Family Reunion

Still alive

2006-04-10T23:43:00.000-04:00

Hi all - it´s been a while but we are still at it.
We are fine cutting the film, applying for grants (as always!), and thinking about all the little things that need to be done before this film will screen in June.
It remains to be seen where Family Reunion will actually premiere but I can tell you that it will be playing at a festival in San Francisco around mid-june. We will keep you posted on the actual date.

Another grant for Family Reunion

2006-01-28T11:22:00.000-05:00

Things are moving in the right direction for Family Reunion. We have just received a grant from the Icelandic fund "Minningarsjóður Margrétar Björgólfsdóttur". This is a grant in memory of Margret Björgólfsdóttir who died in a car accident in 1989, then 33 years of age. Her family awards the grant, in an effort to support education, arts and culture in Iceland. Við færum Minningarsjóði Margrétar okkar bestu þakkir.

Family Reunion awarded grant

2006-01-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

In late December Family Reunion was awarded a grant from the Frameline Film & Video Completion Fund in San Fransisco.
This is the first official grant that the film has been awarded, so we are overly exited.
The credit card bills are being paid off ... slowly but surely.
Many thanks to Frameline for their support.

Cutting picture

2005-10-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

Thought you might like to know that we are finally editing. Rough cut is in process and soon we will be looking for musicians to work with. Please drop us a line if interested in composing for Family Reunion. Contact isold@no9productions.com

Red meets yellow

2005-10-03T05:21:00.000-04:00

In an effort to show less rather than more (but still something) -- here's what the NYC footage looks like. Doesn't it feel like it's 1969? Almost. Obviously these are dailies - uncolor corrected and raw.

Footage looking good

2005-10-03T05:00:00.000-04:00

We are excited about the look of our footage ! It has now all been logged and digitized and next up is audio syncing.

Magno completes Telecine

2005-09-26T12:36:00.000-04:00

Magno Sound and Video has completed our telecine. We opted to master on digibeta PAL but will be offlining from DVCAM PAL. I haven't seen the footage yet, as I am waiting to borrow a DVCAM deck. But you will be the first to hear about it.

Steph Misa's photography

2005-09-26T12:23:00.000-04:00

Our production assistant, Stephanie Misa has some great shots from
the shoot. Check 'em out:
http://flickr.com/photos/snaggletooth/sets/808016/

Skip bleach

2005-09-09T04:28:00.000-04:00

Here's a production still, as color corrected by our DP Óskar Thór Axelsson. It's an idea of how the the skip bleach technique will effect the look of our film.

Film to lab

2005-09-09T04:04:00.000-04:00

Our 32 rolls of s16mm film are now being processed at Technicolor. The Icelandic scenes will be processed at normal but for the Chinatown scenes we opted for a technique called "skip bleach". As soon as our dailies are back we will post some clips to our site.

Production Stills in the hundreds

2005-08-24T18:26:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our great photographer, Seth Grossman, our 9 day shoot was extensively documented. Check out some of our stills at http://www.no9productions.com/family-reunion/pictures.htm

Lower East Side Shoot

2005-08-22T10:37:00.000-04:00

Here's one of our many stills from the Lower East Side/ Chinatown shoot.
Katrin is here with Julie in apt designed by Maria Kristin and Fura.
Our shoot is now officially wrapped and we are on to post production.

From wrapping to camping

2005-08-09T12:38:00.000-04:00

After all that hard work we took the crew camping in Iceland's beautiful Thorsmork.

Shoot in Iceland wrapped

2005-08-09T11:36:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the long awkward silence.
We've been swamped like never before. Making that movie we keep talking about.

So we did it. Amazingly enough, 7 shooting days later - shooting days which included over 50 elderly extras, accordian playing, choir singing and shocking speeches etc. we are still alive.

The Icelandic newspaper FRETTABLADID also visited us.
http://www.frettabladid.is/ExternalData/pdf/fbl/050802.pdf Page 1 and 70 will tell you all about it. (if you read icelandic, that is.)

Out website has been updated with some pics. http://www.no9productions.com/family-reunion/pictures.htm
More pics still to come.
Next up is NYC shoot this coming weekend.
Please let us know if you´d like to help.
thanks, isold@no9productions.com

Props: Bar construction

2005-07-22T03:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we measured and photographed the portable bar that will be used in the Community Center shots. Elli will construct a facing for it that matches the existing bar in the center.

