What Are You Working On?

[Password Expired]

Curious about what the members of this talented community are currently working on now, especially as we wait for our Red One cameras. Writing a screenplay? Filming a feature? Working on a music video, documentary, or commercial perhaps?

Right now I am just trying to learn as much as I can. How about you? What are you working on, what's it about?

[donatello b]

editing a piece on grand daughter ( from born to 5 years old) ..for family viewing only ...

[Tom Lowe]

Getting ready for some serious writing, location scouting and timelapse shooting later this summer. Another month of work and I'm out!

[Adam C Lubkin]

Taking a break to get some perspective before making final tweaks to a documentary I shot last year and spent the last several months editing. Taking the time to chart out new projects, begin a new screenplay, decide whether to tackle a difficult short this winter, and catch up on my film viewing. That plus work and being a dad.

[Steven M. Bailey]

Currently working on four scripts, one at polish, one on third rewrite, and two at initial draft. I am also playing with an Hv20 and designing a new modular dolly system for potential marketing.

The biggest thing I am working on is building two crazy houses so that I can pay for my reds when they are ready.

[Alexander Nikishin]

I'm looking forward to being the Cinematographer on three feature length films all to be shot on RED (if the delivery schedule is on point).

In September, a Kung Fu period piece set in ancient China.

In October, a Creepshow style horror film containing four short films.

And in November, a psychological thriller.

Should be fun times!

[Jason Francois]

Like Blownapart I'm designing/building crazy houses to make money while polishing a script for a friend (shooting in Japan this Winter) and working with a writer on my next feature to shoot this winter as well.

I'm also in the alpha phase on a series of sports wrist watches that will be a big 2009 project.

Oh, and rasing a two-year old and a four-month old. :)

God, I'm tired just typing about it.

[Tom Lowe]

Currently working on four scripts, one at polish, one on third rewrite, and two at initial draft. I am also playing with an Hv20 and designing a new modular dolly system for potential marketing.


How's the dolly coming along?

[number6]

Soaking up knowledge, while preparing to shoot two features simultaneously. Have to shoot both because a scene about midway through the first release requires me to blow up my house (or someone else's if I can work a deal where they can have free room and board in mine for the use of theirs as a location.) Therefore, I will get everything in the "can" before shooting that last scene. I have a tent to live in until I see if either of the movies get picked up. If they don't, I may have to get married to someone who has a house.

[Finner]

Let me know when it's all over #6. I look forward to buying your cameras at 50cents on the dollar. Hell I may even be willing to buy your wrecked house If I can develop it and flip it for a few $'s.

By the way ever hear of a thing called CGI? I think it would be a good thing for you to look into.

[Steven M. Bailey]

How's the dolly coming along?

I'm still in the acquisition stage. The main body is an aluminum alloy and is little pricey by itself. I'm working on a bulk buy for nine units to keep the price down. I'll keep you updated as things progress.

[number6]

Let me know when it's all over #6. I look forward to buying your cameras at 50cents on the dollar. Hell I may even be willing to buy your wrecked house If I can develop it and flip it for a few $'s.

By the way ever hear of a thing called CGI? I think it would be a good thing for you to look into.

Actually, I have thought about CGI. But remember when Butch and Sundance blew up that boxcar? I want that kind of realism. As far as the wrecked house goes, location, location, location. It ain't got no location, and that's why it will work as a location in my first offering. The second one may need be closer to a toun. And as far as buying my cameras for 50 cents on the dollar, if I get backed into a corner, I will load both cameras, and with one in each hand will shoot my way out. You'll never take me dead.

[Finner]

The second one may need be closer to a toun. And as far as buying my cameras for 50 cents on the dollar, if I get backed into a corner, I will load both cameras, and with one in each hand will shoot my way out. You'll never take me dead.

Look out, there's a new sheriff in toun.

[number6]

toun.Thanks for not triggering a doun relapse.

[Gavin Greenwalt]

Hey #6. I'll trade you one blown up house shot for a house.

[Jochen Schmidt-Hambrock]

Actually, I have thought about CGI. But remember when Butch and Sundance blew up that boxcar? I want that kind of realism. A

I´m glad you´re not Roland Emmerich. ;-)

Jochen

[Sanjin Jukic]

I'm not in a rush.

On Saturday morning flying to Ibiza. 3 weeks in Formentera, then one week in Ibiza.

There to think about screenplay and of course enjoy A HOT SUMMER.

http://www.pregenzer.com/formentera_web/images/IMG_4532.jpg
Pirata Illetes Beach, Formentera, Balearic Islands, Spain.

http://www.pregenzer.com/formentera_web/images/DSCF0074.jpg
Chiringuito "Big Sur Life" Beach, Formentera, Balearic Islands, Spain.

http://www.pregenzer.com/formentera_web/images/IMG_5007.jpg
A view to St.Joseph, a stone island in Ibiza from the Formentera's Illetes Beach, Balearic Islands, Spain.

[Pol Turrents]

3rd man... have you read the news?
A boat full of fuel crashed 2 days ago, and the Ibiza coast is full of fuel...
(in spanish: http://actualidad.terra.es/nacional/articulo/especialistas_detectan_tuberia_rota_vierte_1709481 .htm )

[Sanjin Jukic]

Not a good news, just searching and calling there for more info.
Hope it would not effect Formentera. In Ibiza I have a pool to swim in the case of the see water dirts and eco catastrophe.

[PaulClements]

Not a good news, just searching and calling there for more info.
Hope it would not effect Formentera. In Ibiza I have a pool to swim in the case of the see water dirts and eco catastrophe.

Take a camera and get some stock footage lol.

[Andreas Fernbrant]

I'm in pre production for my extreme sports movie. Plan to shoot with RED.

