No Love In the City - NYC

Isn't That Nice

2008-11-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

So on the train back from Queens and there was this poster on the train. And you know, maybe it was the mood I was in but it literally brought a tear to my eye when I read it. Click on the photo below to get a bigger image and you can see why.

The Red Shoes

2008-11-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

It's the last day that isn't.

Today was supposed to be the final day of principal photography. But a major f--k up yesterday has scrambled our eggs and so there will be at least another couple of days of shooting at the end of the week. Major f--k up.

Not saying who's fault it was. Now is not the time to be pointing $80,000-down-the-drain fingers. So don't even ask.

So we were on stage today at Kaufman Astoria in a stage frequented by "Sesame Street". I kept looking for yellow feathers swept in to the corners but I never saw anything.

Marius was clinging to his sanity by a tiny strand of blue Grover fur...

There were three sequences shot. First was a scene in which our three main dudes try to coerce St. Valentine to tell them how he has cursed them by dangling him over the edge of a building. Eventually Valentine falls out of his shoes leaving the guys clinging to only his Converses and thinking they've killed him.

The actor playing Valentine was wired up and required to dangle upside down over a green screen so that his plummet could be VFX'd later. But these harnesses are notoriously painful and being suspended upside down has it's downside. So between takes, the stunt guys run in and support the actor while things are reset...

Things often get a little tense when shooting this kind of thing because the stunt guys are single-mindedly (and sometimes a little melodramatically) looking out for the actor. They know how quickly a simple situation can turn bad so they'll run in, ruin the shot, and get the actor off the rig before anyone knows what's happening. Which happened here.

And very quickly it can go from two voices to twenty voices and that's when things can get tense. Anyway, it all worked out just fine and the shot came off nicely. Hollywood loves a happy ending.

The next sequence takes place in St. Valentine's Manhattan apartment, which we only see at the very end of the movie. Gathered in the apartment are several characters who we only now discover were actually angels working with Valentine to assist in bringing our various star-crossed lovers together.

So Marius and Irek and David Cluck move to the adjacent set and work out what to do.

Irek starts lighting...

Actors chill...

Valentine is played by Philip Kirkorov. Truly, and without exaggeration, the Michael Jackson of Russia, and, like MJ, a trifle past his prime. But still a legend. But without the whole child molestation, plastic surgery and all-around weirdness baggage.

Really nice guy. Never acted before in this way. Initially Marius didn't even want to cast him. But the producers were passionate about it and in the end Philip did a terrific job.

The women in the scene are all lovely and terrifically talented as well.

Liza Arzamasova is the Dakota Fanning of Russia. Both in professional stature and in skill. A remarkable girl. Just perfect in every take. Friendly, knows the mechanics of movie-making, hits her marks, understands the difference between acting in a tight close-up and in a wide. So impressive.

Olesya Zheleznyak plays Pelagia. Truly one of the funniest performances I've ever had the privilege of cutting. She does mostly theater in Moscow but I think she should have her own movie - as this character. It's hard to describe what a remarkable comedienne she is. And yet there is always a tenderness and real humanity in everything she does. I'm a fan.

Alla Smekhova is the, I don't know, the JoBeth Williams of Russia. She's been in everything. Another consummate pro. She tracked me down on set so I could show her her previously shot scenes; she had forgotten what accent she was using. I got to tell you, she's hot. That's what I'm saying.

So the first set-up of this scene was done using a trick first employed on CITIZEN KANE. The camera is on a Technocrane and starts outside the apartment.

Then the camera travels forward and through the open window. But in order for the camera and crane to fit through, the top half of the window is then lifted up and away via a specially rigged set.

It's all very cool.

So then the next thing was the dentist's office. You can see part of the set back there behind the crane...

In order to qualify for the New York State tax incentives offered to out-of-town productions, we had to shoot at least one day on a stage. Which is where the idea of building the dentist's office first cropped up.

After we wrapped out of Valentine's apartment, the dentist's office got a bunch of walls added to it. You can see set sound mixer Richard Murphy in the foreground there working out boom positions.

