Production Notes

Still images

2007-02-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

from my shooting in Japan and Hong Kong.

...

2006-09-10T14:41:00.000-05:00

(01/18 edit)

Seven hundred feet of processed 16mm had to be returned to the lab for a new transfer. Editing on my next film will commence when I get the new transfer back.

'SEIZON' complete, trailer posted.

2006-08-17T17:19:00.000-05:00

Two days ago I sent a screener of 'Seizon' to Sundance. I still consider this a rough cut, as the music and a few edits may change in the next several weeks. Here's a quick trailer that I edited this afternoon (save link, view in QuickTime):

'SEIZON' trailer

Comments welcome. This was all shot on my Kinor. Some was Plus-X neg and the rest was Fuji 64D and Kodak V2 250D.

edit: part of a dialogue scene.

dialogue scene

Wrap.

2006-07-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

Standing on Paynes Prairie at 7:30 PM yesterday, shooting for 'Seizon' wrapped. 2300' of 16mm film and 100' of Super 8 film were shot in all.

Post-production should be finished by the end of August.

Tanimura returns.

2006-07-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

(the protagonist of Seizon is named Tanimura)

Yesterday I shot the sunset scene. Finding a location was difficult, as most west-facing beaches are crowded in the evening. Eventually I was able to use a location with some problems (buildings behind, scattered people, etc) and make it work.

For the first time, I was able to snap a few production stills with my new Pentax *ist DL SLR. I was in a rush to finish shooting so I forgot to switch into RAW mode. Also, I'm working on a laptop with questionable image characteristics, so I didn't perform any correction or alterations other than recompressing to decrease the file size.

The big variable here is the stock. I'm working on Vision2 250D, which I've never used before. I hope it provides enough latitude, and the colorist makes good choices - I want the sun to be strongly exposed but not blown out, with a silhouetting of the figure in the foreground if necessary.

'Collected Works' DVD now available for purchase.

2006-06-21T02:24:00.000-05:00

After almost two months of on-and-off work, my DVD is finished. This includes five short films (all four of my film-originated projects from 2005 and the first from 2006) as well as special features including full director commentaries for each film, complete screenplays for four of them, and additional extras. I haven't presented my films online to this point because I really feel that the extra picture quality provided by DVD over streaming or web content enhances the experience.

I have no interest in making a huge amount of money from selling this DVD, and any profits will be entirely re-invested in my current 16mm film, Seizon, or future projects.

Support true independent filmmaking with your purchase.

Some information on each film:

Taco - 2m 27s
An exploration of exploitation and consumerism through the contrasting textures of Super 8 film and digital video. Featuring Hide Kubota and Sebastian Quadrat.

Survival Record - 10m 13s
(Cannes and Sundance submission 2006)

Following a nuclear disaster, a journalist struggles to retain his humanity in a changed world. Featuring Jaylen McGrew.

Silence - 7m 34s
(Cannes submission 2006)

Space and time fuse and twist in the story of an astronaut's test flight ending in disaster - or salvation. With Jaylen McGrew.

Epitaph - 7m 33s

Crash-landing on an uninhabited planet, a mortally wounded astronaut examines his life in its final hours. With Evan Kubota.

The Discarded Body - 10m 33s
(Cannes submission 2006)

A desperate scientist injects himself with an unknown substance and suffers the manifestation of an unstoppable parasitic growth. Featuring Hide Kubota.

Once again, the Collected Works DVD:

- five short films
- total running time nearly 40 minutes
- all films shot partially or fully on Super 8, 16mm, or DV
- mastered from original telecined footage
- director's commentaries for each film, and screenplays for four
- even more...

The price is $10 USD plus $2.50 postage in the continental US. International orders are welcome, but postage will be higher.

E-mail me if you're interested in ordering.

I've attached a JPEG of the original cover art, based on a Super 8 frame grab from Epitaph.

Color footage back

2006-06-04T23:11:00.000-05:00

On Saturday FedEx dropped off the first 400' roll of color footage as well as 1200 more feet of Fuji 64D, which should be enough to nearly finish shooting.

Here are some stills.

day 5

2006-05-23T00:27:00.000-05:00

Shot at Little Talbot Island north of Jacksonville. I think it went well. Some good effects shots and wide, panoramic views. I wasn't able to record sound so it'll have to be added later. Here are a few stills (not of the actual beach area).

Shooting continues (day 4)

2006-05-17T18:39:00.000-05:00

Fourth day of shooting - just a single scene. Tanimura returns to the battlefield after hiding in the forest and witnesses several corpses left behind in the Americans' wake. He picks up a field phone and tries to reach any remaining units.

Somehow the 3/8"-1/4" tripod adapter for the Kinor fell out when I was transporting the equipment. I had to shoot from the shoulder. Sync sound was recorded, and I'm about to check for motor noise. I also did several takes without the camera running to build a Foley track around.

Here are a few stills (not angles I actually captured on film).

2006-05-01T20:18:00.000-05:00

Stills from the first shooting day. Everything was shot handheld using my Kinor with a 6mm lens and Plus-X negative.

