filming has been sorta slow on "degree of blood".  scheduling and weather have caused a delay.  but that's the life of independent art.  you have to go with the flow sometimes.  once the weather warms up a little we should resume filming.

i noticed i had a back log of production notes to upload.  there are 3 new filming blogs posted.

June 13, 2008

Nothing like shooting a horror movie on Friday the 13th!  *cue spooky music*  

Other than having to cut it short due to some heavy thunderstorms that came through, it was pretty uneventful.  Our still photographer slash "audio guy" didn't even break out the camera for this shoot, so I don't even have anything to show for it.  I'm not sure anyone even enjoys reading these blog updates because not much goes on, lol!  It doesn't matter, really.  I mainly write these blogs for my own personal satisfaction.  One day I'll be able to look back at these and see how far we've come.

Anywho, we did manage to get two scenes shot.  One outdoor during the magic hour and one indoor.  Lighting went well.  Craig is getting much more comfortable, I think.  He should; his lighting is looking better and better.

We finished one indoor scene just in time to check the weather and see that we were about to get hit with a terrible storm.  We quickly packed up and left.  The last place I wanted to be during a storm was a trailer.  I'll never forget this Friday the 13th, not only because we were filming, but because Craig and I drove home in a horrendous downpour in head-on 40+ winds down a dark highway.  What normally takes a little over an hour lasted an eternity.  Not fun.

Until next time!

June 7, 2008

Re-Shoot

Another outside night shoot under our belts.  I can tell summer is almost here.  It's hot and muggy even at midnight and the bugs are in full force.  Tonight was a re-shoot from a day 3.  Craig and I both agreed that while the performances were fine, our lighting and framing was horrible.  This is a key scene in the movie and it had to be up to par.

We did a little rearranging of the scene and wound up getting some good stuff.  Much better than the first go 'round.  The performances were even better and the lighting looked fantastic!  Lori Mills had some emotional moments and she nailed it.  It should come across nicely in the final edit.

All in all, I believe it was worth it to re-shoot.  The final edit will benefit for sure.  Thanks to everyone who participated!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Bugs, bugs, bugs!  Oh my goodness there were tons of bugs!  That's what you get when you shoot by a pond during the Spring/Summer. Despite the bugs, the actors were in good spirits and I greatly appreciate their patience.

The scene we shot had to be tweaked a bit due to rotten wood on the deck we were using, but I think it turned out ok.  The worst part of the night was having to pause every few minutes to wait for the airplanes.  We learned that our location is in a flight path for the FedEx planes, joy joy.

Even though James wasn't in any of the scenes we were shooting, he decided to join us.  And of course we put him to work documenting the shoot with the handycam.  I don't think he minded.  Thanks, James!

We still have quite a bit to do, but it's coming together.  Craig's lighting is really improving, too.  He took the time to create some nice shadows for these scenes and it really paid off.  And having Roger around is an advantage.  He and Craig work so well together; they are definitely in sync.

May 25, 2008 - Memorial Weekend

Today was the first time we have had all of our actors together on set.  Since it was a holiday weekend, Craig and I chose to bring out BBQ for everyone.  It's just a small token of our appreciation for everyone's help.  Lord knows we couldn't get this done without our actors and crew.  Thanks, everyone!

The shoot wasn't an ideal one, unfortunately.  The air conditioner in the trailer we are shooting in was out.  A 90 degree day in Memphis in a trailer with little cool air does not make for a comfortable time.  However, we all pulled through it just fine.  We got a couple of scenes shot - never enough for my tastes - and I learned how difficult it is to decorate a set.  This is not a job for me.  My own house is barely decorated!  

Lighting set ups didn't go as smoothly as we had hoped, either.  Filming in the small trailer makes for difficulty with getting things placed in the right spots.  All things considered, Craig looked great.


Pics courtesy of Roger Cotton.  Enjoy!


Valerie J. Campbell studying her script



Setting up



Val and Craig shooting (notice the wide angle lens - it was a life saver in this small trailer!)