Cameras and actors got moved in. And such was the last day that wasn't the lat day.

A Good Habit

2008-10-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

So I was walking to work this morning and I passed this park just off 9th Ave. and there on the court was this nun in full habit and Jordans shooting hoops.

Nothing but net.

You Shoulda Seen It!

2008-10-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

So I was walking to work this morning and I passed this group of Con Ed workers doing something in the street. Well, this one guy had a metal pipe saw and was cutting steel pipe. And whenever he leaned in to it there was this amazing shower of crimson and sulphur-colored sparks! I didn't feel like taking off my back pack to take a picture but here's kind of what it looked like. It was unbelievable!

Sunday Night, Must Be Time To Dance!

2008-10-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

After 13 hours by myself in the editing room up on 55th Street I needed a little human intercourse. Alright, who's snickering back there?!

We were shooting one of the biggest scenes of the show tonight, a club scene that opens the movie. There are dancing girls, all our male stars, scores of club patrons, etc.

The club is on the 20th floor of a building down on 5th Ave. and 27th. The club also has a roof garden. A scene will be shot there tomorrow night but there's predicted rain and wind so I'm not sure how that's gonna go. But the view is unreal. The Empire State Building loom huge and high.

Back inside, Marius set up a long Scorcese-like Steadicam shot following the dancing girls winding their way through the kitchen and finally arriving on stage as the club's owner (Valentin) reads a half-hearted birthday greeting to the assembled revelers. Big set-up. Took four hours before even one take was tried.

After a couple hours of this tedium I'd had a sufficient amount of human intercourse -- alright, who is that?! Who's laughing?! Where are you?!

Aaaaaannd...ACTION!

How Many Syllables Is That?

2008-10-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

As you all know, every evening the crew gets a "call sheet" for the next day's work. it tells them where to be, what time to be there, and what's going to be shot - so everyone can be properly prepared. It also tells you where the nearest hospital is, police stations, subways, etc.

But something I love about our call sheets is that, if you look closely at the upper right hand corner, you'll see the daily weather forecast...

It's a haiku. They give us the weather every day as a haiku. The AD Dept. being funny.

Love Is Blue, Part Two, or Up, Up and Away...

2008-10-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

Shot today at Chelsea Piers. Chelsea Piers is many things. Shops. Restaurants. Piers. But also it is sound stages. LAW & ORDER shoots here. Clumb-Clumb...! Not sure which one. There's 17 of them now, you know. Clumb-Clumb...! That's the sound LAW & ORDER makes. Clumb-Clumb...!

When in New York, it's not uncommon to hear someone say, "Meet me at 23rd and 'Law & Order'".

Not really. But it could happen.

So yesterday we shot on the ice rink at Chelsea Piers and in a stage at Chelsea Piers.

Above is 1st AD David Cluck. He's thinking something. I don't know what he's thinking. I look psychic to you?

The movie follows the romantic misadventures of three couples. Today's shooting revolved around Igor and Nastia, which is a Russian diminutive for Anastasia. As you know, in Russia diminutives are everything. They're like currency. I was once at dinner with friends in Moscow, and this guy made me a list, right there at the table of - no kidding - over forty possible diminutives for the name Yulia, which is kind of like Julia to us. More than forty!

So in an effort to woo Nastia, Igor takes his object of affection on a hot air balloon ride over NYC. I'm not sure that's legal. You know, air space restrictions and all. But it's a romantic comedy so he does it.

So since shooting a lovely hot air balloon ride over New York is out of the question, the only way to do it is with VFX. So we're on the blue screen stage.

DP Irek Hartowicz is a master at shooting VFX plates. In HITLER KAPUT! his blue screen/green screen elements bonded with the backgrounds as though the entire thing were shot live and in-camera.

It truly is an art. In this case, Irek has to create lighting that looks like it's actually outdoors one lovely afternoon high over New York. Try it sometime. It's not easy.

Anyhoo, here's Marius and script supervisor Oleynka looking at the monitors:

And here's a guy shooting the hot air balloon basket from a high perch:

And here again are Igor and Nastia in the basket:

And here's Marion Douglas all tired and Irek not:

And now I have to go to work. No picture for that.

