We had a fun day shooting in the water of the sound this past Friday, and our photographer, Tyler Capps, was kind enough to send me photographic evidence of the adventure! 

(Nate and 1st AC, Eric Clark, adjust camera settings for the next take.)

(Chris Fortner)

(The Art team: Chris and Julie Hotz)

(Randy Dzielak, Sound)

The day began with a trek from the parking lot to the location, where we walked along the beach…until we ran out of beach and had to walk in the water until we found some beach again.  However, we came prepared with wet suits and under-water gear for our RED camera. 

(Apparently, wet suits are difficult to put on…)

(Nate with a water-proofed RED camera.  Is that a sea monster I see behind him?!)

The scene we were shooting is a pretty big one from the movie, where the character, Adrian (played by Aaron Kuban) gets pulled into the water by “something.”  We used wet suits because our camera team, Aaron, and the ”something” were in the water for several hours, and even though it was one of the nicest days we have had with the weather, the water could still chill the guys and limit their work ability if they hadn’t suited up.   The benefit of being in the water, though, is that we ended up with some really cool shots from a sea creature’s point of view (POV) using some camera tricks, like shaking the camera or letting it float on top of the water.

(Nate and Eric C. with the camera, and Aaron fighting with the sea monster.)

We were fortunate to have Ben’s brother, Tristan, on set that day to help us with the “something” in the water.  He’s a marine biologist, so he knows about these thigns.  (Clue: It was very handy to have a strong, strapping man to help with anything that needed pulling…Thank you, Tristan!) 

Today, we have been attempting to put up the crashed space ship, but we have been at the mercy of Mother Nature.  The problem is that the ship can’t get wet, and it’s quite tall, so wind could damage it, too, but the weather can’t decide what it wants to do today or this week, for that matter.  It’s pretty funny, actually.  Almost every person who has ever lived at or been to this area in October has said that it’s the best time of the year to be here.  For years, the Farmer’s Almanac has said that the weather in October should be dry and in the mid 70s.  Well, it has rained almost EVERY SINGLE DAY we’ve been here!  And if it’s not raining, then it is usually cloudy and windy.  Ah, well…C’est la vie.  It puts a damper on the mood sometimes, but we’re pushing through til week 4 and the end of production!

Photos by Tyler Capps

Thanks to our resident pyro and art assistant, Chris Fortner, we were able to have a blazing campfire on set for most of last week.  This was very helpful being that fire plays a very important role in the film. 

(1st Assistant Art, Chris Fortner)

(Jake, attempting to make fire.)

I can’t say much more than that for fear that I’d give away something big, and  I want you all to fully appreciate the fire in the completed project!  But anyway, here’s how the Obsidian Collective makes fire.  (For those of you who are worried about the fact that we were playing with fire…I’m still posting on the blog, aren’t I?!)

Photos by Tyler Capps

Week three has begun, which means it is time for extras!  We rounded up a group of guys from one of the local high schools, and they have been wonderful!  They are all a part of their high school drama program, so they know the drill when it comes to acting and taking direction.  Week three also means that it’s time for our big set pieces; Bob and Jinx drove from Asheville on Saturday in a UD truck and pulling a trailer to move our spaceship wing and slip gate.  We were able to get the slip gate out into the dunes yesterday, no problem (other than a torrential downpour), but today and tomorrow, our crew faces the daunting task of putting up the wing against the coastal winds.  Yikes.  More to come on all of this later.

In the meantime, Spenser (“Kit”) put together a little something for you all.  I like to call it the “Spenser Special.”  Basically, he stole my camera and did whatever he wanted, but he did a great job!  I forsee a few more of these in the days to come…So without further ado, here’s Spense with an insight into what goes on during downtime for the actors on set.

