Home Studio

Lately my multi-talented husband's been doing some drawing work (animation, logo design) and yesterday he had an on-camera job. No, he's not launching an acting career. John's arm and hand were filmed at high speed while he drew, to be pixilated in a web video for a new website.

For one day, John's home office became both animation studio and filming location. This would have been claustrophobic for a big crew, but there was enough room for both set and crew because the cinematographer, lighting designer and post-production supervisor are all one person named Denny Kukahiko.

I took this shot of John and Denny before they started shooting. You can see the camera suspended above the drawing table. The lamps are called China Balls. I know they resemble what my parents had in their dining room when I was in high school but these are slightly different and they give a sugary, diffuse light.

There wasn't quite enough room on the set for producer Kendall Kanoa Hawley, who set up her laptop in the dining room. Kendall, Denny and Denny's brother Chad Kukahiko make up Superfreako Productions (rhymes with Kukahiko, see?). You met them here when I told you about their short film, Carefully Descending. John met them through his participation in the Hollywood film collective, We Make Movies. John's got more projects coming up with WMM, so I'll have more to tell you soon.


Update 1/17/12: Cinematographer Denny Kukahiko posted about the shoot on Superfreako's blog.

Update 1/20/12: Hey! Here's the final product.

We Make Movies, LA

The other night John and I went to a screening at a cool venue in downtown Los Angeles. We saw a feature, a short film and a handful of trailers, all presented by a collective called We Make Movies.

Impressed. Involved. Proud. These were the things I felt while watching--you know, as opposed to This is too loud. I wish those people in the next row would shut up. I have to pee.

Impressed: the feature, Ruby Booby, was made for somewhere around $7,000 and was more engaging than a number of $70 million behemoths I've seen lumbering across the screen. There was some fine acting, too, and if I were a casting director I'd be on the phone trying to book these people right now.

Involved: the short, Carefully Descending, takes you to the heights and depths of love with a story so piercing, sad and beautiful that I'm still hearing the superb music days later, and the casting director in me is still on the phone.

In fact I'd like to manage the careers of all the writers, directors, cinematographers, producers, etc. whose work I saw at the screening. Even the trailers made me want to see the films they teased, which is exactly what trailers are supposed to do.

This We Make Movies group -- watch for them. Unless, of course, you're the kind of person who sits through an indie film thinking, There should be more blood/sex/blood. Where are the explosions? They should be more abusive to the women.

Oh yeah.
Proud: my husband's a member.


Uppity Uppity Update:
There will be a free screening of Ruby Booby Tuesday, October 18th for cast, crew and industry folk (and readers of Pasadena Daily Photo!). The screening will be held at the Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 617-1033. Doors open at 6:30pm, the screening begins at 7:00 and Ruby Booby starts at 7:30.

RSVP to rubyboobythemovie (at) gmail (dot) com to assure yourself a seat.