I Can't. I Won't.

2008-10-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

They're building these 10,000 story apartment towers next door. I could never live in one. It's not that I don't trust the engineering. I do. I seriously do. No modern skyscraper has just collapsed of its own accord. It just doesn't happen. But still. Can't. Won't.

She's helping build it.

Coming Soon To A Theater Near You...Finally

2008-10-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

January 23rd in Theaters. April 28 on DVD & Blu-Ray.

That's Debatable

2008-10-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

So one of my best friends in the world lives in Maplewood, New Jersey with his wife and two sons. His name is also David. He and I and Mark used to live together here in NYC back in the 80's. We had a place on 65th Street. Front apartment, first floor. David would cook mostaccioli and clam sauce and we'd open the windows and blare the Chairman of the Board into the night.

So last night I grabbed a cab and punched my way through Times Square and finally to Penn Station. Object: Maplewood. Mark was already there. And there was debatin' to watch.

At the station you buy your ticket then wait for the track to be posted. When the number comes up the people jump into motion and surge for the door.

And then there's always Desperate Straggler...

Half an hour after trundling along in the dark the train pulls in to Maplewood. It's probably quite beautiful. It's definitely quiet. Which is a welcome change.

David and his family live in a warm house on a beautiful tree-lined street. We had mostaccioli and clam sauce then settled in to watch the debate. Mark sat in a chair.

Thus spake Barack...

After the debatin' was done I had to see David's Sanctum Sanctorum. Up in the attic, a small room filled with books and energy.

I slept on the sofa but was awakened by the four-month old puppy, Tonks, bounding on to the couch.

Pre-dawn conversation in traditionally hushed tones occupied the kitchen as David made tortillas.

Tonks bolted through the house chomping on animal, vegetable and mineral. Until David and his son, Dominic, took her for a walk.

I like these Guatemalan things. Actually, I'm not sure if they're Guatemalan. And I don't know what they are.

Oh, and Barack kicked ass last night.

Takin' It To The Streets

2008-10-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

Haven't got much time to elucidate, pontificate, explainacate. So here's a few photos and captions.

Director of Photography Irek Hartowicz considers the situation on 46th Street.

Olenyka the Script Supervisor "listens" to the video assist operator.

The green poster in the background, the one for a production of "Waiting For Godot", that very poster is now framed and hanging in my editing room. It's not a real production. But in the movie, a couple of the main characters go to this really bad off-Broadway show. And that's it.

We cluttered the curbs and sidewalks on 46th Street.

But then the show moved to Broadway and 51st just north of Times Square.

Most film crews are single-mindedly preoccupied with one thing and one thing only; am I getting the proper number of hours off before the next call? Here, Video Assist Guy studied the "one-line" schedule in pursuit of the answer to this very question.

Meanwhile, the three male leads are doing a scene in which they stride resolutely up Broadway...

...and speak enthusiastically.

Later, Marius got the guys to record "wild" lines, lines that I will use in another scene.

Okay, gotta go.

Who Are We?

2008-10-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

Every day when I see what the McCain campaign is saying and doing I get heartsick. They are not Americans. They do not believe in traditional American values.

To fully catalog how the Republican Party and its amoral, cynical leaders are chipping away at all the things we treasure as Americans would take volumes and volumes. The sheer, shameless contempt the right wing has for the people of this country is astonishing to consider. But it's there. It's there in the pernicious, feckless race-baiting, the whisper campaign designed to scare you away from voting for a black man, the lies, the anti-intellectualism, the base appeals to the darkest sides of our nature...

It's disgusting. And it's saddening. And it's how the right wing of this country wants to discredit rational thought and science and individual ambition. Because a plutocracy can't thrive with an educated public. And if the American public once again allows itself to be ruled by fear, dragged ever more into the shadows of fascism then we will be able to point to now -- to right now -- as the moment when we decided to sacrifice America on the altar of hate.

Never before has there been a moment of greater importance for the future of ourselves and for our country. We stand at a crossroads at which we must choose the light or choose darkness.

