Snow Globe: Blower Exchange

Posted on by Thor

In this shot from Snow Globe, Big Birdie (Carrie Lauren) stood in her driveway and Guy (Neil Parren) had parked in the street, smugly leaning against his car. The couple had separated or were divorced.

At first Gregory Mohn, behind the camera considered having the red car parked diagonally in the driveway, but when it was backed up into the street to be repositioned, he decided it made sense for Guy to not even bother to use the driveway. I liked the look of the circular cul-de-sac, the definition of which is: a route or course leading nowhere. It was fitting.

Birdie offered to give guy the leaf  blower. She after all was civilized and would not need such a loud obnoxious device. The closest they got to one another is when she handed it to him, extended at arms length. There is a painful moment that happens when you realize that you are never going to see a person who you spent decades of your life with. There had been some good times. But Guy’s girlfriend, Her (Crystal Hanley) was in the passenger seat. He had already started building a life together with someone new. When he put the blower in the back seat of his car he realized he had something to return to Birdie. It was the snow globe. He casually threw it to her. They were about 12 feet apart. Now, keep in mind, this is the only snow globe prop available. To keep it safe multiple shot were done where he acted like he was throwing it but kept it in his hand. Similar shots were done of Birdie acting like she was catching it.

Then the critical shot had to be done where Birdie actually caught the snow globe and reacted. She was moved onto the grass and someone with serious baseball experience stood a few feet from her to lobe the snow globe to her. He coached her saying she should use her body to catch the globe and just cradle it with her hands. Multiple shots were done and I gasped every time. Then the fatal toss happened. The globe slipped through her hands and fell to the ground. There was absolute silence on the set. In slow motion, the globe bounced multiple times and settled between the Saint Augustine blades, unharmed. There was one toss which was a bit too high and Crystal reacted in absolute terror that the globe might fall again. I am certain that will be the shot that ends up in the final cut of the film.

In the next shot the hatchback of the red car was opened and cameraman Gregory sat looking back at Birdie. I had to quickly pack up my art supplies since I would have been visible in the long dolly shot. I hid in the garage with director, Tracey Jane and the mechanical garage door rolled shut. As the car slowly pulled away Birdie got small in the distance. The monitor was set up in the garage and the shot looked beautiful. Tracey was glowing.

There was another scene that was to be shot this day in the pool area after lunch, but I had to drive back to Yalaha to teach virtual classes. There were delicious empanadas for the crew. I slipped one into a napkin for the road. This was the moment where I got to share my sketches with Tracey. Her excitement left me overjoyed. She called members of the crew over to look. Gregory kept saying he could not understand how I did what I do. But I have just as much respect for the entire crews mad skills.

This would be the final sketch of the three day short film shooting marathon. It was certainly an adventure for me and I am so grateful I was allowed into the creative fold. When the film premiers I plan to sketch the red carpet while cleaned up in a fresh tuxedo.

Snow Globe: Dolly Shot

Posted on by Thor

The fireplace was removed to make way for a small track for a dolly shot. The fireplace flames are a sort of projection. It was discovered that the fireplace also makes sound so it was turned off since the flames were not visible in the shot.

Since there was no fireplace in the home of my last roommate situation, we used to turn on the large screen TV and run a 12 hour fireplace video during the winter as we worked on family history research on the couch. There is something soothing about watching the flames and listening to the snapping and crackling. That fire burnt itself out. I now set a fire each evening in a fire pit in the back yard of the Yalaha Studio. I am still burning roots and branches from the Hurricane Milton storm damage. Watching the flames is my way to relax and reflect after a day of sketching, painting and teaching. The TV has never been used except on New Year’s Eve.

On set, the mother, or Big Birdie (Carrie Lauren) and daughter, Claire (Miya Montague) sat uncomfortably on the couch as far apart as was possible. The camera moved slowly forward as they stared into the imagined flames.

As cameraman, Gregory Mohn was setting up for this shot, he shouted out that anything in the kitchen that shouldn’t be seen had to be moved since it was visible in the shot. All the crew snacks and drinks were on the counters. Writer, Director, Tracey Jane was in the kitchen and I noticed her trying to move some things with her one good hand. Her other hand was in a cast. I dropped my sketch to help her out.  We moved some sort of fondue or crock pot set out into the garage and other items went up on the refrigerator out of sight. Several spiky dog balls were moved into her bedroom, which was now the actors dressing room.

Her pup, Luigi was all muscle and energy and would play with anyone who would grab his octopus. Since my artist stool it pretty low, I played with him quite a bit to get some of the energy out of him. That plan seemed to backfire since playing with him just amped him up even more. He had to go out in the back pool area when shooting began, but he just pawed at the sliding glass doors and whined to get back inside. A neighbor had to be called to give him a walk so the scenes could be shot.

Tracey watched the scene on a James Bond style black case that had a monitor. The stool she sat on squeaked, so she had to remain perfectly still. If I needed to grab a new pen or brush, I made sure to move in slow motion so as not to make a sound as well. This was a quiet somber moment between mother and daughter and a moment when they would truly connect. The conversation between mother and daughter was soft and muted. I am so used to actors shouting to the rafters in theater productions. The boom mic held my Arturo, and a hidden mic in the couch must have caught it all.

Snow Globe: The Monitor

Posted on by Thor

In this scene being shot for Snow Globe, Claire, (Miya Montague) and her mom Big Birdie, (Carrie Lauren), sat on a couch staring at a fire in the fireplace after returning from a funeral. This shoot had been delayed a week because Carrie had been horribly sick.

When I  arrived and was walking towards the house, Miya and her mom Brandi had also just parked. I thought Brandi might be the actress but her daughter was going to be the star for the day. As the room was being prepared for the shoot Brandi volunteered to vacuum the set. I helped by moving furniture, since I wasn’t sure where to set up to sketch yet.

This scene took most of the morning to shoot. In it, Claire stood up and walked to the mantle of the fireplace to pick up the Snow Globe. A message from her now deceased Grandmother was taped to the bottom. There was an obvious somber attitude to the scene but director Tracey Jane wanted a contrast between the two characters. Mom, or Big Birdie was to be emotionally distraught, but Claire who was clever and a problem solver, was supposed to offer hope and insight at this darkest hour. Maya was having difficulty finding that balance. Each take of the scene she projected a somber attitude. Tracey kept coaching her to lighten her mood and someone suggested that Miya needed to do some jumping jacks just to boost her energy level.

The dialogue was so soft that I couldn’t hear very well from where I sat. The boom operator kept the mic right on top of Maya as she spoke. Carrie’s mic was right near her hidden in the couch.  Eventually a shot was done which captured the exact mood and energy that Tracey was hoping for.

Manny Plaza-Fernandez sat looking at the monitor. It was his job to be sure each shot was in perfect focus. In one two shot, the mom had some dialogue and then the camera had to rack focus on to her daughter Claire. Tracey wanted that rack focus to happen on a particular line of dialogue and Manny made it work. Gregory Mohn behind the camera often consulted Manny because he was almost always right. Collaboration made each shot work.