Boy oh boy did the Hotcakes New Media crew and cast members put in a lot of sweat equity last Sunday, August 16th when the temperatures hit 30+ and had us bathing in our own sweat for most of the evening. However, true to form, our crew was nonetheless back to work as the consummate professional bunch and we got done what we had to do on a quiet little avenue that evening…. yet another segment for the video “Are You Bullet Proof” for To The Rescue. Luckily, the rain was nowhere to be found in O-town that night and we were left alone to get down to business…..a real blessing considering the kind of summer that we have been having this year. And so with that, I will recap the evening to catch you all up to speed….

The evening began with Andy and Dave setting up the lighting for the outside scene….

As you can see here, our cast of characters were waiting in the wings before they were called on to the set… killing a little time with a little chit chat amongst themselves…

And admiring the bike that one of our actors brought on to the set to add authenticity…She is a beauty!

Andy and Dave had to meticulously check out every angle…..

…to ensure that there was enough lighting to capture the moving images…

And one by one, they added in their actors to the scene to see how their images appeared on camera…

Lucky for us, the cast members working on this film project are all real gems to work with – so easy to direct, so agreeable and willing to give us what we were looking for.

And since the scene inside had to be created to resemble a place where a drug deal was going down, the props used had to make the scene rather convincing….and it looked like Andy was quite pleased with the results….

However, the money was no fake – it was all real…..

And again, we did have to powder puff our actors to get rid of the sheen that a natural complexion gives off – and believe me, it was a challenge to get that glare off with the sweltering heat that would not let up that evening. Luckily for the cast, it was dark….

Here we have Jason, Dave and Reda going over their scene ….

And Dave is inside getting everyone engaged about what he was looking for…

The boys playing around…..time is a ticking away…..

And I can tell you that the poor front door met with many takes with Dave kicking it open, but no collateral damage was sustained as Andy and Dave expertly secured it with a pillow taped to the closet behind it…and Dave, our lead “cop” was also gentle enough not to jam his foot through it…

With this particular scene, Dave had to bring his camera around the table and shoot from many different angles….

There was one point where the heat just got to be too much and a much needed break was taken by all to rehydrate…

But our dear Andy and Dave kept on working, finalizing a few more details before the crew was refreshed and ready to resume work….

And so the camera rolled again and captured the much needed footage of the actual deal going down….

And of course, when some are working, there will be others looking to have a little amusement on the down times when there was a little time to kill…

Here we have our lovely ladies….uhh, I mean our lads…..doing their Charlie’s Angels rendition…or sort of…….okay…..nice try guys….didn’t the ladies face away from one another????

Dave, again, hamming it up for the camera….

And sure enough, before we knew it, Andy again called it a wrap at about midnight and everyone was free to go….

But not before my role call…

Here is Jason… the lead character in the video. We were glad to have you back Jason!

And the lovely Sam who played the little drugged up crack…… umm…. well, I don’t want to say it, but you get the picture, I’m sure…..

Marc also played another one addicted to the nose candy……

Eric was the dude who took the money and ran….

Danny played the biker in search of his next great buzz….but the fuzz in this video got a hold of him first!

And of course, we have Reda here…or is it his alter ego….I don’t know…..the heat was getting to all of us actually…..

And finally Dave….”Super Two-Gun Totting” Dave! Well, bee bee pistol totting anyways…. (is that how you spell bee bee for “bee bee guns”?)

Oh, and of course, I couldn’t let the night slip away without snapping at least one picture of the resident canine cutie in Da House!!! Lotus!

So again, we had another great evening where the spirits were high and the gang accomplished what they set out to do that night.

I think the picture here sums it all up rather nicely…. you could feel the sense of excitement, enthusiasm and comraderie on the set and other activities surrounding this project. And the nice thing about it is that everyone who has participated in the making of this video has done so because of their love of and respect for the craft of film making and because they believe in this project and the team making it come together.  And it is through this sense of adventure that one will open doors to new and wonderful opportunities and experiences… and lucky for us, we are meeting new and interesting people along the way.

