The dailies for Conversation No. 27 came back and it looks GORGEOUS. I got applauded for the lighting work even if I didn't do it single-handedly. But I basked all the glory in. (I can get cocky.) I took it more as recognition for putting much of the work during the production.. All the credit should go to Erik for his excellent DP work. The dailies came back little brighter than he intended because that's what the lab usually do with Full Sail student films--make them brighter so that they can fix it in post. There were approximately one hour of footage, without sound because they haven't been synched to Nagra reels yet. It's gonna be interesting edit. The guys were happy that films look better than we expected. Although some of the shots were not what I had in my mind when I saw the storyboard and the shot descriptions, it came close enough.

Because the production ended just a week ago, everyone had fresh memory of what they have endured and cherished. I wish I could get some of the footage on the DV and edit on my G4 and Final Cut Pro.

My Canon Elura 20MC came today. This is my first camcorder. The thing is so small! I can fit it on my palm and just shoot. I will have great fun with this camera for sure.

3rd Day of 4 in Lucidity Production. Full location day here we go. Fortunately, the weather was fine through out the day, contrary to weather forcast. We went to downtown Orlando, shot near an alley next to a small bar. The cops came and went observing us, and we were constantly on our toes to observe 5 feet firelane rule and cleared the path for any pedestrian. Even parking enforcers came thrice to check upon our parking permits for the truck. During all that hassle, the DP and the camera crew shot films away.

I personally know the director Pat and the DP Ron, and just as I expected, Ron pretty much ran the production. Pat was there, but compare to Ron... Pat just called action and cuts. It was quite unlike Conv. 27 sets where Tom was butting heads with nearly everyone to get his vision/will across. He was an auteur, indeed. I'm not sure which way is more definitive directorial approach, but it offered interesting contrast to ponder. I guess it really doesn't matter as long as the story comes across from the screen as the director intended it...

We had pizzas for the dinner and it attracted quite a crowd, meaning homeless people. Since the pizzas were terrible, no offense to our craftservice, but it's the lowest priced pizza he could get that we had many leftovers that were freely given away. Our star actress, Chantal took upon herself during the freetime to distribute the pizzas to near by homeless people. The homeless also took great interest in our production that I, Leo, and Adrian were on guard to distance them from the shooting. They didn't cause any trouble, fortunately, but it was an element I didn't consider until they began to show up.

We finished the alley location on time, actually 5 minutes early, but we had troubles on next location. First of all, the ladders were not stable enough to support big 35mm camera. I couldn't believe they were planning to use just ladders, but they told me they did it previously, so no argument from me there. So we had to sit around and wait for scaffolds to arrive which took it's sweet time for the grip turck to go and get back. Although there were only 4 shots, it took 6 hours, left the location by 2 am. Everyone was tired and feeling not good. Triple overtime, extending next day call time to 1pm.

I still have no answer to what's PC's job... At least guys appreciate my moral and physical support for the production. I'm surprised not many from Conv. 27 shown up to help out. I must admit I'm here because of my official position, I think I would slack off too, if I was just nothing but PA.

2nd Day of 4 in Lucidity Production. Half-location day at a local high school. The script calls for a college, but the school looked nice enough to be a college campus. Fortunately, the school was out for the summer just the day before we came and virtually deserted except for few teachers. Loaded up the truck last night and headed to the location by 10. First shot at 12:30. Lunch at 12:45. Half of the production team, including myself, was the background extras in the establishing shot. We walked at least 10 times before the picture. The lights around the school came on by the picture time because the clouds covered the sun and they stayed on eventhough the sun eventually came out. It's gonna look day-for-night shoot to some, wondering they forgot to turn off the lights! Hehehe.

We were constantly fighting for the sun to come out behind the massive clouds. The light change was drastic enough that we once pulled out an HMI to compensate for it. However, we did take pictures whenever the sun came out and it will look fine. 5 shots for 6 hours at the location. Not bad, not bad. Although it was not such adverse condition as we were expecting, but just 5 shots at a location is kinda sucks. The logistic to pull of shots at a given location is far greater than I realized. It actually felt like location, unlike Conv. 27, because we were outside.

Came back to the set by 4 something but didn't unloaded the gears because we are on full day location tomorrow. Took some shots and the day was over. I couldn't believe the day gone by so easily without pulling much weight, figuratively.