It really is that simple.

Shagadelic

2008-10-10T07:03:00.001-07:00

So I'm getting new carpet. They slop on this green glop which dries clear and tacky in about .5 seconds. Then they deal out the carpet tiles like playing cards. This is the pattern:

What do you think?

In a Place As Strange As Brooklyn

2008-10-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

Being fully caught up with the editing and having a half-day wait for new film, I decided to hang out on set. Today the show started in Times Square then moved to Brooklyn. Deep, distant, heart-of-darkness Brooklyn. I didn't go to the Times Square shoot but I did grab the 'D' train and trundled to Fort Hamilton.

Fort Hamilton has a mighty concentration of orthodox Jews. That probably explains why the hospital at which we were shooting is called Maimonides Medical Center.

This is Maimonides

The scene involves two of our principal male characters accidentally running in to each other at a sex therapist's office, each one loathe to admit the real reason why they are there. I was drafted to play one of the patients waiting in a chair outside the office. So when the two leads get in to a bit of a shouting situation, blurting out humiliating details, myself and two others have to be drawn by the commotion then pretend to be uninterested. It was fun.

Ville Haspasalo plays Sauna. In the story, Sauna owns a gym. He's a ladies' man. But not after St. Valentine puts a dispiriting curse on he and his friends. Hence their encounter at the sex therapist's office.

Below, Aleksei and Ville rehearse.

And Marius & Co. watch...

Richard Murphy is our set mixer, the guy who records the sound.

Richard recorded "Miracle at St. Anna," some "Sex in the City," and about a bajillion Laws & Orderesses.

Below is a comely extra.

Monica sits across from me in the scene. We created a mutual backstory for our characters in which we had gone out for Indian food, gotten sick, and come to the hospital. Our intention of falling to the floor and writhing in gastrointestinal distress was met with skepticism from Marius.

In spite of Marius' inability to understand quality collaboration, work proceeded...

Continuity pictures were taken...

Extras were wrangled out of their pen...

And we were off.

I'll probably cut me out of the movie.

Soup Nazi

2008-10-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

I've found this great place across the street on 8th Avenue called Hale and Hearty. It's a soup/salad/sandwich joint. Newfangled and shiny and fantastic. Amazing, filling soups and terrific sandwiches and wraps. It's seems to be shaping up as my every day thing.

Which got me thinking about soup. I always had it in my head that somewhere in the neighborhood is the actual soup place on which SEINFELD's famous "soup Nazi" was based. So I took to the interwebs and found out.

It's right next door.

Yeah, it's literally right next to where I work, here on 55th Street. For now, it's closed and a notice in the window suggests that owner/character Ali Yeganeh is now in Argentina for the Summer. Will he be back? Or will it be "No soup for you!"

That Looks...snif...Great

2008-10-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

What the hell is a cold anyway? I mean seriously. What is it? I'd rather fracture my tibia in three places than suffer the indignities of the common cold. Standing sheepishly on the subway platform trying to hide the snot dribbling from your nostrils... What...is...that?

So I had to drag my sniffly butt downtown, to Post Works in SoHo. Post Works is doing our telecine, our sound, AND our final lab work. But this afternoon was the first day of film transfer. So I needed to be in the room to supervise the set-up. At least the room is dark so they can't see my red nostrils.

I did have to press the colorist to properly execute an anamorphic 16x9 frame so that I can cut the movie in the Avid the way I want to. There was some resistance but eventually they agreed.

After all that wrangling, I was thirsty. They said there was water in the hall outside the suite. You can see it - right there, against the windows...

But there was no way I was gonna go back and forth with my little Dixie cup that I could swig down in one fell gulp. So I asked for something a bit more voluminous. That's what I got.

Finally after three hours the session was over and I headed out in to the drizzly twilight. I think I'm starting to connect a little bit.

I'd feel better if I felt better.

I Have A Cold

2008-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm suspending my campaign in order to deal with this crisis.

Day One

2008-09-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

It begins.

