DavidSloan Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 (edited) So I'm strolling home from a composer friend's place, and I see an entire block shut down with Panavison NY trucks! Of course I immediately get a hard-on and rush to see who is shooting what?! On the corner I am stopped by a PA that asks me to hold until they call-"cut." So I hold, and finally I hear "CUT," and I ask him "who is the DP," he tells me "Rosario Dawson," and I say "excuse me?!" He's like "what?" "I asked who is the DP!" "Oh, the DP...hold on let me check my call sheet...Um Steven Goldblatt?" My eyes pop out of my head...Steven Goldblatt aka the man who shot Lethal Weapon 1 & 2, The Pelican Brief, Closer, and The Hunger! "Can I have his Email?" Immediately he snatches the call sheet back into his pocket-lol Then I see a guy running down the block with a cellphone, and I ask him who it is, and he says "Chris Columbus!" I'm like wtf is going on here...so I finally convinced him to let me enter the set and stroll around. I got to check out one Technocrane shot and see Mr. Goldblatt direct his crew on rigging a 20x20 muslin with a 12K HMI bounced off it. Unfortunately I couldn't get near Mr.Goldblatt, as he was surrounded by an army of PAs, ADs and grips...maybe next time! I might go lookout for that shoot, tomorrow. Inspiring. PS. the movie is: Rent. Edited March 10, 2005 by DavidSloan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Spear Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 "Inspiring." ======= Hey David, WOW man. That's cool. Same thing happened to me when I lived in Chicago. I was just walking around with my mom when suddenly we find ourselves on the set of "Curly Sue". All those cameras and lights were an instant source of inspiration even at that young age... I guess some things just stick with you. :) Have you ever had the oppurtunity to work with any heroes of yours? -JonS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Kevin Zanit Posted March 11, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 11, 2005 Some of my earliest learning experiences went something like that. Have you ever had the oppurtunity to work with any heroes of yours? -JonS <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have been lucky to have worked with some people who have been very inspiring to me in my past. I did a movie with Bill Butler, and that was very inspiring to watch someone as seasoned as him work. Kevin Zanit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Spear Posted March 11, 2005 Share Posted March 11, 2005 That's awesome Kevin. I love his work. Must've been SUCH a rewarding experience. What project did you guys do together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidSloan Posted March 11, 2005 Author Share Posted March 11, 2005 Last night I went out for beers with my buddies and we bumped into the set again. This time they lit up a big city block with molefays on a crane. They also had about 5 snow machines going, and a few 5ks lighting up trees. To either side of the camera were 2 20x muslins with 2 molefays bounced off them. Lot's of christmas lights on the sides of buildings, too. Again I tried to speak with Mr. Goldblatt but he was on a 20ft ladder, looking through a director's view finder, the entire time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brent J. Craig Posted March 12, 2005 Share Posted March 12, 2005 ...Again I tried to speak with Mr. Goldblatt but he was on a 20ft ladder, looking through a director's view finder, the entire time. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Does Mr. Goldblatt bother you at your workplace? Big shoots are amazing, inspiring, and all the rest, but they are still workplaces. I'm about 500 levels down the callsheet from Mr. Goldblatt and it is extremely rare that I would have time to stop working and speak to some schmoe "out for beers". Trying to talk to a big DP on a film set is similar to bugging the famous actors, except the DP's are actually doing something :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Kevin Zanit Posted March 13, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 13, 2005 You just have to wait until the timing is right. Hang around a little, talk to some the crew guys. I don?t care what the size of the show, once they are lit; anyone not in camera department will have a little downtime. How much depends on the setup. If you play your cards right, the electric you are talking to will introduce you to the best boy, which will then introduce you to the gaffer, and then if you are luckily will offer to introduce you to the DP. Used to do it all the time. When going on these things it is important to respect everyone, weather they be a PA or the DP because ultimately they are doing better than you are, you?re not on the show at all, are you? :D Point is, blend in a little, and ask the guys how the show has been going, comment on the setup if it looks like it was a big pain in the ass to get going. You are just making small talk, and you can learn a lot this way. Kevin Zanit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted March 13, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 13, 2005 Hi, Just don't ever try to do that in the UK.... Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Max Jacoby Posted March 13, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 13, 2005 Just don't ever try to do that in the UK....:D There's our daily dose of Phil Rhodes' sparkling optimism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted March 13, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 13, 2005 (edited) Hi, Thankyou for making my point, Mister I Work In Outside the UK! Anyway, tell me I'm wrong. Film groupies approaching shoots in the UK will be roundly told to eff off. Phil Edited March 13, 2005 by Phil Rhodes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Wells Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 I was walking down the street one day, encountered a Roger Deakins lighting setup, scaffolds of Arri 12K & 18K HMI's (6 for one window, 6 for another). At the time I was prepping to shoot a short period film, large WWI night exterior. I reflected that I had less than '12K' TOTAL to work with :D (yes I know, it can take a bit more firepower to do a massive daylight thing than simulate a bunch of kerosene lanterns !) If I'd encountered Roger D. I dunno what on earth I would have said really. Maybe "Sure is warmer here than North Dakota" :D -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidSloan Posted March 13, 2005 Author Share Posted March 13, 2005 To Brent and Phil: I wasn't suggesting to jump around, screaming like a little girl. I wanted to politely introduce myself and express my appreciation of his work. I don't see any famous DP getting upset if someone just wants to say hello. It's not like DPs get hounded by tons of fans...they might even appreciate a fan here and there. As for the UK-there are no real shoots there, anyway...whose shoot should I hang around, yours? I saw your, out of focus, 16mm stuff, not likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riku Naskali Posted March 13, 2005 Share Posted March 13, 2005 As for the UK-there are no real shoots there, anyway... Maybe that was a part of Phil's point :) However I wish I was in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Wells Posted March 14, 2005 Share Posted March 14, 2005 Actually now that I think about it, I would have been curious to see what Roger Deakins did when he preflashed some of the negative for some scenes in "A Beautiful Mind" -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Keith Mottram Posted March 14, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 14, 2005 (edited) As for the UK-there are no real shoots there, anyway... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A real shoot does not maketh a real film. I'm, therefor, quite happy to have chris columbus shooting on your side of the pond..... keith Edited March 14, 2005 by keith mottram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fstop Posted March 15, 2005 Share Posted March 15, 2005 You guys know what this is? The movie version of the stage musical RENT! Can you believe it? Someone was stupid enough to make a big screen version after Parker and Stone sent it up to the unsalvagable in TEAM AMERICA WORLD POLICE. Then again, unsuprisingly, that someone IS Chris Columbus... I was never a fan of Goldblatt's earlier work, or his Oscar nominated soul-lackingly technical Storaro/DickTracy retread effort Batman movies, but everything from Conspiracy onwards has really demonstrated his maturity- I saw the trailer for CLOSER and the lighting and lensing is second to none. The guy is like a great wine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Max Jacoby Posted March 15, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 15, 2005 I saw the trailer for CLOSER and the lighting and lensing is second to none. The guy is like a great wine! I saw the movie twice and wasn't impressed by the cinematography. It didn't seem very expressive or inventive, merely lighting and framing the action. They didn't attempt to hide the films theatre roots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Phil Rhodes Posted March 15, 2005 Premium Member Share Posted March 15, 2005 Hi, Quite, I thought it felt very theatrical. Needed almost a full half hour taking out of it to be interesting. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenolian Bell Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 They didn't attempt to hide the films theatre roots. I think that was the idea. I myself always appreciate framing like this. I think it shows maturity and courage. There was no need for the trappings of cinema to get in the way of the story. This doesn't work for every film, but it certainly does for some. I often deal with directors who feel they aren't moving the camera enough. My question always is "Why? Movie it where and for what?" Many times they don't know, they are just used to watching films that have lots of cuts and the camera constantly moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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