The snyopsis for the Lab Chat can be found below:

Lighting- Where do I begin?

When the cinematographer arrives on the set, he or she orders the crew to place the lights on certain areas of the set. But which light does the cinematographer positions first? Where exactly in the set does he/she put the lights? What are the steps or procedure that the cinematographer observes when he or she begins lighting? The objective of this session is to discuss the relationship between the director, the production designer and the cinematographer. We will also discuss the difference between motivational lighting and glamour lighting, which basically sets the pace on where the cinematographer begins. A sample scene from a script would be sent to participants prior to the session. We will dissect the scene as cinematographers and the directors and discuss how to approach it cinematographically. There is also a video demonstration that Lights Film School students need to watch prior to the Lab Chat. Please join us for this exciting and very important chat.
DATE: Saturday, Septebmer 4th, 2010
TIME: 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM EST
Led by Mark Meily

Mark Meily is an award-winning filmmaker of 22 years, who’s films have screened in a variety of film festivals all over the world. Two of these feature films, written and directed by Mark, received some great reviews in The New York Times, the Village Voice, LA Times and The NJ Star- Ledger. Mr Meily’s recent film “Baler” was screened at the MoMA last June 11, 2009

Mark has taught filmmaking for over five years now where many of his students have since gone on to become successful filmmakers. He has has also taught screenwriting and directing in both 16mm and 35mm formats. He loves sharing his experience and knowledge to aspiring filmmakers.

In 1989, Mr Meily became a scholar of the French Government. He studied film at the Ecole Superieure d’Etudes Cinematographiques (ESEC) in Paris, France; and also at the Centre Audio-Visuel de Langues Modernes (CAVILAM) in Vichy, France.

I wanted to get involved in as many productions as possible this year to show how flexible I can be and to also refine my skills as a filmmaker. My ultimate goal one day is to become a successful British filmmaker in narrative film. I have a passion for storytelling and clearly evident in most of my work so far. My target is to Direct 3 short films by the end of 2011, which is very ambitious I know!

When did you enroll in Lights Film School and how long has it taken you to work through the course?

I enrolled in the Lights Film School in November 2009 after a long time searching for suitable online film schools. I run a Video Production company in Northern Ireland and leaving that behind to physically attend a film school was not an option for me. This was the perfect choice and one that I do not regret making. It has taken me just over 8 months to complete the course due to other work commitments. The important thing for me was to take my time on the assignments in order for each piece to be a true reflection of what I could do.

What do you feel are the biggest advantages to the Lights Film School program? What has been the biggest highlight of the program for you?

The biggest advantage in following the Lights Films School programme is the fact that there is no deadline for completion. This meant that I could fit the course in and around my work. To have my films positively and constructively reviewed has been a major highlight for me during the program. It is important to get your work out there and into the public domain. It’s a scary process but one which is crucial in order for you to move forward as a filmmaker. Lately, I have witnessed many filmmakers become so defensive about their work once they start receiving constructive criticism. Remember, you are never going to make a film which is adored by everyone.

You recently shot a documentary in Africa. How did you get that job?

The Africa documentary came about through a friend that I knew in the Television Industry. He needed a camera operator with experience in the field and I was his natural port of call. I used to work as a freelance camera operator and editor for his Television Company in Belfast. He was and still is a great mentor to me.

What were some of the biggest technical difficulties shooting within Sudan?

The biggest technical difficulty for me in Sudan was exposure control. We were filming in such extreme colourful, bright and contrasting environments. I have always been trained to shoot video manually and I had to be quick to adjust the Iris control on the camera. Although, technically difficult at first, I soon became confident and I returned to the UK a much more skilled camera operator.

Is video activism something you’d be interested in exploring in the future?

I always like to keep my options open and if it is the right story to tell then I would commit myself to the project.

You’ve recently shot a music video on the Canon 5D Mark II. Can you tell us a bit about that experience? How long did it take you to plan / shoot / edit?