DVD coming soon

2006-04-29T02:34:00.000-05:00

The DVD of my most recent work is going to be available soon. I'm in the middle of recording commentaries and creating other special features. Here's some info, subject to change:

5 films
Taco
Survival Record
Silence
Epitaph
The Discarded Body

Total running time ~ 40 mins.

director's commentary for each films
shooting scripts for most films
production images where available
and more.

It will probably cost $10 USD plus shipping (about $2 in the US). I'm not looking to get rich off this, and all profits will be reinvested in Seizon, my summer film, and future projects.

The first footage for Seizon should be back within a few days. Expect frame grabs by the middle of next week.

Also, if anyone is going to be in town the weekend after this one and wants to act in the film, I have three roles for male extras (no dialogue, no experience required). The shoot shouldn't take more than 90 minutes or so.

Camera test/first day

2006-04-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

I started shooting this morning. More later.

'Seizon' preproduction mockup

2006-04-16T00:35:00.000-05:00

A quick mockup from a costume test today:

The site is still alive

2006-04-07T02:36:00.000-05:00

"Survival Record" is showing at around 1 PM at Cinerama 2006 in the Reitz cinema in Gainesville. Show your support.. whatever that might consist of.

The script for my WWII project is nearly finished. More later.

Festival submissions and more

2006-02-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

I submitted "Survival Record" and "Silence" to the Ivy Film Festival. Since it's ostensibly for undergraduate and graduate filmmakers, this will hopefully cut out the "Hollywood indie" shorts that are shot with $50-100k budgets on 35mm with name actors. Might be up against some NYU grad students who spend almost as much, though.

I'm submitting my three major films from this year to Cannes, also. "Survival Record," "Silence," and "The Discarded Body" will all be sent to France tomorrow. I doubt they'll accept anything, but you never know.

My next film is going to occupy most of my summer. It's set in the Philippines at the end of World War II and follows a soldier who is left behind by the retreating Imperial Japanese Army. Estimated length is 20 minutes. My aesthetic goal for this film is extreme restraint - no music, mostly a single 25mm lens, and very little dialogue. I noticed on some of my earlier films that the small screen (computer or television) was affecting my framing and editing in the sense that it was too close, too fast for the large screen. I'm going to try to work on this project as if it were a feature that was intended for projection in a theatre, not viewing at home. I modified my Bolex H16M to Super 16 and I will shoot on Plus-X negative. Both of these changes will ideally avoid the amateurish small-screen look.

"The Discarded Body"

2006-02-15T23:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday the footage came back from the lab. It's been about 30 hours and I'm nearly at picture lock, the music is laid in, and I'm starting on Foley. Above are some frame grabs. I apologize for the aspect ratio being slightly off - couldn't figure out how to turn on square pixels for the still image export.

I'd like to have this done in time for Cannes without resorting to fast shipping - that means finished by March 1st?

My face hurts.

2006-02-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

2006-01-31T22:39:00.000-05:00

Some images from the previous Friday's shoot.

Shooting continued

2006-01-29T01:17:00.000-05:00

After shooting from 6:30 to 10:30 PM on Friday, the project is almost halfway in the can. Still a few more indoor scenes, then outdoor shooting will take place next weekend. After that, the footage goes to the lab. My shooting ratio on this project is not as good as "Silence": I'll probably use all 700' of film (roughly 18 minutes at 24 fps) for a 9-10 minute film. I have about 400' left, which will hopefully be enough. I took a few pictures of the two sets so far (piano and laboratory area). More later.

The Discarded Body: shooting begins

2006-01-25T18:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I started the first roll of Tri-X out of seven that I ordered for this film. I shot footage of a construction site where an old K-Mart was demolished. The site is rapidly changing, and I needed to capture it to cut in with the character shots later. These are all POV/environment shots without actors. The sky was overcast and lighting conditions changed rapidly; I tried to quickly get a reading with the incident meter then run back to the camera, which was under part of a building, and shoot before the lighting changed. A somewhat challenging shoot. Also, I'm not sure the lighting was hard enough to give contrasty images.

I went back today and finished the roll in much brighter sunlight, which revealed another issue: I need an ND filter. f/22 was barely stopped down enough to shoot in direct sunlight, and it's probably even 1/2-1 stop overexposed. Hopefully it can be pulled back in the telecine without losing an enormous amount of detail. I will try to get an ND filter before the next outdoor portion.

I may be shooting the first indoor scenes as early as Friday. I may noticeably underexpose these, rating the film as 200ASA, for a grainier, low-key look. The only light will be provided by a fluorescent practical.

Still plenty of special effects to set up before the real shoot starts. 600' of film left - I hope it's enough. More later.

Dolly test

2006-01-12T23:37:00.000-05:00

Today I finished a 16-wheel dolly for a little over $50 including 20 feet of track. This will be put to use for several shots in my current film. Here's a brief test shot on my GL2. Save the link and then play it from your hard drive.

http://plaza.ufl.edu/ekubota/dolly.mp4

Coming next year...

