sally mann is the MAN

best ever

found this band in the stacks at the library in about 2004 or 2005.
I knew immediately there was something amazing there..

hey!

Today we wrapped early on the set of our new location! Its an amazing goth synagogue.. the first gothic synagogue in New York City apparently.. Currently, however, it has been taken over by a local artist/sculptor! He turned the whole place into a studio.. which to me is just as sacred. The place is amazing and all lit and dressed to impress.

In basement is his workshop and some of his pieces. The building stands in the Lower East Side which is an artsy-ish part of town.. Inside we are shooting an enormous vampire fight scene.. the last battle. It is six pages long which will cover 6 minutes of playtime.. if most film's shooting ratio is 10 to 1 then we will shoot approximately 60 minutes of footage over the three days that we will be there.

The president was in town apparently.. because they shut down all of Houston Street for his parade of entourage. Didn't see him though.. unfortunately..
We at at Katz Delicatessen, where, apparently, the famous orgasm scene from "when harry met sally" was filmed. They had a sign where the table stood. The place was grungy and filled from top to bottom with chairs and tables. The walls covered with photos of the owner with tons and tons of famous people. It felt like a place you should shoot a movie. It had a certain vibe.. a NYC vibe. This has all been such a glorious experience. I really like NYC.. maybe not for a life time, but the place has so much to teach you. In a brief moment you can meet a hundred completely different people and hear their story and know their lives and have their experience at it. I love it.

I've been so scared to be in relationship. For a long time. Years. I either was scared of how much I liked a guy and how much he could hurt me or he smothered me and a ran away. My friend, Ben Norkov just moved to the city and I really trust him. He's cool too.. haha We have decided to paint the town while I'm here. Be lovers. haha Date. So I can learn how. How to trust someone. How to communicate. How to know what I need.. how to take care of someone. Never thought I could have a go with an atheist but! hey! compatibility is mostly about being able to respect and care about someone and learning enough about yourself to know where the line is on your own self respect. And more importantly to enjoy, enrich each other's existence and have fun. Galleries! Art Museums! Resturants! Central Park! Wherever the wind blows and my 12 hour day will allow : )

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found this in a Edward Hopper book on set. production design!!

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block party!!

this last week we shot in Bed-Stuy.
setting of some of the scenes from "do the right thing" by spike lee
it was awesome. you haven't heard gansta music until its in its natural element.. on the streets of Brooklyn.
New York is so diverse. neighborhoods next to neighborhoods next to neighborhoods

NYC // Week Two

well, yesterday marked the end of week two on the set of Vamperifica and I am keenly aware that I am being watched haha. This has been a tough road for me. realizing how much I don't know and how much I have to learn.. how, sometimes, you can do your best but you just really aren't that good and you cannot replace your short comings with personality.

It been good though. We have been working with the Condor light that allows us to light huge wafts of the street at nights, and we have done some sick dolly shots, we shot in the diner that the famous Goodfellas zoom-dolly took place at, and we did some crazy steadicam and handheld work. We also got introduced to the remaining characters in the film.

Week two seems to be the place that people start settling in.. getting to know each other and meshing. Its the point at which you know that you are going to be sad to leave this set behind. This week I have been focusing on assertiveness and all the things I learned over this last year about knowing what I want and going for it. Its been crazy, having to be strong and meet new people, to not regret the things that have happened and move on, to trust that God has a plan for everything that has happened.. Definitely, I have found a lot of meaning in being able to work on a film again and do my own thing.. become independent and have my own track in life.

There are so many characters on this shoot that I would never find anywhere else. Richard, the executive producer, if I didn't know for a fact existed.. I would think he was written. Makes me laugh.. dayily.. although I tend to laugh at a lot of things. That is what I love: never met a Richard in my life.. don't think I ever will. In a good way.. haha, if you are reading this. 100% legit. 100% genuine. I love being able to look through the eyes of someone so totally different than me, because its so much fresher and so much more interesting than looking at it through my own all the time, and in Chattanooga, TN.. perspectives run dry after a while.