[number6]

Hey #6. I'll trade you one blown up house shot for a house.

Thanks for the offer, but it has to be "THE" bloun up house. Got any experience with dynamite?

[number6]

I´m glad you´re not Roland Emmerich. ;-)

Jochen

Jochen, I'm not familiar... enlighten me please.

[planet e]

shooting a triathlon fbroadcast, negotiating a new infomercial for a hair salon franchise, shooting a documentary about a monk, shooting a fund-raising video for a water lawyer who wants to influence water policy, shooting a product demo for a firefighters' trade show. all fun projects. first RED project will, we hope, be the feature-length version of the water documentary, if the fund-raising short turns out well.....

[Sanjin Jukic]

Take a camera and get some stock footage lol.

An idea was to take HV20, but in Vienna still didn't arrive. At the middle of the next week. Too late for Ibiza.
I'll bring 3 photo cameras, 2 DSLRs with a lot of lenses and one compact digital for a beach and underwater. Enough for now.

[Jochen Schmidt-Hambrock]

Jochen, I'm not familiar... enlighten me please.

Roland Emmerich! Godzilla. Independence Day. Day after Tomorrow.
LOts of smashing of buildings by all kinds of ahm..... beings?

My secret weapon against jet lag. No matter how tired, on arrival watch anything by Roland. Keeps me awake until its ok to go to bed (except one time I fell asleep in a Santa Monica multiplex the first minute the lizard wasn´t smashing anything.)

Jochen

[Pol Turrents]

An idea was to take HV20, but in Vienna still didn't arrive. At the middle of the next week. Too late for Ibiza.
I'll bring 3 photo cameras, 2 DSLRs with a lot of lenses and one compact digital for a beach and underwater. Enough for now.

If not, take a plane or a boat and in a while you can be in Barcelona!
Here I can invite you to drink!

[Tom Lowe]

shooting a triathlon broadcast, negotiating a new infomercial for a hair salon franchise, shooting a documentary about a monk, shooting a fund-raising video for a water lawyer who wants to influence water policy, shooting a product demo for a firefighters' trade show. all fun projects. first RED project will, we hope, be the feature-length version of the water documentary, if the fund-raising short turns out well.....

Heh-heh. I think this wins for most interesting. :)

[Jaime Vallés]

My brother and I are hard at work on the screenplay for our next feature. If all goes well, we should have a 1st draft done by August 1. Cross your fingers for us!

[pat@hpnc.com]

Good idea for a thread.

For me I am just finishing up writing a short to do that will be to work out some animation and VFX ideas with the HD workflow.

[Finner]

Thanks for the offer, but it has to be "THE" bloun up house. Got any experience with dynamite?


For the safety of anyone willing to actually work with you don't use dynamite you will kill someone. Dynamite packs a punch but does very little for actual visual effect.

What you want is air cannons with debris to blow out the windows, a few black powder bombs with squib match head ignitors placed in the bottom of mortors then covered with bags of gas to give you some big fireball gas bombs and for final effect stratigically wrap detination cord and some detenation frisbee's around some of the roof after you have cut away some of the roof supports. This will give you the ability to blow the roof right off and any experienced SPFX man will be able to place explosives that will direct the roof where they want it to go.n I have my pyro explosives ticket but for some reason I don't see the two of us working together that well so I will have to take a pass on this one. I can recomend some qualified friends I have in LA though. You would roughly be looking at a 15-25K charge to have it done.

[Babu Kantamneni]

I think Finner and #6 should have a drink together and get over the love they have for eachother.
babu

[Finner]

Ya there is a little bit of sexual tension in our relationship!

[wshultz]

What do those air cannon look like, Finner. Are these custom made devices hooked to conventional air compressors? I'd like to find some info on those "safer" devices. Thanks.

[Finner]

Air cannons are simply a large metal tank (like a large old propane tank) that have the valve removed and replaced with a large diameter electronic selenoid valve. You fill these tanks with a high pressure of air via a tapped in air valve (tire valve). Attatched to the end of the electronic selenoid is a plastic or metal horn shaped device that flares out to the front and that is what you fill with fullers dust, soft fake rocks or cork and other safe debris. From there when you are ready for the effect you just trip the electronic selenoid valve and boom instant effect that looks like an explosion and is relatively safe.

[number6]

For the safety of anyone willing to actually work with you don't use dynamite you will kill someone. Dynamite packs a punch but does very little for actual visual effect.

What you want is air cannons with debris to blow out the windows, a few black powder bombs with squib match head ignitors placed in the bottom of mortors then covered with bags of gas to give you some big fireball gas bombs and for final effect stratigically wrap detination cord and some detenation frisbee's around some of the roof after you have cut away some of the roof supports. This will give you the ability to blow the roof right off and any experienced SPFX man will be able to place explosives that will direct the roof where they want it to go.n I have my pyro explosives ticket but for some reason I don't see the two of us working together that well so I will have to take a pass on this one. I can recomend some qualified friends I have in LA though. You would roughly be looking at a 15-25K charge to have it done.

Finner, thanks for the input. Was actually thinking about taping the cracks and windows and filling it with propane, then setting off one of those electronic pilot lights. Have you, or do you know anyone who has experience with butane or propane explosions? This will be in the storyline, so it would be accurate if it was actually done this way.

I'm thinking if I do my oun house, it should pretty much just explode in all directions (brick veneer built in 1966 using soft uncured pine for framing... the roof is cedar shake put on top of asphalt shingles, so would probably offer more resistance than the walls.) If I can talk one of my brothers into trading his house for mine, that might cause a different result because that house was built in the '30s or '40s and is made of heavy cured lumber that is so hard you can't even drive a nail in it without starting a hole with a drill. My brother's house actually fits the character better than my oun, but he may not can be talked in to trading.