It was about 2 years ago when I was sat in my office drooling over 35mm adapters for my main camera. I was also contemplating applying for a loan to buy the gear when my good friend, Rick Trainor from Red Sky Photography brought his new DSLR camera round to show me. It was the Canon 5D Mark II and I had no knowledge of what the camera could do. Rick showed me a video that Vincent Laforet had done for Canon called ‘Reverie’. I, like many, was totally blown away by the ‘film like’ quality and knew that this was the start of something exciting. I had always wanted to Direct a Music Video and I was contacted by a local rock band who liked my previous short film work. They had a rough storyline but I took the idea away and wrote up the ‘Face The Future’ script over a weekend. In my initial meeting with the band, I produced the script and a list of props that was required. This was a big production but the band was extremely keen to get all the bases covered before shooting began. Most of the scenes were either shot outside in the dark or inside dimly lit rooms. It was then that we started to become more impressed with the Canon 5D Mark II and its low light capabilities. A lot of my friends helped me out on the production and I couldn’t have done it without them. We filmed over 3 days, in the rain for most of the shoot, keeping up motivation in the crew and cast was so important for me as well as Directing the Music Video at the same time. I love editing, just as much as I love Directing and I am very protective during the post production phases of my work. I like to tell a story through colour and I take a lot of time and effort in my colour grading. As a result, the final edit of the Music Video took me about 2 weeks to finish. I know that in the future and on large productions, I’m going to have to sit on the shoulder of the editor which I am happy to do so, I’m just not ready to let it go yet!

You’ve used very high design in the “Good Girl” music video. Was experimenting with elaborate design something you planned or was it the decision of the musicians? Did you need to do a lot of the set design yourself or were the environments “design friendly”?

When the girl band ‘Voodoo’ approached me with an idea that they had for a video, I was keen to take it away and develop the story further. We only had one day to shoot the ‘Good Girl’ Music Video, so pre production had to be squared away. The band had strong connections with the club scene in Belfast so responsibility was given to them in finding potential locations for the shoot. After a location recce, two locations were chosen that were perfect and covered most of the scenes. We did no set design which was an added bonus too!

You’ve incorporated a lot of strong compositions in your music video. Did you storyboard for this video?

Although I have an A Level Qualification in Art and Design, I still find storyboarding a difficult task to undertake as a Director. When writing or reading a script, I can see every scene in my head and know how it is going to be shot, even down to the slightest detail. I am very fortunate to have a Camera Operator and Director of Photography who can transfer my thoughts and produce the results for me on every occasion. We have a strong friendship and partnership which has been crucial during this filmmaking process. I do see the true value of storyboarding and I will be on the hunt soon for a local illustrator to join the production team.

Can you give us a little insight into what your next project will be?

Rick Trainor and I are currently in the middle of an extreme sports shoot based in Northern Ireland. The project is profiling gifted, local extreme sports athletes whose ambitions are an inspiration to young people and sports enthusiasts alike. The main aim of this project is to gain a little exposure for recognising the individual efforts and talents of the few selected athletes whilst providing them with video/photography for future sponsorship and also raising their status in the local community. The disciplines we are covering are: Surfing, Skating, BMX, Downhill MTB, Free Running and Wakeboarding. It has been a challenging project but we are happy with the shots collected so far. We should have the project finished in a few months and will be online via the website and the Lights Film School Blog. Watch this space!

See Marty on Twitter or Facebook

Synopsis: Three lives, three identities, three points of view. Set against the harsh backdrop of inner city London, Fear/Love interweaves the lives of three adolescents as they struggle with who they are, who they want to be and who they are becoming.

Fear/Love from Rob Chiu on Vimeo.

CHINA – Jia Zhang-Ke – Still Life

HONG KONG – Wong Kar Wai – 2046

JAPAN – Akira Kurosawa – Rashomon

SOUTH KOREA – Park Chan Wook – Thirst

TAIWAN – Ang Lee – Lust Caution

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You can read our in depth interview and watch the trailer for the film below.

