DP NIKITA TCHARTORIJSKI

DP – NIKITA TCHARTORIJSKI

Wardrobe changes! Couldn’t stress enough on the amount of wardrobe changes I could fit into a two minute video. I actually wanted one more however we were running low on time and couldn’t make it. However, “I’m happy” with what we have especially with the black pants and white wife beater looking shirt top look. It’s funny because on set I was opposed to the style but most of the crew was all for it. When we got to post it hit me: the look worked so well on screen with the backdrop. For some reason I did not see it in production. This is a great example of how important it is to trust and listen your crew. It’s the people you surround yourself with that make a great product, so choose your team wisely.

We filmed at the art factory in Paterson, New Jersey. From small little brick hallways to large warehouse spaces, this location was massive! We only shot about eight percent of what else was there. No Joke. This place was unreal with an atmospheric beauty I have never seen at any other location. Given our day was pretty long we only have x amount of time so we did our best to capture the best angles (however you know if I could, I would be shooting more).

It’s always been a challenge to tell a meaningful story in a matter of two to three minutes, especially when you’re trying to build a character and hopefully win the hearts of your audience.  Although editing plays a crucial role in creating a masterpiece I believe before goals, before the inciting incident, turning point, hook, etc we got to start and focus on the main character. Who is your character? Who are his parents? What car does he drive? What music does he listen to? What is his vice? His virtues? The more human you make the main character, the more audience will invest their time and emotions, and sympathize with the character. You can say this video is my second attempt to convey this idea.

Originally we planned to shoot everything locked-off for the exception of the flashbacks. My brilliant DP Nikita showed me a test shot on the loading dock location (hand head wide angle walk in) and I completely fell in love with shot. To compensate this change, I decided last minute to shoot the Mustang flashback on tripod. Not only did this have a nice contrast to the to hand-held performance scene but it opened the video with a smooth pan introducing the love interest, relaxing the audience like still waters. Then the storm hit with the drug lord and we went into hand held. It was a domino effect of greatness. Two heads are indeed better than one. Humility and having an open mind are essential to having success in big or small productions (and in life as well).

From the backup dancers, to our amazing art director and PA’s, I honestly couldn’t ask for more. This is the best crew to this date. Thank you for your dedication and for fighting for great art.

-Ryan

DP – BRANDON RIPLY

Putting aside larger budgeted projects, it is always a privilege to get the opportunity to work with dedicated and passionate musicians. Monster has more of a linear start to finish approach and as always, the story of a relationship throughout the song.  In other words, the client and I kept it simple. It was a long day but well executed. Our pro crew built the stage which included the over head fresnel theater lighting, 1k back light, fills and rim lights which surprisingly took two and a half hours, giving us more time to spare for a few more takes for camera. This was a very exciting project and i am happy to say I wasn’t overwhelmed and I thank my amazing crew for that.  Was very pleased with the Red Epic footage using Zeiss CP2s. Having a very short deadline, my only concern was the reds work flow. Coming from a FCP7 background to an Avid MC6 user, I needed every second to count toward the insane four day deadline for a rough cut. So I did some research  and found that Adobe Premier Pro 6 can edit the native red raw files with out transcoding or making DNxHD files for editing. I wouldn’t suggest editing native red 5k raw files unless your computer is fast, VERY FAST, at least 8 cors with 16 gigs ram. Anyways, premier wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Little to no crashes, you can change all your keyboard settings with a click of a button to whatever program you ever used, I did Avd MC6. Having a decent machine, it still did have some lag but it gave me a day head start for the client so it wasn’t so bad. However, I don’t like how the canvas and preview windows take up so much space. Even the timeline takes up a lot of unnecessary space you could be using to browse, edit clips, etc. but adobe has come a long way. I still will use avid for all my stuff but sometimes a little change can be VERY beneficial for the long run

Ryan

DP Brandon Riply

It is always a major concern to the director with how much creative control he or she has. It really is a deal breaker to have the best quality project come out.  A lot of artists have great ideas and messages in their songs but some times straight narratives can seem to be so linear and been there done that. Having given FULL creative control on this one, I ask “would it be more effective if we used props to symbolize her story instead of being so self explanatory?”  It was an out of the box attempt to capture the same feeling though symbolism.