1st Day of 4 in Lucidity Production. Since I was told that I got Production Coordinator position just a week before the production, I wasn't involved with much of the pre-pro stuff. However, Adrian keeps such good records of all paperworks involved with the production that I just followed his lead and "coordinated." Basically, I was multipurpose PA... -.-;;

The call time was 8am because of our late-night location shooting schedule for the next day, but I didn't know it changed until I showed up 9am like I did for Conv 27. Despite an hour early call time, the first shot was taken at 11am! I found out later that they did the complex dolly shot for the first shot of the day. Baaaad choice. You need to schedule easy shots before the complex shots because the cast and the crew may not be warmed up for the production yet early in the morning. Therefore, I wasn't surprised we were behind 4-5 shots by the end of the day. Although Mike the 1st AD for the production, didn't constantly asked ETA on the shots, I felt he wasn't pushing the schedule hard enough. It is 1st AD's job to meet the schedule, and the UPM's job to meet the budget, as Adrian told me.

I had relatively easy day because I wasn't constantly lifting heavy lights/grips, and simply gathered every little stuff littered around the set. I was amazed what a difference in two positions can make. I took on Gaffer position because I wanted to be familiar with the lighting equipments and gears and met the goal admirably. However, I can't see myself doing that for my job. I did learn that Gaffer position is very important and what it entails. That's enough for me now. However, I'm still lost on the details of PC positions...

Tom just sent the homepage address to CONVERSATION # 27. Looks good, except for stupid ad banners and popups.

Last Day of Conv. 27 Production. Just the living room. Yay. I took the job in stride. Nothing much to do except worry about the hard wrap tonight. I actually had time to sit and watch the shots thru video-assist. The shots are nice. Even though the team may have bickered over some details of the production, it's going nicely. Everyone agrees that this may be the best Full Sail film yet. Really.

With the end of final handheld shot, the production was OVER! I couldn't believe the moment had come. Everyone shook hands with everybody. The emotion was high. The camaradeship shared. I may make more films, but this was the moment I will remember for the rest of my life.

Sobo pulled great prank at the last minute, by dropping fake reel on the floor, exposing the negatives, causing panic attack on Tom. When I saw it, I just couldn't believe it just happened. But for Tom, all he could think was what was in that can and what shots needed to be reshoot, if there's such plan if it actually happened... Great laugh all around.

The wrap party at Ryan Allen's house. He got freakin' big TV! Everyone's so happy that the production is over, mingling over the liquors and smokes. Everyone let themselves go including Adam and Ron. I was nominated to have the smoothest legs--don't ask, in the group. Fun party for the fun people.

3rd of 4 days of the production in Conv. 27. The production is going with the flow, and I'm with it. Everyone is now comfortable with their jobs and what's required of them. No more rotations, the proud 16mm production tradition, that eat bulk of the valuable production time. The job is much easier since the laundry room part of the set is done and the bedroom part of the set will be done by today. It means we'll be concentrating on just the living room set to worry about the lighting and the flagging.

I and Justin, excellent and always helpful Key Grip, took our time to put away the gears as soon as shots were done. I always feel it's better to do it little by little than wait to do everything at the last moment.

The most complext shot of this production, the through eye-piece shot, was pulled at the last minute because of the logistics. We even rented expensive macro lenses to shoot close to the eye-piece, but it just couldn't be done. Maybe we could've done it in the post or something, yet, it was little letdown because it was gonna be very cool effect, and I worked out special lighting plots to raise that room f-stops to near 8/5.6. We ended up just shooting normal and that was done. Lessons learned. This is film making but also learning experience for everyone...

The Tenner is smoking, posing safety risk. One of the three pins are bad. What's new? 100 Amps is nothing to be joked around. Since we needed this big-ass light, we were turning it on just before the picture. Everything went according to the master plan...

2nd of 4 days of the production for Conv. 27. Location shooting and it's still raining. Luckily, I was prepared for the worst. The truck left just before 10am after loading extra stuff gathered last night. The location is just 15 minutes away but it takes at least half hour for the truck. I'm taking way more equipments I would need, but I'm learning to be redunant in film biz. Always have plan B, C, D...

We spent an hour trying to get hold of a manager because the workers there didn't allow us to begin as soon as we got unloaded. Our 1st AD even talked to the manager just day before, yet we were on hold, losing valuable production time. The truck was the staging area, and I unloaded few lights that can be used for the shoot before we settled. However, the DP wanted just small kinoflo, but instead, we turned out we needed all the lights I DID unloaded after we packed everything back. Ugh. It was partially my fault because I didn't have more convincing way to present to the DP that he needs the motivating/accentuating lights. Took 5-6 shots going 45 minutes overtime after the bar was officially opened-no customer came, fortunately.