The Director of Photography, Dan Stoloff's images are fantastic. I don't know quite how it translates from reality to the monitor, but it truly is amazing. Crazy how you can capture life better than it really is. Seems unfair to the really thing to have the fake be better.. especially when the transformation seems as mysterious as it does, but I wish and hope that someday I might have it.



Fury, our on set dresser, is pretty awesome too. His musical knowledge ranges from George Harrison to Outkast. I can tell he is a child of the 60's though, by the way he lovingly plugs all his favorite bands from that time period. Hints of it also come through in his wardrobe.. from a cleverly placed shoe to his woven vintage belt.. When we moved into the diner, I could not believe the monumental task he had to step up to. During the course of our shooting period there, I swear that he and Anastasia, the prop manager, had to pull up almost every bench and table to make room for the dolly and replace it perfectly. Not to mention the famous and antique quality of the many times over location of the Clinton Diner made the situation dicy, trying to keep all the historical pieces intact. He is a renaissance man though and made the job seem un-daunting.

FIRST week over

Yesterday.. this morning actually. We drove back from one of our first 12 hours day on the shoot. Most of the others were 14+. I was tired but not completely falling asleep like almost all the other days we had worked. Me and Mike, the sound mixer, had been talking about The Festival in the Desert or Le Festival au Desert that is held in Mali every year. Apparently, Mike had just spent a lot of his recent working life with a band from Morocco.. touring and recording for them. It was cool to hear another voice exciting about this music. All I really have heard of Toureg and Northwestern African music is a band Tinariwen that I discovered in my sojourning with Led Zeppelin.. who by far are my favorite people in the world. 

((Led Zeppelin was how I found God. Haha.. that's another story, but when I heard something as amazing as the guitar stylings of Jimmy Page, I knew that there had to be a God somewhere. Sometimes the spiritual is not in the things we expect.. even sometimes in accused sellers of souls to the devil))

Anyways, Mike handed me his Ipod and let me listen to one of his favorite Toureg bands. The sun  was starting to rise.. We had worked from 7 pm the previous night to 6:30 am. The crew van started to drive us from the suburban town of Mt. Vernon towards Manhattan. The Toureg rhythms and Arabic influenced guitar sounds made age crumbled buildings easy to imagine being the outskirts of somewhere more third world. People are people, no matter where they live. I imagined places I had scene in Hong Kong or Colombo, Sri Lanka and they didn't seem to look that much more different, or made America look any more promising.

The sun illuminated the city immersed in smog and melted its towering peaks into the sky. It had been a long time sense I felt so much contentment and so much of the sense of wonder.. and here I had found it in a concrete jungle.. not in the wilderness, where I was used to finding it. Maybe the sense of scale of a city like New York City was still enough to stun and amaze. So many people. But whatever the reason I was grateful. So grateful. To finally be happy. I am working a kick ass job in the industry I want, even though it is extremely hard and my boss swears me out every other moment. Its the sense of contentment you get with being where you want. The people around me are interesting.. interested in things like Toureg bands.. friendly and accepting. The filmmaking industry has a funny way of soldering people together.. because you all go through 30 days of hell together and when you get out on the other side you become best friends. You forever have the bond of this horrendous beast we call filmmaking your past.

Fiume Night 12 _ Tinariwen, part1 _ Manhattan, april 2009 from vincent moon / temporary areas on Vimeo.

shooting DAY 6 //

So today will be the sixth day of shooting on Vamperifica and I am starting to get the idea that we are working on a film that will not have an overarching moral or good point. But! I does appear to be funny and the acting is good. I'm finding the the script did play weird because I wasn't taking into account that fact that the main vampire character is gay! haha It plays a lot better like that, believe it or not.

The other day we did the murder scene for one of the scumming bad guys in the film and it was a fight scene so there was some rigging in play.. although it was ghetto rigging because of our small budget. The bad guy come in from a night of drinking and the vampire is waiting for him.. he taunts him at first and then grabs him by the neck and throws him into a table. Then he grabs him by the neck again and hold him up to the ceiling. After he pulls him down from the ceiling he throws his head into a refrigerator. The fight scene goes on a little longer and finishes out the scene in about 3 or so pages. 

