Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Saturday shoot in review

This Saturday was another exciting shoot- Probably the biggest scene in the film so far! We had a total of 11 crew members and 4 actors on location.

Speaking of location...

We had several possible locations leading up to the shoot, all of which fell through. After some last minute location scouting with our Project Manager Lisa Laurene and our Production Assistant Megan Bridges, we were able to find and secure a fabulous abandoned Salvation Army Warehouse, less than 24 hours before the shoot. Cutting it close, but it worked out and looked great!

The scene follows Ian Tesh (played by Charles B. Allen) as he meets the character Wallace (played by Miles Snow) to try and get closer to the criminal he's been tracking. The scene is monitored by two intelligence agents, (played by Preston Campbell and Stephen Bell). Check out the pictures below from the shoot!


Stay tuned for some more updates and info about the film and next weeks shoot!



Equipment table. Notice the most important piece of equipment on the right.

The crew surveys the location and prepares for a
Paul Frateschi, Director of Photography, and I.

Paul Frateschi frames a shot of Preston Campbell.

The crew prepares for another shot with Preston Campbell.

Me looking over storyboards for the next shot.

Charles B. Allen (playing Ian Tesh) goofs off with Miles Snow (playing Wallace) in between takes.


Charles B. Allen readies for the next take with Miles Snow.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Weekend 4 in review!

What can I say to truly capture this weekend of shooting? I'm not sure it can be summed up in words (or pictures), but I'll try.

From prop difficulties, location difficulties, and a couple of miscommunications, we were able to shoot two scenes this weekend.

On Friday night we shot a lovely scene with Charles B. Allen playing Ian Tesh, the father of Audrey Tesh (played by the wonderful and adorable Abigail Cornell). Check out the pictures to see the great dynamic created by both of the actors.

We had a great time with this scene- It was such a sweet moment that was created with the characters, and the whole crew worked so hard to capture it on camera. Special thanks to Tammy and Abigail Cornell for being available on such short notice.

Another thing that made this shoot interesting was the props. This scene required a caterpillar in a jar, and after ordering the caterpillar from Carolina Biological, we were able to incorporate it into the scene (not quite as hoped, but it worked out).

Enjoy the pictures, and stay tuned for more updates on our shoot from Saturday!


Abigail Cornell

The crew plans out the scene.

Andrew Richardson and Megan Bridges discuss the scene.

Abigail Cornell and Charles B. Allen rehearse the scene.

Me watching as Charles B. Allen and Abigail Cornell rehearse.

The diligent Project Manager Lisa Laurene and the faithful Megan Bridges watch the scene unfold.


Things are going well.

Paul Frateschi readies the camera for the next shot.

Talking the scene over with Abigail Cornell.



Monday, January 23, 2012

Saturday and Sunday in Review

As promised, here are more pictures from this weekend of shooting!

On Saturday we shot some very short takes with Jaxson Mitchell who is playing Ian Tesh as a child, and Spencer Fox, who played the barber. I was excited to work with both of the actors.

We had set everything up to shoot at the Man-Mur Barber shop in Raleigh, but at the last minute, we were unable to shoot. Thanks to Lisa Laurene for finding us another barber shop that would allow us to film there on the fly!

Scissors slide across forehead of Ian Tesh (played here by Jaxson Mitchell)

Spencer Fox (The Barber) gives Jaxson Mitchell (Ian Tesh) a small trim.


























On Sunday I had the privilege to work with Cranston Johnson who played the criminal Darren Corpening. The dynamic between Charles B. Allen (Ian Tesh) and Cranston proved to be thrilling and intense- perfect for this scene. Check out the style of this intense scene below!

Cranston Johnson (playing Darren Corpening) throws swings at a punching bag.

Cranston Johnson (playing Darren Corpening) answers a mysterious phone call.

Cranston Johnson (playing Darren Corpening) raises the intensity in a scene with Charles B. Allen.

Charles B. Allen (playing Ian Tesh) in a scene with Cranston Johnson (playing Darren Corpening).





Friday Night Shoot in Review

This weekend was an exciting weekend of shooting! We shot some very different scenes, all of which were important moments in the film.

On Friday night we shot a family dinner scene with Charles B. Allen, Katherine Drew, and the young Abigail Cornell. Check out the behind the scenes pictures below, taken by the wonderful Sonja Carter!

Stay tuned later today for some more behind the scenes pictures from our Saturday and Sunday shoot!

Katherine Drew and Charles B. Allen share a laugh after an intense moment on camera.

Paul Frateschi prepares for the next take.

Paul Frateschi frames the master shot.

Me giving some direction to Charles B. Allen.

The young Abigail Cornell joking with Katherine in between takes.

Charlie, Matt, and I as we review the last take.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Weekend 3 Preview

Tomorrow begins Weekend 3 of shooting on Unforgotten!

Friday night is a dinner scene between Ian Tesh (Charles B. Allen), Jennifer Tesh (Katherine Drew), and Audrey Tesh (the young, but talented, Abigail Cornell).

Saturday is a flashback scene featuring Jaxson Mitchell as the young Ian Tesh. This scene takes place at a local barber shop in Raleigh, and features Spencer Fox as the Barber.

Sunday is a scene between Charles B. Allen, and Cranston Johnson, who is playing a rugged, harsh, explosive criminal named Darren Corpening.

Overall, this should be an exciting weekend that delves into some smaller, but vitally important and emotional scenes. Stay tuned for pictures and more updates!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Weekend shoot in review

Tony Basile (playing Marcus Welles) receives a life-changing phone call.
This weekend was an intense weekend of shooting! Friday night was a scene with Tony Basile (playing Marcus Welles) and Meredith Jackson (playing Sarah Welles). Both actors did a great job, especially Meredith Jackson, as it was her first time on the set for Unforgotten.