Jeff, Lori, and James



Jessica



Jeff playing with the props



Dolan's too cool to study :)

May 17, 2008

Our third night of principle photography didn't come without its hurdles, but it sure was fun!  We had originally planned to shoot this particular exterior scene 2 months ago when the foliage had not grown in due to the spring rain.  However, due to some unforeseen issues it got postponed.  When we arrived on location Craig and I were both shocked at the state of the area.  Weeds, vines, grass, etc. had overgrown the area around this pond we were to use.  Three weeks ago, at our second shoot, this area still looked clear enough to use.  At first we toyed with the idea of a re-write, but I wasn't too thrilled with that idea.  Craig, being the loving husband he is really stepped up.  He and Dolan Mills (Nathan) each grabbed a pair of shears and went to cutting.  Before we knew it, they had the area cleaned out enough to make it work.  I owe a huge thanks to both of these guys for tackling the hurdle.

For this shoot, we got to mix it up with Degree of Blood's three other actors.  Lori and Dolan Mills and James McElyea (Chris) all did a fantastic job.  In fact, Lori Mills (Alison) did such a great job in one of her scenes Craig actually stopped the camera.  Lori's character was to stumble and fall, and Lori did a very convincing fall.  I bit my tongue from yelling "Cut!", but Craig had already stopped camera.  I took a step forward to where she was on the ground and waited an extra second to see if she was ok.  Thankfully, it was only acting and she wasn't hurt at all.  It should look great in the final film!  Now I've got to teach my cameraman to always keep rolling!  Real pain and injury is always better than fake.  Everyone knows that.  Haha!  Great job, Lori!

Both Lori and James played their parts well and projected their voices nicely, too.  Dolan is the lucky actor who also gets to play our monster.  So, he got to don the costume for the first time.  Let me tell you, he did a frighteningly good job!  I won't dare spoil anything regarding the monster, so you'll have to wait for the dvd.

Sadly, our professional photographer, Roger Cotton, was not in attendance.  The following pictures were taken by yours truly and it shows.  We missed you, Roger!

Rehearsing



James McElyea and Lori Mills



James, Lori, and Dolan



Dolan and Lori Mills



Lori and James rehearsing

April 26, 2008

I was very pleased with our second night of shooting.  We were all much more comfortable in our respective roles which helped move things along more smoothly.  I felt as though I gave more efficient direction and our actors looked more relaxed, too.  

Valerie Campbell and Jeff Glatstein have a definite grasp on their characters and it shows.  I appreciate how prepared everyone was.  Craig Morris ran his (homemade!) steady cam for some of the shoot, which consisted of a walking segment.  Those shots are always fun and they turned out well.    


Check out some pics from the shoot courtesy of Roger Cotton:


Here I am playing Director



Craig Morris holding his steady cam and making a lighting adjustment



Some of our lovely cast and crew



Valerie Campbell and Jeff Glatstein rehearsing



Craig Morris shooting with the steady cam



Stay tuned for night number three!

April 18, 2008

Principle photography on Degree of Blood has begun!  Cast members Valerie Campbell, Jeff Glatstein, and Jessica Glatstein were in attendance.  Fortunately, we didn't have many obstacles to over come on this first night.  Camera placement in the tiny room we were shooting in was challenging, but in the end I think Craig Morris (our Director of Photography) succeeded.      

Our resident Still Photographer (among other titles!), Roger Cotton, snapped several shots to document the shoot.  Here is a small taste.  Enjoy!


Valerie J. Campbell, Jessica and Jeff Glatstein


Craig Morris


Jessica Glatstein


Valerie J. Campbell


Craig Morris


Jeff Glatstein




Coming up.... day two!!!

Our next film project will mark Valarie O. Morris's directorial debut. It is a film that was conceived from the notion of making a bigfoot movie. From brainstorming the idea of "a man in a suit" came Degree of Blood. (Yet, there's no Bigfoot! haha)  It was written during the summer/fall of 2007.

Pre-production has already begun and filming will commence this spring ('08). Keep an eye on this page for news/photos, as it will serve as the official movie page and production blog. In the meantime, enjoy the teaser trailer and poster!


Written and Directed by.... Valarie O. Morris
Produced by.... Valarie O. Morris and Craig Morris
Director of Photography.... Craig Morris
Edited by.... Craig Morris

CAST
Kate....... Jessica Glatstein
Nathan..... Dolan Mills
Steve...... Jeff Glatstein
Debra...... Valerie J. Campbell
Chris...... James McElyea
Alison..... Lori Mills