Monday, May 21, 2012

DRIVER - SHOOT DAY 2

In my previous post about the movie, I forgot to mention that the title is "DRIVER" (how's that for forgetting stuff? It must be the old age...). Last Sunday, we shot the opening scene of "Driver." Here's a few stills I took between takes. Sorry, folks, I couldn't take any photograph while we were actually shooting. I guess that has to do with the fact that if I'm directing it, I've got to do what I'm supposed to do and be really focused on the acting and the camera work. I guess next time I'll have to call for "another take for stills only!" Anyway, it was hard work in a quite hostile environment: an auto shop with no AC, in 90 humid Alabama degrees and with a whole army of mosquitoes and flies that loved our legs and arms very, very, very much. A big THANK YOU goes to the cast and crew for their hard, passionate and enthusiastic work, and to Santiago Salgado for not only letting us to shoot at his auto shop, but also for spending 7 hours of his Sunday just being there.

Lead actor Kevin Meier

Actor (actually, this is the first time he acts) Mike Overall getting ready for the next take

Our sound man, Seth Facundo

DP/Co-producer Ryan Sims practices a smooth dolly shot.

Some take a cigarette break, others take an iPhone break

Thursday, May 10, 2012

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?

A few days ago, a reporter and I were at a campground doing a story about the upcoming season. I had been taking pictures, she'd been interviewing people and we were pretty much about to leave when I saw the scene pictured here. The reporter was telling me something and I interrupted her, "I gotta photograph this. Forget about everything I shot earlier. This is THE SHOT!" So, after taking the picture, getting the name an so on, we finally headed to our cars. At that point, the reporter asked me, "So... How do you photographers know before hand that something is going to make a better picture than something else?" My answer was very simple: "What's no to love about a lovely girl?" What's not to love about a puppy? What's not to love about a bright yellow car? What's not to love about all of the above together?"