Saturday was a very long, very intense scene between Charles B. Allen (playing Ian Tesh) and Doug Nydick (playing Jackson Scott). Both of these actors were very dedicated to this scene, and put so much into the shoot. Both of them arrived to the set around 4 pm on Saturday, and left around 3 AM on Sunday.

We were blessed enough to be allowed to shoot at the offices of Shanahan Law Group in downtown Raleigh. As you can see from the pictures, their offices were quite elaborate, and made for a great Mis-en-scene.

 Special thanks go out to Paul Frateschi, Matt Harris, Lisa Laurene, Jon Ayscue (first time ever on a film set!), the faithful Megan Bridges, Behind-the-scenes Xander Dale and Sonja Carter, Christine Hansen, Andrew Richardson, and Elijah Loughran. These people were dedicated and committed to hard work on this shoot- putting in 12 hours or more on this shoot. This could not have been done without them!

 
Charles B. Allen and Doug Nydick literally threw themselves into this role. They both were extremely enthusiastic about the fight scene, and Doug was never hesitant to take a real hit from Charles B. Allen.

At the end of the scene, Charles B. Allen told us that at this point in the scene, because his character needed to show so much emotion, he could only do the take once. And he only needed to.

Check out the pictures, and stay tuned for some more news later tonight.

Me giving Charles. B Allen some direction for one of the most important shots of the scene.

A stuffed white lion in the offices of Shanahan Law Group.

Charles B. Allen and Doug Nydick rehearsing for part of the fight scene.

Working with one of the main props- A shattered mirror- proved to be difficult.

Charles B. Allen, standing over Doug Nydick, as Jon Ayscue (crew extraordinaire) watches.

Charles B. Allen and Doug Nydick rehearsing the fight scene.





Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Second weekend preview

The crew and I have been spending time this week preparing for the next weekend of shooting.

Friday night is a short scene between Tony Basile (playing Marcus Welles) and Meredith Jackson (playing Sarah Welles).

Saturday is an extensive scene between Charles B. Allen (playing the protagonist, Ian Tesh) and Doug Nydick (playing a corrupt man involved in criminal dealings, Jackson Scott). Below are some pictures from the choreography for the fight from this scene. It will be an extensive scene, but I'm excited and ready for the challenge.

With local photographer Sonja Carter taking behind the scenes photographs, stay tuned for some great pictures of this weekend's shoot!

Charles B. Allen and Doug Nydick enthusiastically rehearse for their fight scene.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Pictures from this weekend of shooting

As promised, here are some pictures from this weekend of shooting. Enjoy!


Working with Charles B. Allen on a scene near Boylan St. in Raleigh.


View of the slate while shooting a night scene by fire light.

Some blood FX for a crime scene with Greg Wait and Charles B. Allen

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Weekend review

The first weekend of shooting is finished!

It has been an exciting 4 days. Thursday was a photo shoot with Katherine Drew and Charles B. Allen, Friday was a night scene with Tony Basile and Mike Gutowski, Saturday was a night and a day scene with Charles B. Allen, and Sunday (today) was a scene with Charles. B Allen and Greg Wait!

It's been a long weekend, and were able to get some great scenes and great shots in the can. Most of the scenes this weekend were not too extensive (most of them had little or no dialogue), but several of them were very dramatic scenes, and I enjoyed working with the actors to portray the emotions in the right way.

I will be posting some more pictures and details tomorrow about the weekend shoot, but for now, here are a couple behind the scenes pictures!

Lisa Laurene and I prepping the location to shoot.

Eric Smith (Greg Wait) shows Ian Tesh (Charles B. Allen) a crime scene.

Friday, January 6, 2012

First day of shooting


Today is the first day of shooting for my first feature, Unforgotten. Filming will last 2-3 months, and editing is estimated for about 2 months, putting us with an early June release.

It’s been a long journey to get to this point. We still have a long way to go, but getting to this point is an important and meaningful step for me.

I have had the concept for this film in my mind for some time. I remember working on the script during the Summer of 2010, when I first worked with Silo 12 Productions as an intern. Even at that time, I began to plan and envision how the film could be made, and what would have to come together for my vision to be realized.

Here I am, less than two years later, and I am directing this film with an enthusiastic cast and crew.

After the final revision of the script was completed at 91 pages, I looked back over my drafts to find the earliest version I could find. It was 48 pages long. It was intriguing to see which scenes have changed, which have stayed the same. Looking back over the early draft put this project in a different perspective: It started out as an idea, became a script, and slowly but surely, the cast and crew began to give it life. In 5 months, it will be a full feature film.

I could not be more excited to continue this journey with all of the people that have joined and supported along the way. Thank you!


Thursday, January 5, 2012

Photos of Ian Tesh

 First pictures of Charles B. Allen as Ian Tesh. Stay tuned for the first day of shooting tomorrow!


Photo shoot with Charlie and Katherine

One of the pictures from the photoshoot today with Charles B. Allen and Katherine Drew. Look for this photo, and the butterfly necklace in the film. Shooting begins tomorrow!




Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Shooting begins soon...

After a good holiday break, things are ramping up once again for 'Unforgotten'. The first day of shooting is Friday the 6th. Stay tuned for pictures and updates on our first shoot!

Tomorrow I am meeting Katherine Drew (playing Jennifer Tesh) and Charles B. Allen (playing Ian Tesh) for a photo shoot. Stay tuned to view photos that will be used in the film!

With a new year ahead of us, we've got some really, really great things in store. I am excited to work with these actors and crew members over the next several months to bring this story to life.