[number6]

Ya there is a little bit of sexual tension in our relationship!

Do you have a house? Would you consider marriage if my film(s) don't sell? Dibs on top (bunk! you gutterly minded sex fienner).

[Sanjin Jukic]

If not, take a plane or a boat and in a while you can be in Barcelona!
Here I can invite you to drink!

I know Barcelona a little bit. My favorite area is near Gothic Quarter Raval & La Ribera in Barcelona where I stay always.
Have a look at one of my slideshow about Barcelona about La Boqueria Market

http://www.pregenzer.com/la_boqueria/images/IMG_6073.jpg
LINK>> (http://www.pregenzer.com/la_boqueria/)

More about Barcelona

http://www.sanjinjukic.com/old/Barcelona_gipsy_Band.jpg
The Gibsy Band at Barceloneta Cafe-Play video (http://www.sanjinjukic.com/old/video2.html)

More of my hot summer short clips

http://www.sanjinjukic.com/old/Big_Sur_Life1.jpg
Formentera's hot chicks-play video (http://www.sanjinjukic.com/old/video2.html)

[Finner]

First off a propane explosion will give you very little effect as it happens so fast, Not to mention that it is way to dangerous and you would never get a permit for it (If you do it without a permit you will be charged get a huge fine and may even do some prison time). Movies and effects are smoke and mirrors. No one actually blows up a real house. Explosions are not one big bang but a series of multiple smaller safer explosions that add drama and layers to the effect. They build a shell that looks like the set house and blow that up. I really am wasting my time saying this but your plans for the camera and movie are way over your head. For the kind of movie you will put together with your expereince and plans for 2 cameras with no support gear and only 1 lense each it will not matter 1 bit if you do a $100,000 dollar SPFX house explosion or a cheap CGI version. I am sure that will go in one ear and out the other so just try and not kill someone as it will help keep your prison time lower if you do not. Please call me when you are in jail as I am interested in buying your cameras from you at 25cents on the dollar.

[Jason Francois]

First off a propane explosion will give you very little effect as it happens so fast, Not to mention that it is way to dangerous and you would never get a permit for it (If you do it without a permit you will be charged get a huge fine and may even do some prison time). Movies and effects are smoke and mirrors. No one actually blows up a real house. Explosions are not one big bang but a series of multiple smaller safer explosions that add drama and layers to the effect. They build a shell that looks like the set house and blow that up. I really am wasting my time saying this but your plans for the camera and movie are way over your head. For the kind of movie you will put together with your expereince and plans for 2 cameras with no support gear and only 1 lense each it will not matter 1 bit if you do a $100,000 dollar SPFX house explosion or a cheap CGI version. I am sure that will go in one ear and out the other so just try and not kill someone as it will help keep your prison time lower if you do not. Please call me when you are in jail as I am interested in buying your cameras from you at 25cents on the dollar.

Yes, what he said.

[number6]

First off a propane explosion will give you very little effect as it happens so fast, Not to mention that it is way to dangerous and you would never get a permit for it (If you do it without a permit you will be charged get a huge fine and may even do some prison time).

I'm from a part of the country where the outlaws outnumber the law so we doan need no stinkin' permit. We can generally do what we want at least once, after which we say we diddunt know that what we did was illegal and that we are sorry. Not necessary to go into rehab, even.

Can't the explosion be shot at a faster speed and slowed doun for effect?


Movies and effects are smoke and mirrors. No one actually blows up a real house. Explosions are not one big bang but a series of multiple smaller safer explosions that add drama and layers to the effect. They build a shell that looks like the set house and blow that up.

But what if someone did a REAL explosion and people liked it? What if instead of smoke and mirrors people got real bang for their buck? (I really liked that last line in the context of this post... think I will just sit back and admire it for a bit.)

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm from a part of the country where the outlaws outnumber the law so we doan need no stinkin' permit. We can generally do what we want at least once, after which we say we diddunt know that what we did was illegal and that we are sorry. Not necessary to go into rehab, even.

Uh, huh... This thread and this line of discussion is almost getting out of hand.


Can't the explosion be shot at a faster speed and slowed doun for effect?

Yes... But not with RED. Most explosions happen very fast and you would specialized camera systems to slow down an explosion. We're talking about the ability to shoot 1000fps or more. Phantom has an excellent shot of a car explosion / fire on their site that was shot at about 9000fps and it still seems kinda fast compared to a lot of movie FX type explosions.

Like Finner said, you're looking for multiple, smaller explosions and effects. Movie explosions are often composed of rolling fireballs and smoke effects. The last thing I'm going to do is give you advice or direction on how and what to use. Here's my advice... Coordinate your effort with a licensed and experienced pyrotechnics team as well as the local fire department. If you do some planning beforehand, you may even be able to find a house that's slated for demolition (or one that needs to be scraped in favor of something new and you can buy it). Then have your fireworks show, let the fire-department use it as a training exercise and put it out. A couple of our local fire departments have small buildings or structures, one even is an old farm house, that they repeatedly put mostly back together and burn time and time again for training. There are resources available... The thought of someone just blowing up their own house seems absolutely insane and totally irresponsible on several levels.


But what if someone did a REAL explosion and people liked it? What if instead of smoke and mirrors people got real bang for their buck? (I really liked that last line in the context of this post... think I will just sit back and admire it for a bit.)

Isn't going to happen. "REAL" explosions or the type you would get from propane, natural gas, dynamite, etc.. Are very fast and very hot. They don't make a lot of visible anything in terms of fireballs or dramatic effect. But they could easily send debris shooting hundreds of meters away causing damage or injury elsewhere.

