Time has gone by. Just as we got updated our greetings from Latvia it´s time to move on to some up to date news.
Lots of stuff has happened and at the moment most of the crew is working separately on their own trying to do the final tasks considering the upcoming production in Helsinki when we are supposed to film the last scenes left for the film. We are currently going trough with the final locations, props and actors - Just basically checking the details and such to be sure that everything is right and as perfect as we want to but to make it short everything is coming together nicely and on time hopefully.
At the moment the timetable looks like we are filming the final shots within this month so the post production and score composing could start hopefully within month or two. The final schedule about releasing the short film is a little open still, but well inform about that as soon as we get some dates locked down.
We have edited a really really rough cut from all the material we got from the trip, so the composer can already start to work with the score and the whole sound design also cause in our case it´s the same person doing both. Even though it´s just a really rough cut, basically just the shots in order, it just looks damn good. Which of course we hoped for but I think that everyone is still super hyped for seeing eventually the final film all together.
We just went through the making of material from the trip and most likely theres going to be some clips and pics coming soon.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
This blog follows the production of a indie short film "Till death do us part" that is the up and coming production by Silent Paprika Films.
torstai 11. elokuuta 2011
Riga part 3. - the final countdown
On Saturday we slept quite well cause we weren´t in hurry. All the shots took place on or after the sunset, so the day was free for preparation. Thanks for time we had spend there, everything was quite well organized and planned. Although that was the only way that we actually could get the scenes and shots we needed cause there was lots to do and only the evening/night to do it.
The first shot was from a rooftop of a building down to street going in front of on of Rigas old and beautiful churches. Again we couldn´t shut the traffic by any means, so it just went the way that the actors had to go by the regular street flow. The thing that made this shot partly tricky was that the assistant director was acting in it too. Cause our crew was quite a small and we were doing the whole production with as small as budget as possible it was quite something to keep the whole thing together. Luckily the shot succeeded with second take and we carried on with the next one that was the same but from different angle.
The location for the next scene was just around the corner and was somewhat easy and quick to do. There was some hassel with a massage place and some security guard but both of them were harmless after a little chat. This shot was about the leading actor going to get a gun from a pimp. The actual interior scene is going to be shot in Helsinki later on but we wanted the exterior from another city that it wouldn´t look as finnish. We had had some extra lighting in some of our shots, but mainly we have worked with the existing light. This was one of the shots that we used some extra lighting and it might be just the one that needed it most to bring it to another level.
From here on we carried on to shoot the final shots of the Latvian part of filming. It was located in the other side of the city if you´d look at the location we were at. We had only one car to travel with, so part of the crew decided to carry on to our hostel and wait for a call from the director if they´d need more help. The scene was really intense and is one of the main ones in the whole film. First it looked like it´s more or less impossible to make cause most of the camera equipment was at the hostel but after the shot was taken and we checked it out it looked amazing. The whole light, the city at the background the location, weather, everything - it just worked the way that it´s hard to imagine what could be different.
So the first foreing part of the film was now shot. The feeling was unbelievable. Even thought it had been a long an exhausting ten days since we left for the trip, there had been just so many memories, so many good times and of all things the shots and scenes we came to get for were done and looked amazing.
After going back to hostel to drop our equipment we headed for the second karonka so far. The night went on all the way to next morning 10:30 o´clock and apart from couple of misfortuned members that had to go and arrange our camera and sound equipment to the leaving car, the rest of us got a well deserved sleep till 17:00 o´clock in the evening.
We continued to Vilna for a 5 day vacation with part of our crew to celebrate to film and everything we had done and worked for it so far. Even though the first part of shooting the short film was done there was still about one third left to do in Helsinki. Apart from the five day vacation in Vilna the work continued again back in Finland. For some of us it also ment the end of our "summer holiday" and getting back to our day jobs. It had been hell of a ride so far and for more what has happened since later on. Some pictures, video clips and such coming soon also so be in look for those too, so keep on checking the blog now and then.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
The first shot was from a rooftop of a building down to street going in front of on of Rigas old and beautiful churches. Again we couldn´t shut the traffic by any means, so it just went the way that the actors had to go by the regular street flow. The thing that made this shot partly tricky was that the assistant director was acting in it too. Cause our crew was quite a small and we were doing the whole production with as small as budget as possible it was quite something to keep the whole thing together. Luckily the shot succeeded with second take and we carried on with the next one that was the same but from different angle.
