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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

web series by "Sex & the City" team shot on RED

J

Jendra

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Hi folks,

My new web series, "Puppy Love" is now available online!

Puppy Love is a scripted comedy series about people and their relationships with their dogs. We shot on Build 16 in New York, with OffHollywood as a production partner. The series was produced for L Studio which is a new online entertainment network by Lexus. The first episode, starring Famke Janssen is now online, with new episodes being added each week. Upcoming episodes star Dan Hedaya, Kristen Johnshon and Ally Sheedy, and lots of well known TV actors.

Also on the site is a funny show called Web Therapy with Lisa Kudrow, shot (on Varicam) by Michael Goi, ASC.

Please check out
www.lstudio.com
 
This looks really great Jendra. What were the production days like? Were things rushed at all? It looks like you were really able to take some time with the photography. How did this project come together? I've noticed that a lot of the New York actors are doing small projects like this (Just watched "The Ten" and "Wainy Days"). Thanks for sharing this.
 
mentatDUKE said:
This looks really great Jendra. What were the production days like? Were things rushed at all? It looks like you were really able to take some time with the photography. How did this project come together? I've noticed that a lot of the New York actors are doing small projects like this (Just watched "The Ten" and "Wainy Days"). Thanks for sharing this.
Click to expand...


Thanks!
Each of the 9 episodes were 2 days each, and we stuck to under 12 hour days, because they couldn't afford the overtime. And we were a small production with only 1 truck, an RV for production, and an SUV, so packing took a lot of time out of the day so we really only shot for abut 10 hours. Our crew was tiny, so we were definitely rushed, almost all the time. The key to how good it looks was that the producers were in full support of having it look great. The "look" of the show was to make the women look beautiful, and most of it is in close ups because of the web delivery. So the episodes were all written to be reasonably achievable in 2 days, and things were sometimes re-written, based on locations and making shooting easier. ie, no company moves, (only mini-moves)

So we did about 16 set ups a day instead of the usual TV 20-25. On the feature I did before this, we were doing 35 setups a day, with lighting! (That was insane and doesn't look like we were able to take the care in the photography that we did in this one.) I was a gaffer and electrician on episodic television (including Sex & the City) so I am really fast and good with lighting.

The project started as a sit com and then got picked up by L Studio, then developed for the web. The Show Runner was one of the writers on Sex & the City, and got a lot of the Sex & the City creative team on board. A ton of favors were pulled to get it the top notch look on a very low budget. Because each episode is a self contained short film with only a 1 or 2 day committment, we got alot of great actors. Upcoming episodes have Dan Hedaya, Ally Sheedy, Kristen Johnson, Martha Plimpton, and tons of TV stars you'll recognize. Also the project benefitted the ASPCA so people wanted to contribute. And lots of people are excited about the new frontier of web programming.

The director of "The Ten" and "Wainy Days" is a friend of mine. Another established New York industry veteran with great connections to great actors.
 
Thanks for the great info. :)

It's amazing what you were able to accomplish under such a tight schedule.
 
looks great can you describe your basic lighting setup for the 4 people at the coffee shop(?)

thanks
 
phaz said:
looks great can you describe your basic lighting setup for the 4 people at the coffee shop(?)

thanks
Click to expand...

Hi. I kept it simple since we had only half a day in the restaurant, to get 7 set-ups.


For the Master shot from the back, I set my exposure in camera based on just containing the brightest highlights out the window. I then boosted the interior with 1 1.2K PAR plus an 800 joker bounced into a 4x8 beadboard, behind and to the side of camera.

There were 2 1.2K PARs outside the window backlighting the actors and casting the pattern on the side wall.

The set-up was more or less the same for the 2 shot and close ups of the actors against the window.

For the turnaround: the 2 shot and singles of Famke and JT, we had the 2 outdoor 1.2Ks coming through a 6x6 silk outside the window, somewhat frontal, but a little to the side to keep some shape. I also had a 4x4 diffusion frame (probably Opal) indoors, close to Famke to soften it further. We had a 4x4 Joker bounce for a soft back light on them. The tungsten lighting in the background of the restaurant was existing in the location, and I put a 4x4 Kino behind the bar to light the middle ground as the background actors walked through the space.

And to my surprise, Ted Schilowitz stopped by for an unannounced visit while I was lighting the turnaround.
 
I really like this series. I think the second episode's the funniest so far, but very good all around.

Hah, does this mean that if there is another Sex and the City movie that it'll be shot on RED?
 
Jendra said:
And lots of people are excited about the new frontier of web programming.
Click to expand...

I think they'd be a lot more excited if anyone could figure out how to make any money with it. I don't say that to put it down in any way, but it's just the truth.
 
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