Came back to the set an hour later than we are scheduled. The gears got all messed up, but who cares except for the Gaffer and the Key Grip? Everyone shoot away in a small laundry room built in one corner of the sound stage. The lighting got complicated even with nice kinoflo hanging on the high up. Bounce boards covered up most of the opening where the camera was not situated. You have to give more respect to the actors when they are pulling off an intimate scene in a small space, crowded with dozen people right before you. Even before the end of the 2nd day, we have burned more than half of the film. Uh-oh. No more 2nd takes.

We are behind again, but anyone counting, except relentless 1st AD asking ETA on everything? The director wants to setup as fast as we can shoot, but the DP wants the best possible shots, and the Gaffer, yours truly, takes his time to setup lights to satisfy his boss, and check the safety, while cleaning up around the set. The camera crew need their time to setup the camera, and the audio guys need to position themselves to find the best mic position. The actors need some time to get into characters. There's certain inertia in film production that even herculean effort can't overcome. Learn to Judo and make it to your advantage. Which means plan ahead, and learn to use the inertia to your advantage as much as possible.

Best of all, have fun and relax. It's only a movie. (I have feeling I'm going to say this a LOT.)

1st of 4 days of the production. Since all the heavy works were done in pre-light/blocking day, I was expecting light workload with just flipping on the switches. I was wrong. The first half of the day went well. The first shot was taken on 11am, when the call time was on 9 am. Got 4-5 shots/one scene knocked down before the lunch. Good progress.

The meals get production going, nothing else. Not everyone carries the same torch for the script, the shoot, and the film. It's only a movie.

Began to slowly down on difficult shots. The DP is checking light meters for at least good half hour before any shot is taken. Add 20 minutes in rehersals, you have one shot per an hour, in average.

I'm proud of my staging area, my lighting setup, and power distrobution. Justin, my Keygrip, is big help. We got things done.

I'm actually glad that I didn't get director's position because I'm learning a lot more on technical sides of film production. I see how the lighting affects a scene, and how my power distro can affect safety. I had a Tenner smoking due to a bad pin and spent good deal of half hour checking out all power supply, virtually shutting down the production for an hour. Not good, but no one got hurt. I finally know why you need good gaffer, and gaffer's power to enhance/hinder a production. Spent extra times loading up for the location shoot tomorrow. Went to Walmart after the shoot to purchase black garbage bags for rain/window covers. It's raining since 2 am till the following morning...

Pre-Light was go for Conversation No. 27. As the Gaffer on the production I had to make the lighting plot as well as the checkout list for the equipments to be checked out from the lighting cage. As a habit of being a computer programmer, I try to minimize the package which turned out to be a BIG mistake. I must have opened the lighting cage at least three times to get necessary equipments. There were just not enough lights to go around around the set and the location.

Spent 12 hours pre-lighting the set because the director and the DP couldn't decide how the scenes will look. I don't think we did much blocking, with a DV cam... -.- Panavision 35 camera is at least 3 times bigger than the JVC DV cam and no use of blocking when you have to consider enough space in a small set. Anyway, since there were not many light sources to accentuate and get motivations for additional lighting, we had to play around until we got the right light level and the look. I was putting lights up and down all day, and only 50% of my original lighting plot remained. I knew from previous 16mm shoot that the lighting changes constantly even if you planned it. There's always this small shadow you have to cast off with something. It will be different again when we do actual shooting.

The lesson: Whatever you didn't plan and discuss on pre-pro, you will pay in production. That's why film production spends tons of papers on scripts, breakdowns, storyboards, etc. Everyone has different take on a script to be shot. Get everyone to see the same picture.

My first WGA sanctioned... uuh I mean registered script. Vivre Sa Vie! Reg. No. I04751-00. The first money spent for this production, too. Hehehe. Maybe I should frame this or something... ^o^;;

I was planning to enter Vivre Sa Vie! to Cinematexas International Short Film Festival, but the entry closes at June 15th. Darn. Maybe hope for next year...

Currently shopping for Avid Express DV, A Dell Workstation, and Canon Elura 2MC as DV cam/player. No, I still can't bring myself to buy a Mac and Final Cut Pro even if I'm self-proclaimed Machead--whatever that means. (Maybe I got Mac envy?) The budget is about $3000 all together. Got nice balance transfer checks from AmEx (6.9% interest forever! no transfer charge!) and selling my 3 months old laptop to finance the purchase. Although I love my Thoshiba Satellite laptop, I'm buying more portable, longer battery lasting laptop to log around next time around.

Got a lot of motivation and insights from Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices : How to Write, Produce, Direct, Shoot, Edit, and Promote a Feature-Lenth Movie for Less Than $15,000 by Rick Schmidt. The revolution is ripe to bear with DV? I'm betting my life on it.

