Wednesday, May 28, 2008

DOB - Day 4 Principle

May 25, 2008 - Memorial Weekend

Today was the first time we have had all of our actors together on set. Since it was a holiday weekend, Craig and I chose to bring out BBQ for everyone. It's just a small token of our appreciation for everyone's help. Lord knows we couldn't get this done without our actors and crew. Thanks, everyone!

The shoot wasn't an ideal one, unfortunately. The air conditioner in the trailer we are shooting in was out. A 90 degree day in Memphis in a trailer with little cool air does not make for a comfortable time. However, we all pulled through it just fine. We got a couple of scenes shot - never enough for my tastes - and I learned how difficult it is to decorate a set. This is not a job for me. My own house is barely decorated!

Lighting set ups didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped, either. Filming in the small trailer makes for difficulty with getting things placed in the right spots. All things considered, Craig looked great.


Pics courtesy of Roger Cotton. Enjoy!

Update: 8-22-13
All pics of Degree of Blood have been removed. We changed domains where the pics were stored and since the movie was never finished, I didn't see a reason to re-upload them. 

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

DOB - Day 3 Principle Photography

May 17, 2008

Our third night of principle photography didn't come without its hurdles, but it sure was fun! We had originally planned to shoot this particular exterior scene 2 months ago when the foliage had not grown in due to the spring rain. However, due to some unforeseen issues it got postponed. When we arrived on location Craig and I were both shocked at the state of the area. Weeds, vines, grass, etc. had overgrown the area around this pond we were to use. Three weeks ago, at our second shoot, this area still looked clear enough to use. At first we toyed with the idea of a re-write, but I wasn't too thrilled with that idea. Craig, being the loving husband he is really stepped up. He and Dolan Mills (Nathan) each grabbed a pair of shears and went to cutting. Before we knew it, they had the area cleaned out enough to make it work. I owe a huge thanks to both of these guys for tackling the hurdle.

For this shoot, we got to mix it up with Degree of Blood's three other actors. Lori and Dolan Mills and James McElyea all did a fantastic job. In fact, Lori Mills (Alison) did such a great job in one of her scenes Craig actually stopped the camera. Lori's character was to stumble and fall, and Lori did a very convincing fall. I bit my tongue from yelling "Cut!", but Craig had already stopped camera. I took a step forward to where she was on the ground and waited an extra second to see if she was ok. Thankfully, it was only acting and she wasn't hurt at all. It should look great in the final film! Now I've got to teach my cameraman to always keep rolling! Real pain and injury is always better than fake. Everyone knows that. Haha! Great job, Lori!

Both Lori and James played their parts well and projected their voices nicely, too. Dolan is the lucky actor who also gets to play our monster. So, he got to don the costume for the first time. Let me tell you, he did a frighteningly good job! I won't dare spoil anything regarding the monster, so you'll have to wait for the dvd.

Sadly, our professional photographer, Roger Cotton, was not in attendance. The following pictures were taken by yours truly and it shows. We missed you, Roger!


Update: 8-22-13
All pics of Degree of Blood have been removed. We changed domains where the pics were stored and since the movie was never finished, I didn't see a reason to re-upload them.