Ever wonder who all those people are whose names roll by during the credits?  It’s pretty incredible how many tasks on set require someone knowledgeable to oversee them as their profession.  Any average, normal, right-minded person (I like to consider myself in this category) would never think about the fact that there needs to be a person on set who’s sole job is to keep track of what scene the crew is on, or someone to make sure there are always charged batteries for the camera.  And think about this: We have a fairly small crew – about 15 people – who have taken on several of these positions that I speak of, which means that their days and their work loads are that many times longer and heavier.  So here’s to our heroic crew!  And now you can put faces with some of the names of the hard-working folks you’ll see scrolling by at the end of “Sol.”  Two weeks down, two weeks to go…!

(Kerran Dunst, Gaffer)

(Mel Soria, Script Supervisor/DIT, and Ben Carland, Director)

(Alex Vieira, 1st Assistant Director)

(Chris Fortner, 1st Art Assistant, and Micah Mordue, Make-Up Artist)

(Me!  With Randy Dzielak, Sound, and Micah)

(Julie Hotz, Art Director)

(Eric Bader, Gaffer)

(Andrew Gorrell, 2nd Assistant Camera)

(Nathan Levine-Heaney, Director of Photography)

(Ben, Micah, Julie, Nate and Andrew, left to right, all work together to make the shot look perfect.)

(Kerran, working with a big ol’ light!)

(Ben and Andrew with the RED camera and part of the cast, Tyler Thomas, Spenser P. and Jake White)

P.S. The sun came back!

Photos by Tyler Capps

It’s Sara, again.  Want to know the difference between an okay movie and a great movie?  Make-up.  No joke.  The visual difference between with makeup and without is like looking at a blockbuster hit and then a home video.  And when you’re using HD digital footage like we are, where the tiniest details are noticed,  smoothing and contouring an actor’s features is key.  The point is not to make the characters look unnatural, but rather to enhance certain aspects and make them look like they belong in their surroundings.  Sometimes this requires the make-up artist to create something that wouldn’t be there under normal circumstances, such as grease and dirt or a bloody wound.  Cue Micah Mordue, our dear make-up artist for “Sol.”  It’s amazing what she can do with just a little eye shadow!

(Micah Mordue makes Aaron (“Adrian”) look sickly for his next scene.

I spent a day on set with my little camera following Micah through her daily routine with the actors.  This also happened to be the day that one of the major make-up effects was created: the intense gash “Adrian” (Aaron) gets when he is attacked by a mysterious creature.  (Yes, I planned this.)  I might ask Micah for a few make-up tips, but I certainly wouldn’t want to have to pull this off every day!

Photos by Tyler Capps

Hello again from the OBX!  Sara, here.  We’ve had an interesting couple of days here at Nags Head.  I think we’ve dealt with every possible form of climate and temperature, and sometimes even multiple in the same day.  Here’s an example: Today, the high was about 55 degrees.  By Wednesday, the high is supposed to be in the 80s.  I had to buy fleece gloves and Hot Hands for everyone!  We’ve also had rain and clouds for almost 6 days, and the wind has hit gusts up to 30mph!  Our poor tents and equipment and faces have just been beaten up by the bone-chilling breeze and flying sand.  Hot chocolate has been a very popular item from craft services.  The good news: We can shoot in the rain and wind!  The sound department has some issues to deal with when it comes to the wind, but our spiffy RED camera hardly picks up rain drops on the screen.  And the cloudy skies really only add to the embiance of the distant planet we are creating.  You’ll see more of what I’m talking about during post-production and editing, but just to give everyone a heads-up…We are planning on changing the color of the sky with the software we will be using, so when you have these rumbling clouds overhead, it really makes the planet look more ominous.  Let me get three cheers for our cast and crew who have stuck it out with us through all of this!  Hip hip, hooray!  Hip hip, hooray!  Hip hip, hooray!  I leave you with more beautiful photos from our own Tyler Capps, documenting the craziness.  Despite all of the difficulties it has presented, Jockey’s Ridge still hasn’t failed to impress.  Take a look!

