the making of a fairytale part 1

At salty snack studios we make movies and iPhone apps.  Last spring, Cassi James, a local Media Arts student at the University of Montana, came to us as an intern.  It's been outstanding working with her. 

Cassi put together a script for a short movie with one of our apps (Love's Book of Answers™) at the center of the story.  This summer we helped her make that movie. In an earlier post, I showed some video clips when we were scouting locations. 

We had clear sunny days, a Rock Star cast and crew, plus great luck on the timing of trains.  

The movie is in the final stages of post-production and will release this winter. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos.

Zach Smith, Bruce, Cassi, Jessica Mostad

The joys of a jib.

I find shooting a video camera can be a very sculptural process, even more so when the camera is moving - not sitting static on a tripod.  Bringing together a wide range of possible angles with movement is putting the camera on a jib arm on wheels.  Basically, sticking the camera on the end of a long arm, moving levers to tilt the camera, swinging the arm from the tripod support and then rolling the whole bit on a set of wheels collectively, gives a bigger range of motion than on a tripod or handheld.  It's elaborate but worth it.
   

camera at the end of a jib arm

After we release the movie, I'll explain (or you'll see) why for this shot we pulled the tripod and wheels off of the tracks that normally help smooth out a shot.  (The nut of it: we needed bumpy instead of smooth when rolling.)     

It's a combined effort, like an awkward dance, shooting this way.  I love it.

Bruce and I playing back clips in the camera and watching them through the tiny viewfinder.

The same week as the shoot, Clementine came from Jersey to be the first and only member of our unofficial salty snack studios' Boot Camp.  Clementine pitched in as a key member of the crew.  She's funny, smart and has a keen eye which was a big asset.  She also took many of the photos documenting the production.      

Clementine tightening bolts on the jib arm

Cassi's script required a few tricky scenes that were fun to problem solve.  Like, how do we show the Prince sword-fighting with a Dragon?

Without explaining the shot, since you don't know the script yet and haven't seen the movie yet either, simply observe how odd it can look when you are making a movie.  Notice Bruce has the camera on the bottom rung of the ladder.  I'm bracing the ladder-to-nowhere and Zach, as the Prince, is about to jump onto it.  Cassi is directing the scene.
 

Ready?  Action!

Zach Smith, Bruce, Toni, Cassi James

This was just day one of the shoot.  I'll post more photos from other days soon!

Photos © Clementine "Devo" and Toni Matlock