CAMERA

What camera did you shoot the film on?

We shot the movie using a Sony FX1 in PAL 1080 50i. The intro sequence was shot with two Panasonic FX12 digital cameras in video mode (about DV resolution). I must remember we shot this movie in summer 2007. It was the best camera we could afford back then.

What did you use to edit the film?

We used a cheap quad-core PC with Premiere Pro CS3. HDV Rushes were capture in the Cineform Codec and then 16-9 DV-PAL offline files were created. Edit was done in a 16-9 DV PAL timeline. Project was then imported in After Effects CS3 where the offline files were relinked to the original Cineform HD ones.

What other hardware did you use?

We used a SGPro Rev2 (without flip module) 35mm adapter on the Sony FX1. It allowed us to have a depth of field similar to Vistavision (8perf 35mm, 24×36 gate). We used a set of Sigma lenses in Nikon mount. The main lens was a 24-70 2.8 macro zoom. A 20mm 1.8 prime was also used a lot. The last three shots of the movie were shot using a 70-300mm 4-5.6 zoom lens (at 300mm). We also used a custom build shoulder support with handles from CaVision. This support was intentionally heavy so it would be balanced and give the overall feel and stability of a 35mm film camera.

As a side note, 35mm adapters and now HDSLR’s are very popular for the short depth of field they can provide but beyond this, I enjoy these formats for the lenses they allow to use. Apart of brands and looks, it’s actually the perspective of the lens I’m interested in. For example, on a 24×36 gate (standard gate size for a 35mm SLR film camera), a 70mm is still wide enough to show environment while looking very good on a portrait. 20mm is already very wide without the obvious distortion. To get the same field of view than a 35mm lens on a 1/3 HDV camera like the Sony FX1. I would have to use a 4.5mm lens with all the issues…

No filters were used and not matte box/sun shade either (in order to maximize flares). No follow focus as these SLR lenses (especially the zooms) have very short focus scales. The very play of the follow focus is already too much to be precise. We used the camera on-board LCD screen (flipped with a magnet) and a Manfrotto 516 tripod was used for the last three shots.

What did your lighting kit consist of?

We use practical and natural light for almost all scenes apart of a couple night interiors. We did replace light bulbs in the house by 150 watts ones and used an Ikea lantern for the bathroom scene. In the bedroom and restaurant, we used a small source we built using four 60w long bulbs normally used in kitchens. They provide a very soft and warm light and are very cheap. For night exteriors we sometimes used a white cardboard as a bounce.

VISUALIZATION

Did you plan the flares in your shots near the beginning?

Actually yes. Years ago, I lived in the street where we shot this scene so I knew that the sun sets exactly in the street’s direction. I thought it would be nice to shoot this part straight into the sun. For day scenes, we always planned the schedule in terms of lighting.

Visually, your story is very strong. There are a lot of naturally occurring design elements found in many of your shots (i.e. lines, simplified color palettes etc). Your tango scene in particular is gorgeous. How much storyboarding did you do before you started shooting?

Thank you very much. I didn’t storyboard at all because I knew the locations very well. Living in Brussels, I only used locations I cross nearly everyday. I had easy access to all of these so I went beforehand and checked angles, lighting,… using a still camera. Most of them were chose at the writing stage. I tried to locate places with different light colours and interesting architecture. Brussels usually offers rather warm sodium street lighting and many pre fifties European architecture. I tried to balance these elements by also finding places with colder modern lighting and more generic atmosphere which tend to be more graphic also.

My references were paintings by Edward Hopper and series of polaroids. I wanted the framing to go from very wide and graphic to very close and intimate.

