On my last shoot, I planned on filming a lot at the Salmon River, but I missed a turn and ended up finding a pond that I’d never seen before. It ended up being the perfect place to film some nature scenes. There was a grove of pine trees that reminded me of the Where the Wild Things are trailer.
Photos by Greg Blake.
Along with an article in the Hartford Courant’s Sunday iTowns magazine, Hindsight got some local press in the Rivereast Newspaper. Here is the article that appeared in the June 12th issue. While filming graduation at RHAM High School, many people came up to me and said they had seen the article. It felt good to know that people were interested in the film.
(Click to Enlarge)
As an independent student film, HINDSIGHT is up against an ambitious fund raising goal. The project will be shot on 16mm with plans to finish on film. Compared to other films with limited shooting dates, Hindsight will be shot continuously over the course of an entire year, meaning the costs will be stretched out over the entire length of the production. In order to raise funds for the project, I have begun a campaign to build local support.
I recently received press attention in both the local Rivereast paper, and in the Hartford Courant’s Sunday iTowns magazine. The biggest news so far is that the Marlborough Arts Center, a regional non-profit devoted to community arts has agreed to be the fiscal sponsor for my film. As a 501(c)3 organization, they will manage all solicited donations coming in for Hindsight. Any donation that goes through the Arts Center will therefore be tax deductible! For their help in setting up the fiscal sponsorship, I’d like to thank Betty O’Brien, President of the Arts Center, and also Doug Yeager, Vice President. More information on their organization, plus classes and upcoming shows can be found on their website.
I urge you to look around the site and see the stages of production. If you feel compelled to support my film, please donate through the Arts Center. Instructions on how to donate can be found on the Support page.
Friday’s trip down to Marlborough was the same as usual - driving in the pouring rain. But once we got into town, the gray skies parted a bit and we were offered some good filming conditions. Shooting the RHAM High School, Class of ‘09 graduation was the main reason for being in Connecticut on Friday. There was a chance it was going to be rained out, but the weather held through until the evening.
Crew for the shoot: Jackson as Camera #2, Spencer as 1st AC, and Greg as Photographer. I was on the SR1 with a 240mm zoom lens while Jackson was using the Bolex to get some wide coverage. To cover the event, we drew out a little map and planned to keep shifting angles. My goal was to get the ending silly-string, air-horn celebration and I think we were successful.
The sunset over Hebron was really pretty, so we decided to head over to Buck Road to shoot a bit at a field that I used to visit a lot while I was in high school. The field looks west and sometimes you can see Hartford. I shot the sunset with the remaining film I had left, and then we all packed up the car and drove back to Boston.
I’ve been away from this blog for a bit, so I wanted to make an update about my next shoot taking place at the end of June. I’ll be covering RHAM High School’s graduation ceremonies on Friday the 19th! I’ll probably have two cameras running to capture the best moments. Looking back on my own graduation in 2006, I’m only now realizing how fast it has gone by. I definitely feel like the same person, but I understand that I look very different than I did in high school.
The last time I was in Marlborough, I spoke with a lot of adults who knew me as a kid. They all said that they barely recognized me. Has my body changed that much? Is it my face? My hair? I still think I speak the same way and carry the same mannerisms, which are probably my most recognizable qualities. A lot of my old teachers were happy to see me. My video production teacher mentioned that I’ve become an adult, a fact that I’ll deny for now. At this moment I don’t feel much older than I did when I graduated from high school in 2006. I just know more about certain things, and dress differently. I like more foods now, specifically onions, mushrooms and peppers.
I don’t really know where I’m going with this post, but maybe it’s the fact that I’ve recently hit a particular mile marker in a person’s life where they are thought of as an adult. But if I’m supposed to be an adult at this point, why do I feel such a longing for childhood? Is it the fear of responsibility? The desire for a simple life? I think so. But anyway, filming HINDSIGHT will allow me to remember these moments once again. I’m excited to see the class of 2009 graduate and I’m sure I’ll get some good footage.
Please check back to see production stills from that shoot as they are posted.