Today we shot a great scene out in the Wisconsin countryside. Our crew went AWOL on Joe and I. Actually they went on spring break so some went home and others were utilizing the time to finish their senior thesis projects. I know how that is, I was there only a year ago. So it was just Joe and I. The morning started with a bit of a hiccup when I realized, only after we had driven the 30mins to our location I had left my tripod in the trunk of my car back in Milwaukee. It pissed me off but I took the blame and became a human tripod. Despite my oversight we once again got some amazing footage. So far this film is looking gorgeous. It was fun filming the "Duplimax" car against the amazing country location we found. Location scouting is so important. The car looked oddly out of place cruising through the snowy cornfields. All in all it was another successful day.
Spirit Lake: Shoot Two 3/6/09 ("If you're comfortable with it?")
So after two weeks of what felt like forever we finally got our second day of shooting successfully completed on the film. I didn't sleep well at all the night before, I was up till around 3am. I woke up in the morning feeling drowsy and kicking myself, but once we started rolling tape the adrenaline took over. Filmmaking to me is like getting a jolt of cappuccino. It just hops me up. It was a gorgeous day all day, temps were in the 50's. We were kinda hoping for cold stark and snowy but the weather's been so nice the past couple days the snow is all melted away. That didn't discourage us though, instead we followed Clint Eastwood's motto to "forge ahead". It was a pretty simple day and only required the DP (me), director Joe Shakula, actor Nate Polzin and the amazing Duplimax car (Joe's "Duplimaxed" Scion). We shot a bunch of nifty car shots with my trusty car mount in Bayview. Then around 3:30pm we headed over to our apartment location where Carl a really cool landlord gave us full access to his gorgeous building, and boy did we take advantage of it. What followed was quite hilarious. The scene required Nate to dangle from a third story window and drop down to a balcony below and then to the ground. We were all a little leery of the stunt. Joe exclaimed, "do it only if you're comfortable with it Nate?" I laughed and Nate poking his head out of the window paused for a moment and then said, "Fuck it!" and proceeded to scare the shit out of all of us. Carl even asked, "Is this all necessary?", yet he was truly impressed as he then discussed how doing "stuff" for real is why films made in the 1970's are so much better than films made today, "with green screens and all that crap..." Obviously we all agree with that sentiment, otherwise we wouldn't be doing it. Joe and I thought it was real funny watching Nate dangle dangerously from a third story window. We were laughing cause it was definitely a little crazy, but Nate is even crazier for doing it. It's all real, it's all Nate and it's going to make people laugh with fear just like Joe and I because they'll know it's real too.
Spirit Lake: Shoot One 2/21/09 (Ten Hours to Bring us Together)
Well it is a week since we quite literally broke the ice on a new Wisconsin based feature film titled "Spirit Lake". I am acting as the Director of Photography as well as an associate producer of sorts on the Studio Bib Simmons production. I say broke the ice because we filmed for 10 hours strait in chilling wind, blinding snow and frostbite inducing temperatures. Considering those condition plus filming on the frozen surface of "Devil's Lake" so many things could have gone wrong. But something amazing happened. Everything went right! As filmmakers know that doesn't happen often. I still ask myself why and how. It is not that I don't have confidence in the seemingly fearless director Joe Shakula, or the super powered duo, Erik Holman and Nathan Behmlander who made up the crew, or myself, it's just that when your making a movie on a frozen lake in the middle of a blizzard, "shit happens". But oddly it didn't. The cameras worked well for 10 strait hours, after weeks of rehearsals the chemistry of Nathan Polzin and Martin Kraszewski was truly solidified on that fridged day. For the actors there was no time to think about the acting because it was so cold. I suppose it was similar for the crew as well. No time to think just time to do. For all of us, it was a truly bonding experience. We were all in Jack Frost's playground together and we weren't leaving until we got the shots or died due to fatigue or frostbite. It also helped that the six of us had shared a two bed hotel room the night before. I never thought I'd be sleeping in the same bed with my crew mates and actors. That's real bonding. I think it should become a ritual before every shoot:) Just kidding. So everything came together. It has happened before and I hope that this continues. There was a sense of urgency and everyone had their eye on the goal. I still believe the unforeseen can happen, but dare I be cliche, I hope "the magic" that has seemed to take hold of "Spirit Lake" caries us through.
SPIRIT LAKE Teaser Trailer (Life) from Don Ford on Vimeo.
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