I did shot list the first three days but then decide to improvise the shots on the fly. Working very often as a commercial cinematographer, I tend to quickly find how to make a shot graphic but the real challenge here was to find the right shot, not just a nice one. I had to make compromises sometimes. I wanted to first watch the acting and then find how to translate it best into images.

LOCATION SCOUTING

How long did you spend location scouting?

We spent one week scouting the locations. As we mostly already knew where we would shoot, we also used this scout to already find camera angles, ask for permits (restaurant, bar,…),… It was very straightforward.

I tend to shoot scenes only in places that evoke personal memories. The service station for example is a location I dreamt to use since a while. I actually spent part of the night there long time ago talking with someone.

For me, the choice of locations is very important. It really defines the atmosphere and the staging. It is a character in itself and it’s important to know him well. I think it’s Kubrick who said that casting is 50% of the directing. I agree and would add that 50% of cinematography is the choice of locations.

How did you secure your locations? Did you ever need to “run and gun”?

We only asked for permits when it was truly required (train station, bar, night shop, video rental store and restaurant). The small budget also meant we had to shoot fast as we could only afford a couple of hours in each location. All the train station sequences were shot in 6 hours (3 hours at day, 3 at night) because we couldn’t afford an even more expensive permit.

House interiors were shot at home or at friends places. All the rest was shot “guerrilla”. We know that usually people in Brussels, especially in the neighbourhoods where we shot, are rather easy-going. In the laundry, there were people waiting just outside of every frame. Shooting at 4am, police passed by many times, sometimes just to see how a film shoot happens. They were very friendly and curious. Again, it helped we use locations we had easy access to and kept a very low profile (a crew of four only)

The good aspect of shooting wild is that if the shot is well prepared, many happy accidents can happen: nice background extras, a train entering the frame at the perfect moment,… It adds a lot to the sense of reality.

SOUND

Your film has a great sound mix. How long did you spend on your audio once the film was completed?

During the shoot, we mainly focused on getting clean sound on the dialog. We knew we would leave atmosphere tracks, foley,… to later. During the post-production we met Thibaut Darscotte who quickly became the sound editor. What followed was a long, fun and much needed process that took 6 months to complete.

We started by writing a sound script, followed by three weeks of atmosphere tracks recording. In-depth cleaning was done. A couple of lines needed ADR and extensive foley was added to the whole movie mixing both exterior and sound booth recordings. We had 8 days of mix in a great small studio called Chocolat Noisette. We recently remastered the sound for a DVD release. It also adds a lot to the overall quality.

We really wanted time to experiment and discover the right balance of elements. We wanted it to be immersive and yet keep a kind of documentary approach, trying to make everything very subtle. On this project, I truly discovered how important and creative sound is.

What microphone did you use to capture dialog?

We used a very cheap Azden SGM-X mini jack shotgun microphone. Windjammer was basic foam so we tried to shoot dialog in places where the wind was weak. Boom operator Quentin Aksajef did an excellent job. A lot of work was also put into the voices EQ, this microphone doesn’t sound that good.

DESIGN

Did you design your interiors? Can you tell us about this process?

For the interiors we tried to pick locations that already fitted very well. We mainly cleaned them a bit, remove elements,… We actively searched for interiors with colours, trying to avoid the low-budget white wall syndrome.

Grading was also very important in giving the different scenes a coherent colour scheme. I wanted every scene to feel a bit different, sometimes colder, sometimes warmer or greener,… and still fit in an overall look.

Did you light your interiors?

We mainly used practical light, boosting them by switching light bulbs and sometimes adding a small soft key light. We kept it very simple, didn’t want it to feel over lit compared to the exteriors. It was important to stay coherent.

Did you have someone focusing on hair, wardrobe & styling  or did these design elements just find there way into the film naturally?

We decided to use no make up. Actors took care of their hair during the shoot, pictures were taken as reference. In terms of styling, they are all wearing their own clothes which were chosen during the rehearsals. Everything was pretty locked from the beginning but there were some nice surprises also (for example, Arieh offers to wear scarf which is by coincidence the same colour as Lucie’s dress,…)

WRITING

How long did it take you to write the script for the film?

