Thou Shalt Not Dream

Last week of preproduction

It has being a lot of craziness. But it seams like it is working out.

The Cast is almost in place, we are just waiting for some confirmations. The shooting has already a tentative schedule, we a location locked down!

The biggest task now is to have the set built and the costumes ready for the day of the shoot. Tomorrow Ryan, Tao and I are going to Material for the Arts to pick up some supplies, thanks to our new collaborators Pregones Theater.

Just so everyone know. Out living room is still a mess.

StoryBoards

I am very happy to say that my sketches of the storyboard are ready! 63 shots to have a whole movie, at least how it is visualized right now. We all know changes will come. Locations, conditions, actors, so many things are going to change this storyboard, but now we can all have a good idea of how the movie is going to play.

If you want to see the storyboard you can download it.

Camera Test

We got the camera test back. We projected it. It was great to do this test. Now we know
what stock we are going to use. Eterna 500 T. It's got a beautifully grain to it. It has a great contrast so we can have parts of the frame in the shadows.

The colors and the textures in this stock are more what we are looking for that the other stock we tested, the Reala 500 D.

So that said, know we can make some aesthetics decisions we couldn't make before, about lighting and props and costumes.

Yesterday Ryan and Tao García (my very good friend from Venezuela helping Ryan) went shopping for the movie, and they got some great things. As soon as we have some photographs will put them up in a gallery.

Pre Production Update

It's been a couple of days since the last post. I've being away from the computer, doing some creative work done. My story boards are almost ready. Tomorrow there will be something new for everyone to download and see. Then Jason, the story board artist, is going to make a better looking ones.

As for the casting. I still want to see some people. I post a new ad on craigslist. Let's see what comes up with that.

The locations we have plans of doing some scouting this week. And the plan is to have them locked down by the week end. Hopefully this week is going to work out that way. Abandoned Precint, Fort Totten, a warehouse in Brooklyn, some people we know in New Jersey.

Soon we will have photos and videos of the test. And headshots of our actors.

Casting, Locations, Costumes

The casting was good. I'm still not sure who I'm going to pick for Red, our main character, so we are going to do some call backs next week.

I hadn't realized how hard it is to do a casting for a part that has no lines. But they still need to have facials expressions and body movements for the part to work... How do you give instructions for that? How do you direct an actor for this kind of parts?

I felt a little more like a choreographer that a director. Ha ha. It gave me the chance to realize which actors get what I'm trying to say, and which ones don't. It's very likely is not the actors but me, who can't articulate properly. Ha ha.

Yesterday Ryan and I discussed a little more about the costumes and some other ideas. He showed me some great props, and now, our living room just turned into a prop studio. Ryan is building some of the props there.

About the locations... well, that is really moving a little slower than I expected. Check out some pictures we have of two possible locations in Dumbo. If anybody knows about any warehouse that we can use to build some sets, please let us know to shaltnotdream@yahoo.com.

What camera test?

It was a difficult weekend for the production. I was working 18 hour days on Friday and Saturday. That was not bad, considering that I had the film and I was ready to shoot the camera test on Sunday. Joe had booked this great sound stage so we could have a controlled environment.

By the time I went to bed on Saturday, I haven't heard from my classmate who was lending me the camera package she checked out. She is shooting only tomorrow, so she had the camera sitting around during the weekend.

Well, I didn't hear from her on Sunday either, until around 13:30 that I get an email that she sent to the class, asking for help on her shoot on Tuesday. Immediately I wrote back asking her about the camera. I called her again, to get her voice mail for the 50Th time in the last 24 hrs.

So we didn't get to shoot the camera test this time.

Today, I finally got a list together of the people I want to see on Wednesday for the casting to play Red and Vincent, my most important characters. And tomorrow Joe and I are going location scouting to DUMBO and some other streets around the neighborhood.

Tonight I have an art meeting with Ryan. He has something to show me and I can't wait to see it. I'll write more about that tomorrow.

Film for the test

I'm just getting ready to leave my place and head to Media Distributors to get some stock for the camera test. I'm very exited to see what we can do with this camera.

We are getting 100 ft of Reala 500 and Eterna 500, to see how that turns out.

Pre Production update

First of all, yesterday we had our first production meeting with the key positions of the film. We talked about the design of the film, about the locations that we are going to be scouting this coming week and about the crew that we need to find. And of course planning. Some shots have to be very well planned, so I'm working in storyboards that have to be very tight in the highly design scenes, so we can accomplish what we are looking for.

We dissected the second part of the script, and it helps me express what I'm trying to accomplish here. There was a good communication between the departments and I think Joe and Ryan are going to be a great team to get this vintage look that we want to give to the film. A retro-future sci-fi movie with a vintage look. Ha ha.

Yesterday night I was having a conversation with Ryan, debating on what is the best way to plan this. He was wondering how spontaneous can you be on set if we have everything so tightly planned. I didn't really had an answer. But he came up with the idea to plan and design frame by frame the shots that required a lot of accuracy to work on the screen. And we can have some freedom o play around with shots that are not so tight in production. I think it's a great idea. So I'm working on the storyboards for those scenes that require a lot of production to it.

Ryan too came up with a new set for the prison, which adds so much to the overall theme of the film. You will be able to see it in the final cut, that will be ready by December this year.

We are very happy for the response of all the actor that had been sending their head shots in.  It makes me exited that people get exited about the project. Casting will be held next week.

We are still looking for financing, so if any of you can collaborate with anything you can click here to visit our fund raising web page at fundable.org

The team seams to be working good together. Things look in good shape, and the pre production is moving along.

Thanks everyone for their help and support.

Getting ready to shoot some tests

Joe and I have been talking and we decided we are going to shoot some test on fuji, because Fuji brings the greens more up in the screen than Kodak does... Nothing personal, just aesthetic decisions.

We are going to test the new stock Eterna 500 and the Reala 500. Let's see what we get out of it. I'm going tomorrow to get the stock at Media Distributors in Manhattan. They are at 245 W 27th St. Between 11th and 12th Ave.

Casting Call

"Thou Shalt Not Dream" is calling for casting.

A 16mm short science-fiction film scheduled to shoot in May.

There is no pay but meals, copy and credit will be provided. Expected 3 day shoot in Brooklyn.

Please send headshots and resume to shallnotdream@yahoo.com

Casting:
1-bald male ages 40-45

3 Security guards/ soldiers ages 25-35

1-male age 30-35

20-Extras to play citizens ages 25-35

Thank you.