Wednesday, December 21, 2011

splash - the chase is on

Editing is everything. The "chase after Decker" is one location here--spliced--next to another location in another city--spliced--next to another location. Little clear bandaids of tape with sprocket holes along one side join one segment of shot film with another segment. I checked out a film splicer and clear bandaids from Concordia College. (see how the splicer works)

In the basement of Link Library is the A-V department. This is where I check out the Super 8 camera that I use.

 

 








Saturday morning Paul Duensing (left) joins me on Mr. Daum's roof in downtown Seward. Camera on tripod, the small green pool sits inflated and filled with water, and two sunbathers are stretched out on towels, the scene is ready to shoot. Action! Running away, the automatic telephoto zoom follows Decker, as he runs pass the two sunbathers and falls into the small pool, water splashing on to the roof. Cut! 

Move the camera down one flight to a window that looks down to the brick street. On cue, helpers on the roof dump water from their buckets over the side. The camera catches falling water as it passes by window. Cut!
Move down to street level, set up the camera and tripod. The viewfinder frames the open window of my classmate Mark Middendorf (left) as he drives his car forward. Off camera, someone tosses a bucket of water at his windshield. Action! The camera is rolling. Splash! Cut!

Across the street, the red and white pickup is parked. The shot is arranged, the camera up on a stepladder looks down into the back of the pickup. With cushions hidden under an olive canvas tarp, Paul Duensing stands poised on the edge of the tailgate. Action! Decker leans forward and falls face down onto the tarp. Cut!

The camera on tripod is aimed at the back end of the pickup, where Decker still lays face down. Action!


From behind the pickup bed up springs the white-gloved rabbit (Ron Christie) and his side-kick (Matt Rutledge).

 





The side-kick discovers playing cards in the back of the truck next to Decker's body. This is a visual reminder of the magic surrounding Decker.

In the opening shots of Decker's apartment there are playing cards on a table and a magic book with sleight-of-hand tricks. Near the end of the movie, Decker escapes his tragic death at the city landfill by this magical sleight-of-hand.
Using "silent pantomime" the Rabbit and partner show their delight, climb into the cab, and back the pickup on to the street. Cut!

I plan to record John Phillip Sousa's Stars And Stripes Forever. This will be the music that follows the red and white truck, driven by the rabbit, kidnapping Decker's body all the way out to his burial at the city dump.


Move to another location: the service station. Camera follows the truck off the street to where the truck stops by the gas pumps. A closeup shot through the windshield, and the rabbit makes hand gestures with his white gloves, suggesting the windshield be washed. We learn soon that the gas attendant (Roger Glawatz) is an agent. Camera captures his reaction to the body in the back of the truck. 
A closeup shot has him pulling a silver gizmo from his shirt pocket. A purple spotted button is fastened to his shirt. He is DEFINITELY a secret agent. With another camera angle he bends down and attaches one the hub of the back tire. Another shot shows him securing one to the back tailgate.
The silver gizmos, no doubt homing devices, are in real-life plastic "chrome parts" from a car model kit (see right, and above). A hidden curl of tape makes the devices stick to the vehicle. They look so cool. Just like the devices I have seen on the "Mission Impossible" TV show.





Editing connects the agents at the mall scene, with the agents running after Decker at the Music building, up the flight of stairs, out to the roof to fire their guns, to Decker running across the roof, falling into the pool, watching the water fall past the window, to water splashing against the windshield, to Decker landing face down in the back of the red and white pickup truck across the street. BAM. DONE. And it is believable too. I love directing this movie. I love looking through the viewfinder. The story is coming to life. I am getting some of the film back from the developer. The wait is worth it. The film projector is checked out from the library. More editing awaits me. This is so great.

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