The Last Report

July 30, 2008

I've re-shot the on-location scene for "The Last Report"! With all the footage shot, all that's left to do is edit the new scene into the final film and make a few minor adjustments.

The re-shoot went pretty well. I was able to rent a lavalier microphone, so the audio was infinitely better than last time. One of the big problems with the first shoot for this scene was that it didn't match up to the amazing audio and video quality of the rest of the film. It was also much too long, and being an on-location news report, it needs to all be one take with no cuts.

The audio was great. We got a little static, which actually worked well since there's so much chaos surrounding the situation in the scene. Also, at my boyfriend's suggestion, we added some turbulence to the scene by creating miniature earthquakes preceding the final ending. Basically just a few camera shakes, background noises, and debris falling from the ceiling.

The actors did very well, considering what a challenging scene it is. Not only does it test them emotionally, but they are pressured by the fact that we have to get the whole thing right in one take. No tolerance for mistakes, line goofs, or bloopers.

Since we shot this scene in an abandoned building in the Naval Base of Alameda (the building looks as if it's about to collapse), it's no big surprise that most of us came out with minor injuries. My roommate/cinematographer, Joe, ended up with a pretty bloodied hand. It's his own fault, he punched a hole through the wall for fun. I got a pretty nice cut on the back of my arm from a jagged piece of metal, and one of my lead actors left with a couple bloody knuckles. All in the name of art!

I will hopefully be able to finish the final cut tonight, so keep an eye out for the posting of the final film on this page within the next couple days!