I'm a general contractor by trade and have had my share of experience with explosives and demolition. All I can say is that you're definitely heading down the wrong track with all of this...

[Brook Willard]

What are you guys thinking?

[number6]

Uh, huh... This thread and this line of discussion is almost getting out of hand.



Yes... But not with RED. Most explosions happen very fast and you would specialized camera systems to slow down an explosion. We're talking about the ability to shoot 1000fps or more. Phantom has an excellent shot of a car explosion / fire on their site that was shot at about 9000fps and it still seems kinda fast compared to a lot of movie FX type explosions.

Like Finner said, you're looking for multiple, smaller explosions and effects. Movie explosions are often composed of rolling fireballs and smoke effects. The last thing I'm going to do is give you advice or direction on how and what to use. Here's my advice... Coordinate your effort with a licensed and experienced pyrotechnics team as well as the local fire department. If you do some planning beforehand, you may even be able to find a house that's slated for demolition (or one that needs to be scraped in favor of something new and you can buy it). Then have your fireworks show, let the fire-department use it as a training exercise and put it out. A couple of our local fire departments have small buildings or structures, one even is an old farm house, that they repeatedly put mostly back together and burn time and time again for training. There are resources available... The thought of someone just blowing up their own house seems absolutely insane and totally irresponsible on several levels.



Isn't going to happen. "REAL" explosions or the type you would get from propane, natural gas, dynamite, etc.. Are very fast and very hot. They don't make a lot of visible anything in terms of fireballs or dramatic effect. But they could easily send debris shooting hundreds of meters away causing damage or injury elsewhere.

I'm a general contractor by trade and have had my share of experience with explosives and demolition. All I can say is that you're definitely heading down the wrong track with all of this...

Thanks for the reality check Jeff. You have given me pause for thought.

And on reflection, I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I am very, very sorry. I now realize that what I was advocating was against the law, and did not show good and proper judgment. I sincerely hope that I have not encouraged anyone to act unlawfully in any way and just want to say that anyone, especially movie makers, should blow up things responsibly. And furthermore, I think that should include smoking, and I personally will not smoke nomore, forever. To all on this forum who may have been offended by my irresponsible advocacy, I apologize. Especially, I want to apoligize to Finner, whom I may have occasionally, verbally abused, when he was just trying to "do the right thing" and save me from myself. I will now go into the desert (it's a really short trip) and rethink my core beliefs. I hope to return a better team player. Again, thanks and I'm sorry.

[Steven M. Bailey]

I think this thread is pretty funny and hopefully number6 will re-think his strategy before he becomes number2. Here is another well known bad idea for blowing up your house.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20031218-9999_7m18bugs.html

Listen to Finner. He used to be Finners

[Mark B.]

Forget the house or the CGI... build a smaller scale model of the house and then buy yourself some fireworks.

[Finner]

Forget the house or the CGI... build a smaller scale model of the house and then buy yourself some fireworks.

Ya cause that always looks realistic.

[Eirik Tyrihjel]

Forget the house or the CGI... build a smaller scale model of the house and then buy yourself some fireworks.

Number6 you should listen to this guy, this is very healthy advice!


Was actually thinking about taping the cracks and windows and filling it with propane
Blowing up anything for a film is to be left to the professionals, the result of amateur work in this sector may be loss of life!!

[Chris Nuzzaco]

I'm gearing up to shoot a pilot show for PBS.... never ever thought I'd be doing that! Were shooting the whole thing on Andromeda :)

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Ya cause that always looks realistic.

Especially when 5 to 10 gallons of water flows over it, simulating a massive flood or a dam breaking.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'm gearing up to shoot a pilot show for PBS.... never ever thought I'd be doing that! Were shooting the whole thing on Andromeda :)

Congrats!

And just when I started to think this post was out of place, I realized that you actually put it back on track.

[Gavin Greenwalt]

First off a propane explosion will give you very little effect as it happens so fast.

While I agree with everything else you just said I have to take exception to this. I have seen 4 propane tanks strapped together set off. It was very filmic.

---

Am I the only one who is beginning to wonder if #6 travelled back through time from the year 2505?

---

Back on topic: As of 3PM I just started R&D on a rush job for T-Mobile and in my free time am developing a few spec Nike ads while squirreling away funds for a few shorts I want to shoot next spring.

[Jeff Kilgroe]

While I agree with everything else you just said I have to take exception to this. I have seen 4 propane tanks strapped together set off. It was very filmic.

I've seen propane tanks blow up too... Can be filmic if conditions are right... The trick os for the liquid propane to roll out of a ruptured tank at just the right speed and not get exposed to usable oxygen too fast. I saw a 250 gallon propane tank blow up in a flash, destroying two adjacent buildings and tossing several vehicles through the air. That was not filmic at all, it happened so fast, the tank popped like a balloon with a brilliant blue flash and a firey puff of smoke and two cars were hitting the ground before the brain fully comprehended what was happening. That was right after the fire marshall had just finished evacuating people behind a perimeter line and made the judgement call to pull back firefighters who weren't able to snuff out the fire. They figured they'd just let it burn the rest of the propane out of the tank. A lucky call on their part instead of leaving firefighters close to it in a futile attempt at stopping the fire. There was no nearby equipment to dump dirt on it to snuff the flames... Water wasn't working, and with the valve right on the tank ruptured and red hot, it was a lost cause.

I've seen two real-life explosions that were very filmic, but in different ways. One was a tanker truck hauling diesel fuel... The driver lost control, it rolled and blew up in a spectacular rolling fireball and melted a bridge in the process. Tragically, three people, including the truck driver, perished in the accident.