And with that, I feel my eyes getting very heavy and tired so it is here that I conclude this chronicle of the events that took place on Aug 16th and bid you all a very good night….

Love Tina  oxoxox  :)

I have finally gotten around to importing the footage of the crime scene shoot (formerly known as the accident scene). I am completely blown away by the beautiful lighting, and the superb acting by everyone involved. Shannon and Alfredo’s scene is especially convincing, and both performed with conviction.

You all know the scenario by now. We got Jeff to come up from Toronto to help with the lighting. We got extras, PAs, grips, and makeup artists… and at the last possible instant, literally minutes before shooting, we got a call saying our lead actor was not coming in, and our props and extras were not coming either.

You can read the full story as narrated by the lovely and talented Tina, who was not only documenting the shoot, but jumped right in to fulfill a PA role and assist in the shoot. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Part 3 is here.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, a few stills from the actual captured footage that night.

A7

Here is the third and final installment of my behind-the-scenes photo blogumentary for the music video “Are You Bullet Proof”  produced by Hotcakes New Media. As you know, a production like this just does not happen without some serious thought, dedication and immense effort going into it to make it all come to life. After Andy and Dave had their concept down for the video, the next step was finding the characters to make their vision a reality – and that is never an easy feat. So this meant that Andy and Dave had to put their feelers out there to find kind and friendly people who were willing to volunteer their time and energy to fulfill this project.  So it was a real relief (and the most pleasant outcome you could hope for) to have such down-to-earth people, some whom we met for the first time that night, respond to the call and actually show up to play their respective parts for that evening. As mentioned before, everyone was really easy to work with and they gave the crew exactly what they needed with minimal coaching. So without further ado, I now introduce you to the people who made the murder scene video shoot possible….

First, I present to you the lovely and sweet Shannon who played our only witness at the scene of the crime … She was in town just for a little while to spend some time reconnecting with some folks before making her way back home to B.C….

And then we have the most charming and ready to go Reda who gave us a great performance as one of the police officers who arrived to and swiftly departed from the crime scene. Another fellow in town briefly for the summer before his return to B.C. as well – what a coincidence! We love you artsy folks from B.C.!

Next, we have a fellow familiar to Rogers – the talented Dave – who has had previous experience with local television productions…and who played our veteran cop giving orders to our rookie cops on the scene…

And of course, this guy is the very handsome Italian Stallion Alfredo (at least in my mind)  :P , whom you all know as somewhat reserved, but who is also very willing to answer the call when a friend needs a serious looking gentleman to play a young police officer whose craving for raspberry jelly filled donuts is always set off by the sight of coagulated blood at a murder scene (yeck!)  :) …….

And also so crucial to the making of any video are those people behind the scenes who help with the lighting and other miscellaneous requirements like the very friendly Aaron, here, who helped re-create the police cruiser lights (as a light swinger  - heh, heh) and who also took some pictures to document that evening’s work…

Who has heard of a set without the make-up artist ????  Impossible! Tall or small – she powdered them all and made sure that their faces made love to the camera!  The very cute Miss Ginette (also a light swinger on her down time)  :) …. with our resident dead guy – God love him – Andy !!!  I swear, just being near him made me crave buffalo wings for the rest of that evening… Damn you guys for using that sauce when I could not find a place at midnight that serves wings!

And finally, I just had to have the three musketeers pose for me for their spot in the spotlight so that they could take a bow for their great work and winning spirit! We love you Dave, Andy and Jeff! Way to go guys! It was a pleasure working for you!  Oh… and love those nipple whatever you ma-call-its… LOL!!!

