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"Plane
Face", by Yellow Line Pictures, was created in
24 hours for the Brooklyn Film Race 2008 based on a theme assignment
(free)
and a surprise element (placing a plug into a socket).
"Plane
Face" took home 5 awards in Brooklyn and went on
to win Best Film of the 2008 Film Racing Tour
against the winning films from 17 other cities
across North America.
Film Racing (FR):
Tell us about your team, Yellow Line Pictures.
Adam Brown of Yellow Line Pictures (AB): We’re made up of a group of friends who are mostly from the
Midwest. A majority of us graduated from the
University of Iowa and are now working in some
aspect of the NY film industry. A few of us have
nonfilm jobs, but still find it amusing to dress up
and participate in these film races.
FR:
Break down the production schedule of “Plane Face”.
AB:
10pm-12pm: Group brainstorming session
12am-3am: Write the script, gather props, work out
technical problems
3am-5am: Sleep
5am-7am: Round up stragglers and drive to the
location
7am-10am: Blocking and Rehearsal
10am-3pm: Shoot
3pm-9pm: Edit
9pm-10pm: Hand in the film, drink a celebration beer,
pass the f**k out
FR:
What equipment and hardware/software was used during
the pre-production, production and post-production
of “Plane Face”?
AB:
We used
Celtx to write the script along with our trusty
yellow legal pads. For the production, Plane Face
was shot on the Panasonic HVX-200. Our friend Mike
Fuchs is a steadicam operator so we used his rig to
achieve our one shot. For post, we picked the best
take and used Final Cut for the titles and sound
mix, and Logic for the sound design.
FR:
What was the most difficult part of the process?
AB:
Coming up with the story was the most difficult part
of the process. We had a lot of strong, creatively
independent thinkers brainstorming ideas, so
wielding everybody’s suggestions into a cohesive
narrative was a challenge.
FR:
Any good behind the scenes stories?
AB:
We had two military officers appear on set during a
take. I wasn’t sure if they were there to shut us
down, but I didn’t want to stop the actors since the
take was going well. The officers just stood there
watching and looking really confused, especially
when the dancing lampshade came running past them,
dancing emphatically (the actor couldn’t see that
they were there). Luckily, they shrugged their
shoulders and walked away by the time we finished
that take.
FR:
You had a great location for the film. Where and
what was the location you used?
AB:
Oh yes, the murder shack. Yeah, it was great. We
shot near a US Navy Reserve in Brooklyn out by Floyd
Bennett Field. The building we were in was an
abandoned military or police dormitory of some sort.
We shot in that asbestos heaven for eight hours
without electricity, heat, running water, working
bathrooms or a clean place to sit. Good times.
FR:
It appears that “Plane Face” had only a single shot
for the entire film. Was this something you
were planning before you received the theme? How
many rehearsals and takes before you moved on to
postproduction?
AB:
We came in wanting to do a one-shot for the race,
but we were a little worried we weren’t going to be
able to make it work for the theme/object and story
we came up with until we got to the location. When
we first got to the set, we walked through it about
5 or 6 times with different key crew and cast
members blocking it out before we actually shot. We
ended up shooting ten takes, and I believe we used
the 6th one for the festival. It would have been
nice to get one more take in, but we were running an
hour behind schedule.
FR:
Who are some directors that influence your work?
AB:
I guess it depends on the project. The works of
Bergman, Fellini, and Kubrick have had a big
influence on me. I’m also obsessed with Edgar Wright
and Simon Pegg.
FR:
What were some of your favorite films from this
year’s Brooklyn Film Race?
AB:
I enjoyed
Mashed Potatoes,
Delicate Balance, and
Polarity.
FR:
What advice would you give to someone that wants to
get involved in the New York independent filmmaking
scene?
AB:
Just make friends that enjoy making films and be
willing to help each other on projects.
FR:
Do you have any ongoing or upcoming projects you
would like to share?
AB:
I just finished a spec commercial for the Doritos
Superbowl contest, which was a lot of fun.
Watch it at
http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/#/gallery/video/449/.
It would be great to make a short this winter, too.
FR:
Will you be back to defend your title in 2009?
AB:
I hope so. I think my friends will be well rested by
then.
CREDITS for “Plane Face”
Director: Adam R. Brown
Director of Photography: Spencer Gillis
Original Music: Harlan Muir
Editors: Adam R. Brown, Spencer Gillis
Sound Design: Dave Rife
Story: Josh Adler, Adam R. Brown, Erin Casper, Greg
Eggebeen, Spencer Gillis, Liz Mathews, Jill Myers,
Dave Rife, Bridget Riley, Alina Smirnova
Screenplay: Liz Mathews, Adam R. Brown
Steadicam Operator: Mike Fuchs
On Set Editor: Greg Eggebeen
Art Direction: Erin Casper, Alina Smirnova
Location Scout: Alina Smirnova
On Set Photographer: Bridget Riley, Liz Mathews
Grip: Andy Kromphardt
Craft: Jill Myers
CAST:
Josh Adler – Plan Face
Alina Smirnova – Typist/Shoeshiner
Jill Myers – Umbrella Wrangler/Slap Artist
Erin Casper – Dancing Lampshade
Dave Rife – Kid Gloves
Additional
Production Stills
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