The other explosion was comical.. Charges were set to destroy two large concrete pier and headwall structures. Me and the rest of my crew were only the excavators on the job, it was out of our hands, but we didn't think highly of the guy and his crew called in to do the blasting. So we volunteered to handle traffic control and keep people away from the blasting. I was about 1000 yards from the blast site. I could see the blast crew, but the structures were in a hole and out of my view. This crew was set up just over the crest of the hill from the blast site their foreman was parked there with his practically brand new truck. They hooked up their charge wires and they were all working right there around the foreman's truck. I heard two detonations and there was some clapping. Then came two more detonations and silence. I saw a chunk of concrete go flying straight up into the air until it was just a speck, no more noticeable than a small pea. The entire blasting crew was looking straight up... Then they all started scrambling like crazy, two guys collided and knocked each other over. They didn't know where to run as the concrete chunk was obviously coming back down. The concrete hit the foreman's truck right on the passenger side of the cab. It smashed that half of the cab flat onto the frame, which it also buckled. The concrete chunk was probably about 2ft x 3ft x 1ft with a couple steel rebar protruding from it... I still LOL about this one every time someone mentions blowing something up.


Back on topic: As of 3PM I just started R&D on a rush job for T-Mobile and in my free time am developing a few spec Nike ads while squirreling away funds for a few shorts I want to shoot next spring.

I've got so many things going right now, it's not even funny... Well, it might be to others who don't have to deal with it. I really don't have time to spend here, but I find it hard to sleep these days. I usually hang out here on reduser until I finally pass out for a couple hours before the next day starts....

I'm in the middle of two commercial real estate development projects and I'm short on help. Even had two employees no-show on tuesday and I had to demolish a small building by myself and that wasted half a day. I'm also editing one corporate video project for a demo DVD and web site and I'm doing an archviz animated walk-through of a proposed shopping mall. On top of that, I just put in a bid to do an animated Christmas short (just a couple minutes long) and I have a hunch that I'm getting that job because I screwed up and bid too low. And I don't want to turn it down if that does happen because this is a truly great client that I've been trying to woo for some time now. Oh, joy... And as if that's not enough, I have to finish out 5800 sq. ft. of mixed-use office warehouse space by mid september, but I've pushed my deadline up to September 1st so I can attend Gibby's LART. I just love running two distinctly different businesses simultaneously. So, if I can get all my stuff done by the end of this year, I'll be good and once I get my RED, 2008 is playtime. :)

Oh, I also help raise a 4 year old and a 2 year old... It's amazing my wife puts up with all the other stuff.

[Gavin Greenwalt]

Jeff it sounds like you're already a member of my "I want to win the lottery so I can finally get some work done" club.

[Rocket]

Well, I can't even imagine the workload Jeff has just unloaded in his post, but I am in the process of planning and raising capital for our new post facility here in South Africa. It will be the first real-time 4K facility in S.A., probably on the continent, and will feature two THX and Dolby Premier certified theatres, also a first for Africa.

I have also just launched a new 4K technical resource, www.4khub.com and am sourcing and writing new content, and thanks to some guy who registered recently as "thatoneguy" pointing out some mistakes, I've had to rewrite a few things... by the way, are you willing to proof read articles before I publish them ;-)

Apart from that, we are working on a corporate video for a big mining company down here, 'PMC', one of the biggest copper producers in the world, plus getting a few other productions finished up.

I'm also getting sucked in here and so I think Reduser.net could be a very bad thing for all of the above.

[number6]

I've seen propane tanks blow up too... Can be filmic if conditions are right... The trick os for the liquid propane to roll out of a ruptured tank at just the right speed and not get exposed to usable oxygen too fast. I saw a 250 gallon propane tank blow up in a flash, destroying two adjacent buildings and tossing several vehicles through the air. That was not filmic at all, it happened so fast, the tank popped like a balloon with a brilliant blue flash and a firey puff of smoke and two cars were hitting the ground before the brain fully comprehended what was happening. That was right after the fire marshall had just finished evacuating people behind a perimeter line and made the judgement call to pull back firefighters who weren't able to snuff out the fire. They figured they'd just let it burn the rest of the propane out of the tank. A lucky call on their part instead of leaving firefighters close to it in a futile attempt at stopping the fire. There was no nearby equipment to dump dirt on it to snuff the flames... Water wasn't working, and with the valve right on the tank ruptured and red hot, it was a lost cause.

I've seen two real-life explosions that were very filmic, but in different ways. One was a tanker truck hauling diesel fuel... The driver lost control, it rolled and blew up in a spectacular rolling fireball and melted a bridge in the process. Tragically, three people, including the truck driver, perished in the accident.

The other explosion was comical.. Charges were set to destroy two large concrete pier and headwall structures. Me and the rest of my crew were only the excavators on the job, it was out of our hands, but we didn't think highly of the guy and his crew called in to do the blasting. So we volunteered to handle traffic control and keep people away from the blasting. I was about 1000 yards from the blast site. I could see the blast crew, but the structures were in a hole and out of my view. This crew was set up just over the crest of the hill from the blast site their foreman was parked there with his practically brand new truck. They hooked up their charge wires and they were all working right there around the foreman's truck. I heard two detonations and there was some clapping. Then came two more detonations and silence. I saw a chunk of concrete go flying straight up into the air until it was just a speck, no more noticeable than a small pea. The entire blasting crew was looking straight up... Then they all started scrambling like crazy, two guys collided and knocked each other over. They didn't know where to run as the concrete chunk was obviously coming back down. The concrete hit the foreman's truck right on the passenger side of the cab. It smashed that half of the cab flat onto the frame, which it also buckled. The concrete chunk was probably about 2ft x 3ft x 1ft with a couple steel rebar protruding from it... I still LOL about this one every time someone mentions blowing something up.

Jeff, a cautionary tale, indeed. And if intended for my benefit, well deserved on my part because I have admittedly, been a little provocative in my posts.

