2011 Fashion

Showing posts with label on set. Show all posts

in the studio: wild about...

this face, and the day, even though it was a 14-hour shoot...

in the studio with photographer/lighting magician matthew mcmullen smith (not pictured).

nyc, july 21, 2010. photo © anita aguilar

more photos tomorrow, after a long (but less than 14-hour) sleep....

lights, camera, action (day 3)

our location for today and tomorrow is a medical office on morton street in the west village.

our days typically start at 8 or 9, depending on when we can schedule the location and the talent. what is interesting--potentially stressful--for the crew when it comes to these location shoots (as opposed to studio shoots) is trying to balance the look that the producers are striving for with the limitations of the space in terms of actual square footage and layout and available light.

both this particular office and the concept behind it ("primary care done different") are new. the walls are alternately glossy white and mediterranean blue--and still mark-free--with lots of colorful graphic art to attract the eye (and distract the mind?). the fixtures and furnishings are shiny chrome. daylight streams in through the glass front--which is mostly frosted to add a bit of privacy, but clear at "eye" level to draw a bit of interest for both patients and passersby. it's a like perfectly composed ikea showroom--which i'd say beats the average doctor's office (even on fifth avenue, thank you) by about 3,000 miles.

it didn't take long for the team to realize that street traffic would wildly disrupt the audio, so we retreated to the actual examination rooms for all the shots. the team (um, art director nancy) converted 2 offices into 5 different ones, using greenery and frames (and illusion). the video team had their own challenge-there was only enough space to fit 1 key light and 1 fill light (not the 6-8 light scenario that they would consider ideal) to enhance the pretty but muted daylight that filtered through the rear-facing windows. there was no room to even fit a tripod--or the cameraman. rufus stood outside with the rest of the team and viewed the action via the monitor.

this week reminded me how much of video and photo production is about problem-solving. and being creative. and patient.

and it reminded me how fun and funny this particular group can be, especially in the closest quarters...

jim tried to explain what makes this light so amazing--something about electrons exciting the gas...

at $700 for the light and $200 for the bulb, they had better get excited, and then some.

i kinda want one for my apartment though.

look at all the make-up...nuts! (ha)

from randall's magic makeup bag...considering how often i'm caught without any, i'm surprisingly obsessed with his STUFF...

i can't even begin to explain this...

these are my bosses...haa

mike and the magical mrs. nancy...

mall action (day 2)

we're into day 2 of shooting for this project --not sure when it will air. the thing about these production jobs is once all the materials are handed over to the client, i have no idea if or when they'll ever go live.

if these webisodes are pushed live somewhere, you'll have a good laugh--hopefully, because that is the idea--at my acting turns. today, i played "the friend" at the restaurant. not hard to act or ad lib a line or two as larissa, our main actor, is a sweetheart. it was easy to imagine having dinner with her. but i got a little too into character--they teased me for being a bit too chatty on camera. (ham.)

anyway...from glamorous secaucus, nj:

rufus (also not afraid to ham it up from time to time, which i, as the photographer, really appreciate)

a bit more "work man" like here...

oh when oh when am i ever in harmon meadow? i had to call my friend, reza. he slipped away from the office to say hi....

a big thank you to antoinette and elaine, from stefano's restaurant, for the location and the delicious (garlicky) hummus platter...

nancy, who somehow makes the craziest tasks seem like a labor of love...

rachel and rufus

randall (and a random robin's egg that matches his eyes...)

ha!!! the fast food photos (graphics by nancy)

i am weirdly proud.

action! (day 1)

started out, windblown, in the west village.

ended with me, hamming it up, in the background of a cocktail party scene, swilling fake cosmos.

all in a day's work.

best part, though, was being back with the team...

hooray! rufus!

eerie rufus (in the fridge cam)...

mike and jim

jeff

dan and jim

hostess with the mostest-amazing apartment...ms. rachel

shy boy (mike)

more handsome-ness...

julio "boom" torres

mike, our producer/dp, and rachel, our director

preston ("geoff") and lauren ("the auteur")

miss carrie...

miss rebekkah

miss rebekkah, and "helmut helmet hair"

testing testing, the sigma 50mm on the CT set

ah, i remember this shoot day well. i'd just purchased the sigma 50mm and brought it to the set for the first time. these photos are vastly different from the others-- new lens in a new space (a loft in tribeca). i didn't know how to properly adjust for the light there, but still, i think these tinty pics are ok.

molly (in green) and renee.
i love molly...we met for the first time on the shoot, and we've run into each other a bunch of times in the city.
she is the lead singer of rooftops. i'm hoping to catch their next show...

molly, renee, lauren, and felicia.

lauren. miss lauren. i love her, too.

lauren and molly. different light here--it was night time by the time we shot this.
we set up spots to create an indoor "party" scene.

lauren and molly. this was their reaction when i told them i sort of stalked scott speedman. once.
(i just followed him for a few blocks in the street. ha.)

mike. guess what? love him!

random, mickey mouse/star wars doodad on someone's desk at the office. but it was the first shot i took that really showed off the nice "blur" that you can get with the 50mm.

more chaos theory stills here, and the "peaches and herb" episode.