The subject of the film is a theme that I thought about for a long time. I took notes, read books (Art of Travel by Alain de Botton, Global Soul by Pico Iyer,…) for about a year. The actual writing took about a month. In terms of dialogs, I wrote mainly the content knowing I would have time with the actors to actually shape the form and tone. From the very beginning, I wanted their input.

To be honest, it wasn’t an ambitious project, more of an experiment. I’ve never written a proper fiction script before and mostly directed only short projects like commercials and music videos. I wanted to give a try at something I dreamt of since years and see if I would feel comfortable with the whole process.

Since you were both the Writer and Director, how did you go about checking to make sure your script was ready to shoot?

I presented the script to the team, both cast and crew and asked them for an honest feedback which I     knew they would give. I also knew we would have about 6 weeks where we could discuss the script and change everything if needed. For me the only way to go was to be open to change.

I always invite people to remember that actors are usually the ones on set (with producers) who have read the most scripts in their life. They usually have a great feeling to what’s good and what’s wrong. The job is to create an open atmosphere where everyone can be plain honest. I’ve been on way too many sets where the whole team agrees the script is bad and no one says a word. I didn’t want that on our project.

How much room did you allow for the actors to improvise?

I wanted to use improvisation from the very beginning but wanted it to be controlled. I think it can work well if we all know where we want to go in the scene. It has to be somehow precise in terms of content. The aspect I like most about improvisation is the fact that it pushes the actors to listen to each other carefully and on my side, to stay very focused and alert. We sometimes mixed written dialogs and improvisation. The scene would start written and then evolve freely from a certain point. We sometimes only used the improvisation part in the edit but the written part was needed to “launch” the moment.

I must mention the fact that I was truly lucky to be surrounded by actors who truly enjoy this approach and are really good at it.

BUDGET

What was the budget for the film?

The complete budget was around 10 000 euros. About the same amount was spent afterwards on promotion, DVDs, festivals submissions, travels,…

CASTING

How long did you spend casting?

I didn’t actually do any casting. I met most of the actors on other projects and wrote the script with them in mind. For the few actors I did miss, I simply asked the other actors for recommendations. It worked very well.

Personally I don’t really believe in “normal” castings unless you have a lot of time and are ready to see thousands of actors which is not possible here anyway. I need to truly know the persons I work with and it does take time. I’m constantly looking for actors. I tried to watch shorts, go to see theatre projects, acting schools,… and meet them whenever possible. I feel it’s up to me to go to them.

I’m lucky to have many friends who are actors which truly helps a lot on many aspects. I want to listen to their opinion and feel what usually upsets them on other sets. My goal is to create a space where they too feel at ease. I try my best to understand things from their perspective also.

Did you use union or non-union actors?

In Belgium, there are no acting unions, not even agents (it’s actually illegal over here). Some of the actors were still in acting schools (most of them), some are professionals,… In terms of background, it’s quite a mix.

The performances in the film are great. How many actors did you see before you narrowed it down to your current cast?

Thank you very much. I didn’t see more actors than the current cast. Most were chosen at the writing stage. I knew I could start this project because I knew I had the right people around me. It was truly a team thing.

LESSONS & TAKEAWAYS

What would you not do again for your next feature?

I can’t really answer that question in the sense that every project is different and every project requires a different approach. If I had to answer, I would say I’ll do many things differently because the story asks for it. One thing, I’ll try to keep in mind is to have enough time at every stage.

What scenes do you think are the weakest (from a technical standpoint) and what would you do to ensure you correct these issues for your next film?

I think we all did the best we could on this one. From a technical standpoint, I don’t look back and I know for sure the next one will be better for obvious reasons. We now have more experience, equipment is way better,… The real challenge is artistic.