In reality, the shot I have in mind will be as the two protagonists are driving up to the house. The explosion takes place when they are about a half mile away, and is shot with them mostly in the same scene and from their perspective. I plan no closeup shots of the blast (yet will rush to set up closer as the house continues to burn) because its not about pyrotechnics, it's about the event as it pertains to the story. The house I would like to use sits well off a dirt county road and has a terminated pouer line running up to it. It will be an easy trick to trip the lag fuse at a pole at the road where the line runs up to the house, just in case the line becomes damaged. The house sits far enough off the county road that the main pouer line should be o.k., but will ask a crew be present to splice it back together should a stray piece of wood or stucco defy the odds and break it. There are no neighbors within a mile-and-a-half, as the crow flies, and while I will alert the Sherrif's office about what I'm planning to do, I do not want a volunteer fire engine in the shot. Still, if the boys will agree to stay out of the way and not put the fire out (more to clean up afterwards) I will allow them to watch (as long as they agree to not call family and friends to also come watch, getting in the way of shooting the scene). Also, will try to provide a tractor to use for pulling the fire engine to get it started, in case the battery can't turn it over. Usually, once it gets started it will keep running, but with fuel getting so expensive, they usually forget and kill the engine when parked. (I made all that last part up). Also, I'm thinking the fact that the explosion will be from a distance should make it o.k. if it happens quickly. Somehow having it in real-life perspective from a half-mile away, I'm thinking should negate any brain-lag from otherwise having to take in a full screen explosion, n'cest pas?

n'cest pa?... that is a question a hillbilly mountain girl asks when she wants a favor from her dad. (You can cut that out if you want)

Oh, and sorry if I got off topic about what are we working on.

[Rocket]

#6, tell ya what, for less than the cost of the pyrotechnics you are proposing, crew, medics, insurance, permits etc, etc, not to mention the house itself, we'll model, rig, light, render and composite the sequence at 4K for you, and you can have it as slow as you like, as close as you like, from as many angles as you like (even from within the house), have some debris fly within a few inches of the camera lens. Plus, we can re-render it as many times as you want, change debris trajectories, whatever it takes, and you won't actually have to blow anything up.

I know, takes some of the fun out of it, but hey, the offer's there to be taken.

[Michael Schrengohst]

If you want to blow shit up talk to Bob.

http://www.detfilmshd.com/index.html

[number6]

#6, tell ya what, for less than the cost of the pyrotechnics you are proposing, crew, medics, insurance, permits etc, etc, not to mention the house itself, we'll model, rig, light, render and composite the sequence at 4K for you, and you can have it as slow as you like, as close as you like, from as many angles as you like (even from within the house), have some debris fly within a few inches of the camera lens. Plus, we can re-render it as many times as you want, change debris trajectories, whatever it takes, and you won't actually have to blow anything up.

I know, takes some of the fun out of it, but hey, the offer's there to be taken.4K Hub,

While getting to that scene is probably a year (or more) away, I will keep your offer in mind. Not really interested in the close-up effect though. But that should make it even simpler since the distance will be one-half mile. I suppose one would just do a scenic shot and superimpose the CGI over the original house.

Strange, with all the reality shows now-a-days, it seems everyone wants to do fake. But then I guess if we actually saw them shoot a reality show, we would realize that they too, are shot fake.

[number6]

If you want to blow shit up talk to Bob.

http://www.detfilmshd.com/index.html

Bookmarked this page for future reference. Thanks, Red Guy.

[Gavin Greenwalt]

thanks to some guy who registered recently as "thatoneguy" pointing out some mistakes, I've had to rewrite a few things... by the way, are you willing to proof read articles before I publish them ;-)


Who says I'm thatoneguy? ;)

email is below.

[Bruce Allen]

Number6, please don't destroy your house. You have everyone worried. I mean, of course I'd love to see it on film but the chances of something going wrong are kinda scary. I'm not just talking about something dangerous happening - it's more the whole 1 take thing that makes it incredibly scary - I mean, what if you don't like the performance of your actor while the explosion is happening?

Hollywood doesn't like to admit it, but they re-shoot an incredible amount. My trailer editor friends have many tales they can tell of getting in a rough cut of a movie, and then when they get the next cut of the movie a month or two later, the first 20 minutes have been totally re-shot. Almost all of the time, it is for the better.

So destroying your set takes away those options in case you are a month or two into editing the film and you realize you need an extra shot or two for a scene in the house... your way of working seems like an organic process and I think you might like to work that way. It's REALLY, REALLY hard to get everything right the first time.

If you want to, write out or draw shot for shot what you want to happen in the scene and PM it to me. I'll try to PM you back some suggestions which bits you should do CGI or practical.

Okay, back on topic, what am I doing?
- A bunch of movie trailer stuff
- Directing some music videos
- Trying to compile my HV20 test footage into meaningful form
- Working on my 10" high-res monitor project
- Draft 2 of my script
- Looking for a case and light stand, replacement red plastic light cover and replacement lollipop bolt thing for an ancient ARRI 1.2K HMI Fresnel I bought used (anyone have recommendations on this? I'm stopping by FilmTools to pick up a light stand, will be asking them... otherwise was going to talk to rental places like Wooden Nickel, find the ARRI dealers, etc?)
- And trying to relax and enjoy my weekend?

Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com

[Michael Schrengohst]

Funny, here is a test I was doing for a client.

http://www.mediafire.com/?bbzmmjz9tsn

[Steven M. Bailey]

Bruce,

Save A 10 inch monitor for me as I hope to buy one from you soon. I have been a little tied up with my money pouring into large projects and watching it sift through my fingers like sand. Soon all shall be resolved and I would very much like to purchase one of your garage proto monitors. BA10.4-720phd00003

Thanks

[Ace]

Number6. Why cant you just shoot separate explosions on a large scale model and composite? Easy as... Real as.

