Post-Production

As I prepare (and look forward to) switching hats from Camera Beth to Sound Beth, lemme fill you in on the details.

Going to film school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I just wanted to work in movies and I was good with electronics. My youthful adventures with the family camcorder and me constantly carrying around my tape recorder never came to my attention as fore-shadowings for potential movie-related careers.

I knew I wanted something technical, and when my first film teacher in my first film class called us all (earmuffs Lauren) "fucking idiots" for wanting to be writers and directors, I took offense because neither profession had entered my decision making process when applying for film school. (My comments and experiences as a cinema prod major is a whole different blog).

But I didn't quite know what. I just started playing with whatever was around. At first, it was taking all the camera training sessions available. Then I found myself in an unusal extraciricular: radio.

The DJ I trained with (Jake Kuebler, currently on air in San Fran), was head of on-air production for the station. He was awesome and super nice to me, so I kinda followed him into it and joined the production team.

Now, I had never heard of Pro-Tools. Never thought of sound design. This was New World 101 and it was a pain in the ass. I struggled as I tried to learn the simple little digital editing program and little board in the basic audio lab. But, after many hours and Jake's support, I started to pick it up.

Well, like an idiot, I thought I was qualified enough, so the next year I applied to take Jake's place as Production Director.

And I got it.

So I spent the next year of school slowing, but surely teaching myself advanced pro-tools and whatnot. I became a pro of patching, cutting, and had so much fun putting my own voice in EVERYTHING, but disguising it enough noone knew.

During this time, I continued my camera interest as well, but I had trouble getting on student crews, so I opted to do production sound instead. I was the master of the boom and DAT player.

By Junior year, I was the local sound editor. Everyone came to me for promos, breakers, cutters, sliders, openers, you name it. Nearly everything on the school radio was mine. And then something interesting happened: I found that my school offered a post-sound prod class. I was in right away, one of ten students, and the only girl (of course).

When I came to LA, I got onto a crew as a boom op/prod sound person, but the director never made anything (and now lives in Florida). But through her, I met a local sound designer who let me intern at his studio. That's where I worked on my first feature, "Night of the Living Dead: 3d" which came out in 2005. (Come on, you know you all saw it).

This feature got me onto IMDB and while I enjoyed the opportunity, I had to find paying work and left the studio.

While working at Paramount, I found the courage to come back to camera, the department that didn't embrace me in school, but I knew interested me most.

It's funny, people always ask why I don't pursue sound instead of camera, because sound is what I know, and honestly, it's what I'm more experience and currently, better at. Truth is, I like sound, I am good at it. I'm more confident as a sound designer, but hours spent in those sound-dampened studios, hours flying by, no concept of days or time, listening to the same scene/dialogue/line/word/syllable over and over and over again, gives me a headache. I love it, but only in small doses. A career in it isn't for me.

So yes, I'm a Sound Designer.. always will be. But now I'm a DP too and I can live with being both.

