Sports Science [10 Jun 2007|11:28pm] I don't know if this will work or not but I thought I would give this journal another go. Looking back over my time at Kids In America I realized that there was a lot I probably could have written about and I'm sort of sad that I didn't. So I'll try again with this new job. Tomorrow I start work on a sports show, Sports Science, that's being shot for the Fox Sports Network (I think that's the deal). I'm going back to being scripty. A development I feel sort of ambivalent about. But hey, it's not a bad gig. Hopefully it will be fun. I did most of my prepping today after spending a couple of days last week shadowing the Script Supervisor for the upcoming Comedy Central show American Body Shop (which has the potential to be hilarious btw). I'm a little excited about the work I got done today. I have new forms and templates that, at least aesthetically, I like a lot better than the ones I've used previously. I know I'm a dork. But I like the idea of paperwork that actually looks professional. I also purchased a new digital camera. As well as my old one treated me, it had its limitations and it was just time to move on. So now I've got a little Casio that will hopefully be my new friend. As soon as I figure out how to turn the flash off... And since I have to be up super early it's off to bed for me. Maybe I'll actually post stuff about what I'm doing during this job. That would be fun. We'll see. post comment

A Short and A Nomad [15 Jul 2006|10:42pm] I really have been terrible about updating this blog. The Ft Myers film I was scripty for back in May went really well. I possibly would have posted if I had actually had access to the internet. As it was, I was offline for the month. June I spent in New York. I had a day working for the Ft. Myers film and the two weeks as an AC for a short a couple of friends were shooting. Both of those also went well. I was in New York through the 4th of July and got back to Florida last Monday. And on to current things. This weekend I'm scripty for a short filming in Ft. Lauderdale. It's only for today and tomorrow but it's something fun to fill the time with. The crew is pretty cool and I was happy to find that I had worked with a couple of the kids previously. The gaffer and the girl doing make-up were both in Ft Myers and I'm glad to be working with them again. They're very cool kids. I also know a couple of the guys helping out as grips. So good times there. Coming up in August I'll be script once again for some friends on a film out in San Fransisco. I can't wait to get out there and the idea of working in San Fran is hugely exciting. I'm also just looking forward to working with these guys again. It's a film being produced by the 2nd AC and 2nd/1st AD from the film I did last fall. A few other people from that film will be on this one as well so I'll be getting to work with a lot of people that I just really like. Ha, now if I could only find a few more jobs that paid a bit more my life would be perfect. I'm also excited about getting a decent number of scripty jobs, I'm just looking forward to getting more camera jobs as well. But hopefully that will start happening more as well. But yes. Speaking of jobs and work and whatnot. I should get my things ready for tomorrow and get some sleep. It's a nice and early call. post comment

An Update About New Projects [20 Feb 2006|08:49am] There hasn't been much to update with since my last film wrapped in December but I thought I would post quickly the two projects I currently have lined up. Going on now I'm working as an Associate Producer on a film shooting in my area. I'll be doing this through the end of April and possibly the last week of May. In May I'll be working again as Script Supervisor on a film shooting Ft. Myers, Florida. I'm really excited about getting back on set and I can't wait for it to start. So as these two jobs progress hopefully I'll have more things to post! post comment

After Day 30 [16 Dec 2005|12:26pm] There are only four days left. What an odd thing to think about. I'm not completely surprised that I haven't updated this in the last month. I've hardly spent any time online, I've mostly been working, blowing off steam, or occasionally sleeping. It's currently our last weekend before we wrap so I know a lot of people are off being completely ridiculous. I'm up in Ithaca picking up my brother from Cornell. Tonight I'll be back in Pa with him and then tomorrow I'll be back on set. So much has happened in the last month that I'm really not sure what to update with. I guess the biggest excitement for me was finishing my application for grad school. A couple of people on the film wrote/are writing me letters of rec as well so I'm very pleased about how it all turned out. I've loved working on this film so much. I mean, I cannot even begin to describe the levels of frustration, stress, and hating life that has occured. But that's just sort of a part of filmmaking. Once you get past the daily upsets, the experience is amazing. I'm just as happy to be here as I was at the beginning, just as enthusiastic about filmmaking, and I can't wait to do it all again. post comment