The location for the next scene was just around the corner and was somewhat easy and quick to do. There was some hassel with a massage place and some security guard but both of them were harmless after a little chat. This shot was about the leading actor going to get a gun from a pimp. The actual interior scene is going to be shot in Helsinki later on but we wanted the exterior from another city that it wouldn´t look as finnish. We had had some extra lighting in some of our shots, but mainly we have worked with the existing light. This was one of the shots that we used some extra lighting and it might be just the one that needed it most to bring it to another level.
From here on we carried on to shoot the final shots of the Latvian part of filming. It was located in the other side of the city if you´d look at the location we were at. We had only one car to travel with, so part of the crew decided to carry on to our hostel and wait for a call from the director if they´d need more help. The scene was really intense and is one of the main ones in the whole film. First it looked like it´s more or less impossible to make cause most of the camera equipment was at the hostel but after the shot was taken and we checked it out it looked amazing. The whole light, the city at the background the location, weather, everything - it just worked the way that it´s hard to imagine what could be different.
So the first foreing part of the film was now shot. The feeling was unbelievable. Even thought it had been a long an exhausting ten days since we left for the trip, there had been just so many memories, so many good times and of all things the shots and scenes we came to get for were done and looked amazing.
After going back to hostel to drop our equipment we headed for the second karonka so far. The night went on all the way to next morning 10:30 o´clock and apart from couple of misfortuned members that had to go and arrange our camera and sound equipment to the leaving car, the rest of us got a well deserved sleep till 17:00 o´clock in the evening.
We continued to Vilna for a 5 day vacation with part of our crew to celebrate to film and everything we had done and worked for it so far. Even though the first part of shooting the short film was done there was still about one third left to do in Helsinki. Apart from the five day vacation in Vilna the work continued again back in Finland. For some of us it also ment the end of our "summer holiday" and getting back to our day jobs. It had been hell of a ride so far and for more what has happened since later on. Some pictures, video clips and such coming soon also so be in look for those too, so keep on checking the blog now and then.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
Riga part 2. - arriving of the actors and the first few scenes
The day (friday) started of like most of the days spend in Riga. First breakfast and then off for a little walk. Part of our crew had left a little earlier the night before from the bar and had found an alley for us to shoot one of our scens. That was the final location we needed and things started to come together. We had a small planning meeting before the actors arrived to Riga. Just going trough of the shooting schedule and such. We knew that even though we had a bunch of time on our hands for the location scouting etc. that it was going to be quite a busy weekend. We basically had one full day to film all the scenes plus the evening that the actors arrived to town.
At this point our car and part of the necessary equipment were still at the beach. Luckily one of the main actors was quite good with cars also, so he got the gears to work and somehow managed to drive the car to Riga with only one gear to use. The arriving of the actors and the equipment delayed a little bit of what we were hoping for and we were just hoping that they wouldn´t be so exhausted to not to do any scenes that night.
We decided to start of with an easy scene of just crossin one street. Even thought it was just one street crossing and approximately 15 second scene we knew it might take a while cause we didn´t have the possibility to shut down the whole street and direct every single person to walk by the shot not looking to the camera or such. Taking consider that the conditions were what they were we got the scene quite easily apart from a some romantic couples that insisted to get some screen time and some other nosy by passers that were still quite harmless never the less.
At this point we went to grab something quick to eat, cause though everyone was quite hungry we were still motivated and had the energy to go and shoot another shot nearby. In the first days of our visit we happened to find this super cheap and easy mix and match dumpling place that somehow came to be one of our main places to grab some quick snacks for example coming from bars or so. So we ate there and headed for the next location. It was a little bit quieter street so we didn´t have any problems with by passers. We had about 3-4 shots to get from there and even though we had some issues with the dolly track everything went as expected after all.
