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August 16, 2011:

THE SHOOT

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I had way too much fun yesterday shooting the first two episodes of a new web series. It’s always interesting to get back to something you haven’t done in a while, and it was so second nature to me after about two minutes. The cameraman was very helpful and very good and the day just zoomed by. In fact, we were on time all day and then finished up about forty-five minutes ahead of schedule. We arrived at Ripley-Grier Studios and began setting up at ten. Our tap dancing gals arrived then and rehearsed their stuff. At about 10:45, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, gorgeous and very tall, arrived to do her stuff. We set the shot and did her bit several times from one angle, then did some coverage – she’s just great and really was prepared and knew her stuff perfectly. Then Brad Oscar arrived, and we put him in the last half of Nikka’s number. He was hilarious and we shot that several different ways. Watching the footage later (it was very hard to see what the cameraman was doing as it was going down) I saw there were focus issues occasionally where he didn’t know who to hold and went with the wrong person, but happily there is one take where all that is correct, and any other focus issues are not going to be a problem as I have plenty of other stuff to cut to.

After Nikka left, we did Brad’s solo, which he did wonderfully. Again, we did several angles, all of which will work when we cut it together. And then it was time for the tap stuff – I knew that would take the longest and had planned more than enough time to get everything we needed. The gals were great, Brad was great, and we got a lot of fun coverage, although as I watched the footage later I thought that keeping things as simple as possible in terms of the editing is going to be best. And that was that for that part of episode three (the rest, what we call the set-up, shoots today). Then Sandy Rosenberg arrived and she and Barry Pearl (who’d been there from the beginning with his producer hat on) did their number. It went very quickly – simple coverage (master and two close-ups), after which Beth Leavel arrived and we did the first of her two sequences. This woman is so terrific – great comic instincts, great delivery, great voice, and all I had to say the entire time was action and cut, which is my favorite way to work. People in the room were howling with laughter. I had to be very clever in shooting these scenes as I have to film Melody’s part in them in LA – I think it will be completely seamless and no one will have a clew that it was shot on two coasts. Then we did her second sequence, which included Barry and Sandy and that went great, too. And that was that.

After we wrapped, everything we shot was transferred onto a mini-backup hard drive as well as the hard drive on my computer. Plus the cameraman is keeping it on his until we know that all sound and picture is in good repair and that everything got transferred. For example, there was some problem with half of episode two’s footage making it to the computer drive, but it was all there on the backup drive. We shot all day with playback and live singing, after which we got clean vocals on a really good vocal mic, so this all should assemble very well, but even if we had to go with the live sound for some of it, that live sound is excellent.

After that, a few of us went to a Jewish jernt called Ben’s, which was just around the corner from Ripley-Grier. I had a very good extra lean pastrami sandwich and one piece of not so great kishka. After that, we all went over to the Brooklyn Diner for some dessert. I had about a third of a piece of their yummilicious coconut cake. Then I came back to the hotel, quite exhausted, and answered a lot of e-mails. I must say I’m rather surprised by the seeming lack of interest in Divorce, Italian Style – classic film, great score, first CD release. I’m beginning to think that the market for anything other than a 1980s score has been saturated and I may cut back to one release a month until that changes.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep. If I can get to sleep by midnight then I may try to jog in the morning – if not, the jog will have to wait until my return to LA.

Today, if I’m up by nine, I shall attempt to do some sort of jog. Whether I do or don’t, we meet at our first location, Angus McIndoe (a restaurant) at 11:45. We begin shooting at noon with Beth and Barry, their set-up scene. It’s about three pages of dialogue and I’m only doing a master and two close-ups. Then we go to Brad Oscar’s apartment to do his set-up scene, which also features his ever-lovin’ Diego. That’s also very simple coverage and hopefully we should be through by four. Then some of us will mosey on over to Joe Allen for a nice meal. I’ll need to get to bed early as I have to leave for the airport at around five.

Tomorrow, of course, I shall be on my way back to LA, so send excellent vibes and xylophones for good weather, and a safe, secure, and on-time flight.

Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Texas Two-Step for today is the birthday of our beloved dear reader Vixmom. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our beloved dear reader Vixmom. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR BELOVED DEAR READER VIXMOM!!!

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, try to jog, do a shoot, have a nice meal, and get to bed early. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite flowers? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland and get ready for our second day of shooting.

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