Dimensions:

Bar top
- 207 cm long
- 40.5 cm wide
- Rounded corners (see photo)
- Painted a reddish color similar to existing bar

Bar face
- 202 cm long
- 112 cm tall
- Bar top extends 8 cm over
- Facing is complete but not painted (see photo)

Bar sides
- 71 cm wide
- 112 cm tall
- Angled portion 41 cm wide at top and 40.5 cm long on angle
- height beneath angled portion 82.5 cm

Photos:

New team member: Seth Grossman, camera department.

2005-07-20T14:41:00.000-04:00

Seth studied photography and film at the University Of The Arts in Philadelphia. His true passion is documenting humanity, capturing moments between people. Seth has worked for years creating images as a visual anthropologist. Film stills and documenting film productions are a part of that desire. He has shot images of many great directors and film personalities including; Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch, Spike Lee, Nestor Almendros, Peter Bogdanovich , Nora Ephron, and many others. Seth Graduated from the NYU ITP masters program in 2003.

Locations: Community Center Interiors

2005-07-18T20:09:00.000-04:00

The community center is perfect inside. It's an older style center - perhaps from 1980's. The only potential problems are the on-going construction in the main foyer and storage of materials outside the center.

The bar. Located outside the main hall.

The tables and chairs in the main hall. No photo of the main hall - didn't turn out well.

The women's restroom - good spot for the bathroom scene.

Locations: Potential interior #2

2005-07-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

A modern, more Icelandic styled apartment. The main downside to this apartment is the dark green paint in the hallway.

The living room.

The kitchen is perfect and has a great view.

The bathroom.

Locations: Potential Interiors #1

2005-07-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

A large, fairly ornate location. Has large windows, lots of space, great light and high ceilings. What do you think of this location? What kind of a family would live here?

The Living Room.

The hallway.

The bathroom - likely would work.

The corner jacuzzi.

Locations: Potential House Exteriors

2005-07-18T19:55:00.000-04:00

Fura and I scouted some potential house exteriors this afternoon. None have been selected yet.

1970's style home. Small windows might dictate choice of interior.

Fairly large home. Older style colors - renovated in the late 1970's.

Poorly kept house in an expensive neighborhood. Not quite able to keep up.

Actors

2005-07-17T13:45:00.000-04:00

Actors have been selected to play the grandfather, Afi and Hallmunder. Afi will be played by Gretar Snaer Hjartarson. Hallmunder will be played by Hordur Oskarsson.

Kristján will be played by Alexander Briem.

Locations: Community Center

2005-07-17T12:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we scouted a local community center for the location of the family reunion.

Center entry and stairs up from the main parking area. The sign says "Community Center of Seltjarnarnes".

The main parking area.

The surrounding area as seen from the smaller parking area in front of the center. The 5 flag poles could be used.

Mom - Hanna María

2005-06-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

We just posted this on our no9productions.com website:
Nr 9 is extremely excited to announce the addition of actress
Hanna María Karlsdóttir to our cast. Hanna María is a well known stage & film actress in Iceland. New Yorker´s are most likely to remember her from the popular film "101
Reykjavik", where she played the Hilmir Snæs mother.

Production Design - María Kristín

2005-06-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

Another new team member, María Kristín. She graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts 2003 and will be in charge of production design for the film. I guess all the networking our friends have been taking care off is really paying off :)
Other things from Iceland, tonight, the Duran Duran concerts. The radio stations are going crazy, people are planning pre-parties and so on..... great 80´s comeback tonight..... and I´m going.... I´m sure downtown Reykjavik will be one big crazy party around midnight!!!!!
Anyhow, back to business, more news later today!!!!!

Comparing and contrasting

2005-06-27T16:44:00.000-04:00

Defining who our characters really are, and hence where they live is one our many recent tasks. I´m leaning towords the more modest home. The one with the red roof. Only 3 more days until I must leave for the northern most tip of Iceland, and oh so much to do before then. Hey - anyone out there want to be a line producer for a few weeks? Even better if you speak Icelandic.