At this point it was almost 02:00 o´clock and all of us were quite weary from the busy day. The only thing was that we realized that the scenes we shot with the stand in actor the day before didn´t go with the scenes we shot with the real actor cause the guitar that was held by the leading actor wasn´t in the same way. So after a little consideration and cheering the crew we got everyone to go and do the shot needed before a well earned good night sleep. To be honest if we wouldn´t of done it at that time we wouldn´t had the chance to do it at all cause all the equipmet starting from cameras and dollys left with the actors on sunday and we knew already at that point that even adding one more shot for the next day schedule would be just impossible.
So the day was long, but the next one was going to be even longer. Everyone was in need for sleep though this is what we came here for so no one could be more than exited for the up coming events.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
At this point our car and part of the necessary equipment were still at the beach. Luckily one of the main actors was quite good with cars also, so he got the gears to work and somehow managed to drive the car to Riga with only one gear to use. The arriving of the actors and the equipment delayed a little bit of what we were hoping for and we were just hoping that they wouldn´t be so exhausted to not to do any scenes that night.
We decided to start of with an easy scene of just crossin one street. Even thought it was just one street crossing and approximately 15 second scene we knew it might take a while cause we didn´t have the possibility to shut down the whole street and direct every single person to walk by the shot not looking to the camera or such. Taking consider that the conditions were what they were we got the scene quite easily apart from a some romantic couples that insisted to get some screen time and some other nosy by passers that were still quite harmless never the less.
At this point we went to grab something quick to eat, cause though everyone was quite hungry we were still motivated and had the energy to go and shoot another shot nearby. In the first days of our visit we happened to find this super cheap and easy mix and match dumpling place that somehow came to be one of our main places to grab some quick snacks for example coming from bars or so. So we ate there and headed for the next location. It was a little bit quieter street so we didn´t have any problems with by passers. We had about 3-4 shots to get from there and even though we had some issues with the dolly track everything went as expected after all.
At this point it was almost 02:00 o´clock and all of us were quite weary from the busy day. The only thing was that we realized that the scenes we shot with the stand in actor the day before didn´t go with the scenes we shot with the real actor cause the guitar that was held by the leading actor wasn´t in the same way. So after a little consideration and cheering the crew we got everyone to go and do the shot needed before a well earned good night sleep. To be honest if we wouldn´t of done it at that time we wouldn´t had the chance to do it at all cause all the equipmet starting from cameras and dollys left with the actors on sunday and we knew already at that point that even adding one more shot for the next day schedule would be just impossible.
So the day was long, but the next one was going to be even longer. Everyone was in need for sleep though this is what we came here for so no one could be more than exited for the up coming events.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
keskiviikko 10. elokuuta 2011
Riga part 1. - scouting and enjoing
After the exhausting filming episode at the "lovely" beaches of Salacgriva everyone was more than pleased to finally get to shower and to eat food that didn´t have sand in it. First thing we did as we arrived to Riga and checked in to hostel we headed to get some food. I can assure you that a pizza and a cold beer hasn´t tasted that good most probably ever before!
The first day went off quite lazily. We wondered a little in the old town of Riga and headed to have a little picnic at a local park. Everyone was quite tired from the beach and we really hadn´t had a day off since we left for the trip so it was really pleasant to have a day off.
The second day started off by having a little breakfast at the coffee downstairs to our hostel and from there we headed to scout for some locations and also getting some pickup shots. Although the old town of Riga is really idyllic it had changed within the time to be also the center of tourism in Riga. That made the location scouting a little bit harder but we managed to get something done never the less.
The Third day was some what looser than the day before. Because our actors arrived at the end of the week we wanted to have some freetime also. So apart from the casual location scouting we just took it quite easily. The only thing we were looking for again were the locations but for that we always carried a map with us and marked the addresses up.
