DRN Thesis "Untitled"

[darrin p nim]

Hello fellow members,

I don't usually do these and I probably won't go well into detail about the project but I just recently shot a short for a graduating Director friend of mine, Daniel Ross Noble. I was thinking of doing a "live" journal on here of the shoot but it was very tiring and falling apart at points. It was becoming difficult to salvage the film. Pick ups are mostly likely in order. On top of that my brother and cousin were/are in town, so I had to juggle them. I think they enjoyed being on set. Also this film was shot entirely in Ventura and some nights I drove back to Los Angeles in order to sleep at my apartment and returned the following day. Tiring.

 

Well, to shed some light, I am a graduate of Brooks Institute, I have been out for a year. I have rarely shot much since graduation. I've been studying and learning every day I'm on set and off. I've lately been extremely eager to shoot and this opportunity came around. I've have been some what lucky to have worked enough the last couple of months to take some time off of for this shoot, as I have been very very eager to shoot.

 

*Synopsis coming soon*

 

This shoot was a student shoot as far as everyone but myself, even though many would still consider me on that level hadn't they known me. Shot in 4 days, 1 day, 1 day to night, and 2 night shoots. So this was difficult to work under such limitations. My gaffer was a good friend of mine that is graduating in less than a week, Mike Viera III, who played also as my key. I appreciate his hard work and his crew, as they and myself worked for free. I did however felt I had to micro-manage a little, as Mike has only worked as my Gaffer once before on a music video over a year ago. The actors were great aside from one who production found difficult to work with, even though he was very talented.

 

Here are some stills from the shoot that are slightly timed in Photoshop by myself. This film was shot on the Sony EX1 with the P&S Technik and Zeiss Superspeeds. I originally did not want to go with the Superspeeds, I wanted to go with the Standard speeds as the glass is a little better and they are cheaper to rent. This film was very low budget. I ended up cutting out a hand full of rentals that would have made production much more easy, a Condor for a night exterior scene, and some other things. I ended up purchasing some rentals and some expendables in order to make this shoot work. Money that I most likely won't get back from production.

 

We'll I honestly don't know much else to say so if you have any questions please feel free to ask. Enjoy.

 

Edited August 27, 2008 by darrin p nim

[Christopher Arata]

Funny running into you on here, The stills look great man! You should have hit me up I would have come helped you out, probably would have been more fun than the show I was working on.

[darrin p nim]

Thanks Chris. I knew your were some where on here. I don't post a lot, I tend to read more, so that's probably why you haven't seen me around. You know, I wanted to call some people from LA out but it would have been such a hassle to make it out for free. Gas compensation was non-existent. So I had to rely on a student crew to work for me, which was fine, they were very hard working when they decided to show up. This shoot was a mess, I doubt you would of had much fun.

 

I really can't put together a great synopsis because the film is more of a "slice of life". The film is about an artistic young man named Noah who takes care of his grandmother, Mima, while attending college and working. He grows tired and forgetful of her needs but always seems to passively accomplish them. He gets fired from the restaurant he works at but is given a job opportunity from the guest he last serves, Ted. Ted show's his interest in Noah. Noah re-examines his financial situation and one day call's Ted. Ted meet's with him at night and picks him up in his car. Ted explains to Noah the job opportunity is similar to escorting and Noah reluctantly listens. Things escalate further than Noah predicted and he finds himself in a bind. Ted beats Noah up and rapes him whilst unconscious. He is thrown out from the car and left to find his way home. There, he scrubs himself clean in the shower where he begins to soak in his misery (hah literally). He then finds his way to his grandma where he realizes he needs her more than she does him. End of horrible synopsis.

 

It is a dark themed film, the thick of the drama being in the car dealt with the rape scene, which was very intense and chilling. I've never even worked on a set that touched this subject and have only seen so many in films that have. So it was a little adventurous for me. The House location was very simply lit nothing extravagant compared to the Restaurant, which need to exude higher class. The rape scene took place on a rural road and I felt had to have no real motivated sources, no street lamps, nothing. Just a car in the middle of a empty rural road, much of that scene was soft light and darkness. I wanted to contrast this scene with the previous car scene (shown in frames 5 & 6) which occurs right before in a parking lot.

 

The above stills are only some from the film, and were more for production than to show my work.

 

Noah seen in frames 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, & 10

Mima/Noah's Grandma seen in frame 4

Ted seen in frames 5, 8, & 9

Jonathan/Noah's Boss seen in frame 7

 

Frame 1: Noah in his bedroom painting.

