Filming Godfrey Reggio's New Feature on RED!

[Tom Lowe]

Me shooting on the swamps of the Atchafalaya basin, one of the most beautiful and primordial places in the United States.

DP Graham Berry with his Red MX on a prototype Kessler slider designed for Red and Epic (missing its Mitchell adapter, which was in my garage in Palm Springs).

My kick-ass assistant Dustin Kukuk and our guide Bernard Blanchard.

Godfrey and Philip Glass came out to the swamp with us for a day. Philip likes to experience Godfrey's actual locations before composing music for Godfrey's films.

______________________________

About a month ago, I got an offer I could not refuse... an opportunity to shoot 2nd unit plus all the timelapse for the first leg of Godfrey Reggio's new feature film. I took a month off from filming "TimeScapes", packed all my stuff, and drove to New Orleans.

What an amazing experience this has been!!!!!!!!!! I have learned more in one month with Godfrey than I could have in two years of film school. This is an education you cannot buy. Of course, without Godfrey's legendary, groundbreaking 1982 film KOYAANISQATSI, I would not even be making a movie like TIMESCAPES, nor would Ron Fricke have ever made BARAKA. Godfrey is the godfather of modern-day non-narrative and timelapse filmmaking.

Godfrey is, to me, the most epic person I have ever met. I've met a few politicians and celebrities and artists, but no one can compare to Godfrey. He is incredibly kind and thoughtful. I have dozens of voicemails on my iPhone of Godfrey wishing me well, telling me that he is keeping me in mind, giving me words of encouragement.... never asking "did you get the footage?"

When it comes to filmmaking, Godfrey approaches his films from a very lofty, cerebral angle, physically detaching himself from the actual craft of capturing the image (he stays behind his monitor), while encouraging the camera team to see the world as he sees it. And he loves it when you are able to surprise him with something he hadn't thought of! Godfrey always says, "I am like a blind man, Tom, and you are my eyes."

I could go on for pages about this experience. I still cannot believe that this even happened. I am eternally grateful to Godfrey for this opportunity. And I can't wait to spend time with him again!

The Red cameras have been a dream come true for Godfrey. We watched the footage every night on a big screen, and he was thoroughly impressed. We all were. Just tonight as I was packing my truck, Godfrey said, "God I love that camera." He was talking about Red!

I also want to say thank you to Greg, Dave and Jonathan at DigitalFX in Baton Rouge. They provided all the Red cameras, gear and support. Greg rolled out the red carpet and gave us treatment fit for royalty, bending over backwards to help us with even the smallest request. Thanks, DigitalFX!

 

[D Fuller]

You lucky bastard!
Godfrey' wonderful, but I'd give a lot to meet Philip Glass.
Truly, Tom, you have earned this. Good for you.
But you're still a lucky bastard.
:cheers2:

 

[Matthew Bennett]

Wow what a cool story, you deserve to be hanging out with guys like this Tom! Nice!

 

[Greg M]

Thanks for the kind words Tom. I would like to also add a big thanks to Jim and the entire team at Red and especially Jarred for creating this forum and the great community of Red users.

Quite frankly if it wasn't for Reduser, Tom wouldn't be working on this gig. Several months ago when Godfrey's team first called us and booked our gear, he asked if we could assist with "some" time-lapse shots on our Red. I told him I knew a guy that was creating some of the most spectacular work I'd ever seen with a Red and 5d and that I would highly recommend that they consider bringing him in.

Now, I had never meet Tom...but thanks to Jarred and the community he created I felt like Tom was a friend. It's amazing how the Internet has made the world so small.

Congrats Tom, I can't wait to see your work in the film.

 

[Brad Webb]

I wish you were filming Godfrey. I would love to see how he works. Amazing Tom.

 

[Andrew Walker]

So badass Tom. Glad to see your living the dream even more so than you were before.

 

[Jason Diamond]

Congrats Tom, Can't wait to see what kind of magic you pulled out of those swamps...

 

[Mark Phelan]

Wow Tom, congratulations. Cannot wait to see what you all have crafted, especially the IR footage!

 

[Robert Frank]

Freakin' outstanding Tom!

 

[Kemalettin Sert]

Thanks Tom great reading

 

[Mark Allen]

That's a really great story. It's so rare it feels like when the right guy gets the job, but in this case so much made sense. Well done.

 

[Rob Delafonte]

The first question that came to mind was, "how do I get dustin's job?"

I feel a lot of people could learn just as much from you, as you did from Reggio.

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Great news Tom!!!

Also wish Godfrey with your RED expertise and assistance to make a beautiful movie.

 

[Richard G]

you're an inspiration tom. pave a concrete path for the rest of us to walk on. thanks.

 

[Ian MacLean]

I'm super-stoked that I now have TWO movies I'm really looking forward to. Does Godfrey have a release title yet?

 

[C.H.Haskell]

Tom, congratulations on such a magical opportunity...this is amazing. You may find yourself very luck but the pendulum swings both ways and Godfrey is lucky to have you as his eyes. Fantastic journeys to you friend...cant wait to see this film from the godfather and godson of time lapse!

 

[Richard Foster]

Tom, congratulations. You certainly deserve it. Your work has also been groundbreaking and an inspiration to us.

 

[Tim Lüdin]

Great read Tom. Gave me goosebumps.
It's fun to see how our REDs changed our lives in the last 3 years.
We always talk the tech stuff on our forum but for a lot of people their whole career have changed because we were the early adaptors of RED.

Of course you need a lot of talent and guts to make it and Tom has both.
But a lot of the time you have to be at the right spot at the right time.
For us all it was the early RED spot in the chain.

So Tom's story is a great example of how things can turn out, if you believe in yourself, take some risks and never look back.

The best thing is, you all haven't seen nothing yet, he just buckled up.
The journey has just begun.:thumbsup:

All the best man.
Tim

 

[Tom Lowe]

The best thing is, you all haven't seen nothing yet, he just buckled up.
The journey has just begun.:thumbsup:

Thanks for those kind words, Tim. I'm a little shy to admit that 9 months ago I had never even held a real movie camera. :blushing:

 

[Harry Clark]

Well done Tom...
I am INSANELY jealous. But congratulations anyway!
Cheers,
Harry