Sunday, June 17, 2007

When it rains...

How wonderfully cliché that my film shoot be marred by torrential rains after five whole months of pre-production without a single drop. As one of the guys said to me while we were running for shelter- "You know you're shooting a real film when it starts to rain."

Mother Nature has therefore left us with three unfinished scenes which we have to reschedule sometime this week. We can only pray that she is kind enough to grant us a lull before Saturday, which is when Matt, one of the actors, has to leave for the States, where he will be based for seven weeks.

Force majeure incidents aside, we have been shooting some pretty good material. I spent all day today viewing the rushes and they look wonderful. Our first two days were spent at the shipyards at Botany Bay, and we just had a grand time rigging lights and running in and out of the steel containers. I kept thinking how cool it was that I finally had my own Lito Lapid movie set.





Wednesday was even cooler, as we drove around the streets in a low loader truck. Our grip Dave, who is just a legend, whipped up all these crazy camera rigs that enabled us to get the shots that I wanted.





It's been an incredibly challenging week but I was expecting it anyways, so I'm not too stressed out by all the changes and adjustments we constantly have to make on the fly. Filmmaking is all about problem solving and the one thing I am learning more than ever in this shoot is how to roll with the punches. When rain starts hitting you in the face horizontally, you gotta pack up the cables and geni and send everyone home. At the end of the day, the crew's safety comes first, and no one really works well when they're electrocuted in shin-high floods anyways.

I'm just glad I have a great producer in Luke and a very skilled crew that's just getting it done. Three more dry days! That's all I need Lord.

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To everyone that's been sending their kind words about The Haircut/ Short Film Corner thing, thank you so much. =) Contrary to what Mel says about the director getting all the credit, the film wouldn't have happened if not for her producing skills and therefore most of the praise must be pointed her way as well. The win at Cannes was a great momentum builder for me going into this next short film, and I can't wait to get this done and see what everyone thinks of it. It's totally different from The Haircut, which just confirms the path I am trying to take, which is to do as many films of all genres. I'm already thinking about doing a creepy little horror flick next...

Sunday, June 10, 2007

American Gangster


Now this should settle the "Who should've won the Best Actor Oscar during the 73rd and 74th Academy Awards" debate.

Russell? Denzel? Directed by Ridley Scott? Heyl yeyz.

Monday, June 04, 2007

I just staggered home after 48 hours of storyboard meetings with Fung my cinematographer and Jen my first AD. Lots of beer and tea, ciggies and chocolate, and me acting out scenes from the film as I describe how I want a shot to look like and bumping my head on the walls in the process. I haven't bathed in two days which doesn't really matter as it is officially winter and thus I am sweat free and still lemony fresh.


Smiling now...


2 days later

We have six shooting days to complete a 22-page, 30-minute film. 5pm till sunrise all throughout. Filming on a low loader truck as we cross a major city tunnel. Gunfights and shit blowing up. I really don't know how we are going to pull it all off, but I just have to arm myself with the fact that in the end, things will always work one way or the other.

Seven days to go. Bring it on.