behind the scenes
2.39 : 1
Alexa Mini
Atlas Lens Co.
Orion Anamorphic Silver Edition
30mm. 40mm, 50mm,
65mm, 80mm,100mm
ARRI Ultra Prime 12mm
Laowa 24mm 2X Macro Probe


The Story
The film tells the story of a weary bachelor who lives in a small trailer, grows his belly, and collects cryptocurrencies. However, everything changes when two vampires arrive at the protagonist’s Fatso place, wanting to induct him into the “touched by immortality" world.
The question is whether it's worth accepting a gift called immortality, if you've already wasted your life.
Is it worth it if you've already spent most of your life as you shouldn’t? The plot unfolds in a small town where a vampire gathering takes place in an old hay barn.

Camera movement
For few scenes we had carefully choreographed, dynamic camera movement shots in mind, so Sachtler Artemis CineHD Pro Steadicam + Sachtler Artemis Act arm and AERO 30 Stabilizer system A-HDAB30 Steadicam + Betz-Tools Wave1 system was introduced to the set. Use of the Steadicam heighten tension and helped to capture the intensity of these scenes effectively.

Mis-en-scene
By drawing a mise-en-scène plan, me and the director visually mapped out how each scene will look in terms of composition, blocking and placement of elements (actors, props, set pieces) within the frame. This helped in understanding the spatial relationships between different elements in the scene.


A detailed plan allows the key crew members to communicate effectively and collaborate on the visual design of the scene. It ensures everyone is on the same page. Having such a plan boosted efficiency in production by identifying potential issues or challenges that may arise during filming.


Lens Choice
Lens testing for any film is a crucial step in pre-production that directly impacts the film's visual storytelling. Concluding the lens tests we chose Atlas Lens Co. Orion Series limited Silver Edition (SE) run of six Orion Series focal lengths. The special reserve optics of the Orion SE (only 100 sets available) offer a distinctly different aesthetic and visual performance, bringing a fresh take on classic anamorphic characteristics.

The coatings on every element cause the lenses to flare more and quite uniquely. They have a kind of a vintage bend to the flare quality. When you hit the lens with a neutral light source it takes on a really clean, almost no coloration silver flare and then if you start to add some coloration to your light that flare leans toward that color beautifully.

Controlling lens flares requires technical expertise in lighting and set design. Close collaboration with the gaffer and production designer ensured that flares were executed effectively and purposefully, without overshadowing other visual elements or detracting from the overall cinematic experience.

Anamorphic lenses have longer minimum focus distances compared to spherical lenses. This means you may need more physical distance between the camera and the subject to achieve proper focus in close-up shots. Using diopters for close focus with anamorphic lenses is a practical and creative technique that expands the capabilities of anamorphic cinematography. We used diopters Schneider Close-Up Set +1/2,+1,+2.

Filters
These Atlas Lens Co. Orion Series limited Silver Edition (SE) anamorphic lenses already have a unique optical signature and character and adding filters might alter this in undesirable ways. So i did not filter. For selected scenes we physically added pieces of glass on a string in front of the camera lens, so introducing unique blurring effects, distortions, and lens flares. This technique created dreamy, ethereal visuals that added an artistic and poetic quality to the image.

Format
Recording format was ARRIRAW 3.4K (3424x2202) 2:39:1 Ana. (OG) and ProRes 444 XQ 2K (2048x858) 2:39:1 Ana. when shooting slow motion. The film was shot at 24fps.

Light INT/EXT
Matching lighting sources for trailer scenes which were filmed in different interior and exterior locations and on different days were challenging. But planning and using artificial and natural lighting strategically, maintaining continuity through careful documentation and practicing effective coordination among the production team we created seamless visual transitions.

Having a clear lightning plan for each scene helps maintain consistency in visual style and continuity throughout the film or production.
We used:
Arri HMI M40/25 Set 4kW
a pair of ARRI M18 HMI
Lightstar Luxed-12 and Luxed-9 Bi-Color LED fixture
SkyPanel S60-C, SkyPanel S30-C
Litepanels Gemini 2×1
Aputure LS 600C PRO
few DMG Lumiere SL1 MIX LED panels
ASTERA TITAN TUBE set
ASTERA NYX BULBS set
ASTERA HydraPanel
ASTERA AX3 Lightdrop
APUTURE MC TRAVELKIT
Aladdin BI-FLEX M7 + Flyball 1
Kino Flo Freestyle 31
ETC Source Four 750W
12' x 12' FOLDAWAY FRAME
FRAME 8' x 8' BUTTERFLY
LIHGTBRIDGE CRLS C-50
Gobos, floppys, reflectors, 4x4 frames and nets.

Nets and Gobos were used to soften harsh shadows created by light sources. A net is a fine mesh material that can be placed between the light source and the subject to diffuse the light, resulting in softer, more flattering shadows.

We used variations of practicals both in exteriors and interiors as they are essential for enhancing realism, creating atmosphere, and contributing to the visual and narrative aspects of a film.


The decision to use a haze machine was driven by the our vision, aiming to evoke specific emotions and enhance the overall storytelling and mood of the film.
Using a haze machine in film production serves several key purposes for selected scenes. Primarily, haze adds atmosphere and mood by softening light and enhancing depth. It highlights light beams, creating dramatic effects and making light sources more visually striking. Furthermore, it adds texture and depth to backgrounds, separating foreground elements and providing a sense of scale. Haze can enhance visual details like dust, adding realism and atmosphere to scenes.

Behind the scenes pictures were captured by: @andrejs_strokins

Principal Photography for this film was 15 days.