In conclusion, I have to say that being a part of this as a helper and as an observer was a real cool way to spend my Saturday evening / night with my friends and a most wonderful opportunity to witness a great plan come together. Sure, we had hit a bump in the road that night, but it only served to demonstrate how these guys will find a way, no matter what, to keep their cool and to persevere on their path in pursuit of that final cut. When I heard Andy say “That’s a wrap,” I have to tell you that I got a chill. Why? Because, I really felt that, at that moment in time, it was only the beginning of great things to come for these guys. They dared to dream and now they are actually out there doing it.  How can I not be excited by that drive?  God bless you for having the balls to go out there and get it boys! We’re all behind you 100% of the way and we’ll be cheering you on as you continue on this journey together.  Viva Hotcakes New Media! We see a bright future for you! So Go Get ‘Em Boys!!!!

Love Tina  :) oxoxox

Awwww – Thanks for the comments Andy, Dave.  It was an absolute pleasure working with you and our cast of characters. Yeah – everyone was really easy to work with, eh? And the new folks were really friendly too! I appreciated the opportunity to get to know our new cast members and to capture what was going on during the production. I enjoyed the whole process from start to finish….

In continuation from my last post…..

As the sun cast its last hour of light upon us, Andy was still in the midst of mulling over the details on how the scene would play out on the screen.

And it looked like all of the details were accounted for and taken into consideration…

And then it finally came …. the night that is …. and the actors moved into position to allow the directors and the light crew to test the shot…

And then, the call came…

As Dave had mentioned, we eventually got word that the lead character was unable to make it to this shoot due to unforeseen circumstances. This forced the crew to rethink the whole entire shoot. It could be the blow that shuts down this whole night…..

Do they throw in the towel and call it a day….? Or do they proceed without their lead actor….?

We had the lights and the effects turned out exactly as the crew had hoped for …

We had the camera and Dave found the perfect angle to capture the crime scene …

Everything was exactly as the crew had imagined it and the cast was in position … But the lead was not going to be able to shoot his scenes tonight …

What do we do? Well, we do what we do as professionals… the work continues and as they say in show business …. “The Show Must Go On”……

But there was just one more question…. Who was going to be the corpse in the car at the scene?

Heh Heh … there are definitely no slouches on this set and with the majority of the film crew pulling double duty, our best bet was to have our beloved Andy assume this role…

And from that point onward, the cameras were rolling and we were getting the job done.

As the story goes, the police discover the body and begin their investigation ….

And the only witness is being interviewed…

As we captured the shots we needed, the pressure was easing off and we actually had a few chuckles in between takes …. especially with some of our actors making funny comments in their ad lib dialogue … So you really want that raspberry filled jelly donut, do you Detective Alfredo?  :)

So as not to interfere with the rest of the filming as we were dealing with night shots and specific lighting requirements, I laid my camera down and let the rest of the evening unfold as it needed to.

As the crew called it a wrap just before midnight, there was a feeling of satisfaction in the air and the cast and crew were in great spirits. Despite the evening’s change in plans, their was a great sense that some real cool footage was gained from this evening’s work.

In Part 3, I will feature the cast and crew who made the visions of this shoot come to life to acknowledge their contribution to this project…

More to follow folks….

Love Tina  :)

One favour Andy – Could you kindly send me the names of all people who participated so that I can accurately label the shots as I post them to the blog? I will only publish the first names (if no one objects). Or if you wish, I can just indicate which character they were playing (Cop # 1, Cop # 2, witness,  etc…) or their role – light technician, make-up, etc….I remember pretty much everyone, but I don’t want to forget anyone.

As well, how many pictures can I post to your site without overload? If there is a specific limit, I can post some here and send you a copy of all of them to your e-mail address.

We had a great time last night and despite some unexpected circumstances, we really hope that you and Dave feel that you got some worthwhile footage. It was also nice to meet new people and to do something completely out of our normal routine. From what I could see on the monitor – here and there – it looks like you guys got some really decent shots. Everyone on the set last night really did a great job in their respective roles – actors and crew members. And thank God the weather cooperated….

