EXCLUSIVE! Photos From The Set Of "Breathe Again"

Filming went extremely well last night. I was so lucky to be working with such an amazing crew! As promised here are some exclusive behind the scenes photos from the set:

 The cast: (From left to right) Me, James Papavero, Marjani Leary, Sarah Aiosa and Emily Frisbie

Working out some blocking issues with Sarah and James. What looks good in person doesn't always translate well on camera. It's important to have a few run throughs before actual filming to make sure everything looks as you envision it looking.

This is a shot taken mid-scene. Both ladies are so beautiful and talented. They KILLED this scene! I was so pleased!

 Another still from our grand finale. Everybody really got into their characters which made filming even more fun. We had our moments of laughter though. Usually when someone flubbed a line!


Filming this scene was such a great experience! Everything went smoothly and according to plan. We ended up taking about eight different takes of the scene. Now that filming as concluded, editing begins!

FILMING DAY!!! -- Once Again!

It is once again filming day! As you can see, camera and equipments all packed and ready to go! I'm very excited to get on set. This time around things will be a little more elaborate as I have a mini crew working with me! I am so grateful and thankful to ALL of my friends who will be partaking in this project!

Check back over the weekend for exclusive behind the scenes footage from todays shoot, in addition to several other goodies! Happy Friday everyone!

It's Time To Start The Show!

Hello Everyone!

Just got back from a wonderful spring break!We have only TWO months left in the semester already (hard to believe, I know)! With that being said, things are officially being kicked into high gear.

I will be filming my second class assignment this Friday evening (3/25/11). It will be a reworked version of my first scene, "Breathe Again." This time around we are being given a lot more creative and physical freedoms. Essentially, this is a test run for our FINAL project! I'm so excited!!

This scene was written entirely by me and was inspired by people that I know and have encountered in my life. Yes, it's a fabulously juicy and exaggerated story but that's what makes me fall in love with these characters. They can say and do what most of us only dream of. Despite their outrageous characteristics somehow they are relateable to us and we find ourselves associating or rooting for one if not all of them. I try and write them as real people with flaws, emotions and struggles. I have truly fallen in love with them and I love being able to bring them to life for all of you!

Since I will be beginning PRODUCTION relatively soon, I will be posting notes that correspond with that. I am also working on a podcast interview with a very special guest. Stay tuned!

VOTE in the New Poll!!

I posted a new poll asking, What's your favorite movie of 2011? (Thus far)

The King's Speech: (Oscar Winner for Best Picture 2010)

I Am Number 4:

Just Go With It:

Justin Bieber - Never Say Never:

Vote for your favorite!

Remember, as a film maker it's very helpful watching other artists work. Watching their techniques and choices help to influence your own style.

Happy Sunday!

Hey All!


Just checking in. This week is Spring Break at Adelphi so I apologize for the lull in posts. However, when we return next week things once again pick up speed at a rapid pace.

Our second class assignment is to shoot a "scene." I really loved the scene I wrote and filmed for my "single shot" assignment so I decided to use the same script and re-shoot "Breathe Again" incorporating not only peer feedback but what I learned as well. It should be a very exciting experience. I can't wait to get back to work on it.

The feedback I was given from both my professor and classmates was overwhelmingly positive. The bar has been set so I'm excited to see what can be done to raise it!! Remember these little assignments are all in preparation for our big final piece at the end of the semester.

Moving forward with the stages of filming, expect a post on production sometime this week! I am also working on revamping the blog by creating an official banner and incorporating some other media elements to it.

Stay tuned!

(Video) Pre-Production in a Nutshell

I came across this video on youtube that really illustrates, in a nutshell, what pre-production is all about. I felt it coincided nicely with my "how to" post. Enjoy! 

Pre-Production

In my last blog post, The Power of Three, we discussed the three basic concepts that are elemental to film making; the shot, the scene, and the sequence.

Having knowledge of these key concepts and how they relate to film readies us for our first official step in the making of our student film, pre-production.

What is Pre-Production?

Pre-production is the first of three essential elements of film making. “Pre-production is everything that happens before you begin to film,” says Professor Thomas Campbell. “What you’re really doing is laying out the groundwork…so that when it comes time for production all issues have been dealt with.”

As Professor Campbell highlighted, pre-production is known as the “planning stage.” Your key goal, as the film maker, during pre-production is to find the most efficient way to get this film made.

What Does Pre-Production Consist Of?

There are a great number of tasks that fall under the pre-production category. All of which are designed to make your life much easier when it comes time for filming.

One of the most essential elements of pre-production is having a written script. Once the script is finalized you can begin making important decisions and plans for the project.

Such plans include the casting of your actors, setting your allotted budget, floor planning and location availability, scheduling and story boarding. Each require the utmost attention and if dealt with in advance eliminate any issues on set.

Other things that are important to keep in mind while planning for your shoot are what kind of equipment you want to use and have access to, the sets you plan on using for your film, as well as any props or wardrobe that maybe need to enhance the scene and make it more realistic.

All of these concerns, issues and decisions fall under pre-production.

What is Story Boarding?

Most of the components of pre-production are self explanatory however, you may find yourself asking, what is story boarding?

Story boarding is very simple. It’s basically taking your written script and converting it to images using various slides to depict your scenes The purpose of story boarding is to help the director visualize the concept and layout how he/she wants things to look.

Pre-production is all about decision making and planning. It’s important to be very organized and efficient throughout this stage of film making because the decisions made during this stage heavily impact both production and post-production.

For more information about pre-production check out one of my favorite sites Videomaker.

(VIDEO) "Breathe Again" Official Shot

These are the official shots of my first Video 1 assignment. The purpose was to start getting us film makers thinking in terms of shot, scene, and sequence.

We were required to film two shots, one tripod and one hand held. This assignment was challenging due to our beginner limitations but was helpful in terms of planning for future projects.I hope you enjoy the shots and would love to hear what you thought of them!

Here is the official tripod version:

Here is the official hand held version:

These shots will be screened for my class on Tuesday (3/8/11).

Moving forward with learning and discussing the filming process, I will be posting a "how-to" on all things pre-production later this evening. Stay tuned!