We had not only a stunt coordinator on set but also a stunt rigger. The stunt coordinator taught both characters the logistics of the moves they both had to accomplish. The throw through the table was crazy and slightly scary. We had two break away tables that were supposed to break as he collided with them. Because of the shot we couldn't have any padding underneath the actor, so instead he wore padding underneath his clothes to break the fall. The first time that he did it, he ripped straight through the table and went right into acting.. but apparently the acting was so real that I thought he was really hurt.. after all it looked crazy! For a hot second I was terrified that we had broken our actor, but when the director yelled cut he got up and acted like nothing was the matter. It looked golden though.. props to the production design team ha ha ha ((no pun intended)). 

On the shot up to Carmen (the vampire character) holding him up to the ceiling with one hand the stunt rigger had to come and rig a line in the ceiling to hold the bad guy (Al) up close to the ceiling and make it appear as if Carmen was.. ((which is something he obviously couldn't do in real life.)) the harness was hidden under Al's clothes and invisibly held him up to the ceiling's lowest beam with a wire rigged to it. 

Hopefully, on screen, all this stuff will appear awesome. It sucked for me because we ran two cameras throughout the coverage of the fight scene, so I had to mark for both cameras. On higher budget films, I'm sure that they have two slates and two ACs that are marking for the cameras but instead I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off. 

anyways, homies. I am feeling rather stupid and tired from night shoots so I hope you will forgive me for not waxing eloquently and not telling you much but I will write again.

love

love

SAHALE

NYC // day two.

today is the day before the precipice. The day before the hard work that is coming.
My boss, James Madrid, was kind enough to show me around the city. We clambered up to the subway station that stands aloft in the neighborhood of Queens that we both inhabit. Cross the neighborhood through historical apartments and duplexes. Passed tons of hispanic food and clothes, and a saloon that mostly serves the communities large hispanic population. The subway platform made me feel like the erased memory Clementine on her way toward Montak Beach, except instead of escaping the city, we were going right towards it. The railway goes a short distance above ground before dipping below to go into Manhattan. From the train you can see the amazing graffiti that covers several buildings.. living breathing and changing art piece. We also passed Silvercup.. the studio that my beloved 30 Rock is shot in!!

As we dipped below the city and resurfaced, we then faced the maze of Grand Central station. When you open up in the main terminal, however, you are greeted and rewarded with the most amazing chamber. Constellations of the zodiac cover the build ceiling and the flashes lighting the air help you identify the tourists. It was definitely a secular cathedral. gorgeous.

We walked the street, careful to avoid Times Square, we came upon glorious glorious 30 Rock itself. NBC. Peacock land. The golden statue looked down at a full tropical bar that substitutes for the skating rink in the summer. Me and James agreed that Tina Fey makes smart women super sexy.

We came out of the city "jungle" to approach a really sorta fake jungle. The upkept foliage and carefully placed rocks made me feel like I was in a zoo more than a real park, but Central Park was ENORMOUS. I had been in a little over our art tour but it was freezing, so exploration was at a minimum. We walked all over that place. There is a large water fountain near The Boathouse restaurant that, on the back of it, has the most amazing hall. It is buried in the side of a small hill and looks like something out of a European city.

amazing. and inside a choir family was singing "Ave Maria" with a violin and cello accompaniment. At the entrance of the terrance they had settled and their messy yet glorious choral harmony lilted through the fountain's plaza as a street performer blew amazing huge bubbles. Children jumped to pop them. It was one of those moments of pure life. Add nothing.

The People of Central Park's Bethesda Fountain - Fall 2009 from Nicholas Whitaker on Vimeo.