I should back up for just a second to mention that, on my way down to the Village, where the first day of shooting was, well, shooting, I passed a gas station. It struck me because it seemed weird.

Lukoil is a Russian company. About as Russian a Russian company as there is. So to just happen upon a Lukoil gas station here in the west Village seemed unusual and providential. Do with this what you will.

So the first day is about a scene in which two of our playas bring home several members of a visiting Russian volleyball team with the intention of, well, scoring some goals. But alas, when the games begin the men discover to their horror that their...equipment... isn't working.

Below are Marius (far right) and most of the cast of today's scenes.

The girls playing the assorted members of the volleyball team are Russian non-actors, cast here in New York for their obvious attributes. In all, they're doing a great job.

One of the three male leads is Alexei Chadov. He's one of the biggest stars in Russia. Think Keanu Reeves but good.

The apartment standing in for the character's apartment is actually the home of Ed Bennet. Ed owned VH-1 at one time. The place is stunning. It had to be dressed down a bit to make it appropriate as the home of a dentist. In the basement is a recording studio.

Among others, Annie Lennox has recorded here.

Back upstairs, work proceeded apace. The volleyball girls loitered.

Although I think to loiter you have to be standing up.

One interesting anecdote... In the scene, a couple of the girls are shooting video of themselves using one their phone cameras. The screen on the flip phone just has a green patch where the video will be added later in VFX. But no one could decide quite how to shoot this. So I suggested just using the video feature on my little digital Elph camera. Irek the DP was amused by the idea...

But finally, that's exactly what we did. So when you see the movie and you see one of the girls showing the video to another character, the video was shot with my little still camera.

I'm not entirely sure what Marius is so concerned about. It's gonna work.

Where They Got Me

2008-09-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's been raining for a few days. Skies finally started to break up a bit yesterday morning. But that was only for a moment. It didn't take long for clouds to recoagulate and rain to rain.

Anyway, I went in to the editing room to continue the organizational process. I work in this building:

The one there more to the left. I"m on the 11th floor.

The building is old. I don't know how old. But old.

Inside it feels and smells old. Kind of musty. Of course it's also a film lab that's been around forever. For a long time, it was the only legitimate film lab in New York City. You walk the halls and the posters are from movies like "Broadway Danny Rose" and "Raising Arizona" and so forth and so on and etc.

Next door to me is Mikaso. That's a person, not a title. Mikaso is the assistant editor on the upcoming James Ivory film, "City of Your Final Destination."

Mikaso just started on final turnover yesterday; final reels were locked two days ago. There were re-shoots and then there was a whole kerfuffle in which last Fall Anthony Hopkins sued Merchant/Ivory for $750,000 he says they owe him for said same movie. I guess that's all worked out now. But now one of the movie's investors is suing because she says she's not getting the promised producing credit blah blah blah. But down the hall Mikaso is finishing the movie. So you know, I guess it's all getting worked out.

Last evening, I took a gambol up Central Park West, back to one of my former residences, on 65th Street. It was a very nice, if not excessively humid twilight. The park was pretty. But I have to admit to having a bit of a difficult time reconnecting with the city. I'm not sure why. I know it's changed. And god knows I've changed. So maybe that's it. I think I need to get out more. More gambols are probably needed.

55th & Broadway

2008-09-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

I See'a Ikea

2008-09-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

The problem is as you see:

This is my editing room. And anyone who knows me knows that this crow won't caw. So this morning I lit out for Brooklyn where way down in Red Hook there is an Ikea. It took a bit of a ride on the R train.

So there's no real subway station anywhere near this Ikea. So what you do is you get off at 9th St./4th Ave. and take an Ikea shuttle bus that picks you up there on the curb.

But there at the corner is St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Inside it's all churchy.

Finally the Ikea Shuttle came and we trundled to the store.

Once inside, I wove my way through the maze and finally found the cheese. The Lighting Department.

Now this is where I shine. I get in, I get the goods, I get out. No browsing. No fumbling about. Just pointy-end-of-the-spear action.

I grabbed the lamps, etc. I needed then hustled back out. I retraced my steps and ended up back on the subway. Apparently it was Mariachi Day on the R Train.

