7 Days & Counting to Going Active on Indiegogo.com…Plus The Nuts & Bolts of the Actual Shoot…

7 Days & Counting to Going Active on Indiegogo.com…Plus The Nuts & Bolts of the Actual Shoot…

If you’re going to be coming onboard & pledging $$ to THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death, we thought you might be interested in what the nuts & bolts of this film shoot will entail: a film shoot is part schedule, part chaos, and a large dose of  frantic “hurry up & get it in the can before we lose the light!” Film shoots – depending upon where they are – can be a bit of a logistical nightmare which is why studios love to shoot on soundstages: they can control the environment (i.e. light & sound – the two most crucial factors involved).  With THE MARSCHER LORDS:Brotherhood or Death, the shoot is a two camera (Arri Alexa) three-day, all day outdoor shoot (fortunately our production team is well-versed in shooting outdoors). The cast is a grand total of five people: two principals, three extras, & five horses. As we will be shooting on a beach, the experience of Dean Andre comes well into play: shooting on sand (whether a beach or in a desert) has its own idiosyncracies: wind – blowing over sand – creates an electric-like charge. This can manifest itself in the soundtrack as a crackling-like irritant that can really screw up the voice track. Thanks to special lavaliere mikes Dean works with, that issue has been negated. The beach will be officially reserved for the shoot (by purchase of production permits from a) the City of Los Angeles, & b) the City of Malibu, CA. Yes – you read that right. We have to purchase two sets of permits per day, to the tune of over $3,000 (See? – this stuff isn’t cheap folks!) plus the fact that the production must have insurance (close to $10,000) for a $1 million insurance policy making the City of Malibu the beneficiary. This is in case anybody falls off a horse & gets hurt. That we don’t want which is why we have an excellent horse wrangler in the family who will keep a close eye on both animal & rider. All who will be mounted must have (or will get) sufficient experience before the shoot.  Can’t have the cameras rolling with people still falling off their horses. This is a historical drama, not slapstick comedy.

Point Dume, Malibu CA

7 Days & Counting to Going Active on Indiegogo.com…Plus The Nuts & Bolts of the Actual Shoot…

Of course before the cameras roll there is an immense amount of prep work involved: production team schedules must be coordinated & the location must be reserved (by the purchase of the aforementioned film permits), storyboards must be completed (by the very excellent Jane Brewster) and timed out to the second with dialogue. Then Edwin H. Bravo & myself get into rehearsals, and rehearse/rehearse/rehearse. To quote the great William Shakespeare, the dialogue must spill “trippingly off the tongue” and the more rehearsals the better. As any veteran actor will tell you, fine seamless acting begins with:

a) Complete & total relaxation

and

b) Knowing your lines!

N’est pas  Ambassador Spratt? As an actor of English persuasion he can speak with authority on these issues. Moreover, both he & I have had lengthy discussions on the superiority ( in my view ) of English actors over their American brethren. The English way of training just seems so comprehensive & detailed (at least from this side of “The Pond”) and puts American programs to shame. I fully admit I could be totally wrong on this issue, but – in my experience & observation – English actors (Laurence Olivier, Peter O’Toole, Michael Caine, Richard Burton, Dame Edith Evans, James Mason, for example) seem to take you on a journey that American actors don’t (at least not anymore. Those from the “Golden Age”, i.e. James Cagney, Cary Grant, John Wayne, James Stewart, Bette Davis, Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, etc. did so and then some! About the only one today I’d put in that category on this side of “The Pond” is Bruce Willis).There are a lot of other factors that go into that as well, but the whole process begins with those. Character analysis, character breakdown, character history & personality also go into this. Fortuitously, both Edwin & I have lived with these characters long enough that we’re “in their skin” as the expression goes.

7 Days & Counting to Going Active on Indiegogo.com…Plus The Nuts & Bolts of the Actual Shoot…

More to come. Stay tuned. Tell your friends & family. With your assistance & gracious  pledges, we will get this film completed and begin to get ready for the feature!!!

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