Tuesday, June 17, 1997 - Doppler Shift

I think scene 42 is the scene I've fretted about most over the past few years. How should I shoot it, at what angle? One long take or a series of takes? Now it's done, in the can. Deal.

Things started to drag quite a bit today for some reason. Heather got her car towed from the KFC parking lot. Silly girl. That worked out okay, but is sympotmatic of the pace of the day. This is probably Michael and Mary's most intimate scene. She is sitting on top of him and all. But it's also the most demanding since there's a lot of dialogue surrounded by varying moods. Love the addition of the magnifying glass. Wonder if the audience will catch the symbolism. This is where we really start to focus on what's going on.

Day for night inside is not too incredibly difficult. You just black out the windows. But closing up the loft makes it pretty hot, especially when you consider all of the lights and the crew. Today I really noticed how much goes into making a film. Off camera there's so much equipment, so many people, hanging on to the subtle motions of the actors. Well, it seemed profound at the time.

We barely had enough light. Next film I'll budget more for lighting equipment. I don't like having to film wide open, unless it's to purposely cut down depth of field. There I go talking like a DP.

-George