Ever want to make a film about an Australian Super-model driving a souped up racecar against 30 motorcycles while she was being chased by a helicopter and airplane? How about filming it all in 3D on a coastal course North of San Francisco surrounded by perilous cliffs? Sure you did but it sounds expensive right? Wrong!
Here’s how we did it professionally while maximizing what we had around us, forging new relationships, seizing unexpected opportunities and some old fashioned ingenuity:
First we called the Gopro GENERAL tech support line and asked for some 3D help. Not only did they give it but the very same Gopro tech offered to come on our first day of shooting personally at 5:30 am with a ton of equipment. He rigged our airplane, sponsored us with gear and showed us the 3D Goporo ropes. Cost $0 (GOPRO IS AWESOME!)
Yes we needed an airplane. Sounds expensive? Not really. We got a seaplane for exactly one hour and rigged the hell out of it with 3D Gopros. We then flew over and around the Golden Gate for master and establishing shots. But wait the plane is also in the film. Instead of getting an expensive second aircraft to shoot the first plane, we put a wide angle Gopro on the end of the wing shooting back at the cockpit. Now our plane is shooting and being shot at the same time. Two birds with one stone! Cost $450 bucks.
We also needed a helicopter to both appear in the film and get aerial shots of the bikes and car. That must break the bank, right? Maybe. If you get a turbine powered helicopter like a Bell 206 Ranger you are looking at close to $1500 an hour. However if you get an R22 (small little whirlybird with no doors) you are looking at $350 an hour. Can your average Joe tell the difference? No way! We got a world class pilot with decades of shooting experience fired up about our project and took his chopper for exactly 90 minutes. We had a cameraman in the chopper shooting the action and also had cameras on the bikes shooting back at the helicopter. Again it was shooting and being shot at the same time. More birds and stones!
BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO
We needed a ridiculously pretty actress to play the role of the race-car driver. No Problem. I few years back I made a documentary called Picture Me about the fashion industry in New York. I met with Kasia Grabowski, an Australian model with a penchant for adventure, for drinks in Manhattan. She was up for it. When her flight came into SFO I thought it only fair I offer to drive down the coast and pick her up in the racecar personally. After all someone had to do it. More than a pretty face, Kasia was downright badass for enduring the company of 10 smelly young men, the frigid Pacific Ocean and one sprained ankle. Cost of a plane ticket $450 bucks. Cost of wearing an amazon ankle brace for the rest of the trip. Priceless.
Wardrobe for Kasia? No problem. I would again call upon my time working in fashion. We phoned Lacoste and they were happy to give us a racing themed jump-suit from their latest collection.
How about location, lodging and food? I grew up on a cattle ranch in Northern California right on the ocean with a long padlocked access road closed to the public. I cannot think of a more beautiful place in the world and I know it like the back of my had. Bingo! We had a stunning command center to stay, shoot and have and three sumptuous meals a day in. We had easy access to local, fresh, organic, farm food and my little bro fancies himself a chef. He knocked it out of the park with a variety of liberal leaning healthy fare. Cost $450 bucks.
Getting 30 motorcycles sounds expensive right? Wrong. We originally were going to only have one motorcycle. When our motorcycle professional told us he was part of a team of local pro riders and industry stuntmen who get together but have never worked in 3D, we thought we might be able to do something special. With years of experience he agreed to be the field producer and wrangle all of the other riders. Since we needed to keep costs down, timing with the plane and helicopter was crucial. There wasn’t a lot of time for seconds takes. Together we planned maneuvers, camera-mounting plans and schedules-which he would then convey to the rest of the team. It was his job to keep them excited, and coordinated. We prayed to the weather gods and needed a manageable command and control structure of the two dozen person team which we created through delegation and trust. Cost $450 bucks in gas!
How about an awesome location where aircraft are permitted for shoots? There is no place in the world more beautiful than the rugged Northern California Coast but you have to know where to go. Rules for aircraft vary. In some places you are not allowed to fly below 1500 feet on shoots for safety and environmental concerns. Head a bit further north up the coast and they are very film friendly. They are eager to attract productions of any size from car commercials to the odd 3D startup. In the boonies costs are low and we (and YOU too) can be permitted to fly a chopper as low as you want at your designated location as long as your aircraft is over water. No problem. While the chopper is over water it can be eye level with the action on land. Awesome and true!
Then we needed a distribution outlet. Again no problem. We had a long relationship with the good people at Sony and were using Vegas editing Software. They are always looking for innovators. They built us a website and agreed to launch the film on their platform. Having a great distribution outlet helped us get other sponsors.
We needed a car! We turned to some local gear-heads who were happy to lend us a supercar in exchange for some great PR in 3D. Done!
Cost… 4 tanks of premium unleaded and one thorough detailing.
Now Post-production: Here is where it got sticky and I nearly threw several computers and almost myself off the Golden Gate Bridge. I had worked a long time as a filmmaker but never in 3D and as a result it took us over a year to complete the 8.5 minute film. It was a long and complicated path that led me from different 3D pros in San Francisco, back to New York, to Los Angeles, to China, to Thailand and finally back to LA. In the end we got it right but heavens to Betsy 3D post is hard! Cost: My sanity (almost)…
Benefits: A lifelong friend, Thai elephant and 3D expert Al Caudullo!
Finally don’t be afraid to change course. We had originally decided to do something much less ambitious but shortly before shooting commenced we realized we had all the assets in place for something much more ompressive. We expanded our first idea and went with it. Through a lot of camera trickery we were able to place several vehicles and shoot days together and create the notion of speed and a race.
Watch our movie! Hopefully it shows what can be done when a few heads get together and use the resources and connections we had. It was by no means easy. It took months of planning and great attention to detail. I relied on crew of guys I knew well and trusted. There were many early mornings and late nights. What we didn’t have in a large budget we replaced with hard work and relationships. The result we hope is a non-stop mix of action, fun and one twist at the end. Maybe it will help others realize they too can make the films of their dreams without breaking the bank.
Enter here for a chance to win a free pair of Hipster 3D glasses from Ingri:Dahl to watch The Sunday Morning Drive in 3D. Hit Ole Schell up on FB.
WATCH HERE:
2D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTOYu07ssos
3D: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqLi8t28g0I
WEBSITE
www.sonycreativesoftware.com/sundaymorningdrive