It was inevitable that we'd eventually have, well, I wouldn't call it a bad day of filming - but a difficult day nonetheless. When you shoot a big picture, you're bound to run into a day where its too windy or its raining or there's a power outage or something and you just can't work around it. That was Saturday.
The first problem was somewhat anticipated and embraced. I'd decided before I even arrived at my work that I wanted to do some hand-held photography just to add a feeling of documentary realism. There was a scene where it was practically written that way. So, we set up the shot and we went ahead and did it, and it came out really good. Then we went to the other shot at this location and I discovered that the space was too tight to use the tripod successfully, so once again I hand held the shot through its five different takes and it seemed to me very good. Once I got home, however, and ran the tape back I suddenly remembered something from Day Two of the shooting. An internal error in the camera had negated the hand held stabilizing unit inside the camera. This particular stabilizing unit is designed to smooth out the inherent shakiness of hand held shots and is found in most video cameras available. As I've been using a tripod in every shot up until Saturday, I'd forgotten that this problem existed until I saw the footage. It looked great when I was filming it, but the second I played it back I had to question whether I had been having seizures at the time I was filming. Fortunately for the film, the last takes of each shot were less shaky than any other take - so the actors and the film maker happened to be in sync. Still, the shakiness might be a little jarring to the rest of the film.
After the first problem of the day, we headed over to my sister's new personal office and set up shop to film a bunch of interview scenes. The camera went back on the tripod, but, this time, we started discovering sound problems - namely the fact that there were several windows in the office all facing towards a freeway not 250 yards away. The constant buzz of traffic was very loud in my ears no matter which way I faced the camera and the microphone. But there was nothing to be done about it. Any attempt (other than closing the windows, naturally) to block the sound would have resulted in less light and a very dark looking office. So, we just went for it.
Sometimes the challenges in film making are numerous, but the difference in filmed art vs. other forms of art is that you can't always control the environment you are trying to artificially create. And sometimes, rarely, you just have to accept that there can be no reshoots and that you are going to have to go forward with what you have. It sucks, but that's just the way it is.
And so now... the killer Monday. Everyone on board! Everyone on deck! And a huge chunk of the film depending on tonight's outcome. At some point, you just let things come as they may. Tonight will be what tonight will be. Que Sera, Sera... and all that.
It's in God's hands now!
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