CBS San Francisco article posting, from Melanie.
How do we make the right decisions about taking care of our aging parents? Some helpful advice for anyone facing a growing concern.
Tips To Survive Parents Moving Into Your San Francisco Home
Comments are always welcomed
~MG
Monica uses her creative mind and fingers to craft beauty.
Saturday was a day of calling –a calling to the Pressure “office” to create flowers for a sunless world – a reference to the darkened steampunk underworld our story is set in. Abandoning all perceptions of what flowers actually are in our existing world — the soft colors, fragrances, and all accepted beauty nurtured by the sun — was foremost to creating the sense of
Future pipes for the Pressure world.
nature that the scenes require. Envision a landscape devoid of a sun that provides the world with its light, as we know it. This element of mindset was our propelling influence, and it worked well.
Think petals of black, brown, and silver, edges tinted with tarnished gold, dulled and sullied through the efforts of their existence. Sitting atop long, thin stems of twisted raffia or straw, cords and other dry found materials, our flowers for a memorial scene emerged as beautiful rarities in a steampunk underground world setting that our creative fingers worked to form and fashion.
Three of us worked on our individual flower variations, folding, cutting, crinkling, and bending whatever oddball bits and pieces of found and purchased materials spread before us on the table. We joked of feeling as if we were in adult day care, frolicking with arts and crafts, yet seriously getting a job done as we made design and application decisions on the spot.
Running a close second in our minds were imagined words and slogans needed for a parallel set need: protest signs and banners, a crucial component to support the scene’s emotional peak. Along with the film director and producer, who while mentally juggling a myriad of slogan possibilities, also worked on additional set designs, we had our minds on an assortment of immediate artistic needs.
Earlier that afternoon I worked with the producer, using paper and scissors, to create other essential elements for the set and scenes for next week’s shots. Once again we will head north across that iconic bridge for on-site shoots, aiming again to define film making magic in a way best expressed as collectively personal.
~MG
Not the most poetic story title, I admit, but a paid writing opportunity I gladly accepted. As the saying goes: it’s not what you say, but the way that you say it
Making Bathrooms Work For Multiple People In San Francisco
Read as if it were poetry…
~MG
Here are recent CBS San Francisco posts by yours truly, giving answers to questions you may or may not have. Go ahead — learn something new today! Thanks for your time.
Making Solar Power Work In Your San Francisco Home
5 Vegetables That Grow Well In San Francisco
5 Tips For A Successful Garage Sale In San Francisco
Comments are always welcomed
~MG
The director and cameraman discuss a shot.
Driving across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge early Saturday morn, we began the first leg of this weekend’s San Rafael studio shoot. The large film studio space and larger crew this time added new dimension to my expect the unexpected film set adventures in learning.
Saturday’s ambitious filming required a professional studio, and it delivered the goods. Green screens on the walls (wrinkle-free!) bigger-better lighting, a makeup room and a dressing room; all-around the facilities were a mighty step up from the living room and converted garage space we had used the past weeks. Sure, those were fine locations due to the hard work of an awesome crew, but this was on a different level, no denying the facts. Then again, the needs were different for this weekend’s shoots.
My slating skills, having already been proven, were shelved so an intern on the set could learn its techniques. I was on hand for my usual assortment of job titles on this film: production assistant, grip and art department member. Every bit counts and every hand contributes to the final whole. That is definitely why I am here.
With my faithful camera in hand I continued to satisfy my captivation with shooting whatever strikes me as a worthy photo opportunity. Some months and months ago I began a never leave home without it effort to generally have my camera ready to seize a lasting memory or future image need (for my freelance article gigs that always need images to fit the topics).
Lots of great images to record surrounded me, and after I took my umpteenth shot I learned — regrettably later than sooner — that if my flash goes off I need to call out “flash” so camera people on the set can be prepared for the light that will inevitably invade the space. It’s a courtesy protocol I need to pay attention to. Unlike shooting pictures on set for journalists or entertainment media who are not interested in behind the scenes shots, my photo taking opps are mainly for me, some other interested crew members, and perhaps an illustration or two to these blog entries.
The wow! factor on the set was a cool “flying machine” built for the story. It was a true feat, created by the nimble mind and storytelling skills of the writer-director and the producer. I worked further on this piece of prop-art, helping, along with other art-y types, to embellish it to create the look, mood and feel of both the time-set of the story and the foolhearted nature of the story’s protagonist.
This character is not someone filled with foolish thoughts per se, but an individual inhabiting a world distinctly different form our own, who nevertheless employs universal instincts and parental love in an effort to sustain the most basic core of the human condition – survival.
Visit Pressure and see what all the buzz is about…
~MG
The director and cinematographer go head to head in discussion.
Sunday on the film set, a cold foggy outdoor shoot as sidewalk crew halted cars passing by — all in the name of making art. Who would say no? Green screening the side of a building which ran onto the sidewalk didn’t seem to cause any problems, as passers by mainly stopped to see a neighborhood filming going on before their very eyes. Who could blame them? Wouldn’t we all do the same?
Yours truly, the designated slater, has already learned her craft, keeping the slate current with reel, scene, shot and take updates. Being on the ready, take after take, is the crucial point of doing slating after all. The iconic black-and-white slate board, also known as a clapper, and the slapping of its top handle, is used to mark each shot when sound is recorded separately from the image. Using a slate allows film sound to be synced with film images in post-production. Now I know this reasoning but a little over a week ago I did not. What a difference a week makes when hands-on learning takes the lead.