On a personal note, it is ironic because this is where it all began. I remember the first second I knew that films would mean so much more to me. When I was a young cub, my loving grandmother and fellow film lover would always take me down the street to the local movie rental shop. She introduced me to all different kinds of wonderful and inspiring films we’d rent.  At a young age it was hard to understand why or how concepts provided an answer within movies. She ‘d encourage me to watch them over and over again until the message hit me. It was those moments that I cherished and those same moments that inspired me to take on movies as more than just a hobby and interest. She introduced me to her 8mm camera and projector. I was blown away and mesmerized by its aesthetics. Sadly after her and my grandfather passed away, the old projector was packed away and forgotten until I got a call from my aunt years later. Clearing out her garage, she stumbled upon an old box that said movies on it and had asked if I wanted it. I immediately rushed over and it turned out to be my grandmothers 8mm projectors. I set up the reel, turned on the switch and was overwhelmed with the reminiscent memory that filled my heart.

Getting that creative freedom from the client, I used something that started it all.  The projector symbolized hope and gave her a meaning to find the door that the key would open up. It was a motivational tool that symbolized an old memory which validates and defines why we are the way we are. My grandmother was a huge inspiration and also happens to be who is projected on the screen in the music video.

Ryan

DP EDDIE LLEBRON

My professor from film school once told me that, in any ambitious project, you only end up with about fifteen percent of what you originally planned for. As a director, I believe that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. It could seriously affect the integrity of the project if we don’t strive to get everything we need to get our idea across. In the midst of releasing the final cut, when we look back at our original treatment, there is no doubt that the evolution of our ideas from start to finish was drastic; however, is the final product better than we anticipated? It is hard to answer that kind of question without being biased; however, I can tell you what we were aiming for through our perspective. Contrary to most mainstream music videos, we showed a man battling himself on stage, symbolizing his inner battles, his attempt to overcome his intimacy issues. It becomes clear that we are suggesting that opposites attract: a bubbly girl, who isn’t afraid to fall in love, meets an introvert, who is very uncertain about his actions. The video is classic boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl, but shown as a flashback. The boy finally realizes what the girl means to him, but only after she was already gone. The boy in the video never got the girl back; it was all just a faded memory.

Getting a lot done is an understatement. Not only was this my first 24-hour nonstop gig, but the the time we had in pre-production was very limited, due to the time Celia Au and I spent making sure that the project went through. Although there were a lot of stressors, it was a very inspiring project. Fun crew. It is always important to get the right people on board. The percent you’re getting back in production could triple if you work with and are surrounded by people who believe in you. I hope that my team and I have motivated, inspired and touched you. Thank you for reading, and God Bless!

Ryan

DP – BRANDON RIPLEY

I see many music videos on TV and ask myself, “does this really deliver the message that the artist truly envisions for the audience?”  Long Way Home by Maor Sheirf was my first attempt to really make an artists message come to fruition. In society today, no matter what sexual orientation, race, or religion, each and every individual should feel proud and comfortable in their own skin and that’s what this music video is about.  One of the biggest productions set to date, with literally three days of no sleep. Our first day we arrived at the hotel, the view of Manhattan was incredible. We were lucky enough to get the same hotel that Fat Joe and many other high profile artists had booked.  Operated on a glide cam shooting with our generations Bolex, the 5D MarkII, accompanying that with my good old Nikon AIS primes. Despite balancing daylight colors and exposure the roof top shots were breath taking. As with every film shoot after the first day, things ran smoothly and on point.  The crew was solid but that was to be expected since we had many of the same crew members from previous jobs. 

Ryan