Rectangle Round Table

2008-09-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday we had the traditional Big Pre-Production Meeting. We had the confab in the commissary at Kaufman/Astoria. We only had four hours because "Life On Mars" was coming in for their "lunch".

So everyone gathers around a gathering of tables and the 1st AD leads the meeting. In this case, David Cluck (on the right). Director Marius Balchunas is on the left.

So the 1st AD goes through the shooting schedule day by day and outlines locations, special needs, etc. Anyone from any department who has a question or a problem chimes in and the situation gets worked out. A lot of the time, however, a discussion is "sidebarred" since to tackle the issue would take more time than the meeting could spare.

Below are the two key hair people:

And then there's Gaffer Mike Castro (right) and DP Irek Hartowicz (center):

After the meeting I went back to the subway. I was going back to Manhattan but Irek and his wife Ingrid Fuentes were headed deeper into Queens in search of a particular and alleged Polish restaurant:

Actually, Ingrid is also the movie's key make-up artist. That's how she and Irek met; he was DP'ing a show and she was making it up and the rest is current events.

Beheamoth

2008-09-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

My building is ginormous. I'm way up on the 30th floor, the second from the top on the left. And on the other side.

Alright, What the Hell

2008-09-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

I wasn't going to do this. But for me, blogging a bit during every show is a way for me to keep my photos organized. The discipline I have to bring in order to sort and process my photos helps me stay sorted. So this is really about me and my natural lack of order.

Also, since New York isn't exactly exotic, this blog's novelty and cache is suspect. Very suspect indeed. But there may yet be some things of interest to see and some stories to tell so I'm gonna go ahead and do it. Banality be damned.

So this is another Russian film. Translated from the Russian, the title is something like "No Love In the City." (It has a more fun turn of phrase in Russian) We were going to shoot in St. Petersburg. But the weather in St. Petersburg this time of year is vicious, wily, and inconducive to life. So the movie was moved to New York City.

In essence, NLITC is a romantic comedy with a fantasy element. The basic premise is that three men, all womanizers (one married) are visited by St. Valentine. The spectral saint, well, how can I put this... takes away their mojo until they can manage to fall in love, sincerely, authentically and...you know...nicely.

jetBlue was perfectly fine. I had a good seat at the front of the plane. And while the flight was a little bumply, at least we had a 30 minute hold over JFK while some U.N. General Assembly VIP held up commercial air traffic while they departed the U.S. of A. That was cool.

I was picked up at JFK and taken to Kaufman/Astoria Studios in Queens. "No Love In the City"'s production offices are here. KAS is one of those studios that's hosted virtually every classic NYC movie ever made. ALL THAT JAZZ shot here. No, literally,

here:

In this very stage! Also a dozen Sidney Lumet movies and countless Woody Allen movies and a Paul Mazursky here and there. "Moonstruck" built the interior of the Castorini house on the stage seen above. The list goes on forever. Also, SESAME STREET is in the stage next door. I half expect to see Elmo and Big Bird hanging outside the stage smoking cigarettes.

But now, ABC's "Life On Mars" is occupying most every stage here.

The movie starts shooting in three days. Pre-production has been scarily short. So there's an added urgency to everything. Much movement. Phones ringing. Standard basic production environment.

"The Cotton Club" also shot here.

So Marius and I were then driven into Manhattan, back to our apartment building on 42nd and 12th. My apartment is on the 30th floor and affords the following view from the window:

I quickly unpacked and then walked down to a semi-nearby Food Emporium to stock up on some staply basics. But I couldn't get a cab back, because west of 9th Ave. there's essentially zero cabbage. So I ended up having to walk all the way home, plastic grocery bags cutting into my fingers. By the time I got in the elevator I was drenched. But I got milk!

Got up this morning and took a gander out the window in daylight.

Looks like there's an MTA bus hatchery right below me.

The web service in the apartment is on the fritz. So this morning I had to jump on the 'A' train and go all the way in to the production office in Queens just to get online. Bummer.

That's all for now.