Green screening the side of a building in the director's SF neighborhood.
Newly recruited actors come on board. They are extras for a chance at acting gigs that may or may not lead anywhere, but these are acting roles, plus the food on set is free and plentiful, so what is there to lose? Amazing — the sheer number of actors (males and females are all termed “actors” by the way) who submit resumes, audition, call back, and hope for a chance to perform even a tiny role in an independent film productions being shot locally. In a city like user-friendly San Francisco, and throughout the Bay Area, all things creative are happening non-stop it seems, and making films is just about the coolest thing happening.
I like to keep an eye on the make-up artist and the results that flow from her hands and tools. I run into the room where she works, for just a few minutes when I can to witness transformations and get a quickie lesson or two or three on blending foundation, adjusting colors, and techniques for varied skin tones and textures. Compensating for forehead heights, hairlines and eyelid depth — these are just a few make up artist considerations that I’ve come to value in the job, plus never forget the ever important make up brush and palette sterilizing rules that help keep an actor’s skin healthy.
Two “stand-ins” were on the set Sunday — replacements for the cinematographer and still photographer who couldn’t work that day. Filming goes on after all. The director and producer definitely were grateful that these pros agreed to come on board for the day. I quickly learned that with so many creative camera souls looking for work or on reduced work schedules and often working gig to gig, that such one-time-shot jobs are not hard to fill. But always looking for the best skilled artists is the key to a great production.
Have a look at Pressure, and become a fan…
~MG
Last Saturday began a full weekend on the set, seeing, observing, doing, digesting it all… just a great experience seeing how the pieces fit and work together to create a film.
The way I operate here, in my role as PA/production assistant/grip/art department member and whatever else titles are bestowed upon me, is to be open and flexible and say yes to virtually anything I am asked to do. How else could I be seen as a part of the crew and not merely an observer? I have noticed that my asking questions along the way has been reduced by the amount of real-time doing and observing I accumulate.
A fun coup for me was stepping in as make-up person on Saturday when the official make-up artist had to leave late morning for her day job. I observed her doing makeup for the actor. His role required a “steam punk” look, so make-up was pale skin and darkened eyes. I observed as the make-up artist applied his make-up, so I could do touch ups during the day using the same make-up tools.
Make-up sanitation is also an issue for attention, so I learned more about using disposable lip brushes and sterilizing powder brushes and make-up palettes. My first day as make-up artist assistant went pretty well, plus I enjoyed learning a bit about that aspect of film work.
My main contribution for the weekend shoot was slating the film. I had to learn how to slate as I went along, with precious input from people working on the set. It may look simple to clap the top lever down on the slate — and it basically is — but saying the right terms and syncing it to the roll of the cameras and the sound recording, takes exact attention all around. The slate must be in direct line of vision of the camera, often requiring awkward and angled poses, holding the slate in whatever pose and distance works best for the camera person. Then of course the “bang” of the lever; the sound helps signal quiet on the set as filming begins.
A multitude of sounds, perhaps barely audible moments before, now become magnified and easily heard in the intense quiet of the set. The cameras roll, and film sound gets recorded.
So much happens on the set and each movement and subsequent scene set-up takes time and patience to make it all happen smoothly, which is an art in itself. The break for lunch comes before you realize you have worked away the morning hours. Our sequestered garage turned movie set blocks out the warm sunny skies outside the house. Once the garage door came down and black paper was taped across the few small inner windows, the day belonged to movie making, and our reality as crew members, turned to the film set.
Welcome to Pressure
~MG
Being part of a film crew has opened an amazing new world to me, one in which I can learn and grow and connect with like minded creative souls, all working on one goal together — to create a film built on the ideas of its writer. That is my ultimate goal, to transform my story to film, and within this film co-op I can get the skills needed to reach that goal.
A recent rainy day shoot in San Francisco, near the ocean. The director talks with actors.
There is so much to learn and starting at the beginning is perfect for me. Fortunately, I am on a crew working with some creative people who I can truly learn from. This is the opportunity I’ve been looking for without even realizing that this film experience is just what I was searching for. A year ago I would never have thought that I would be in the mindset and physical space that I currently am in. It’s wonderful, and I feel lucky to be involved.
Weekends of shootings are ripe for learning the ropes of working on set with the director, producer and all other crew working that day. More to come tomorrow and the next day…
Hello, Pressure
~MG
The Writer
Several of my articles for CBS San Francisco have been posted, and it’s fun to see them live. Writing for online media is a kick, and as a writer and news reader it highlights how traditional print media continues its transformation. It is evolutionary, this 2012 media world; it’s a rapidly changing readers’ market and the fact that readers must go with the flow may be frustrating to some, but as with virtually everything else we accept the changes and pretty quickly come to embrace it. So it goes.
Why New Windows Are Worth It In San Francisco
San Francisco Garage Mahal: Much More Than A Place To Park
Comments are always welcomed
~MG
It’s been too long since I added any pearls of thought or efforts at wisdom here. I have been busy with other writing, especially for CBS San Francisco, localized content. My articles there help keep readers in the know about various lifestyle topics. It’s a fun gig for now, but takes more research that the resulting article length may show. Take a peek at getting the most from your San Francisco windows.
Additional articles coming over the next months… stayed tuned and plugged in please!
~MG
