Day1/Week1

So here it is I’m actually in my second week but I’m writing about my first week. I must tell you considering our schedule these blogs can be an interesting challenge at 1 or 2am and then I consider an edit but not to much avail. I am trying a new approach and hopefully it helps in the editing and grammar experience of this blog site.
Day 1, very interesting considering here in Korea there is not a big situation to permitting an area, except the neighbors consent for the most part. So we arrived in this great historical neighborhood to shoot a quick cutaway scene of our gangster leaving his supposed home. We arrive early and excited trucks pulling up and getting gear together, we set up the crane and start the blocking process and then.........she comes. A disgruntled old ...*&^#&*@ who was upset that she couldn’t get down her street, she claims she felt disrespected do to how someone talked about her car!
She proceeded to make our day a living hell by trying in all her power to prevent us from shooting in her neighborhood. Mind you the people of the street were split about us being there. Some really didn’t care while others sided with her and just wanted to be upset. Needless to say day1 was a rehearsal for what should have been an easy scene to execute.
The next three days we were else where, and it was a major set up for the actual climax of the movie. It was something that at first glance was not ideal but turned out to be a good situation just because of pure adrenaline and excitement for the movie; due to the fact it was our climax dance scene. At first my hesitation and uncertainty only gave way due to the earlier lesson of this whole journey, so I surrendered to the opportunity to jump into a big 3D scene/apex of the visual language of the film. My crew arrived at the location at 3:30 am to put in a six hour rig before I arrived at 10am with the directors. I ordered a few things for this concert scene of the movie, so I had a 40’ jib arm that I would be riding with the camera, mind you the rig is too big and weighs too much for remote capabilities. While my B cam would be on the ground with my former AFI (American Film Institute) classmate Yung Rho Kim operating it. Yung already had experience with shooting 3D , plus I knew his work so I thought it would be a good fit. Now not having exactly operated a 3D camera rig except for at the 3D seminar at Sony, it was quite an experience when I got 40’ plus in the air but with the additional 6’ platform it was closer to 50’ up in this auditorium. Mind I am not the biggest fan of heights but when I have to work, I kind of brush it to the waist side and suck it up. One thing that I didn’t realize is the physics of being that high with a 3D rig, with 3D there are two cameras that are moving simultaneously to adjust the depth of 3D on screen. Now with that variable of the cameras moving one way, my inertia being swung another way, and the sheer weight of the two cameras together being close to 100 lb. exactly it became a serious work out at 40 plus feet. Mind on this day we were shooting live action dance so I was in the chair elevated for 5 hours with a couple of breaks. The word exhausting scratches the surface of what I felt on that first night back at the condo and to think I had two more days there but not at 40’.
These three days encompassed some of the most impressive breakdancing I had ever seen in my life. The director Jason Yung Lee, kept raving about these guys and I was just kind of passive in responding to his hype. Then it happened these guys called Chaos crew are considered some of the best in the world, and I think even 2 time world champs and have placed in the finals for about 5 years in the World Championships in Europe. I gotta tell they backed up every word Jason spoke of them. My favorites shot is when I was elevated above the stage at 20’ and they catapulted another dancer 12’ towards the lens in the air. We saw the dailies and it was amazing to see him launch out of the screen only to return within the screen once he landed. AWESOME and it went like this for three days and the projected dailies reflected it and the visuals were well received by our producers,investors, and directors. I was very happy with the work and how we started this film.
Thanks Lis for your help it was much easier!