2006-01-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

My first production of 2006 will be "The Discarded Body," a B&W horror short film shot partially or fully on 16mm. A scientist attempting to create a mechanical control system to augment the human body's capabilities is drastically altered when something goes wrong. The consequences are predictably gruesome. For this project, I'm taking inspiration from Cronenberg's "body horror" and films like "Tetsuo" as well as the classic French horror film "Les yeux sans visage" (Eyes Without a Face). A preliminary shooting time would be late January and early February, with post-production probably stretching until the beginning of March. The estimated running time is 10 minutes.

I still have to construct the main set, scout one or two locations (one of my usual filming spots is off-limits due to construction/road repair), and cast the lead actor. The costume is almost finished, and practical effects are coming along. I may mock up a publicity image featuring the costume, although I usually avoid those kind of things.

End of the year summary

2006-01-04T10:48:00.000-05:00

In 2005, I completed 5 short 'films' (4 were actually on film). Here's a summary, with some comments for each.

War Crimes (March/April): miniDV, ~9 min. A sniper, abandoned in a desolate forest, struggles to reconcile his orders (to stop an enemy convoy carrying a suitcase nuke) with his conscience.

- This was my most logistically complex shoot to that point, with 5 actors, full costumes, and several props. I also built a compressed air blood sprayer for bullet hits. This short played at the 2005 Cinerama in Gainesville. It was my first 'serious' project involving dialogue - the result was OK, I think, but in retrospect the missing element that saturated the production was the fact that it was not shot on film. This removed authenticity that lessened the overall effect. I think the script is strong, and I may revisit this on 16mm or super 8 with more preparation and a carefully selected cast.

Taco (April/May): super 8/miniDV, ~4 min. A homeless man finds a dollar and wants to buy a taco to eat. But the dollar is on a string, and the string is held by a man with a video camera... is recording reality always exploitation?

- My first project shot on Super 8. The concept was simple, but I enjoyed working in darker thematic elements. The authenticity of film contrasted with the sterile hyper-realism of miniDV; I felt the rapid, kinetic pace of the initial concept carried over well to the final product, which has a loose, spontaneous feel.

Survival Record (May through August): super 8, ~11 min. In a world destroyed by nuclear war, a cameraman struggles to survive.

- This was the major production of the year in terms of running time, pre-production, and scope (several locations, props, etc.). I spent May, June, and July largely refining the script; it originally started as a 20 minute short with five major characters who died off from the effects of radiation. Extensive revision streamlined the story so the eventual plot followed a single character who was a composite of several individuals from the earlier drafts. Shooting was divided over two days in July, and required 300' of super 8 film (Kodachrome 40). I mainly used my Nikon R10, although a Nizo S560 was used for some steadicam shots. Sound editing continued through the middle of August. I was pleased with the final product, and in my opinion this has the strongest narrative arc of my films to date.

Silence (September/October): 16mm, ~ 8 min. Time folds on itself in a contradictory, paradoxical vision of entering a black hole in a space capsule.

- Extensive set construction was necessary (in my living room) to create a believable space capsule that could be modified to film from several angles: side, rear, and front. I also bought a Soviet high altitude helmet on eBay, which added a vague Eastern bloc inflection to the set design and costume. I used a Bolex H16 non-reflex camera from the 1940s, which gave quite sharp footage. I was concerned that the lighting (about 1000W total) would not be sufficient for the 80ASA film (Plus-X) but it turned out to be more than enough. If I re-made this project, I would close down the lens by an additional half-stop for most of the shots.

Epitaph (November/December): super 8, ~ 8 min. An astronaut, mortally wounded in an accidental crash on a remote planet, tries to preserve his struggle in a final transmission to the stars.

- A quickly conceived project to incorporate some ideas that had formed during the shooting and post-production on "Silence." In fact, two crucial shots were borrowed from "Silence" (the opening space capsule interior shot and the final POV shot). Everything else was shot on K40 super 8. Since I acted in the film, my brother operated the camera for about 60% of the shots. Not surprisingly, he commented that this was "my best-shot project to date." I wasn't sure how well the story elements would come together, since the project was written and shot on a very tight schedule (first draft to wrap in less than a week), but the final result was fairly good.

"Epitaph" completed.

2005-12-24T01:24:00.000-05:00

I'm still combining ideas for my next project, which will be roughly in the horror/fantastic mode. In the meantime, here's a low-quality version of "Epitaph."

[link coming soon]

"Epitaph," future ideas.

2005-12-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

I finished "Silence" a few weeks ago. I feel like the finished film is relatively close to my original concept - although I'm not sure how much the audience will extract from it. A week or two ago, I shot a quick project on super 8, "Epitaph." The film should be back soon. More later.

The tentative plan for my next project is a B&W 16mm short about a man who half-willingly incorporates a machine into his own body. Think Cronenberg, Tetsuo, body horror, etc.. I saw Videodrome last night. Fantastic film. I really enjoyed the way Max Renn started to go off the deep end, killing people with the "hand" gun, etc. since he thought the situation was not "real." That's a very pure kind of fear - doing things that are wrong in a world which is supposedly without consequences, then discovering that it was in the real world after all.