Argentine Productions Blog

Welcome Kaylin Zawicki!

2009-05-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

We would like to welcome our new summer intern, Kaylin Zawicki! Kaylin graduated from Peters Township High School in 2008, and is currently studying Broadcasting at Point Park University. During high school, Kaylin was very involved with the television station, producing and editing various packages and shows. She gained some hands-on experience as an audio technician, camera operator, editor, and director, just to name a few. Her ultimate goal is to work on movie sets either as a camera technician or editor. Her hobbies include watching movies, traveling and cheering on her favorite team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. We are very excited to have her on board! Argentine Productions is committed to training young filmmakers. If you are interested in a future internship, send a resume and cover letter to info@argentineproductions.com.

17th Century Painting Brought to Life for Museum Video

2009-03-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a very interesting shooting day. Based on a 17th Century Dutch genre painting by Jan Steen that depicts a fight, we shot actors in costume re-enacting the scene according to a transcript of a court proceeding. The actors were shot against a green screen, so that we can use an effect to move them in and out of the painting.

It was a challenge to find a local actor with a Dutch accent, who also looked like one of the characters in the painting! Some of the props had to be constructed, including a table with rough-hewn legs, on which they played. I also built a backgammon set to match the one in the painting--it had to be much larger than usual.

It's very difficult when doing something like this to get the proportions and perspective right. We had it set up so that we could match the position of the characters on a monitor. For one scene, the actors started in their pose, then moved in reverse. In the final video, they will appear to move into the exact position.

The video will start as a frozen picture in a picture frame for the newly renovated Crailo State Historic Site, a museum of Colonial New Netherland history in the Upper Hudson Valley. http://nysparks.state.ny.us/info.asp?siteID=7

Creating Exhibitions Session Postponed

2009-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Creating Exhibition Session that I was leading has been postponed due to a schedule conflict. MAAM is looking to reschedule for a future date--possibly this fall.

Lincoln Interactive Screen Shot

2009-02-26T13:12:00.000-08:00

Creating Exhibitions: Dream on.....then get real!

2009-02-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Here's the description of the session that I will be leading at Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums "Creating Exhibitions" symposium March 29-31 at Liberty Science Center. Last year's symposium had lots of useful information and a great mix of participants.

A brainstorming session on dreaming and imagining the kinds of exhibits that we would like to see, followed by a discussion of what is within the realm of reality today, and what has already been created. Panelist presentations will be brief and serve to spur discussion. Attendees will learn about emerging technologies, how to keep technology from driving the design process and how to keep the design process from driving technology. This will be a session where you will hopefully walk away with new ideas and new tools for your museum exhibits.

Other participants will be Scott Stephenson of the American Revolution Center, and David Durlach of Technofolics. www.technofolics.com

Film & Video Treatments

2009-02-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked to contribute my thoughts on why treatments are helpful for documentary. I don't always use them--it depends on the project and approach. Here's what I wrote:

Writing a treatment is a way to envision the program and its structure, based on your current knowledge and what you expect to happen in the field. It allows you to share your creative vision with the D.P., Animator, Production Manager, Editors, and other crew so that they can begin to contribute to that vision. Writing the treatment will force you to think through the elements of production—is a special rig required, a second unit, aerials, or a creative shot to bridge to the next scene. Once you’re out in the field, it helps to remind you of key elements that you need to help structure and convey the story. That all being said, it’s important to not be a slave to the treatment-- to take advantage of the serendipity of the moment, the wonderful things that often occur on camera that can’t be planned. It’s a bit like the improvisation that is used with some comedy films—provide a framework for the actors and let them run with it.

The importance of the treatment can also vary with the kind of project that you’re producing. For example, a project with lots of animation or CGI will require a stronger foundation than one that is more dependent on a more verite approach in the field.

Directing Mister Rogers in the field

2009-02-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

One of the great fortunes of my life was getting the opportunity to work with Fred Rogers. In the last few years of production, I had the privilege of directing his remote visits outside of the studio. I have 4 children, and I like to think that I can relate easily to young children. But it was always humbling to see how Fred could see things through a child’s eyes. He would point out concerns with shots and script points that I would never have considered, but once pointed out, seemed self-evident.

Shooting with Fred was a bit like reverting to the 1950’s in terms of production. He preferred to shooting things as they happened—no shooting out of order to make it easier for lighting setups. He was concerned that the emotion of the process would not be right. The takes were long and continuous, no quick cutting. The pace was slow and relaxed. It often made the shooting process more difficult, but it was directly connected to Fred’s approach to children. The style created a feeling of authenticity, trust, and relaxation for his younger viewers.

Margy Whitmer was the Producer of the shows on which I worked. She did all of the worrying about details and logistics for Fred—that’s what a Producer does. After a scene, Fred would often stop to chat with onlookers, and a crowd would soon build around him. Margy was incredibly diplomatic in trying to break Fred away, and move him to the next shot location, to keep the crew on schedule. Can you imagine trying to make Fred hurry, or keeping him from talking to children? It was a tough job and she did it sweetly.

One of Fred’s mentors was Margaret McFarland, a child development specialist at the Arsenal Family and Children Center. I met her at her home once, as part of a research interview for the film “Spirit of Pittsburgh”, about the city's transformation in the last 50 years. She spent as much time asking about me and my family, as I did about her, and she made some profound observations. She is one of the few people I have met who seemed to embody the concept of a “self-actualized person”.

I often ran into Fred in the hallways of WQED, where I worked in the 80’s in national production. Family Communications, www.fci.org, his production company, leased office space and studio facilities for his production there. When I had my first child, I asked Fred what is the most important thing you can do to raise a healthy child? His response: “Love your spouse”.

People often asked Fred to have a picture taken with him. He might agree to that, but he much preferred taking a picture himself of the families or person requesting a photo. The photo by Fred would show up a few weeks later with a personal note from him. Two of the best photos of my family were taken by Fred.

Recent HD taping at White House

2009-02-26T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last week we taped remarks by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for a new edition of “Where History Lives”, produced for the White House Historical Association www.whitehousehistory.org. We taped the President in the Oval Office on President’s Day, so that day will always be memorable for the production team. We also recorded footage in HD (on P2) of the newly renovated Green Room. No matter how many times we have been there for filming, there is always a sense of awe in being in the rooms, and standing where so much history has taken place.

Emancipation Day at Lincoln's White House

2009-02-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Lincoln virtual White House web experience that we produced for the White House Historical Association is now live at www.whitehousehistory.org . We created it with the collaboration of Todd Waits and his team at Semiotic Technologies www.semiotictech.com. Here are some links to articles and blogs about the game:
Pop City - Wander the Lincoln-era White House on a big day in ...
Pop City - http://www.popcitymedia.com/

“Website allows virtual visit into Lincoln’s Life” by Marylynne Pitz, Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09055/951140-42.stm

Pittsblog: Pittsburgh Gaming, Not Gambling
By Mike Madison
Pittsblog - http://pittsblog.blogspot.com/

Visit Mr. Lincoln’s White House Online
http://lincolniana.blogspot.com/2009/02/visit-mr-lincolns-white-house-online.html

B log - L ebo - http://bloglebo.blogspot.com/

If you’re interested in a discussion of the project development and coding, visit Stephen Calender Programming Blog
Stephen Calender Programming Blog - http://www.stephencalenderblog.com/