On the evening and the night between third and fourth day (Wednesday and Thursday) in Riga we decided to film the sunset and sunrise shots. For that we wanted to have as high as location as we could get. We wanted to have a really large shot over the city as the sun went down. Thanks for the good service and all the politeness that the locals had towards our project. We didn´t have any problems at any point while filming in Riga. We had some ideas for the high locating. The best happen to be on the top of one hotel that had a 360 degree view over the city. The timing was perfect for us and to top it off we got a perfect lightning storm also for the shots.
The day was long and even thought we were quite tired from all the scouting, shooting and walking we still decided to get up early and head for the same location that we got the city view to get the sunrise also. We got approximately 3 hour sleep that night and headed off to the location. It was more or less 2km walk there and for our surprise the place was closed and we couldn´t get to the top of the building even thought we checked the opening times earlier. Before arriving to the location we had our first and only incident with the law. We were trying to record some atmosphere sounds on an old monument and supposedly it wasn´t such a good idea to sit there at 04:30 with an suspicious device. After all the policemen were kind to us weren´t too interested in what we were doing so by just moving a little bit away from the statue we were alright to carry on with the recording.
Now back to getting the sunrise shot. Thought it was a bummer we couldn´t get to the location we wanted the sunrise looked astonishing never the less. At the same time we found two of the main locations we were looking for so despite all the lack of sleep and long walks we were happy with the results.
On Thursday we shot couple of shots with stand in actors and scouted for the rest of the locations. It was more or less just preparation for our main shooting days. We went out to eat well and concentrated on relaxing and getting energy for the upcoming missions.
The rest of what happened on the main days of filming in Riga later on. Hopefully withing couple of days.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
The first day went off quite lazily. We wondered a little in the old town of Riga and headed to have a little picnic at a local park. Everyone was quite tired from the beach and we really hadn´t had a day off since we left for the trip so it was really pleasant to have a day off.
The second day started off by having a little breakfast at the coffee downstairs to our hostel and from there we headed to scout for some locations and also getting some pickup shots. Although the old town of Riga is really idyllic it had changed within the time to be also the center of tourism in Riga. That made the location scouting a little bit harder but we managed to get something done never the less.
The Third day was some what looser than the day before. Because our actors arrived at the end of the week we wanted to have some freetime also. So apart from the casual location scouting we just took it quite easily. The only thing we were looking for again were the locations but for that we always carried a map with us and marked the addresses up.
On the evening and the night between third and fourth day (Wednesday and Thursday) in Riga we decided to film the sunset and sunrise shots. For that we wanted to have as high as location as we could get. We wanted to have a really large shot over the city as the sun went down. Thanks for the good service and all the politeness that the locals had towards our project. We didn´t have any problems at any point while filming in Riga. We had some ideas for the high locating. The best happen to be on the top of one hotel that had a 360 degree view over the city. The timing was perfect for us and to top it off we got a perfect lightning storm also for the shots.
The day was long and even thought we were quite tired from all the scouting, shooting and walking we still decided to get up early and head for the same location that we got the city view to get the sunrise also. We got approximately 3 hour sleep that night and headed off to the location. It was more or less 2km walk there and for our surprise the place was closed and we couldn´t get to the top of the building even thought we checked the opening times earlier. Before arriving to the location we had our first and only incident with the law. We were trying to record some atmosphere sounds on an old monument and supposedly it wasn´t such a good idea to sit there at 04:30 with an suspicious device. After all the policemen were kind to us weren´t too interested in what we were doing so by just moving a little bit away from the statue we were alright to carry on with the recording.
Now back to getting the sunrise shot. Thought it was a bummer we couldn´t get to the location we wanted the sunrise looked astonishing never the less. At the same time we found two of the main locations we were looking for so despite all the lack of sleep and long walks we were happy with the results.
On Thursday we shot couple of shots with stand in actors and scouted for the rest of the locations. It was more or less just preparation for our main shooting days. We went out to eat well and concentrated on relaxing and getting energy for the upcoming missions.
