyond our ability to communicate verbally. Trusting these three individuals with the challenge of 3D is somewhat of an extreme challenge but a tremendous blessing to evolve into something that I've only read about for years in American Cinematographer.
So the short hand comes into play, I remember hearing of a story about a soldier who married a french woman and he could barely speak any French and nor she any English for the whole time that they were married yet they were married for long time with children. With that being said, I guess a short hand has to come into play, and it actually has over the past few days of scouting between a couple of key words and hand gestures we get what exactly what we are going to achieve. I Gotta say thanks to my parents who let me share in an experience at a small school called Northfield Mount Hermon where 64 countries were represented within its 1200 student body,D.L Moody's school exposed me to being a bit more open to many different folks from around the world, which has prepared me for moments just like these that I am immersed in right now.

Annoyong haseyo to all my Korean classmates from NMH and to my family and friends back east in the USA.

Joon (Gaffer), Me, Pak?, Dayne(1st Ac)

The Land of The Morning Calm

So we landed here in Seoul at around 4:30 a.m. My mind a little scrambled but adrenaline kicked in to see this new part of the world had me in full work mode not realizing that I was pretty tired but not beat down. I gotta say the first few sites after meeting the production team was striking of Korea, and very timely of the moment for where we were with this adventure. Take a look at the photos below of the rising sun above this gorgeous land.




It was quit appropriate I think to the moment and what we were heading towards. The airport is in Incheon and east of that is Seoul exactly where the sun is rising above. Somethings you can't put words to , except maybe THANKS. Enjoy the moment in pictures as much as we did as we rode into the rising sun of Seoul Korea.


These images truly embody "The Land of the Morning Calm." which is know as KOREA.

















THANKS!

Business Class

All I can say about business class on an international flight is.....GREAT!!!! Espeacially for a 12 hour direct flight, we flew 5988 miles flew out on a Wed 12:20am and arrived here at 4:30am thursday.....So we were in the air for 12 hours but because of the time zone we lost a full day! Interesting concept. All smiles now, and a lot more faith in what we are about to do here in Seoul. I CAN HARDLY WAIT.



As my mother stated foriegn airlines treat people as human beings with great service, I gotta tell you she was SO RIGHT!

LAX

So my wife and I arrived at LAX after a long goodbye, and got there at about 10pm two hours prior to the 12:15 take off. Director arrives and we head to the business class line bags in hand and are told that we have no reservation? WTF we both have had email confirmations telling us of our business class seats and that we were confirmed for that nights flights. They at Korean Air, say the seats are available but your travel agent has cancelled the reservation. WHAT....Immediately we call our Korean Exec Producer Yung. I am thinking and doubting to myself that we are not going to be going to Seoul after all, and that all this prep and emotion are going to waste. I truly became "ye of little faith." Yung does not pick up, the travel agents do not pick up, they tell us we have 30mins to get someone on the phone are we might as well forget about it. I'm like , I'll take door number 2, look at the pict of me! Cell phone on my lap no descript look on my face just frustrated......"Low faith"

Now look at my director Christian

Smile on his face just talking to our American producer/liason John about whats going on and knowing that it is going to work out. I'm like "man I gotta come back tomorrow and do this all again with the wife! Man this is not cool." Needless to say we don't hear back from Korea so we proceed to the parking lot literally 5 steps from touching the car when the phone rings.....Its Yung, he tells us that his travel agent has switched us to Asiana Airlines, business class for a 12:20 flight. We stop and run full speed now back across traffic and through LAX Bradley terminal and they tell us we have been confirmed and that there is no rush! I can hardly believe it. We were leaving. Irony was we were sitting right next to that terminal the whole time. It was a lesson of faith about this experience and how I need to let go and roll with the adventure at hand. This is not a American production its a Korean production and its going to be a GREAT TIME. A great lesson learned. Needless to say I have to be thankful for a great wife who ran with us across traffic dragging one of my bags and stayed with us as this whole thing unfolded. Thanks Lis and so we made our amazing flight across the Pacific!

Tonights flight

A world map describing the distance between LA and Seoul South Korea.
http://maps.ask.com/maps?qsrc=167&o=15141&l=dis#
It should be a great flight on Korean Air...

24hours

So here I am,with my director, 24 hours before we leave for Seoul Korea, gotta admit pretty excited my director and I have been trying to get a game plan together before we touch down over there.
So let me explain this is a Korean dance/action film, much in the vain of Step Up but with a Korean back drop, little did I know Korean dancers have been winning the World Hip Hop dance competitions over the past few years. So this will be interesting.
As my friend Bruce said "they taught us a lot of things at AFI, 3D certainly wasn't one of them!", but we know what it takes to prepare for it, gotta love a challenge as a Cinematographer. By the way my director is not sleeping in this photo his just concentrating on a great brownie sunday. hahaaaaa

Getting ready

So here I am 48 hours before I get on a flight to Seoul Korea, only days after completing an intense course in motion picture 3D or Stereophonics! Where do I start? Probably at the fact that my dear friend and collaborative partner Strickland, at 7am, asked if I could join him on a journey to Seoul Korea in week to photograph a film for him....but in 3D. I knew a little about 3D but not everything. So of course I said yes, and the irony was I was just inquiring about the new 3D seminar at Sony Studios for the camera guild Local 600. But there was one problem! I was scheduled for 2 weeks away when in fact I needed to leave in a week and a half. So with much persistence and prayer....open mind and hearts I was let in a week early.
I have to admit its a intense course that is well worth the time and effort you put into it.I know I look crazy but there I am with the 3D glasses on top of my regular specs....