Mrs. Palfrey/Hollywoodland

[Frank DiBugnara]

I caught "Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont" tonight (long story as to how we came to see it-- my friend and I were the youngest in the crowd by about 40 years it seemed). I actually enjoyed it....anyone have technical specs: camera, lenses, stock?

 

And "Hollywoodland" was one of the trailers. I'd love tech specs on that one too...some of it looked very stylized very diffused.

[David Mullen ASC]

I'm curious to see "Hollywoodland" too -- I was almost going to shoot it when it was going to be made by the Polish Brothers. You can see a frame from a 24P HD test I shot (just me, the director, the actor, and a couple of lights) for a screen test of Kyle MacLachlan, in the last link:

 

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/371/371376p1.html

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/377/377897p1.html

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/370/370019p1.html

 

We were planning on shooting it in a way as to make it look like a 1950's CinemaScope biopic of George Reeves, emulating an early Eastmancolor look with echos of 3-strip Technicolor. I pulled lots of reference frames from many 50's movies, in particular "A Star Is Born", which seemed like a perfect model to follow. We were going to make it look like it was made by a 1950's film crew.

 

The screen test was just in 24P HD to make it easy on ourselves since we didn't really have much of a crew. I also shot another screen test in 35mm anamorphic while in Montana, since Kyle was working with us for a few days on "Northfork".

 

It would have been fun. I would have done an all-hard-light 50's glamour approach (except for fill.) Probably have done a D.I. to nail that Technicolor look better; the question for me at the time was how much to recreate the grain of 1950's 35mm Eastmancolor. A film that sort of did this was "Down With Love" except that they used a modern soft-light style. We were even talking to the same production designer as that film.

 

This link has more frame grabs from my quickie screen test. One near the bottom of Kyle sitting on the couch is probably closest to the old-fashioned lighting approach I was planning on taking:

 

http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/elsewhere/1.html

[Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC]

I'm curious to see "Hollywoodland" too -- I was almost going to shoot it when it was going to be made by the Polish Brothers. You can see a frame from a 24P HD test I shot (just me, the director, the actor, and a couple of lights) for a screen test of Kyle MacLachlan, in the last link:

 

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/371/371376p1.html

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/377/377897p1.html

http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/370/370019p1.html

 

We were planning on shooting it in a way as to make it look like a 1950's CinemaScope biopic of George Reeves, emulating an early Eastmancolor look with echos of 3-strip Technicolor. I pulled lots of reference frames from many 50's movies, in particular "A Star Is Born", which seemed like a perfect model to follow. We were going to make it look like it was made by a 1950's film crew.

 

The screen test was just in 24P HD to make it easy on ourselves since we didn't really have much of a crew. I also shot another screen test in 35mm anamorphic while in Montana, since Kyle was working with us for a few days on "Northfork".

 

It would have been fun. I would have done an all-hard-light 50's glamour approach (except for fill.) Probably have done a D.I. to nail that Technicolor look better; the question for me at the time was how much to recreate the grain of 1950's 35mm Eastmancolor. A film that sort of did this was "Down With Love" except that they used a modern soft-light style. We were even talking to the same production designer as that film.

 

This link has more frame grabs from my quickie screen test. One near the bottom of Kyle sitting on the couch is probably closest to the old-fashioned lighting approach I was planning on taking:

 

http://www.moviepoopshoot.com/elsewhere/1.html

 

How come you never got to shoot it?

[David Mullen ASC]

How come you never got to shoot it?

 

I was connected with the director, so when he was dropped, so was I. And I believe the movie was ultimately made in Canada with a Canadian DP; anyway, I probably wouldn't have done it with another director out of loyalty.

[Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC]

I was connected with the director, so when he was dropped, so was I. And I believe the movie was ultimately made in Canada with a Canadian DP; anyway, I probably wouldn't have done it with another director out of loyalty.

 

Damn. Sorry to hear that. Politics eh.