End of Week 2 [16 Nov 2005|01:27am] [ mood | relieved ] [ music | Black Sabbath - War Pigs ] What a rough week. I don't think I can even begin to explain how amazing it is to 1) be in pajamas right now, 2) be about to actually sleep in MY bed, and 3) to know that it's 1 am, I'm tired, and I can actually go to sleep. This week was exhausting. The nights were all right. They felt really long and tiring but they were also fun. For the most part. There is some completely absurd footage now. That seems to happen on nights. People get punchy and wacky and you get opportunities to capture some truly priceless moments. My job was sort of a mixed bag this last week. There were plenty of hugely frustrating things. And really, with some of the stuff, you just need to open your mouth and say something. I talked to the people that needed talking to and some problems were solved. Other problems there's just nothing you can do about and you need to just go with it. Shall I write a little about what my job entails? As Script Supervisor I have two main responsibilities. One is to keep track of all of the details that could be significant for continuity. That means watching what hand the actors use for particular gestures, how full a coffee cup is, what the blocking of the scene was, what line an actor did what on. It's really hard. Especially with these actors who tend to improv a lot so things are changing from take to take. It's at this point where I have to ask the director if there's something particular he wants to go with or not. Sometimes I get an answer. My second responsibility is watching the coverage and making notes for the editor. I have to keep track of the information for each take, how long it is, what lens is on the camera, what the shot is, what camera roll and sound roll we're on. And I have to line the script. I draw a line down the script over which parts a particular shot covered. If the action was in the shot it's a straight line. If it's off camera it gets a squiggly line. The rest of the information I record on Facing Pages. So when I open up my script on the right page I'm looking at the actual script page and on the left page I have a facing page with columns for all of the info I need. And as I said in a previous entry, the last thing I need to do is watch the tap monitor. We actually hooked it up to a VCR the other night so now we have real playback! It's hugely exciting. If there are any questions we can just rewind the tape and check it out. I love it. It's been really helpful for me when we've been filming a Master shot of all of the action before lunch and then coming back to cover all of the action in separate shots after. I take a bit of my lunch break and watch the take, double check my notes, and add anything to them that I think might be significant. This job can really be ridiculously stressful. As can any job on set. It got especially hard this last week when I wasn't sleeping nearly enough and sitting outside all night in the cold. It tends to be just as important to do something to blow off some steam at the end of the day as anything else. So blowing off steam has involved bonfires, diners, bowling, alcohol, venting, and just hanging out. It's been a lot of fun. This next week we're back on a slightly more normal schedule. We're doing half and half with the days and nights so the shooting day will be going form something like 9 am to 10 pm. I have a lot to do on my day off now to catch up and get ready for the next week. I need to type up all of my Daily Continuity Logs, I got a few days behind. I'm taking the 2nd 2nd AD to Sam's Club to get supplies for craft services. And then I'm planning on driving down to Philly, having dinner with Rachel if I can, and picking up some dailies. After that I'll come back, possibly watch those with everyone, drink more beer?, and then make sure I've got everything organized for this next week. A full day indeed. Days off are great for catching up on work. And that's it for this update. Now I'm off to do all of the things that need doing. post comment