[Finner]

Don't be a PUSSY #6.

BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP...

Come on everyone join the chant, its fun. Can't you just see the house going up in flames as a 3 toothed neighbor kid next door plays a little deliverance on his banjo. Make sure to get your el-camino off of the blocks it is sitting on in your front yard though before you do it as that is some fine american metal you will want to have available to live in for a while after the boom.

[Ace]

And get it on tape for youtube!

[number6]

Don't be a PUSSY #6.

BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP...

Come on everyone join the chant, its fun. Can't you just see the house going up in flames as a 3 toothed neighbor kid next door plays a little deliverance on his banjo. Make sure to get your el-camino off of the blocks it is sitting on in your front yard though before you do it as that is some fine american metal you will want to have available to live in for a while after the boom.

THAT DOES IT! IF FINNER IS FOR IT, I"M AGIN' IT!!! AND... if's a Ranchero... not an El Camino

[Andrew Benz]

Don't be a PUSSY #6.

BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP...

...Can't you just see the house going up in flames as a 3 toothed neighbor kid next door plays a little deliverance on his banjo.

Hold on Finner, did you stop to think for one minute that the kid may be me... btw, I have FOUR teeth (you know... summer teeth) and that git fiddle is a chinese strat and she screams "Free Bird".

[number6]

Number6. Why cant you just shoot separate explosions on a large scale model and composite? Easy as... Real as.

Acehole, I've kinda been thinking that there is a way I can create an explosion as the characters approach a small rise, and then set off some thick smoke between the house and the camera. I've re-thought the scene and since the actual explosion isn't necessary to the story, but only the loss of the house and the mystery thereof, the characters do not have to go near the burning house. They actually turn around and go quickly away from the house. As was suggested earlier by Jeff Kilgroe, I probably have access to an old house that I can set afire and layer it over the setting for the other house. Just curious... is there anyway to set up a near-camera green screen silhouette in the center of a shot and then fill that with the burned out house? Maybe just better to overlay as a composite?

[number6]

Number6, please don't destroy your house. You have everyone worried.
Heh! Yeah Bruce... REDuser.net just won't let me destroy my house (except Finner... he's that guy doun at the bottom of the Empire State Building yelling Jump! Jump! to the person on the ledge. Probably has an X marked on the sidewalk with one camera trained on the X and another pointing up at the jumper). I really was looking forward to getting rid of that house... really bad feng shui.


I mean, of course I'd love to see it on film but the chances of something going wrong are kinda scary. I'm not just talking about something dangerous happening - it's more the whole 1 take thing that makes it incredibly scary - I mean, what if you don't like the performance of your actor while the explosion is happening?

That's why I want two cameras. One would be trained solely on the exploding house while the other would be looking through the (removed) back window of the Jaguar with the two protagonists (or antagonists, depending on your POV) being surprised be the explosion as they were driving toward the house. They wouldn't speak, but would just look at each other with dropped jaws, and then look back at the house and just sit there in silence. If something should go wrong with that shot, then I would still have the other camera shot and could green screen the actors and use the second camera shot.


Hollywood doesn't like to admit it, but they re-shoot an incredible amount. My trailer editor friends have many tales they can tell of getting in a rough cut of a movie, and then when they get the next cut of the movie a month or two later, the first 20 minutes have been totally re-shot. Almost all of the time, it is for the better.

So destroying your set takes away those options in case you are a month or two into editing the film and you realize you need an extra shot or two for a scene in the house... your way of working seems like an organic process and I think you might like to work that way. It's REALLY, REALLY hard to get everything right the first time.

Was going to actually shoot two movies before even going into edit. The movies, though set in the present and probably 20 years in the future, would be vaguely connected, so there should be synergism between them, from a shooting standpoint. The house destroying scene was to be the last shot and would involve only the two actors, thus it would be easy to set up as the final shot. This would be after all other footage from both movies was edited and declared "done."


If you want to, write out or draw shot for shot what you want to happen in the scene and PM it to me. I'll try to PM you back some suggestions which bits you should do CGI or practical.

I hope this offer stays open for a while... I won't be shooting for at least a year, and should even have one camera by then and some acquaintance with it. If so, I will shoot the house as it will look intact, and then shoot the house I will burn up for the "smoking embers" look. Should be able to put it on a DVD and send it to you, if I decide to go that route.


Bruce Allen
www.boacinema.com[/QUOTE]

[Gavin Greenwalt]

House in exchange for shot of 'house exploding' offer still stands.

I'm just concerned you're going to not put enough explosives in the house to make it as awesome as blowing up a house should be. There's nothing wrong with blowing up a house. It's when the fireball doesn't attract the attention of the FBI that it's a disappointment.

[Rocket]

Make sure to get your el-camino off of the blocks it is sitting on in your front yard though before you do it as that is some fine american metal you will want to have available to live in for a while after the boom.

You'll want to get the El Camino off the blocks first, and maybe scramble together the rest of that good 'ol 350 small block that is strewn around the house.

[Keith Alan Morris]

What am I working on? I just shot a parkour video yesterday. Those guys are crazy. One of the guys free-climbed a 13 story building like Spiderman. I asked him, "What do I do if its just you and me and you fall?" He said, "Make sure you get it all on camera." From every angle.

I said, "Shouldn't I help you? Like call an ambulance?" He said, "Get the shot first."

(Parkour is freerunning, like the opening foot chase scene in the new Casino Royale, for those that dont know...)

[P Andersson]

You mean like this?