BTW – Are you still smelling like a chip wagon, Andy?  ;P I’m just glad that I didn’t get any sauce in your ear!  The things we do for show biz, eh?  ;P

So I guess considering the turn of events last night, you will be filling us in on the next chapter of this project?

Love Tina  :)

The second shooting weekend for To The Rescue’s new music video being produced by Hotcakes New Media can now officially be considered a successful shoot. It was, however, a rocky shoot. Want to know why? Keep reading.

Doing night shoots are tricky. Unless you are able to properly block the windows to simulate nighttime, you have to wait until it’s really dark to get your lighting set up correctly. In this case, shooting this scene at Anne and Dave’s house, it was crucial to wait until it was fully dark out before starting (past 9:30pm!) because of the HUGE windows in the space. This led to a very slow start, but ultimately, not really a issue as I had informed people that the shoot would run until midnight (which it did, almost to the minute). Instead, the main issues we faced were due to the small space we were working with, and the performance of our lead female.

First, the small space; Small spaces are always difficult to shoot in. It makes it difficult to set up lighting far enough away to avoid hot spots on the skin (completely white areas due to too much light) while providing a decent fill light to make the lighting look natural. In this case, we had to soften our lights with frosted gels because they were too harsh, and place lights in precarious positions in the stairs. For the entrance, we had to literally hang a light with a softbox over the stair railing. The good news is, Dave and I are getting better (faster?) at lighting, so everything turned out very nice. The only issue is one shot where the light is a little too bright (at the entrance, directly below the light), but I was able to fix it in post.

Second, the acting; Jay, our lead male, is a natural. His performance was very consistent and very well acted. Our female lead, Kandisse, was not as natural. It was a little more difficult to get the performance the way we wanted. In all fairness, after looking back at the original script (before the editing), the dialogue was not 100% believable to begin with, so it made matters worse than they should have been. The issue was that she was not conveying the emotion we wanted for the scene, which was hurt feelings driving to anger. Instead, she was portraying it more as self-pity and despair, with long drawn out sentences that felt completely manufactured. After taking a break from shooting and Dave going over the inflection we were looking for with the actors, we on a roll, and the performance was becoming more honest.

With all the issues we had in shooting, we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to put together a believable scene with the footage we had. But it turns out we have more than enough footage to put together a great intro scene with nice pacing and flow. The editing is now done, and it’s official; The scene works very well and Dave and I are both happy with it. I should also mention that Lorelei, the producer for Moonrise Productions, was on set to help, and provided the scene saving gels for our lighting. She has a great eye, and noticed a few glitches I didn’t catch while looking at my monitor.

So you want more pictures? Of course you do! (but crafty people will find the video on YouTube if they know how to search well enough)

Here you go:

On to July 4th for the big accident scene shoot.

A7

I wanted to acknowledge the great Friday evening at Anne and Dave’s last week.

Anne, Dave – thank you so very much for your wonderful hospitality and the amazing meal. It always makes me feel so good when we get together – some good soul food! It’s too bad that Oneuma and Colin were not able to make it, but with her sister getting married, it would have been too hectic a pace for them, I’m sure. We’ll have to catch up with them next time for sure.

It was so nice to see Ralphie looking and feeling great. What a relief that he is finally all better. What a sweet Monkey Boy!  I can’t wait until the puppies meet Calvin!    If anyone has any particular ideas about how to go about our puppy play date, please let me know. I’ll be thinking of locations…..I think it would be great to see them play in some open space.

Andy, Dave – Thanks so much for giving us the screening of Real and the in-production To The Rescue video on Friday. We felt very privileged to be the first ones to see both works, outside of those who have been involved in the productions, of course. We are so proud of you both and we were very impressed with how you pulled together both productions.  There were particular elements to Real that really touched us and we’re sure that it will have the same effect on others who see it. We are really looking forward to seeing the final cut of the music video as well. Bravo boys! Keep going! You’re going places !!!