Off Day 1 [08 Nov 2005|02:58pm] [ mood | groggy ] [ music | Brian Wilson - Smile ] Oh goodness me. I really want to sit down and give a big updated entry. But. It's getting late. I need to talk to the director before he gets busy with actors at 5:30. I'm hungry. And I still need to do my Daily Continuity Log from yesterday (last night). And then I need to figure out a way to give my Logs to the UPM. Or the 1st AD. Whoever wants them. I'm not sure. I also need to talk to the DP about rigging up the TAP monitor for playback. But that one can happen tomorrow. Have I mentioned that I'm also the VIdeo Assistant? Which means I'm also responsible for the playback (Tap) monitor. It's only a slight expansion of my responsibilities but it's amazing how much a slight expansion can feel like at times. I think it's worth it though. It certainly makes my job easier in many, many ways. Mm, but yes. Quickly. This week was all right. There were some very rough, frustrating moments but those were balanced by the absolutely hilarious ones. I haven't slept in my bed the last two nights as I've passed out in the extra bedroom at Homebase twice in a row. Last night I slept with a cat. And by last night I mean this morning. Last night was our first night shoot and we wrapped at 4 am. Afterwards I watched some TV with the DP, we both fell asleep on the couch for somewhere between a half hour and an hour, and then I actually went to sleep at 7 am. I woke up today around 11ish I think but it may have been earlier. Definitely not later. I feel tired but not actually sleepy. Even when I've had the mornings to sleep I've been waking up really early. I'm such a bad sleeper. I'm sure that will change as the shoot goes on though and I'm more exhausted. Maybe. But I really do need to go do my work now. We're not back on until Thursday so hopefully before then I'll update a little more. 5 comments|post comment

Day 1 [04 Nov 2005|12:31am] [ mood | exhausted ] There are so many things I could write right now. A ton of advice I could give. Really though, only one piece of advice is important. TIP # 1: SLEEP WHEN YOU CAN Crew call is again at 5 am. I'm going to bed. post comment

Pre-Production Day 8 [02 Nov 2005|10:55pm] [ mood | productive ] [ music | Rolling Stones- Wild Horses ] I made Facing Pages! I'm very proud of myself. Even if the director did laugh at me for getting so excited about my two lines on the page... I think they're awesome. That's all I wanted to say. I have to leave here at 4 am so I'm going to bed now. That's, um, me getting about four hours of sleep. I love filmmaking. post comment

Pre-Production Day 7 [02 Nov 2005|01:31am] [ mood | mellow ] [ music | Pink Floyd - Money ] Oh there's even less to write about today. I got through the second third of the script so tomorrow I only have the last third to do. So I'm exactly where I want to be as far as that goes. Tonight I wandered over to the office to see if the Production Designer needed any help (and to just hang out because I was getting a little stir crazy). I ended up taping props so they could be painted. Very exciting stuff. Really it was. Tomorrow I'll just be finishing the script. And I may possibly run some errands for people. I told them to call me. And then Thursday we start filming! I think we're all sort of getting a little nervous and a little excited. It seems like everyone's in a relatively good place at the moment which is really excellent. I'm really amazed at how smooth this all feels. I mean, there are the expected hiccups and complications but it could be so much worse. Hopefully it will stay this way for the next two months! post comment

Pre-Production Day 6 [01 Nov 2005|12:08am] [ mood | excited ] [ music | Goblin's soundtrack for Dario Argento's Opera ] There really isn't much to update with today. I spent most of the day sitting on my bedroom floor with the script and a pile of various colored pens spread out before me. I've gotten about a third of the way through my script breakdown which leaves me with about forty pages to do each of the next two days. It sort of feels like a lot but at the same time the more I go through it, the faster it seems to be going. And as it was Halloween I also had some scary movies playing in the background. I unfortunately did not get to watch any zombie movies but perhaps I will tomorrow. Anything to make Halloween last longer! My day was really pretty uneventful. Tonight was more exciting, we did some crew bonding stuff and I finally got to spend a little more time chatting with the guys I knew from before. So that was really nice. I really must say that it's surprising where your work can come from. I've found that it's definitely an excellent idea to keep in touch with as many people as you can! It's such a great thing having the opportunity to work with people you genuinely like and respect as filmmakers. In a way this business really is all about who you know, but the who-you-knows don't have to be big important people. Indie filmmaking sort of rocks like that. post comment

