|
|
|
|
||
.jpg) |
||||
|
ON THE
SET REPORT: VINDICATION
In the tri-state area, there are many groups of filmmakers who band together and work on each other’s projects, always helping each other out. Over the past ten years, Bart Mastronardi, a talented cinematographer and high school English teacher, has used his film studies class to form with a group and make films. In the same period of time, Alan Rowe Kelly has branded his own legion of moviemakers to work on creating thoughtful and provocative independent films. Bart teamed up with Alan on THE BLOOD SHED, where he served as cinematographer. Now it’s Bart’s turn to show he is a filmmaker to look out for with his first feature film VINDICATION. VINDICATION is the story of Nicholas (Keith Fraser), a troubled teen whose mother died delivering him. After a suicide attempt, he is revived but finds that something, or someone, has come back with him in the form of a brutal murderer… or so he thinks. This is a twisted psychological horror that relies on visual scares and some truly surreal moments from what I witnessed on set. There were two scenes being filmed today, one being the “birth sequence” which is being witnessed by Nicholas after his suicide attempt and near death. Playing his parents are Kelly veterans Zoe Daelman Chlanda and Jerry Murdock. This is the second time I’ve seen Zoe on set and so far she’s been bound, gagged, stabbed, tortured, screaming, in pain, blood poured on her, traumatized, and humiliated. Jerry has been hung, tortured, had one testicle crushed, the other ripped apart, and forced to marry a 45 year old man who thinks he’s an 11 year old girl (I’ll explain later). These two come back for more, and who’s delivering the chaos on them? Alan of course, it’s only fitting. Shooting at a school has many advantages, and Bart managed to make it look like a creepy hospital, complete with trippy red and green lighting, plastic tarps out of Home Depot, and a set up for a truly bizarre delivery. A dying and bloody Nicholas, his wrist deeply slashed from his suicide attempt, views Zoe, playing Cassandra, give a bloody, nasty birth to him. Bart has a role in this birth sequence stealing the child after Cassandra spills her blood all over him. FANGORIA magazine’s Michael Gingold stopped by to film a cameo role as an orderly during the birth sequence, as well as covering the shoot for the magazine. Gingold also has a role in THE BLOOD SHED as an investigative reporter and has worked with Light & Dark Productions on their films. Gingold is always one to have fun on set and truly enjoys the independent spirit in films. The entire cast and crew all looked like they were having a great time, as did myself, who shared a few stories throughout the day. The climax of the first day was what Bart referred to as “The Betsy Palmer scene,” where the majority of the cast were trapped behind a clear tarp and were instructed by Bart to just go completely crazy as he is wheeled by in a hospital gurney filming the scene with his Panasonic DVX100 camera. The mood is quickly lightened and the long day is complete, as Bart is satisfied with the day. The next day was a shorter day and a bloodless one as a skeleton crew of three (Bart, Stolis Hadjicharalambous, and Dominick Sivilli) filmed a scene involving Nicholas in art class who has a conversation with his friend Michel (Miguel Lopez) about the significance of finding your true color. Michel has found his and explains to Nicholas why it’s so. It’s a scene in the beginning of the film to establish the characters and done effectively well. The scene was wrapped in four hours. In my two days on the set of VINDICATION, Bart Mastronardi has proven that you can make the most out of what you have, and as long as you know what you want and have a great cast and crew supporting you, anything is possible. A special thanks to Bart for inviting me onto the set and for Alan for informing me about the shoot. VINDICATION is due to be completed in November 2007. STAY TUNED FOR EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS OF MY SET VISIT, INCLUDING INTERVIEWS WITH CAST AND CREW PHOTO GALLERY
|
|
|||
.jpg)
.jpg)