(Our cast takes a long walk across the dunes after gathering firewood.)

(This campsite has been our home for the past few days.  You’ll see a lot of it in the finished product.)

(There’s no question that our location could be a vast desert or a barren island.)

(Filming in the rain!  Aaron Kuban, “Adrian,” and Julie Hotz, our Artistic Director.)

(Even the director isn’t immune to the wind and rain!  Ben braces himself against a particularly strong gust…What a nice face, he’s making!)

(And this is what we look like after fighting with Mother Nature all day…Thank you, Eric Anderson, Alex Vieira and myself.)

Photos by Tyler Capps

Our first video blog!  Enjoy!

Hello to all our readers!  My name is Sara Huffman, and I’m the producer for “Sol.”  Starting now, I’ll be taking care of the blog for the length of production, and I’ll be joined by some of our cast and crew every now and then to add their experiences, as well.  There has been A LOT going on since we moved to Nags Head on Oct. 8th (which is why this post is so late!), so let me get you all up to date:

Our crew moved to the Outer Banks last Thursday.  Everyone who flew in had arrived a few days before, so we made a nice little caravan of 10 or so cars across the state of North Carolina until we literally could go no further, otherwise we would have driven into the Atlantic.  On Friday, Oct. 9th, we hopped back into those same cars and drove to our primary location at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.  There, we had a meet and greet with the park rangers and the park superindentent, nicknamed Debo.

(Jockey’s Ridge Superintendent, Debo)

The park staff has been so wonderful and patient, always helpful and accomodating, and we are so grateful to them for letting us invade their giant sand box for a month!  Ben then gave the crew a tour of the location to show where each scene would take place.

(The crew)

(Our fearless director, leading the way!)

If you aren’t familiar with the park, like we were, it could be very easy to get lost; every mound of sand looks like another mound of sand 50 yards away!  Needless to say, the tour came in handy.

Our actors arrived on Friday and Saturday, and before we knew it, Day 1 had arrived!  Our first day of shooting was Sunday, Oct. 11th, and we scheduled the first couple of days with scenes that would be easier on both the cast and the crew as we got to know each other, the equipment, and the land we had to work with.  I’m happy to say that we’ve completed every shot that we had sheduled for each day, plus a few more!  I’m a proud producer.  Take a look!

(Director of Photography, Nathan Levine-Heaney, and the camera team prepare to face the elements.)

(Mel Soria, Script Supervisor/DIT, and 1st AD, Alex Vieira)

(Spenser P., “Kit,” leaps into the shot.)

(Ben talks to the cast about the upcoming shot.)

(Sunset at Jockey’s Ridge.)

(“We’re not alone on this island…” Caleb Courtney and Jake White as “Eli” and “Tyl.”)

(Randy Dzielak, the one-man-sound-band!)

(Randy and Dylan Correll)

(Spenser shoots a close-up…very close up!)

(I wonder what they’re running from…)

I have to say that the thing that has required the most work from everyone on set is learning to live with the environment.  Jockey’s Ridge is much bigger than I think we perceived it to be, and so any  kind of break for food or the restroom requires quite a trek.  I think I’ve read about the exercise benefits of running in sand…If that’s the case, we are all going to be in the best shape of our lives by the time November rolls around!  The weather is also extrememly unpredictable; it can go from sunny and very hot to rainy and almost cold in a single day here.  And the wind is always present, cramming sand into every place imagineable.  Our poor camera team has to be very careful with all of their delicate equipment, so they just have to keep cleaning everything out after almost every scene.  (They love compressed air, as you can imagine. )  All of this being said, the footage we have so far is no less than stunning; we have made some adjustments to our daily routine,  and we end up with a location that is doing half of the work for us!  I can’t wait for you all to see it.

I have to run back to set now, I’m afraid.  More to come soon!  I promise it won’t take as long this time!

Photos by Tyler Capps