Romantic comedies on TV

Yesterday the cinematography workshop was all about the same. Same film students ran towards the camera (we use the Sony DSR-450), same film students complained, same film students just had a laugh out of it all. The camera was quite heavy, and I didn't feel comfortable holding it, since I think I'm pregnant and in the first weeks I need to take extra care.


So Michael was guiding us through some dolly shots in the warehouse. One of the shots came out real nice, with the dolly goes one way and then reverse, the lights made the look and feel of The Godfather and a greenish hue gave it all quite a sad mood.


They went drinking afterwards, but I had people waiting for me at home so I couldn't join them. The workshop goes until Tuesday, but I think I will not return there. I just want to write. I don't enjoy those crowded sets, I don't hear anything overwhelming from Michael.


I'm now enrolled to one of the UCLA Extension Online courses. I can't wait for it to start. In university half of my teachers are still on strike, the 43rd day. They say it might end soon. I wonder what they will do next - make us all continue in the summer semester? Or just cancel those courses? I understand the necessity of strikes sometimes, but those lecturers didn't even try to shout out loud, so it just drags over a long period of time with no solution. Only when the students helped them, you could see some headlines in the papers about it.


I'm a bit confused about this script I'm writing. one of the characters is telepathic. he can read thoughts. I'm not sure how to use this kind of a character in my screenplay. At times I think it might be better to start off with a simpler idea, so this souldn't be the first feature script I write.



I saw Alex and Emma yesterday on the TV. It's a nice TV movie, not more. It's quite predictible, but the characters are cute so you don't mind watching them doing the things you expected them doing. For me the interesting parts were inside the second story, the story Alex was dictating to Emma. To see how imagination works. That enough made it fun to watch. But it's not a film to remember or anything. The bad guys weren't bad enough, the other woman wasn't a strong enough temptation.

I'm going to write my own stuff now.

P.S. somehow I find those great pictures of sleeping people lately. There is something very strong in a picture of a sleeping man. Where he sleeps, how he sleeps.

Day two on cinematography workshop

If yesterday I was tired, today I was exhausted. From doing nothing at all. Again the tiny location was packed with strong men, all wanting to make the next tweeny to look great for the master Michael Chapman. I don't like too many people with no clear vision. I don't like working for no real intention. I had no drive. I sat and watched the monitor. Chapman sure knows how to operate a camera. Our guys are less crafted. It was cold. And I got bored. I went to sit on a different spot, in front of the other monitor. Chapman didn't understand how the light outside was changing. Someone just decided to play with it. He never really worked with students before. He told us to be quiet. He was very accurate in his remarks, he didn't expect much of us, the strong men didn't deliver. I got bored. I went to look for the loation to my own scene.

A huge factory. Chapman said it will be hard to control the lights there, since we don't have the time nor the equipment to handle the space.

I wanted to sleep. Reuven took my place on the dentist chair. He also found a cover and slept deep. Time just passed and passed. Then it was all over.

On the way home in the car, someone said Capman was the cameraman on Fingers. I just watched this brilliant film last week (never saw the French remake, but what for). I love Keitel, and first thing I'm doing tomorrow is asking Chapman about this production. God, I can't believe he did this film. I hope he will still have the energy to chat. This workshop is real exhausting.

A very very tired filmmaker: the first day of the cinematography workshop with Michal Chapman

Today was the first day of the cinematography workshop with Michael Chapman, aka Chappy. It's actually the only cinematography class the Tel Aviv University gives its students on their final year (another 1-week workshop is intended for April). So there are 25 eager students, all waiting to hear the master's voice and vision.

Luckily, this old master is a very laid back, easy going chap. he told us today: "don't think by any means of doing 'art'. Just solve difficulties, only this way you will bring fresh ideas to the screen'. Creativity comes from necessity, not by a decision. He said he "loaths storyboard", though he did mention Marti's as being very good, because he couldn't really draw, so he made them just to reflect the movement the shot had. Big strong arrows. Chapman said that nowdays the storyboards are so good, there isn't much sense in making the film anymore - they can make it an animation, which will save the money.

He's a very nice man, Michael Chapman. He said that now he's retired, and that Bridge to Terabithiya was the last film for him as a DOP. He also said he didn't want to be a director (though he had his trials). It's just a horrible job, everyone's mad at you, wanting things from you.

In this workshop every 2-3 students will work on one scene as DOP, with some other 5-6 as their crew. I chose to bring my own scene. I just must rewrite the location, cos instead of a cool city loft we will be shooting in an old ugly Kibbutz house. Yaaaiiichs.

Here's my scene:

INT. Queen's loft - night

A big open space furnished in a modern eclectic style: antique French sofa, 60s lamps, Ikea table. On the walls hang contemporary art works. On the side of the room a long table with 5-6 computer screens, on all a screensaver shows slowly-changing pictures from outer space. In the far through the open windows a truck is honking.

BAREKET (27) stands next to a horizontal metal chest of drawers, going through the prints that are stored there. She is searching for a particular print but cannot find it. The doorbell rings, its sound reminds an airport announcement tone. Bareket glimpses at the door and continues to rummage through the papers. Three knocks on the metal door. Bareket takes a deep breath and opens the door.
SAKKE (27) stands at the door. His hair, as well as Bareket's, is dyed grass green. Bareket's brown hair roots are few centimeters long.

Sakke
(smiles)
O-oh, what are you doing here, Bareket?

