sharing a moment...

One of the best things about production is finding those lovely moments during all the work and the crap and the tedium when everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves.

We had A.C on the set today and as usual had something to do with the fun factor going up a few notches. Earlier in the day he had a swimming pool scene which I am willing to bet will have audiences rolling in the aisles (and you'll have to watch the movie to see for yourself!)

Our shoot is coming to an end after a rather tough last week. We've had to drop scenes for logistical reasons, some for other, more mystical reasons (like our graveside scene). Our last day will involve a complicated helicopter and stunt sequence. Then, after a bit of a break, it will be on to post-production with the editing and dubbing and after that, further treatment for the final cut.

But don't worry, we will continue to have information and updates, and keep you up to speed about the hows and whys of making Los Dan Faun!

Ass Prod

communication breakdown

Well, it was bound to surface and it has - a glitch in the system which has been causing some tension on the set. Although all of us are all too aware of what kind of problems there can be on the set of a film production, we tend to get on with our own work without realising there's trouble brewing. We may even assume someone is taking care of it if we happen to think of a potential problem.

The crux of the problem:communication: the act of speaking, imparting relevant information for the purpose of clarification. Well, there's been lots of speaking and imparting of information, but unfortunately the achievement of clarification was not successful, which resulted in frustration and time wasted.

Still, thanks to the piping up of earnest voices, the problem was highlighted and, though momentarily tense, clarification was achieved! However, since I left the set soon after in the early hours of the morning, I am not sure if it was all put into practise immediately.

But, another late night tonight signals the urgency of having clear lines of communication so that we finish our work efficiently and purposefully.

Thanks to all the crew and cast for all their patience and determination in getting the job done. Five days to go!

Ass Prod

tanks for stopping by!

All you bloggers out htere who made it to the set on Saturday, I hope you had loads of fun! Anne PRAP will surely be posting photos of the day soon. I'd like to thank you also for your support of our blog, it helps to know people are reading what you're posting!

While we eagerly await Anne's piccies, I shall update some of my own shots of what has happened since the last post.



During the day of Tuan Dir's birthday we shared cake amongst the crew and cast before continuing with the rest of the short day of shoot.

Saturday we filmed a street scene where Los and Dick do a drive by on a busy road.



This is where our bloggers got a chance to be extras in the street and also to be screamed at by O our First AD. Man, has he got lungs!



The traffic situation got a little heavy, but with Frank our Prod Man and Bob our Ass Prod Man, it was quickly under control.

Later that day we filmed the outside of the water tank scene - whose interior was featured a couple of blogs ago. Here is the tank before and after we turned off the daylight!










Tommy, whose photo I finally got, is this chap right here.















And now we see Los and Faun as they emerge from the water tank after soaking for a few hours.

This is a picture of Genny. She's on the left there. She keeps us going when we get low on energy, but boy, does she blow a lot of smoke!


Genny is a film production's mainstay, the necessary generator we need to operate, away from power plugs and with lights, camera, monitors, recorders, computers, printers and batteries to keep on, lit and charged. Though since the petrol price hikes, we've been a little sore at Genny! She takes up to RM500 worth of petrol over a period of a couple of days.

Here, Hans and our guest taxi cabber, Aziz M Osman share a light moment after dinner.





And here, Aziz kickin' it as a cabbie.

Then Sunday was a well-deserved day of rest and today we'll be back at the rich Soffar's house shooting the final scene.

Till next time, Ass Prod.

sunset city

Just to share with you the view of a spectacular KL sunset from up above the city. The quality of light is fantastic! For about half an hour the light will remain diffused and warm, which is why filmmakers call this the magic hour. There is no harsh directional light, there is enough light to shoot if you want to shoot without extra lighting for a moodier effect, and there are only 30 minutes to do it in. In some countries, up to an hour and a half.

Films like Days of Heaven and The Thin Blue Line were shot entirely during magic hour (the power of the auteur director over budgets is something our little industry has yet to experience). By the way, an auteur (specifically in the film industry) is a director whose vision drives the movie. More an artist than someone with commercial ideals. So David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick are auteurs. Jerry Bruckheimer and Ron Howard are not, though because they are so commercially viable, the creative power they have over their movies are auteur-like. Most auteurs don't get need or get huge budgets. But these are all generelisations, and of course there are always exceptions.

well-developed celluloid

A few pictures of the machines which the lab we send our exposed reels to, uses to process film. Thanks to Mike, the processor guy at APV, for letting me take them.

At the time, the machines and the lab was being cleaned, so, they were not in action. But, as you can see, it looks complicated. And there are lots of tubes, compartments and places for chemicals and film to go in and out.