I then suggested that we go check out the East Village, since I had never seen it before, and because I heard it was super artsy. It took quite a walk just to get to the subway to get to the East Village and then we went rambling around. Each part of the neighborhood was so different, in fact, it was hard to believe that this was still Manhattan. So many Indian Restaurants in a row! James told me there was a myth that underneath all the Indian restaurants lies one kitchen that feeds all the patrons the same food. I might believe it, smashed in so close together. Along the street there were various large metal doors in the side walk and some were propped open revealing some of the behind the scenes of restaurants, with workers down below taking break in the hot bowels of the shop. We passed the New York Film Institutes' Cafe with outside smoking and non-smoking sections. Lounging film students with hipster cigarettes hanging out of their mouthes. You can walk from one end of The East Village to the Lower East Side and watch the World Cup simply by various viewings of TV's through various bar's open doors. East Village = many many places to get drunk and many places to buy bongs. Lots of young people.

We ate at a place that advertised the "best burger" in the East Village. and it was good. Uruguay 2 Germany 3 FINAL. Yes, even the burger joint was showing it on their TV's. The waitress was awesome. She told us to "eat up, dolls". We left her a big tip.

Today was a satisfied tired. Tomorrow should prove even more so. 7 am crew call + 30 shower + hour commute to crew van + hour ride to Mt. Vernon, NY = 4 am wake up call! + 12 hour day = long long tired day! and hopefully satisfying as well.

NYC // day one.

this is New York City.
this is my home for a month!
this is so exciting!

this is for moments when you realize how little you know about film
this is for realizing how much experience and knowledge you lack
this is for pizza from John's.
this is for walking through Times Square not to be tourist but to run errands.
this is for spending 6 hours on a equipment check out.
this is for walking down the street through a film shoot
this is for being excited because you know you will be those people in two days.
this is for all kinds of people on the subway.

this is for adventures.
this is for doing scary scary things and finally being more excited to be challenged than being afraid.
this is for seeing Silvercup studios.
this is for being happy alone.

this is for gardened court yards as lush paradises in the city.
this is for stainglass on subway overpasses.
this is for thinking views out of restaurant windows must be matte paintings because its just too unreal.
this is for comfy, happy small New York apartments.
this is for realizing I missed my life. this life.
this is for possibilities.

New York City has something that no other city I have been to has. There are so many people.. so many people of different faiths, traditions, ethnicities, vocations, and lifestyles. I love it. People who are utterly happy to be who they are. Every age and every demographic. If you looked hard enough I bet you would find an example of at least every possible combination of background and personality. You get to be exposed to so many NEW things! So many perspectives and ways of life you might never know. That in itself is so glorious. So refreshing. That's the only way I can describe it. .:. When you live so close to so many people you have to respect each other.. you become a community. And what a spastically crazy and amazing community this is.

((above the entrance to the neighborhood in Queens I am living in))

nyc 2nd ac.

maybe I am a little sentimental and over analytical about life, but I feel like that brings as many perks as downs in your life. At least I'm never shallow about life and make decisions with caution and try to make decisions slowly and discerningly.

Tonight, I leave on a jet liner to New York City. I've been thinking about what I want for myself and for my life. There are many things you can choose and many things that you don't get to. Like this opportunity to work on this feature. I couldn't have applied for it or worked for it, it was a simple opportunity that came from a connection. I think of how hard I've tried to MAKE things happen in my life and make people what I want them to be and make God who I want Him to be to serve me and the life I think I need. But there are so many things in life that you can never pin down, could never plan, that actually are what you were really looking for and what you really need, that living in need of control ruins those silent and stiller moments when Iife can talk to you, instead of the other way around.

So, I will be in New York City tomorrow morning, doing a check out of equipment for the film "Vamperifica". . yes, I know, sounds corny. We will see. But more than that I will be learning a set of invaluable skills for what I want to do. Theoretically I've wanted this so bad! Now that things are happening, its kinda scary. I mean, yeah, other people were and are doing more than me, but I'm only 22 and just 2 months out of college! This is big news.