Sakke enters. They hug and kiss on the lips. Bareket returns to the drawers.

Bareket
I gotta find this something before I go.

Sakke looks around.

Sakke
Where's Queenie?

Bareket
Not clear.

Sakke
How'd you get in?

BAREKET
I had this key from when I watched his house.

SAKKE
Cool, leave it with me before you go, we fuck with Queen.

Sakke walks around in the house, looking for something to do. Bareket still searches the drawers. Sakke finds a magazine and leafs through it fast.

SAKKE
So. So I heard you had quite a night yesterday.

BAREKET
(smiling, without looking at him)
Oh you've heard.

SAKKE
Of course I've heard, what do you think? Queen tells me everything. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! So, what happened?

Sakke leaves the magazine. He grabs a cat's toy from the table and starts to play with it, like a fishing rod. A cat appears and starts to jump, trying to catch the toy. Sakke doesn't pay attention to the cat.

BAREKET
Some kid picked me in this club, Queen picked him, we ended up all here.

SAKKE
Cute kid?

BAREKET
Yep.

SAKKE
Big?

BAREKET
Yep.

SAKKE
And Queen?

BAREKET
What with him? He doesn't have big, you know.

Sakke throw the toy rod at the wall, aggressive.

SAKKE
You fucked?

BAREKET
Who, me and Queen?

SAKKE
(anxious)
No, me and Queen.

Sakke drops the toy on the floor, looks at Bareket.

BAREKET
(Smiles, still in the drawers)
Yeah, a bit.

On the wall hangs a photograph of a man in his mid 30s, his hair dyed green. Sakke looks at the picture, press on it with his finger. The finger gets red from the stress.

SAKKE
So. How is he? (beat) Good?

Bareket doesn't respond, still busy with the papers. Sakke slaps her on her bottom and she turns around at once. Sakke pushes her on the drawers.

SAKKE
You slut! Let's fuck we also!

Bareket laughs. Sakke moves his hand on her breast and ties, on the cloths. He rubs his body against hers with no gentleness. The metal drawers squeak and clank.

BAREKET
(Pushes him slightly)
Aou,it pains. What you doing, you're not even hard, you fag.

Sakke backs off completely.

SAKKE
What a cunt. I can't believe Queen actually fucked a cunt. Brr. Where is he anyway, probably forgot you were leaving today.

Sakke sits on the sofa and switches on the TV. Bareket closes the last drawer, looks at Sakke's back.

Film revirew: Lars Von Trier's The Boss of it all

I was trying to look for a different picture to put here, one that will reflect the film: a completely "wrong" composition, something that Vadim Yusov (Tarkovski's cinematographer, and whom I met during an excellent workshop he gave at Tel Aviv University's Film department) would never even consider as a take. You know, very extreme Dogma95.

But i guess no one put those "horrible" frames online so there you go, some tits from the film that made me like Lars Von Trier again. Here comes another list, because after watching a movie I'm a bit slow with building readable sentences:

1. It's a good film.
2. They say it's a comedy, and many times I laughed, but it's not the kind of comedy that you test its quality by the number of laughs in the theatre. It's a comedy beyond laughter.
3. The only thing you (and Von Trier) laugh about is people. And humanity.
4. And that's OK.
5. The extreme Dogma95 shooting style is funny and works well.
6. The wrapping of the story with the voice over is excessive.
7. The acting is great.
8. I'm happy that the editing was not jumpy. In "Dogville" I almost left the theatre cos I felt sick.

That's it. Now I will start my weekend. Lots of Fatih Akin and some good food as well.

Choosing a cameraman

Today she called me. My camerawoman. She said she starts teaching next semester, and because my shooting days are too close to the first day in university it will not be ideal. She's right. She gave me names of other good cameraman with some film experience.

Last year I took part in a cinematography workshop with Vadim Yusov (the cinematographer of Tarkovsky). It was brilliant and I did get to meet some talanteded cameramen there. So I hope this will work good, and fast. Time is running..The camerawoman also told me on the phone she thought the shooting style will be like the one in the shorts of Ozon. I had more asian films in mind (especially in the scenes where my actress ride a motorbike and the scenes that are in the stairway), but I also like Ozon's camera, at least in his shorts. Especially I love "A Summer Dress" (in the picture above), but that is not really because of the camera work, more the story and the location. And the song...bang bang...

Still study to the Israeli cinema exam. I already read about the zionistic cinema etc, now it's the Israeli new Wave. Interesting. But more about it later, still got loads to read..

A filmmaker in the search for the perfect actress

I sent my script today to the camerawoman I really want. She hasn't respond yet and I'm a bit nervous. I know I have plenty of other options, there are other talented cameramen in the film school. I still want her, I like her, I can talk to her, and she has that feminine sensitivity most men really lack.

The picture above...how perfect is this girl in the picture? My script is really about her, only I never met her before. She's a blogger on blogspot, I'm afraid I forgot which blog..But she would be a great actress for my film. Of course it's in Hebrew so chances are very low. But the good thing is that once I saw her face, I knew what I wanted. If anybody recognizes this lady, let me know!!

Must work on my script now. Also my next exam is near..Israeli cinema, an interesting class but not so much the exam itself. Loads to read, and especially now, that I need to focus on my script, it's a pain in the ass.

Also I got myself today 2 vibrating eggs. It's not related to cinema, unless it will appear in my next script...:)