Memories Make Good Improv

So now that the actual filming process is over, everything feels more disconnected. At least it is, excuse me, it was like that, for me, up until a couple days ago. I walk in to one of my conservatory[theatre study] classes and notice that everyone is sitting in a circle, definately not our usual way of starting the class. But then again, I had been absent for 3 days, things could have changed. So I walk towards the circle and plop down next to my good friend Collin. He smiles at me mischeviously and that's when I realize, this isn't going to be a normal class day.
I then notice a corner of young adults convcersing quietly in one corner of the room. I proceed to ask Collin who they are but shut my trap when they turn to adress us. They go on and on saying how they are part of a national performing improv group and are doing a 4-class workshop with us.
Ahhhh...improv, that's why Collin smiled so devilishly. He's in on the secret you see. He knows I love to watch improv, the key word being, 'watch'. Doing it however, is a completely different subject. I sighed and got up to work on the coming assignment. One of the coachs starts eplaining the assignment, he tells us, 'you are going to think of a story, one of not much importance. And then, you are going to fabricate some details, just to add some comedy, and then at the end of the four days, you will perform'. Okay, I could deal with that.
I started thinking back to summer, since nothing from the school year had caught my attention. And I thought back to right before the filming process. When we were all ready to go, all there, and all of us had met each other, except Pearce. But I digress, he did already know some of the cast members from previous workings. However, I did not have the pleasure of his aquaintance yet. And it just so happens that Pearce had a little trouble getting to us, being in Canada after all, with all pieces in tact; luggage, etc...All I could think of was, stupid airport. And so I decided then and there, that this would be my group's improv piece. I was lucky enough to get a lot of the good improv-ers in my group +Collin[he's good too]. I told them the story and togehter we fabricated some details to Pearce's journey home to us. All from drunk men in the security line to angry british people complaining, and finally coming to the film...at exactly the wrong time[will go into detail at a later date]. I don't know how this idea popped into my head really, it was just a random story I remembered, but I must thank Pearce. As of right now the scene is going really well.
And so, after my long babble of a blog, my little thought is out. Just thought I'd share the little story. I'll be sure to give an update on how the performance goes, cross you fingers, maybe I can get it taped. Alright, well I'm off for the night, I've got a seven and a half hour rehearsal tomorrow and there isnt time for sleeping there.

And until that later date, signing off.
Lauren

Composer Search

14.27.2
Originally uploaded by L'il_Birdie26

There hasn’t been as much to write about lately as there was while we were in production; what can I say? There’s a lot to say when you’re smashing through people’s walls by accident, dealing with broken air conditioning and twelve page scenes. Everything in post is a different kind of meticulous process. It’s a very good process but one that seems so slow, but that could also be because we shot a movie in eight days...everything seems slow after that.

Christopher and I have been on a mad hunt for a composer for the film. There are a lot of them out there let me tell you that. It has been a blast listening to the different styles and voices that each composer has so far. I can’t wait until we reach a decision and I can add one more piece of the puzzle to End. I am a firm believer that the right score from the right composer will make the film even more dynamic than it could be otherwise.

Post

So I’m keeping my fingers crossed and not saying much but we have been having some semi-good news about things surrounding the film. I have a goal in mind for a completion date that no one has panicked about so far, but to not jinx anyone I am not saying what that is. Those of us involved in post know it, those not involved in post don’t need to know.

My next big hurdle is getting someone locked in for music, because I really do think that End would benefit from a score. I truly do. The movie needs it.

I believe in the talent and determination of both Beth and Bill to get things through, and I think End will be fabulous because of it.

2005

In 2005 I took a position as a studio page at Paramount Pictures. This job was amazing and life changing for me. For the first time I was completely immersed in film culture, I was seeing backstage of TV shows and movies, and I was meeting great people. About five months after I started at Paramount a new class of pages was brought in and among those new pages were Caryn Hayes and Beth Wallan.

What I have come to realize after spending a few years working around the peripherals of Hollywood is that I am one of the few, genuine native southern Californian’s who is trying to get into the entertainment industry. More often than not people from far outside California flock to Hollywood as it is still the stuff of dreams and movie stars. Beth & Caryn didn’t come to California to chase celebrities, but rather because each one had high aspirations to conquer the film and television worlds; Caryn wants to be the powerful TV writer, producer and show runner, and Beth wants to make her mark as a formidable DP.

I don’t think that Caryn, Beth & I knew we were going to want to work together to pursue our career goals when we first met; the only other creative partner I’ve ever had is Christopher and that partnership is vastly different than my partnership with Beth & Caryn. However, since 2005 the three of us have always jumped at a chance to help the other with projects or de-stress at a round of laser tag. My current creative life would be a heck of a lot harder if I had never met Caryn and Beth; I am very thankful that they both came to this state and decided to be pages so we could eventually get to where we are now.

In August of 2005 Beth arrived in California from Alaska, and Caryn arrived in California from Louisiana. Typically they each throw a little gathering every year to celebrate the accomplishment of defying convention and picking up and moving to Hollywood to pursue the dream. This year neither Beth or Caryn could have their celebration; they gave up that little tradition to work on End; I hope that they enjoyed having a project to work on as much as they normally enjoy celebrating their arrival to this state.