Chapter 58 – Motion
by Leesa Dean
Intense week. Winding down production (to a degree) on the TOP SECRET PROJECT. When we’re done, next step is strategizing. Getting a game plan in motion. We’re a while off from that but I’m finding myself thinking about it constantly.
Meanwhile, aside from writing, which has FINALLY picked up (yay!!) after a small bout of writer’s block, I’ve been focusing a bit on cameras/directing.
And to that end two things happened this week: 1) I signed up for this and I can’t wait! After the production class I took, I really wanted to move to the next level and I think this will be really helpful. Only downside: the class is gonna be huge (it caps at 140 people) so there won’t be much hands on. However, I’ve heard great things about it and a lot of people whose blogs I follow and respect (like Phil Bloom) really recommend it.
2) I got my first lens!! I don’t even have a camera yet (I probably will buy the body of the camera late summer or fall) but had been reading a bit about vintage lenses, saw something about Takumar, did some research on the 55mm f1.8 and was blown away by some of the images. Even spoke with a dp friend who raved about them. They produce images that are incredibly clean, crisp and filmic.
Found one on ebay from a guy who specializes in vintage lenses and it arrived last night. Since they’re not readily available (especially clean ones in good condition) I thought it would be better to move sooner than later. Plus, it was only $40 so how can you go wrong? I’ll be hooking up with dp friend to test it out, but on the surface, it looks super-clean.
As you can tell, I’ve been fortunate because a few dp friends have really been stepping up to the plate and giving me tons of great advice. Making themselves available for me to pick their brains. It’s been invaluable.
By the fall, I’m hoping I’ll be ready to start production on the second pilot project that’s all live action. I won’t be shooting it, but I probably will be directing or co-directing it and it’ll not only be necessary for me to know how to communicate well with the dp and crew but also have a better idea visually about what to go for. And all of this new knowledge will be crucial.
Very exciting!
Thanks for posting LB & Munchman!