Must work on lighting plot for Conversation No. 27. Haven't touched Run & Gun for last five days! Augh! The Panavision 35mm camera lab was fun even though numbers of small, I mean small, switches confused heck out of me. I already miss ARRI 16 SR, compact and elegant machine.

Blind Eye: So You've Got A Script? Now What? "Personally, I'm looking for good roles. That's my top priority since I'm trying to find appropriate projects for actors like Mel Gibson and Denzel Washington. Aside from that, at the very least, the story needs to have enough potential that it could be developed further. My highest expectation is that the script will elicit some sort of emotional experience."

I got Final Draft from Adrian. He's a fellow geek, like myself, but he has been having trouble with his dual-processor box, and whatelse-Windowz. I'm wondering if WHEN I should switch to Final Draft from my current Word Screenply Template/Macro. Should I begin now, and learn the intricate parts of Final Draft or bang away now on Word, and transcribe later to find better words?

Nothing depresses me like finding a better writer who can capture and instill the moments and emotion. I'm far from there, yet. That's why I keep writing, trying to hold a flicker of light that may go off any given moment.

Having a word processor, or Final Draft doesn't make you a writer. Any monkey can bang the keyboards. However, it takes tears and blood to combine the words to move hearts. I need blood transfusion. ^o^;;

The finance for my indie project is going well, that it's gotten little brighter. Although Wiznick won't buy the XL1S camera as he said he would, he's going to join the team as Associate Producer and Grip/PA/Camera Assitant. Also talked with Kyle to bring in some audio experience as well as jingles/songs/music for the film. Nice~. It's really nice to have your niche like Kyle because everyone automatically thinks of you, go to you, ask you, and get the job done. I think of audio as much important as video in a movie that I think I'm dangerously overly-reliant on Kyle, but I could trust him to bring his talent to this film like he did for last 16mm project, Silent Witness. Although I failed to include his music due to lack of editing time in the lab, he did deliver the music the way I asked of him, which was very cool.

I now have to juggle shooting schedule in June/July. I rather have it done early than 2nd weekend of July so that I can have ample time in post and editing, as well as look for a job, the job, any job. (Augh, this is desperate time, indeed.)

It's already May?! Put me on higher gear and let's this film/script rolling!

The set construction for the 35mm production started today. I had to get up at 8 o'clock(!) in the morning, which I haven't done in two weeks. ^o^;;

Struck the set, built flats, built jacks, and raised the walls. Because I was the "Gaffer", I set the lights around the stages in order to work since the lighting classes had to bring down the house light. Whenever there's set design work, I think at least 10 people are standing around, doing nothing--smoke break or whatever. I'm not picking on anyone particular, except the works should be organized that people can participate in doing without wondering what needs to be done. There's so much coordination required in a film making. However, if you tell them what you want, people would get wrong idea and think you are being bossy. -.-++ Well, we are all equal students here, for time being.

The 16mm productions are starting. I saw their THREE sets at the sound stage 1 and... good god. Either the sets are not properly dressed, or the feel of the set is going for THAT look, but it looked bad, amateurish. Maybe they don't have talented art directors like we did, but their sets were nothing compare to our fine Silent Witness/Everyman's Story sets. Tragic.

I registered one of my scripts online at WGA East site. The registration process was very smooth as I just filled out the info, and uploaded the Word Doc file. In order to get the student discount, I have to fax my student ID, which I have yet to do so... In this age of the Internet, I still have to fax?! I'm currently downloading free fax program to send my scanned id picture.

I'm certainly sending my next script by tried-and-true snail mail. It will cost less than $2 Kinko's wants to charge me to send a page of fax!

I went to Red Lobster last night to celebrate my friend's one year anniversary of consulting work here in Orlando. The server was a pretty girl from Maryland, studying in UCF. She had fine features that I had to ask if she was interested in auditioning for my upcoming indie film. She was nice and friendly, but she didn't want to do any acting, which was pity. I could almost see her fear in her big eyes. Hahaha.

I felt little ashamed asking her, but I can assure my conscience that my intention was purely professional. But, I was almost tempted to use my new found role as writer-director-producer to lure pretty girs. ^_^;; Resist the Dark side, Calvin! Heh.