Frame 2: Gets ready for an interview in his bathroom (frame is an awkward frame, facially.)

Frame 3: Noah putting together a list of business to call.

Frame 4: Last shot of the film, camera is sliding left to right, Noah enters from left of frame and Mima invites him to a loving hug.

Frame 5: Ted arrives at the parking lot and picks Noah up.

Frame 6: Noah waits for Ted in his car.

Frame 7: Jonathan smells cigarettes and warns Noah.

Frame 8: Ted begins to get serious in the the car, Noah becomes worried.

Frame 9: Ted explains the opportunity.

Frame 10: Noah just got fired, Ted speaks of a job opportunity.

 

 

No questions? Comments?

 

The EX1 and P&S worked finicky with each other. The focus ring on the EX1 had to be continually be checked and realigned, as the focus length display would show what looked to be right but often wasn't. Ughh. At times I was looking at my 1st AC with a puzzled look, she's very talented and she gave me grief when I had. Lol. Umm. I don't feel like typing much more. End of rant.

Edited August 30, 2008 by darrin p nim

[darrin p nim]

Thanks Chris. I knew your were some where on here. I don't post a lot, I tend to read more, so that's probably why you haven't seen me around. You know, I wanted to call some people from LA out but it would have been such a hassle to make it out for free. Gas compensation was non-existent. So I had to rely on a student crew to work for me, which was fine, they were very hard working when they decided to show up. This shoot was a mess, I doubt you would of had much fun.

 

I really can't put together a great synopsis because the film is more of a "slice of life". The film is about an artistic young man named Noah who takes care of his grandmother, Mima, while attending college and working. He grows tired and forgetful of her needs but always seems to passively accomplish them. He gets fired from the restaurant he works at but is given a job opportunity from the guest he last serves, Ted. Ted show's his interest in Noah. Noah re-examines his financial situation and one day call's Ted. Ted meet's with him at night and picks him up in his car. Ted explains to Noah the job opportunity is similar to escorting and Noah reluctantly listens. Things escalate further than Noah predicted and he finds himself in a bind. Ted beats Noah up and rapes him whilst unconscious. He is thrown out from the car and left to find his way home. There, he scrubs himself clean in the shower where he begins to soak in his misery (hah literally). He then finds his way to his grandma where he realizes he needs her more than she does him. End of horrible synopsis.

 

It is a dark themed film, the thick of the drama being in the car dealt with the rape scene, which was very intense and chilling. I've never even worked on a set that touched this subject and have only seen so many in films that have. So it was a little adventurous for me. The House location was very simply lit nothing extravagant compared to the Restaurant, which needed to exude higher class. The rape scene took place on a rural road which I felt had to have no real motivated sources, no street lamps, nothing. Just a car in the middle of a empty rural road. I wanted to light the wide exteriors with BFLs on a Condor but production cut that. So I went with a little different of a route. Much of that interior was soft light and darkness. I wanted to contrast this scene with the previous car scene (shown in frames 5 & 6) which occurs right before in a parking lot.

 

The above stills are only some from the film, and were more for production than to show my work.

 

Noah seen in frames 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, & 10

Mima/Noah's Grandma seen in frame 4

Ted seen in frames 5, 8, & 9

Jonathan/Noah's Boss seen in frame 7

 

Frame 1: Noah in his bedroom painting.

Frame 2: Gets ready for an interview in his bathroom (frame is an awkward frame, facially.)

Frame 3: Noah putting together a list of business to call.

Frame 4: Last shot of the film, camera is sliding left to right, Noah enters from left of frame and Mima invites him to a loving hug.

Frame 5: Ted arrives at the parking lot and picks Noah up.

Frame 6: Noah waits for Ted in his car.

Frame 7: Jonathan smells cigarettes and warns Noah.

Frame 8: Ted begins to get serious in the the car, Noah becomes worried.

Frame 9: Ted explains the opportunity.

Frame 10: Noah just got fired, Ted speaks of a job opportunity.

 

 

No questions? Comments?

 

The EX1 and P&S worked finicky with each other. The focus ring on the EX1 had to be continually be checked and realigned, as the focus length display would show what looked to be right but often wasn't. Ughh. At times I was looking at my 1st AC with a puzzled look, she's very talented and she gave me grief when I had. Lol. Umm. I don't feel like typing much more. End of rant.