Production Shots from our first day of filming have been uploaded to our Flickr account, check them all out here.
Production Updates for Phantom Earth Short & Feature Films by Director Peter Ninos.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
OMEGA - Production Shots - Day 1
Production Shots from our first day of filming have been uploaded to our Flickr account, check them all out here.
OMEGA - Production Diary - Day 1
This post is a little late, we had our first day of filming for OMEGA on the 20th of October 2010. We filmed on location at the Stockport Observatory in Stockport (about 80 kms North of Adelaide).
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!
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!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
OMEGA - Restructuring
After meeting with members of the MRC and having a very productive rethink we've decided to restructure OMEGA. The overal themes will stay the same but there are many changes to give the story more life.
Hopefully this doesn't interfeer with the planned October shoot.
Hopefully this doesn't interfeer with the planned October shoot.
Monday, September 20, 2010
OMEGA - Lead Actor
CAST
We have our lead actor, Adam, who was fantastic at auditions and has accepted the lead role of "Jake". He was the only applicant to commit the script to memory AND give a compelling performance.
The other applicants, for the most part, also did a good job and we've cast a few of them as radio voice extras. There's a place for everyone.
PRODUCTION
Now the fun begins. Trent and I constructed our Stunt Dummy yesterday and it looks awesome. Next the sets will need to be finished and painted.
David, our Cinematographer, has broken down the list of all the equiptment we need, I'll be meeting with the MRC, Picturehire and Urtext to work out the best hiring deals.
We have our lead actor, Adam, who was fantastic at auditions and has accepted the lead role of "Jake". He was the only applicant to commit the script to memory AND give a compelling performance.
The other applicants, for the most part, also did a good job and we've cast a few of them as radio voice extras. There's a place for everyone.
PRODUCTION
Now the fun begins. Trent and I constructed our Stunt Dummy yesterday and it looks awesome. Next the sets will need to be finished and painted.
David, our Cinematographer, has broken down the list of all the equiptment we need, I'll be meeting with the MRC, Picturehire and Urtext to work out the best hiring deals.
Friday, September 17, 2010
OMEGA - Auditions
We had our final round of auditions on Sunday, they went really well. We had some surprising performances and we definitely have talented actors on board.
Kate was great (she's always great!) reading with the guys that were auditioning for Jake and we should be offering the lead role to one of the actors very soon.
Kate was great (she's always great!) reading with the guys that were auditioning for Jake and we should be offering the lead role to one of the actors very soon.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
OMEGA - Short Film Project
OMEGA is the first project I'll be tackling. It's not the oldest idea we've had, in fact it's only about a year old. But it'll be, in my opinion, the easiest to film and the most cost effective. That doesn't mean we'll be skimping on story and characters, definitely not. But having a smaller project to kick things off will be less stressful and we'll have more time to work out any problems.
It was originally conceived in 2009 when my cousin and I were discussing what a faster-than-light comet would look like if it was headed for the earth and the idea subsequently morphed into the current story.
OMEGA is a high concept mystery short film, one that we're writing as a short film trilogy (approx. 10 to 15 minutes each). The first installment is being written in such a way that it can stand alone should future entries prove impractical.
PRE-PRODUCTION
Our current focus is on the script, we've been working on it for about eight months now and it's been rewritten many many times. We're close to having the final version complete.
The next step are the auditions. We've listed a casting call on StarNow and we've had a heap of applications. We'll be holding auditions in September for the lead character. We've already cast the female lead (a brilliant actress named Kate), but we're still without a lead male.
That's all for now, next post should be regarding the outcome of the auditions.
Stay tuned.
Introduction
Morning, Pete here.
I have been an aspiring film maker in Adelaide, Australia for a number of years. Most of what I have been wanting to create has been put on back burner while I was running my (unrelated) business. Now that I am selling that business I am looking forward to getting back into film making.
I've started this Production Journal for updates and news about any of my upcoming projects. All my endeavours into film will be published here under Phantom Earth.
I have been an aspiring film maker in Adelaide, Australia for a number of years. Most of what I have been wanting to create has been put on back burner while I was running my (unrelated) business. Now that I am selling that business I am looking forward to getting back into film making.
I've started this Production Journal for updates and news about any of my upcoming projects. All my endeavours into film will be published here under Phantom Earth.
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