The electricity to my location has been cut off. What do I do?

H

harmonica44

I had hopefully one last day of shooting in the next couple of days, but the location I have been using for most of the short, has been cut off. The owner has not been paying their bills for quite some time apparently. So I need to redo some shots that I screwed up on, but I need power of course. For at least three lights at a time, and for my battery chargers, so I can charge the batteries to my camera and sound recorder, while the other batteries are in use. The batteries won't last the whole scene shoot of course.

Also, in the house I used the actual ceiling lights to light rooms in the background, such as seeing the light on, in a kitchen or through a bed room doorway. I need to be able to figure out a way to power those lights as well, to match. If I cannot power those ceiling lights in the background to match the previous shots, then I guess I can just rotoscope the background lit footage, from previous shots, into the future footage, where it's not lit. There is also a fight scene on the floor though, where I used mostly the ceiling lights to light it, since it was on the floor, but I don't know if any of my lights from my lighting kit will match the ceiling light, for when I redo shots, to match past shots, continuously.

Thoughts? If you were in this situation, what's the best solution? Could I make arrangements with the power company on such short notice, that I will pay for electricity for just that day, for a movie shoot?
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
You'll have to pedal real hard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=678CGjGjedU

Either that, or pay the bill, or get a really long extension chord, or FIND A NEW LOCATION!!!

Honestly, I can't wait to see this video. I wish somebody were making a documentary out of it, a al "American Movie".
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I guess I could find a new location and reshoot most of it. I could change some of the script so that the main character moved, but there are no scenes to establish that they moved. I would have to write and shoot a new scene for that I guess. My lead actor is moving soon though, and has stuck it living here longer just to get it done.

So I guess what I could do is just call the film finished, even though it has some missing shots. However one of those shots so far was shot from too far away and you can't tell what a character is doing. I'm going to have zoom in at least three quarters. Part of what is happening is out of frame in all the takes. I was acting in the scene and had to get it done, so I wasn't looking through the camera and didn't have time to reshoot since our time was up that day.

Part of what happens is out of frame as well, but at least with the footage zoomed in three quarters, the audience might be able to see close enough to get an idea of what has happened, so it makes sense. Can I zoom in that much without seeing the pixels? My HDTV can play a regular DVD at 360p, without seeing them, so that's a good sign I'm guessing.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Okay. What if I did the things I needed to reshoot somewhere else, and rotoscope the house from the other shots, into it? Sounds like a lot but it might be better than missing shots, and one shot that is zoomed way in. I already have to rotoscope part of another scene anyway.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Do NOT DO IT !!! ( a new location from scratch ) we ( the audience) are not that bright, we are forgiving...OK shoot more footage that you need.

Remember we will not notice that you are in a new setting if you use your brain and shoot accordingly. You have sound, tight framing, color correction, etc. The relationship of one actor to the next to keep us mouth breathers comfortable knowing that everything is OK in your little universe .......can you do it ??? only you know if you can or should. You are bright ...Rotoscoping 7 compositing are your friend.... Im saying do not make things too hard on yourself if you do not have to.








.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top