The rest of what happened on the main days of filming in Riga later on. Hopefully withing couple of days.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
maanantai 1. elokuuta 2011
Flashbacks and backpacks
Even thought we had quite a loose schedule for our filming trip to the ever beautiful Baltic countries there was just so much happening all the time that it was almost impossible to write down any notes or memories at the time and even more impossible to try to update this blog.
Sorry for the lack of updates, but we´ll promise to get you back on track on what´s going on. Let´s start off by going back to the beach.
Day 3: The day started off as any other day at the beach. The weather was more or less the same it had been before. For our luck we had most of the shots from the beach already filmed and the whole day went basically just by waiting for the sunset. We went to our now traditional shopping trip to the small town of Salacgriva and for our surprise there was still one ticket left for the bus for our actor (Oskari Koivula) to get back to Tallin. After getting the ticket, more water and booze for the "karonka" hopefully happening in the evening we headed back to our camp.
By that time some of us went to scout for new locations to shoot the sunset cause we wanted it to be as epic as possible. Thought the place where our camp was had a view that was really good we wanted to check if there was something even better nearby. We drove about a 1-1.5km away to the next stop near the beach. After a small walk on the beach we realized that it was nice didn´t differ that much from the location our camp was in so we decided to head back to camp. We jumped back to our car and just when we tried to turn back to the road nothing happened. The gears didn´t do anything. It was just loose and the car didn´t move an inch. Everyone got off the car and after a small round of calls and some random people checking the car it was quite clear that this was at least at this point the end of the road with this vehicle. We didn´t know more than that even thought it could be just a minor failure it was for sure that none of us could repair it and there wasn´t anyone to repair the car before next monday. Thanks for the help of some nice locals, we got a lift to our camp with all the stuff we had in the car. (just to make clear how in the middle of nowhere we were the locals tried to call us a taxi but even they couldn´t explain the place we were in)
Thought you might think that this is would be the end of our journey you are wrong. After some thinking and planning we got one of our actors to come pick up the car when he was coming to Riga for the shots we were filming in Riga and we found out that there was a bus stop near our camp that the busses to Riga went by.
The day went by and for the first time it started to look that we might catch the sunset that we were waiting for. We only had the sunset shots left and couple of smaller shots to film so when the sun started to go down and shine its last beams of light to the cloudy Latvian sky we were more than exited that finally we are getting what we came to the beach for. There was more than 7 rains in the horizon but for some weird (and lucky for us) reason the sun set to the only clear part.
After all the waiting in the sand, sleeping in the sand, eating the sand and having sand everywhere you might expect sand to get we had gotten all the shots we came for the beach for and the first "karonka" could start. The night was long and everyone had a good time. Some of us even hiked back to our car to get the final bottle of beer we had left there just to find out that it was the most terrible beer any of us had ever tasted and the evening ended by shutting our bonfire with leftover from that beer.
Day 4: The day started off with Oskari mumbling something outsides the tents. After a while we found out that non of us had put the alarm on and Oskaris bus (yes the one that we got the last ticket and had to go twice to the town to get it) had left about 30min ago. Luckily Oskari is quite a macgyver and doesn´t get too easily upset. We wrote "Tallin 14:00!!!" on a piece of paper and Oskari went off to try to hitchhike about 250km back. In the end of the day we received a message from Oskari that he had gotten to Tallin and to the ferry just 15min before it left. There was also couple of good details to the story but to keep it short all in all went well.
The rest of the crew just chilled for the rest of the day, planned what we would leave to our car and what to take with us to Riga.
Day 5: We had an early wakeup at the beach cause even thought we were there for just 5 days and there were six of us it took quite a while to pack our camp. We had to do one trip to the car to leave our tents and such there cause there were no need for them for the rest of the trip. Everything went on schedule and we were heading off to Riga as planned on an early day bus.
When we arrived to Riga we found out that our hostel was really on spot and the keepers were the most polite we had ever met in an hostel. Thanks again Doma hostel, we really enjoyed the stay!
