DP is very unhappy with my apartment. Too small, not enough power, no storage.
But I remember what a producer on the Bratz movie told me: "Sometimes it's better when you have no money."
Because of the constraints of my apartment we'll be using practical lighting only, giving the whole film a natural feel, a nighttime feel, seedy and a little off. Because it's so small we'll shoot few masters and a lot of close ups, giving the characters a bit of a claustrophobic feel.
Robert Rodriguez shot El Mariachi with a beat up camera, making his whole film have a gritty, unusual look. Stanley Kubrick shot Eyes Wide Shut entirely in practical lighting and the whole film feels dark and a little off as a result, the perfect feel for a film about underground sex orgies or whatever the hell that movie was about.
Of course, that's easy for me to say. I don't have to figure out how to solve the problem.
Still, I think it's all going to work out. I have my cast in place and they're all talking to each other. We'll be rehearsing Thursday. Friday I meet with the DP and we lay out our final plans. Saturday morning we'll do a blocking rehearsal, then leave so the crew can set up while we run another rehearsal, then come back and start shooting. And we'll be shooting fast. We're going to shoot chronologically as much as we can, leaving only three scenes to be shot out of sequence.
Today, however, I get to go shopping. It's art direction day so I get to buy things for my apartment that will help the whole film look good and yet I will want to keep around. It's like a guilt-free redecorating event. I'll have before and after pictures tomorrow.
This all sounds very cool -- makes me wanna go shoot another movie.
ReplyDeleteHave fun with it~~
We just finished a shoot recently, part of which was shot in a cramped apartment. We used a single 2 bank cool light (http://www.coollights.biz/) though I understand it may be too late to get one for your shoot (and perhaps there's no budget).
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider is to pick up some china lanterns (the round paper lights) and put 100 W bulbs in them. Gives nice, soft, bright, diffused light that fits well in interior scenes, and if they get in the shot just look like normal practical lights.
Just a couple ideas...good luck on the shoot. They are a ton of work, but so much fun :)