Monster

Pre-production started in late December of 2016 on a plane headed for Hawaii - Five and half hours of storyboards, color concepts, and general ideas. More or less this means I drew pictures and scribbled notes on one of my notoriously cheap-looking yellow notepads until my hand started aching. Then what followed was three months of some of the most intense pre-production I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. 

Some of it involved the usual: casting calls, multiple budgets, equipment management, etc. and then there was the new stuff: choreography, auditions and rehearsals with dancers, finding the perfect paint for the cyc stage, makeup tests, and picking dresses and women's shoes that I liked. As usual, not an ounce of it would have come together without Christine Sohail acting as producer, the voice of reason, the accountant, craft services, makeup model, stand-in dancer, and cat herder.

Official production only lasted one 12 hour day. The entire project was shot on a RED WEAPON in 6K using two Rokinon Xeen Lenses (35/85mm). We used the Movi Pro Freefly for stabilization and the Easyrig 3 to take some of the weight off my shoulders and arms (Thanks, Sara!). The shoot went flawlessly and that's just a testament to intense pre production. and having a talented** crew. 

Post took about a month including the edit, FX (extending the stage, additional monster makeup, the final shot of the music video) and the grade which took forever and was done in DaVinci Resolve. All in all we are all pretty proud of the final product. Thank you so much to the cast, the crew, and all the other folks that helped bring this to life.

Photos courtesy of the talented Heather Bruce (the only person not pictured here because she was the one creeping around snapping all these photos. Also, she was late to dinner that night but I forgave her when she told a joke that made everyone laugh. None of us can remember it but it was funny. 

***Speaking of talented - Thank you, Sharice, for being the best leading lady any director could ask for and learning all the choreography in a week. Remember me when you get famous, cuz.

Thank you, Barrett for swooping in at the last minute and saving this production with your creative lighting genius. 

Thank you, Mitch for being the only person who isn't afraid to tell me shut up AND give me a better idea than my own all at the same time. No amount of tears ever sways you. Don't change.

Thank you, Sara for dealing with my lack of knowledge and always making it seem like I know what I'm doing with a camera.

Thank you Autumn for bringing the Monsters to life, your creativity is staggering and your smile is infectious.

Thank you Katia, for answering our/Autumn's call last minute and keeping everybody lookin' extra cute all day.

A SUPER SPECIAL THANK YOU to Chrstine who, as I mentioned, very literally was the reason all of this came together (**it was her idea to change everything a week before the shoot, thus, giving Sharice only a week to learn the choreography. I am so so so so so  thankful I listened to her).

And finally, Thank you to Jon Pedroche - model, dancer, actor, PA, assistant gaffer, champion shouter, 4th degree black belt, everyone's favorite person on set, and the best back support in the entire world (literally, check the photo). Your ponytail inspires me daily.