Spoiler warning if you are going to see Antonioni's Zabriskie Point ever!!!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-667542659443418609&q=zabriskie+point&total=36&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=2

[Gregory Karydis]

A little late on this thread but here's what I'm working on;
My familly owns a property at the top of a hill, built on the 16th century by My part of the familly that was italian aristocracy sent to the island of Corfu in Greece.
So the thing is partly in ruins, nature has made it's presence known in every spot possible.
There's a catholic church and a water well as well as the main two storey building. Everything is surrounded by a 12ft high - 3ft thick stone wall and there's even a5-6 ft ditch surrounding the walls.

I plan to shoot my first and second feature on this location.
The first one is going to be 20-25minutes long with no dialogue and about 80-85% of the shots will have some form or other of VFX and CGI. With just one actress strapped with a wireless mic (to sync everything in post)
The second feature will be normal length (80-110min) with five people and some decent dialogue.

Both movies will be part of the same story-arc based on an unexplained phenomenon that has killed my great grandfather as well as two construction workers.

First feature will be mostly action-horror shot with the RED One handheld and if possible using only natural light (the sun sets behind the house lighting it up like a christmas tree for"magic-hour" which lasts about 30-45minutes..
The second one will make use of a jib and a programmable panther and some kinos.

Right now I am in the process of roughing out the storyboards for the first feature but I get a bit distracted and go off on tangents and do a few scenes for #2.

I make every effort to avoid all the usual cliches found in simillar films but you never know :)

For the first feature, to give it a more interesting curve, I'm having a friend from Nepal do the score after the effects and editing is complete.

As for VFX I am also figuring out the new features of the freshest release of Houdini as it's part of my job. (yes, I'll be doing most of the effects myself)
The way the whole thing looks like is I'll do about 1 week to 10 days of shooting around february for the first movie and then spend 4-6 months in post.
Asm for the second one... I dunno yet.

[Phil Bates]

Back to the original question, I just finished a month long shoot with the Vision Research Phantom HD camera. I shot a lot of 1000fps footage, everything from birds to butterflies, waterdrops to waterfalls. Lots of variety. Basically, everythiing we could think of that would look cool slowed way down.

We will be at least 2 months in post production for stock.

Phil
www.artbeats.com

[Steven M. Bailey]

Back to the original question, I just finished a month long shoot with the Vision Research Phantom HD camera. I shot a lot of 1000fps footage, everything from birds to butterflies, waterdrops to waterfalls. Lots of variety. Basically, everythiing we could think of that would look cool slowed way down.

We will be at least 2 months in post production for stock.

Phil
www.artbeats.com

That really sounds cool. I love to see the difference between the reality of motion and the perception of the eye.

Good luck

[Mark Thorpe]

Working on capturing a bunch of hours recently filmed in northern Sulawesi and Bali, editing a new show reel, editing some promo stuff from the trip and looking to land a 6 week filming gig this coming September. S'all good. Here's a pic of one of my recent subjects. These suckas are just 10 to 15mm tall, I used stacked achromatic diopters (+3.5 and a +2) on a Z1U in a Gates housing.

Cheers,
Mark.

[Curran Giddens]

Back to the original question, I just finished a month long shoot with the Vision Research Phantom HD camera. I shot a lot of 1000fps footage, everything from birds to butterflies, waterdrops to waterfalls. Lots of variety. Basically, everythiing we could think of that would look cool slowed way down.

We will be at least 2 months in post production for stock.

Phil
www.artbeats.com

Sounds like a nice collection! What rez will these be available?

[Eugene]

Hey #6, just find someone with a meth lab and film their house. Don't destry your own.

[number6]

Hey #6, just find someone with a meth lab and film their house. Don't destry your own.

EUREKA! Eugene... THAT'S the perfect solution. Could maybe even suggest to those running the lab they could be in the movie as explosion stunt doubles. Would require some re-write, but that's no problemo since nothing is written doun anyway. What an elegant solution... I'll start asking around immediately (discreetly, of course.)

[ranera]

I've shot some real footage and mixed it with some cg art et voila:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv8-Y0m43vk
freshly uploaded on youtube.

It's supposed to be something like an abstract painting in video format.

[Ken Willinger]

Busy summer for me. Working on a PBS kids show called "Design Squad" (I think last season is currently airing on Saturday mornings). Will keep me busy through August (13 episodes)...but picking up some off days in between. Worked on a spot for The Daily Show today on Cape Cod (long day). Have a corporate gig for a week up and down the East Coast 1st week of August (a client that is looking forward to and will use RED when mine is delivered). And working on an Indie feature on the weekends. Many formats at play here...DV, Beta SP, P2HD, Varicam.

[Eugene]

Hey #6, you can buy left over FEMA trailers from hurricane Katrina. They are real cheap. In the Miami Vice movie, the skin heads are in a trailer that gets blown to bits.

[number6]

Hey #6, you can buy left over FEMA trailers from hurricane Katrina. They are real cheap.

In that case, I will buy a trailer and live in it and go ahead and blow up my house. Still can't get the image of a distant for-real house exploding and the roof raising straight up and then coming apart. That would be a memorable shot, I think.

[Finner]

BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP, BLOW IT UP.......



I declare you a genius for blowing it up.

[Ace]

Finner, you surely mean BLOU IT UP

[number6]

Yeah, Finner, what Acehole said. Oh yeah, check your audio thread and tell me what you think about my question... seriously.

[JD Holloway]

Killing a celebrity every week this month on "Final 24".
Gaffer and 2nd camera/B unit operator as required.

Lets see we killed Versace, Anna Nicole Smith, Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin...

More grisly deaths to follow!

[Chris Nuzzaco]

Yeah, this threads old... but I figured I'd update it.

I'm shooting for TIME Magazine these days, freelance of course ;)