As usual, we’ll keep you posted on the wedding planning developments…More to follow…

And remember, it’s “A and T”……not “T & A”…  ;P  LOL!!! I’m still laughing at that one…….. Thanks for all of the laughs guys!

Love Tina 

My annual “year in review” music post in January 2010 will be filled with fantastic music (and will actually be written properly this year). But before that happens, you should have time to enjoy the music now! So here’s a little breakdown on some stuff you should be listening to.

Alexisonfire. Old Crows, Young Cardinals.

These guys know how to rock, and this album is no exception. Their sound is familiar, yet new. Somehow, the screaming parts (the parts NOT sung by Dallas Green) are more controlled, and thus, not as irritating. Some songs have a bit of a punk influence to them (especially the single, Young Cardinals). This is not my favourite album ever, but it is a really solid album that will have you rockin’ all night long.

Green Day. 21st Century Breakdown.

Green Day has come back with what I believe will be a milestone album for the band. With a unique mix of old-school fast “machine gun” guitar riff songs that are pure Green Day, to softer ballads that elevate their songwriting skills to new heights, this album is my top pick for album of the year.

Moneen. Hold That Sound EP (full album due in a few months)

It’s no secret that Moneen is at the top of my band list. They have such a complex and deep songwriting style that is unmatched in a market full of “sound-alikes”. If this EP is any indication of what the album will be like, I expect Moneen to do quite well for themselves. Their songs are finely crafted in true Moneen fashion, and they are sure to please long-time fans as well as garner a few new fans along the way. I bought the EP instantly on iTunes. Have a listen if you get a moment. You have my personal guarantee that it is worth listening to over and over again.

Till next time.

A7

After a long wait, and large amount of planning, Hotcakes New Media‘s first weekend of shooting was finally started this past weekend. Dave and I just wrapped the “bar scene” and all the live band footage. Keep reading to see more pictures and find out how it went.

The video shoot was spread out over 2 days. Saturday night was filming the crowd, live band performances, and the final acting scene (cop chases criminal into the bar, criminal tried to get lost in the crowd, gets taken down by the cop). We started the night with the live performances of the band. We needed to run the song 5 times, each from a different camera angle (middle of the crowd, back/left, behind the band, and two roving steadicam shots of the band and the crowd). Those shots went amazingly well, though incredibly slow. The “crowd” was not made up of paid extras, just the band’s friends. So in between shots, they all left to get drinks and go party upstairs. It took forever to get everyone back in place each time. Of course, since that extended everything, it meant that people were getting increasingly more drunk as the night went on. We ended the night by attempting to film the acting scenes. By then, the crowd was drunk, rowdy and belligerent. Things were getting out of hand, so we had very little time to shoot. We gathered all the crowd we could and just shot everything as fast and as furious as we could, hoping that we got what we needed. It was hectic, and messy, and I had all kinds of alcohol spilled on me, but I think we got most of what we needed.

As a result of the drunken partying, people were stepping on the camera’s cords. The camera was unplugged abruptly on a couple of occasions, which caused us to lose some good footage. We also had a number of people in the crowd looking directly into the camera (which made those shots unusable). But as I said… there was enough footage to put the scene together (but just barely).

Now we are on to planning and shooting the final 4 acted scenes of the video, including one huge scene with police cruisers, bloody bodies, smoke machines and a cast of 10-15 actors. So far everything has gone relatively well, and the footage we have is unbelievable. I forgot just how amazing my camera is. Doing this video shoot has reminded me how much I love it. And Dave did a fantastic job of working the camera in question. I think we work well as a team… I was like the director watching the monitor to ensure the footage and shots were clean and we got the shots we needed, and he was co-director and camera operator. Judging from the footage, it looks like that setup worked quite nicely.

A few more pictures of the footage we captured are below. For more information on Hotcakes New Media, visit our site at http://www.hotcakesnewmedia.com .

A7

EDIT: More pictures from Day 2!

A7