Pre-Production Day 5 [31 Oct 2005|12:01am] [ mood | satisfied ] Today was mostly a day to myself. I pretty much just spent it working on the script breakdown. I had a meeting with the Director and the Unit Production Manager this evening to go over specifically how I was planning on doing the notes and everything during the shoot. They both seemed happy with the way I'm planning on so that was good. A definite confidence boost. After that there was talking to the Producer about some legal stuff and signing tax forms and whatnot. I suppose that's all important too. And then I just came "home" and went back to work on my breakdown. I think the next few days are pretty light in terms of what other people need me for. Tuesday morning we'll be scouting one more location but other than that I don't know of anything else. I plan on using the time to finish going over the script and just relaxing. Tomorrow I'm planning on going to the mall with the DP. And then on Thursday Principle Photography begins! So in terms of this I'm not sure how much I'll have to update with. I suppose I could always fill some space with amusing stories about the two dogs I'm currently sharing space with... 3 comments|post comment

Pre-Production Day 4: Production Meeting [30 Oct 2005|01:27am] [ mood | happy ] [ music | Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here ] I did write an entry for yesterday, it's just on my computer which isn't hooked up to the internet. So I'll maybe add that tomorrow and backdate it or something. Check back, it's hugely exciting. Er, well, if you find reading about tech scouts exciting that is. Anyway... Today was the production meeting. We basically spent from 9 am to about 5 pm sitting in a conference room reading through the script and addressing any concerns anyone had. As long as it was I found it to be very useful. And actually we made really good time, we were planning on meeting tomorrow as well but we made it through the entire script so that's not necessary. Which means tomorrow I have all day to work on a breakdown of the script and prepare my stuff. Which is great. There's not really too much to say about the production meeting. I mean, we read through the actions of a scene, the heads of each department went over any particular issues they had with that scene, and then we moved on. I spent the time listening to what everyone was saying and taking note on anything I found to be pertinent in regards to continuity concerns. There are going to be a few rough scenes. Thank goodness I got a hold of a digital camera. I can't imagine how I would do my job without it. Tonight was really chill. I spent a couple of hours after the meeting setting up my camera and relaxing a bit. After that I headed back over to the house to pick up my pink pages (they didn't have copies for me this morning) and figure out what time tomorrow they wanted me to come over to go over script supervisor technique stuff. We're just going to discuss and get ourselves on the same page. I helped the Production Designer out a bit more by painting lanterns, watched some Interview With A Vampire and Cops with a couple of the guys, and then played a rousing game of Uno while enjoying a glass of Kahlua with the PD and the Production Coordinator. Good times all around. Can I just say that I'm hugely excited about the time change right now? Mmmm... extra sleep. I think tomorrow's going to be a good day. post comment

Pre-Production Day 3: Tech Scout Part 2 [29 Oct 2005|12:47am] [ mood | organized ] The second part of the tech scout was really easy today. We were able to cover a couple of extra locations yesterday and we moved through today's quickly so we were actually finished really early. We had lunch, my pasta salad did not in fact have meat in it which was most excellent, and the afternoon was free. I didn't really have much of my own to do so I helped the Production Designer out with some painting and banner making. It was good to get my hands on something. I have a pretty good idea now of what things I need to do before production starts. Tomorrow we're having a massive marathon meeting which will involve going over the script. It should be very helpful. Once I get the revised script (the pink pages) I plan on doing a breakdown of it. And I can get all my stuff organized around the shooting schedule. I also got a digital camera today so now I can execute my plan of having pictures available on my laptop for easy access and comparison. I still need a stopwatch though. I've killed my budget at this point so the UPM's wristwatch is probably going to have to be it. I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of things now. I have a plan in my head for what I need to do. I'm feeling pretty comfortable with most of the crew. I'm starting to get a feel for the roads. I have a key to the house where I'm staying. This house is great by the way. My bed is so comfy. And the dogs are adorable even if they are giant and try to eat my sandwiches. I'm also adjusting to the coldness. And hopefully my vaguely sore throat is dehydration and not the start of a cold. post comment