I am determined for New York not to just hit me. I will be adventuring as much as I can, living life so that I have amazing stories to tell. New York is my current oyster.

made something new.

back roads

Today I went downtown to get my car re-registered. It was a chore that had been left terribly undone. It was nice. I walked around downtown by myself towards the court house with great resolve. I was dressed in a cute outfit and had my purse around my waist. I had woken up not much long before and had thrown my hair up in a haphazard bun. I felt very happy very independent. I was one of the few times that I had been down there myself. The other time was went I was hunting for solace, September 6, 2009, among the buildings of the downtown skyline. I parked on Georgia St. It was raining, a grey Seattle day. I felt completely alone. I think that I was looking for a spiritual experience, anything to tell me that it was going to be okay. I had in mind to go to the Catholic church near Georgia, but I chickened out, not knowing their service, their customs. Today was different. I felt and feel like a new person. 

I started home only to find the freeway packed. Plan B. I wanted an excuse to ramble to have an adventure. I've been reading this book I keep referring to by Don Miller and the whole book is about telling your story. How to make your life an everyday adventure. To concentrate on the things that make everyday a good and substantial day in the movie of your life. Everyday is adventure and that make everyday amazing. Not impulsive but spontaneous. Living your character that makes no excuses and chooses its path. 

I took McCallie through to the tunnel and waited. I drove the road until I saw the street. Belvoir. I wait and pine for Belvoir because as soon as I turn the corner there is an magnificent Episcopal church on the corner that has a courtyard that looks like its out of medieval times. I go by it just to get a glimpse of inspiration and awe. I don't know why something so simple can give so much joy, but I imagine myself in courtyard and how much better that makes the church. How the courtyard inspires the congregation to be true and beautiful Christians.. how it promotes love. Then I allow my reality factor to kick in, my grass is greener side to know that it is filled with just as many faithful and just as many bigots as any other non-courtyarded church might even though those churches lack the inspiration. 

Then on Belvoir I come across the Baptist "cool" church, who's commercial fixings make it an attraction to young people, with its praise band and expresso stand.. and I think, how commercially relevant of them to employ capitalism in a sacred space. I imagine Jesus turning over the expresso stand table. haha. Well, I'm not to judge, but it seems a little bit fake.

After passing this attraction I crossed the freeway again and noted it was still stuffed to the brim with patrons of the U.S. government's transportation system. Nope. Not going there. Instead I proceeded to get lost in back roads. I didn't know where I was going or where they would lead me. I didn't know anything but the vague direction that I want to go, but I was going to make my day more than wasted, more than the mundane, even if I was the only conspirator. My journeys took me to all levels of society and all types of geography. This is what I am going to miss most about the South. It is distinctly southern. I'm going to miss the random chicken joints and the Saturday night live boxing taverns and the people that are the epitome of "Americans". We as an artsy fartsy community look down our noses at them for being closed-minded and too much of Jesus lovers and such, while we squander our lives by being at the next "it" event and dance to the next half-talented DJ just because he is the most culturally relevant thing in town. But one thing I definitely respect in those people is they are just themselves. I think that when we try to be so cultured and so hip we sometimes loose sight of if that is really who we are. We fear them and gripe about them maybe because they really have life figured out. Simple it may be, but sometimes I think we like to make life complicated because we can't just be satisfied with real life. We can't get excited about a simpler story so we have to mess it up. 

Eventually I got home. I went to Georgia and back in the process. I like it. I like the perspective of being satisfied with where the road goes. It was a lot less stressful than sitting in traffic with all the rest. And  going the way I did probably used the same amount of gas and time, but it was so much funner, so much happier to ramble. Hey! maybe that is a metaphor. I think that sometimes people feel that the road more traveled is easier. Its easy because its been trodden, you know it, the evils are familiar, and it may be true that but taking the rambling road you take the same amount of time, but maybe you find it really isn't that much more work.. and maybe the things you fear about it are really the things that can bring you greater joy. 

story of our lives

"You know," I said, "a story is based on what people think is important, so when we live a story, we are telling the people around us what we think is important."

-"A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" DONALD MILLER

b-sides

originally by bing crosby.

originally by angel deradoorian and the dirty projectors.