For the stories what happened in Riga keep checking our blog here and then. Hopefully well get back up to date within this week. At this point we can already say that the filming trip to Latvia and Lithuania was a success after all the adventures, misfortunes, goodtimes and such.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
Sorry for the lack of updates, but we´ll promise to get you back on track on what´s going on. Let´s start off by going back to the beach.
Day 3: The day started off as any other day at the beach. The weather was more or less the same it had been before. For our luck we had most of the shots from the beach already filmed and the whole day went basically just by waiting for the sunset. We went to our now traditional shopping trip to the small town of Salacgriva and for our surprise there was still one ticket left for the bus for our actor (Oskari Koivula) to get back to Tallin. After getting the ticket, more water and booze for the "karonka" hopefully happening in the evening we headed back to our camp.
By that time some of us went to scout for new locations to shoot the sunset cause we wanted it to be as epic as possible. Thought the place where our camp was had a view that was really good we wanted to check if there was something even better nearby. We drove about a 1-1.5km away to the next stop near the beach. After a small walk on the beach we realized that it was nice didn´t differ that much from the location our camp was in so we decided to head back to camp. We jumped back to our car and just when we tried to turn back to the road nothing happened. The gears didn´t do anything. It was just loose and the car didn´t move an inch. Everyone got off the car and after a small round of calls and some random people checking the car it was quite clear that this was at least at this point the end of the road with this vehicle. We didn´t know more than that even thought it could be just a minor failure it was for sure that none of us could repair it and there wasn´t anyone to repair the car before next monday. Thanks for the help of some nice locals, we got a lift to our camp with all the stuff we had in the car. (just to make clear how in the middle of nowhere we were the locals tried to call us a taxi but even they couldn´t explain the place we were in)
Thought you might think that this is would be the end of our journey you are wrong. After some thinking and planning we got one of our actors to come pick up the car when he was coming to Riga for the shots we were filming in Riga and we found out that there was a bus stop near our camp that the busses to Riga went by.
The day went by and for the first time it started to look that we might catch the sunset that we were waiting for. We only had the sunset shots left and couple of smaller shots to film so when the sun started to go down and shine its last beams of light to the cloudy Latvian sky we were more than exited that finally we are getting what we came to the beach for. There was more than 7 rains in the horizon but for some weird (and lucky for us) reason the sun set to the only clear part.
After all the waiting in the sand, sleeping in the sand, eating the sand and having sand everywhere you might expect sand to get we had gotten all the shots we came for the beach for and the first "karonka" could start. The night was long and everyone had a good time. Some of us even hiked back to our car to get the final bottle of beer we had left there just to find out that it was the most terrible beer any of us had ever tasted and the evening ended by shutting our bonfire with leftover from that beer.
Day 4: The day started off with Oskari mumbling something outsides the tents. After a while we found out that non of us had put the alarm on and Oskaris bus (yes the one that we got the last ticket and had to go twice to the town to get it) had left about 30min ago. Luckily Oskari is quite a macgyver and doesn´t get too easily upset. We wrote "Tallin 14:00!!!" on a piece of paper and Oskari went off to try to hitchhike about 250km back. In the end of the day we received a message from Oskari that he had gotten to Tallin and to the ferry just 15min before it left. There was also couple of good details to the story but to keep it short all in all went well.
The rest of the crew just chilled for the rest of the day, planned what we would leave to our car and what to take with us to Riga.
Day 5: We had an early wakeup at the beach cause even thought we were there for just 5 days and there were six of us it took quite a while to pack our camp. We had to do one trip to the car to leave our tents and such there cause there were no need for them for the rest of the trip. Everything went on schedule and we were heading off to Riga as planned on an early day bus.
When we arrived to Riga we found out that our hostel was really on spot and the keepers were the most polite we had ever met in an hostel. Thanks again Doma hostel, we really enjoyed the stay!
For the stories what happened in Riga keep checking our blog here and then. Hopefully well get back up to date within this week. At this point we can already say that the filming trip to Latvia and Lithuania was a success after all the adventures, misfortunes, goodtimes and such.
www.silentpaprikafilms.com
-SPF
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