Pre-Production Day 2: Tech Scout Part 1 [27 Oct 2005|11:39pm] [ mood | optimistic ] [ music | Beatles ] And today was the tech scout. Which was interesting getting up for. I did actually manage to wake up on time. However, considering the multiple people sharing the one bathroom, it was a while before I was actually able to get ready. But once the bathroom was mine I was showered, dressed, and with dry hair in less than twenty minutes! Go me! The day was spent driving around and looking at various locations. Many of which were outside. Good lord this is going to be a cold shoot. But what did I expect? Late fall, early winter in Pa. Yeah. I'm glad I brought lots of sweaters. Anyway, most of the locations, while freezing, were gorgeous. This area is wonderful! And the interiors all look like they're going to be fantastic. A few are going to be a real challenge for me in terms of continuity so things will definitely be interesting. I still haven't gotten the shooting schedule but I do know that filming begins next Thursday and that the first week is going to be days. The next two weeks will be mostly nights. Mmmm... nights outside in November in the Northeast. I can't wait! Although I am actually a real fan of night shoots. I'm usually more of a night person and people get so wacky in the middle of the night. It makes for some real fun times. So as long as there are warm beverages containing lots of caffeine I think it should be all right. Hopefully I'll get the exact schedule tomorrow. I just need to remember to ask for it. I also am now moved in with my host family. Holy Crap! I have my own bedroom, I only have to share a bathroom with their daughter, and I have drawer and closet space! Talk about an unexpected surprise. A perk of being a girl I guess. They felt bad sticking me in a room with a bunch of guys so they gave me this space. I was totally expecting to be living out of suitcases for the next two months. Heh, I'm supposed to keep the drawer thing on the DL though. Don't want to make anyone jealous ;) After only a day and half I'm really loving this crew. They've mostly all worked together before and there's just a really nice atmosphere. I think the shoot is going to be a lot of fun. Stressful and frustrating too I'm sure, but right now I'm very optimistic. Tomorrow we'll be finishing the tech scouting and I think that's it for the day. This weekend is going to be filled with production meetings and then I believe there's a day or so off before shooting actually begins. It sounds like it's going to be a long weekend but I should probably be able to get a decent amount of sleep. I need to take advantage of that while I still can. So now I'm going to review the changes to the script and then get some sleep. That I'm definitely looking forward to. post comment

Pre-Production Day 1 [27 Oct 2005|01:21am] [ mood | sleepy ] [ music | Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire ] Arrived in Pa today around 5ish after decent driving from DC. There was some traffic around Philly so I was a little later getting in than planned but it wasn't too bad. They were doing camera test when I got here so there really wasn't anything for me to do. The Production Coordinator showed me around a bit and introduced me to some people. I followed a few different people around for a while, hung around in the kitchen, hung around in the office, just kind of hung around. Did get to say hi to the guys I know and I finally got to meet the ones I've been talking to on the phone for the last two months. So that was all good. I'm still trying to learn everyone's names and jobs, I'm sure I've forgotten most of them already. That should come pretty quick though, it usually does. And as long as I get them all straight before shooting starts I'll be good. I was sent along with the crew to one of the locations to be a stand-in while they did camera tests there, so I didn't feel completely useless today! There was at least sitting around with a purpose. It was just weird watching the crew carry all of the lighting equipment and not being a part of that. Tomorrow there's going to be a tech scout and I will eventually get moved into the place where I'm going to be staying. I'm not hugely sure about what I'll do on the tech scout but I figure it will be good to get a feel for everything. I also need to read the revised script. And just review the script in general. That's pretty much it for day 1. The night ended with a midnight meal at the local diner and now I am more than ready for sleep. Hopefully the alarms will wake me, I'm terrible at waking up. And I'm sure tomorrow is going to be the first of many long days. But that's what coffee is for. post comment

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