I was kicking around my ideas to produce my own script Vivre Sa Vie!: My Life to Live in Post-Consumerism since I found that we got 2 months free before the graduation in August. Although my script was in final four selected/voted for 35mm thesis productions at Full Sail Production, it declined to make the final cut, probably because of the logistic reasons that requires many locations and the nature of the script was satire/parody. However, the whole thing jump started when I found that Shaun is producing his own script, titled Vedas, with couple of other classmates. I was surprised of how much pre-pro work he has done and the budget! His budget is like blockbuster-esque enough to rent a generator that cost $400 per day. With a lot of special effects with green screens. Yup. It's gonna be grand. The reason I didn't vote for his script was that his idea for the script was abstract to convey to the classmates as we voted for the final four. It will be interesting to see how the film turns out for it is generating quite a buzz around the campus. In entertainment industry, buzz can make/kill you.

I quickly went around and assembled a crew from the guys I've been watching since Digital Cinematography class. I'm glad that I got most key people/positions down, including Renassiance-Man Ron who got nearly everything I can ask for an indie project like mine. However, the budget became a problem as my modest $1000 budget blew up to $1500 to cover the insurance. I thought of it as the license to shoot, but I still need to get permits around the cities and locations that we are going to need in order to shoot. It's gonna be tough enough that I wonder if I will ever get this film off the ground without crashing and burning. However, it's nice to know there are confident and talented crew members to help you out, and rediscovered the joy of collective creative process of making a film. Yeah auteur theory is soooo dead.

As I pull favors from people I know, it became apparent that I may need to put up more than $250 from my own pocket to support this production if I truly believed in this script, this crew, this production, and ultimately myself. It's a make-it-or-break-it test. I never dreamed of myself as a producer, but it is exactly what I'm doing now, before writer-director-editor thing. It's nice to get thrown into water, and trying to swim my ways out of it, because my inertia would've not put myself in this place voluntarily. Sometimes you need little a shove to push yourself forward.

Although someone from Hollywood said you should never make a movie out of your own money, I found myself doing exactly the opposite in order to make it, and see the damn film as I've envisioned when I wrote the script. Will it come out as I have seen it? Will it entertain people? Will it make an impression? Failure is not an option. Nope.

BTW, FYI, this film will be produced by First Step Production. I need to ask my bro to make me a logo out of this. If this production becomes successful, I have ANOTHER nifty idea that I can write-direct-produce for a low-budget indie film. Like the name of my new production, it will hinge on this brave new first step.

I have written 20 pages of 120 for the feature length script titled, Run & Gun. It's an action-adventure picture about 7 ex-killer turned bodyguards who must protect a Middle Eastern kingdom princess from elusive assailants. That's ALL I'm going to say now till I finish this script and register. ^_^;;

Although I shouldn't fall in love with my own work, I really, really like the plots I have worked out so far. If I could flesh out the characters and the dialogues-not my strongest point, it could be really salable script that could net me some money as well as some credit as a budding screenwriter.

Although scripts don't require many words, my current speed is 5 pages per hour... But it's good to find myself losing in writing fever till the dawn breaks. I haven't felt like this since I wrote my very first script few years back. Yeah, it was a quite horrible script, but like any first love, she was a beauty in my eyes. Like many writers will tell you, it's writing that counts, if not the quality of writing. Does weblog count? Perhaps, I still don't know. But I'm glad it keeps me writing and discover new ways to express myself, and finding new story everyday.

I'm currently Gaffer in Conversation No. 27 for the Full Sail Production. Although we started the pre-pro late as the course director made the positions annoucement late, we are making a lot of progress in making the film.

Erik, our DP for the film, asked me today, "how sure are you about doing the Gaffer work?" I answered half-and-half. I know what the job entails and all that, but to be fair, I have no clue what I should be doing NOW, as in pre-pro. I know the shots, but how are we shooting those shots with what lights? I got the lighting equipment checkout list from the lighting cage crew, but what do I need? What does the director/DP/whoever want?

Therefore, I'm taking by the flow, as per norm. At least I know that I have to buy expendables, especially a roll of black wraps, for our production. I'm looking over the equipment list to see what are available. I know I have to make TWO equipment packages that to be rolled out for the set and the location shooting. I'm re-reading the lighting course manual, and Set Lighting Technician's Handbook, otherwise known as Box book because the author is Harry C. Box. The pieces are falling together one by one. The trick is to manage them as they come, and not to be overwhelmed by it. That's how I am as a Gaffer, today.

About My Life to Live

My Life to Live is a weblog on Calvin C. CHOI's unabridged tales in film/entertainment world and business as he toils to make it. Calvin is a Korean-American guy, an aspiring writer-director-game designer-storyteller, venturing into new new frontier of emergent emotional narrative world. This is his non-fiction story in deluge of his creative narratives. (And, no, he doesn't always refer himself in third person.)