die neunte Woche

WEEK NINE

This week we had no film screening due to the thanksgiving break. However, we spent most of the week up until wednesday filming. On Sunday evening we went out at night and got some footage around Friedrichstrasse and Unter den Linden. We had to deal with the freezing temperatures and the consistent rain, but we got some interesting shots nonetheless. On Monday Kerry and I went east to Lichtenberg. The contrast here from west Berlin and even Alexanderplatz is amazing. I felt like I was in the former Soviet Union with all of the massive rectangular apartment buildings and wide, vacant streets. First we set Kerry up with the "bike cam" and got some great panning shots. Then I got behind the camera and directed a few scenes and Kerry shot some as well. I thought it was a productive filming day and I was pleased with the footage we got. On Tuesday we got footage in Friedrichshain using the bike cam again. I don't want to give the exact locations away, but I am very excited about the film we took that day. Each day we film we learn more about the process and I think that our footage has gotten much more diverse and interesting. It is one thing to come up with interesting ideas but it is also very difficult to translate those ideas into a good shot. When I am behind the camera, the first thing I do is look through the lcd screen and see where the lighting is best and from which angle the shot looks best. After that it usually takes a few tries to get the best shot, especially when you are filming an actor. By the end of this week we are planning on having most of our footage and will begin editing when we all return from our trips. At this point, I am excited about all of our footage and I know we have some great stuff but I have no clue how we are going to present it in a semi-chronological manner. We need to figure out a rough story line in order to begin editing. So begins the building process...