Today we were shooting at an empty office floor in a high rise in the middle of the city. It involved stunts and loads of fun. Here, the Director Afdlin choreographs the fight scene with all the actors, who are happy to contribute their own ideas.

The scene involved Khir Rahman as Amran, Stephen Rahman Hughes as Dick, and of course Hans Isaac and Adlin Aman Ramlie as Los and Faun. We also had Erra Fazira, who looked gorgeous as usual.

The miracle of framing...

So we have to shoot a scene in a water catchment tank, which looks like this.

How do we do that without forcing the actors into raw untreated water and opening up the potential for complaints from the general public about sanitation?

We mock it up. We take a large portable swimming pool, get a Production Designer and Art Director to make it over and voila! Success! You have already seen pictures of Asraff, our Art Director. Hopefully soon I'll have pictures of Tommy, our Production Designer, for you.

So here we have what it actually looks like, with the camera set up on a crane for a lovely shot.





















Then we get our lovely actors to get into the cold water and shiver their way through the scene. In Hollywood, I'm sure they heat the water, but here, well, we're into realism, folks! And there's nothing better to help an actor along than to actually have cold water in which to shiver!

A quiet moment between Hans and Adlin before the take.



















Ass Prod

Havin' Fun on The Low Rider

If you ever wondered how they shoot inside a moving car, this is one of the ways it's done. We put the car on what is called a Low Loader, then put the camera in front of it. By manipulating the construction of the shot (i.e. what we see in the frame on screen), we see the road behind the car, but not the back of the low loader itself. Another way to do it is to attach the camera to a rig on the car itself. Yet another way is to have the car stationary and to rock it while shooting the scene, then bluescreen the outside images into the scene, or project a pre-recorded back-window view onto a screen behind the stationary car, then choreograph the actors' and car movements to fit the projected images.


















So today we had a scene where Los and Faun, together with Dick Johnson and Amran, are driving along discussing the details of the case they are all investigating together. Straight after, we used the low loader again to record Dick and Los together on Dick's Harley. Despite the fact that Stephen got his lines just before the he got on the bike, the scene was done in one take, kudos! Here we see both Hans Isaac's and Stephen's in-depth preparatory exercises.















































And here we have almost all the crew getting close and personal on the bike. As soon as I approach some people with my camera held up, wah! Berposing aje!





























Here at last is a picture of our Assistant Production Manager, Bob (right) with Lan (left).










And here, Director Afdlin and Prod Man Frank confer over the last shot.











Here, Khir Rahman (who plays Amran, left) walks to the catering tent while everyone lines up for a better view of the playback up in the truck cabin where the monitor has been rigged. At the catering tent, Adlin takes a rest from a gruelling day of waiting, shooting, waiting, shooting...




















Meanwhile, everyone takes a break and joins in a game of footie with the local kids at Sungai Penchala.







Another day of fun on the set of Los Dan Faun.

Ass Prod

Krumania

A bit more on our crew, but first, a bit more on our shoot.

Last night we were shooting at the Rest Relax Reflex store in Sri Hartamas, where we took over a lovely reflexology place and turned it into mayhem! Thank you to the kind owners for their patience. If you're looking for a nice place to have a great foot massage, that's the place to go. You may eventually recognise the reflexologists while you're having your massage - because they were in the movie giving real massages to the actors while they were shooting the scene.

One such reflexologist had to deliver a couple of lines - and he gave it good! You will see him when the film comes out - he's the one torturing Faun (Adlin Aman Ramlie).

Here Ida and Stephen rehearse their scene while waiting for camera set up.





















Here Adlin gets the mother of a foot massage.























Here the crew tumpangs the Director's photo (L-R: Pali (Camera Team), Afdlin (Director), Aida (Wardrobe), Amir (Wardrobe Asst), Anne (Public Relations or PRAP)

















Here are Lan of the Technical Camera Crew and Asraff, our Art Director.


















Heil (DoP) on camera. Jerry, Hairstylist, blow-drying the hair extensions.
































Here Pali (Assistant Cameraman) changes the film magazine (the oval can that holds the roll of film) after the film runs out. Pali is always by DOP Helmi's side, measuring the distance from the subject (actor or object) to the lens to determine the focus. Because the focus of the lens is done manually by someone (Pali) who is not looking through the lens, he has to do it by the numbers.




















Here is our equipment van, which is like a mini store. Next to it, our three PA's, Shah, Awang and Syawal.






























Here is Frank looking more relaxed as the night goes on, and our Stills Photographer, Darling (which is what we call each other when we don't know each others' names).







After this location, they moved to MOdesto's in Hartamas, where they stayed till 9 this morning. Sleep well, happy campers!

Ass Prod