PRODUCTION DIARY - DAY 1 - October 20th, 2010 | Stockport Observatory
Crew in attendance: Peter Ninos (Director), DTang (Cinematographer), Trent (First A.D.), Teena (D.A.), Billy (Clapper Loader). Cast in attendance: Devon (Prof. David Jameson).
Scenes being filmed: OMEGA Viral Videos 1,2,3,4 & 5.
The Viral Videos we're filming will be used as part of a viral marketing campaign we will launch to promote OMEGA. They will be released online in the months prior to the films release to (hopefully) generate interest in the story. The videos themselves will also feature in the final film, our main character, Jake, stumbles upon them while trying to figure out the mystery of OMEGA.
7:30 pm - We arrived at the Stockport Observatory bang on time and it was a clear and brisk night, perfect for filming. We got a brief tour of the site from the staff there, the entire place was very impressive, incredibly the telescope and the dome housing it were all constructed by dedicated members of the astronomical community - outstanding. DTang arrived shortly after and we immediately started setting up lights and trying to find interesting shots and angles. Set up took us about an hour, followed by some filmed rehearsal takes to make sure everything was working right on camera. We planned on filming the 2nd viral video first (it was set during the late afternoon while it was still light) but mother nature makes fools of us all and it got dark very quickly. We had already set up for the 2nd one so we shot it first anyway.
8:00 pm - The staff at the Observatory were extremely helpful, they moved the telescope and the dome in whatever direction we wanted. We managed to get some awesome shots with the huge telescope in the background behind Devon.
8:30 pm to 12:30 am - The large dome area was a challenge to light but DTang pulled it off perfectly, we got some awesome shadows of the telescope and it all looked very natural. The lights also had the annoying side-effect of attractive every moth in the world into our filming area (jokes on them, they kept frying themselves on the hot lights).
The first video shot (which was the second video scripted) was a little slow starting. We came up with the idea, on the spot, to have Devon reach towards the camera as if his character is the one controlling the record button, panning, and zooming. I thought this would be a good way to show that it's more of an amateur online video blogger doing all the editing in-camera. The effect worked perfectly and DTang and Devon were great moving the camera in sync with each other. It did slow down pretty much every shot, as we were working out the choreography as we went along and it was hard on poor Devon who had to remember all these queues as well as acting out his lines! Devon was very patient and got through the multiple takes very professionally. I now know how to structure the next scripts we use, taking into account all the choreography (and no there won't be dancing).
We got through filming the 1st and 2nd viral videos fine but it was getting late and the staff were waiting on us to finish up so I decided we'd film the 3rd, 4th and 5th videos at another time in a different location, specifically an office that can stand in for an on-sight office at the Observatory.
It was a great first day of filming, and I'm extremely grateful to the cast and crew who made the long trip out to Stockport. I promise all other locations will be closer to the city, but being able to film in an actual Observatory was a brilliant opportunity and will make the scenes set within it all the more convincing.
All in all a great start of filming for OMEGA!
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