Onboard Diary

Alberto Ortega, The Cosmonaut's FX director

As regards visual effects, "The Cosmonaut" has a couple of added challenges to those common to any major project.

On one hand, since we are talking about a period film (not too distant, but it is still a period film), we have the doubt of adhering to reality or affording us the luxury of taking some liberties to contribute with some ideas to reality. We found the first clash when thinking about the space shuttle. In that period's reality, it was nothing else but a rocket held by some pieces of iron. Nevertheless, the idea of covering that image up with huge modules and facilities becomes definitely attractive. Nico still doubts about this idea among a million more.

On the other hand, one of the other things that had been discussed has been the content of the monitors in the control room. The monitors of the period were nothing else but really ugly green screens with huge numbers and lines. Nico wanted to skip the rigour in this point, so we did many monitor design tests to finally get something like this:

Original shot:


Edited shot:


I think it is the right decision, since we have got a retro but modern design that fits in the style of that period.

There is a second challenge. The film tells a part of the story that did not actually happen. It shows the launch of a spacecraft that has never been built, and just remained as a prototype.

So thanks to sketches and photographs of that time, our friends in the NYX Visual Effects, directed by great Rod Tebisx, have reconstructed the spacecraft to shape the moon landing sequence. Here you can see two amazing samples of how the work is taking shape:



This is just the beginning. The edition of the different sequences will be done soon, and we will have more challenges regarding visual effects, and we will tell you about them.

Pre-production Diaries Vol. 3

The production team was working last week in the implementation of all the teams. We finally have a shooting plan. Now, long meetings to coordinate the work, the logistics and the necessities of each department start.

Right now, we are concentrated in the trip Nicolás and Carola are having tomorrow to Latvia. They are going there to confirm the locations for the shooting, and also to meet the Latvian team members (arts + hairdressing and making up).

On the other hand, the transmedia team has his skates on more than ever, because we are shooting the piece The Moon Files in Spain before going to Moscow for the main shooting. It tells what happens to Stas since he loses communication with Earth. They are going to be two shooting days, one is going to be in set and the other location is to be defined (as you have seen, we need some help to find this premises). Previously, our art department would have worked for over a week to build Stas spacecraft inside.

Of course, the team's nerves and stress start to be noticeable... because there are more and more things to do and less time to do them :(

Le Cosmonaute

If you have understood the previous line, you would probably like this news. The thing is that we have a scholar working with us on the project since some days ago. His name is Nicolás, and he will be in charge of subtitling and the management of social networks for the movie. Our collaboration is already bearing fruits... here you have the result of it.

On one hand, we already have a Facebook fan page, so you can tell all your French-speaking friends and spread the cosmonaut gospel even more :)

On the other hand, here you have the French version of the new teaser, hot off the press:

Pre-production Diaries Vol. 2

This last week has been quite important for production. We have finally managed to sign the actors' contracts, and introduce them to you. Besides. we have almost gathered the whole shooting team for the first time in the Yuri's Night. It was not as big as last year, but it marked an important moment: meeting the partners of the adventure the shooting will be. We will have more news next week. That week, by the way, Nicolás and Carola will make an express trip to Latvia to see the shooting locations for the film...

The image of The Cosmonaut

Those who have read the script have realized that the film is rather poetic, even oneiric in some scenes.
 
For many reasons, the film to be used is very important tome. That's why I have been watching many reels from different directors of photography trying to find what I needed. Today, I want to talk to you about the team who's going to have the image of The Cosmonaut in their hands, and also about the equipment that they are going to use to make it possible.
 
THE TEAM
 
The first important decision I took was to have a director of photography for the movie different than the one for the transmedia. I thought important to count on two different points of view due to the huge amount of material we want to shoot and the different approach we will do to the images.
 
I introduce you toLuis Enrique Carrión and Pablo Clemente. LE will be The Cosmonaut DOP. Pablo will be the transmedia DOP. I could tell a lot of things about the both of them, but I think a picture is worth a thousand words. Here you have their reels:
 
Luis Enrique Carrión

 
Pablo Clemente

 

I'm marveled any time I see any new piece of work they create. They both know what they do, they know their tools, and they both are really receptive to my words.
 
Another important decision we took was to have the smallest camera team possible, reduced to the minimum, although it meant working harder. We believed that a reduced camera team will help the actors to move freely, everything to go faster, and we to be lighter, to adapt.
 
That's why they are going to be the ones to operate the camera. We will just have 4 more people.
 
The rest of the film team is:
 
Paco Serrano: camera operator and steadicam with hawk eye that has been working together with Riot Cinema almost since we started. He will be the assistant cameraperson and focus puller. He will also do his magic with the steadicam.
 
Adán Martín, Luis Enrique's usual assistant. His definition of him: He is a Swiss Army knife, Accurate and Ready for anything. He will be the gaffer and second assistant.
 
Manuel Portillo,  filmmaker and expert in colorimetry, calibration and Canon cameras. He will be our media manager, calibrating and classifying the files in real time while we shoot. He will also be our HD technician, and he will be in charge of making sure every pixel is where it's supposed to be. As a curiosity, he made all the images in Pablo's reel.
 
The transmedia team will also have another assistant cameraperson we haven't chose yet, and Bruno, who you already know. He will be in charge of coordination the creative part.
 
I'm not only happy because they are all really talented people, but because I feel I'm in good hands.
 
THE CAMERAS
 
The third important decision (and probably the most difficult one) was which cameras we were going to use to shoot. We knew from the beginning that it was going to be a digital camera (we love the film, but it's not our mean. It's a kind of technology from the past we worship, but we wouldn't be comfortable working with it, mainly if we think about our budget and the way we want to work).
Taking that into account, we think the RED ONE will be the best choice for a matter of quality. We discussed a lot. We thought it over. We watched dozens of videos and proofs, and we finally decided to make a hope for the new stuff, as almost anything within this project.
 
We are going to shoot the movie with DSLR cameras . DSLR cameras are photography cameras that also shoot videos.
 
For the past couple of years, DSLRs have arrived in the world of independent cinema. They have brought new different aesthetics where no new inventions were expected. They are still barely used in fiction, but videoclips and spots have taken advantage of it. There are some series, such as House, Luck by Michael Mann and other HBO series that have started to used them in their episodes. There are some professionals that compare them to the cutting-edge digital cameras, and they are surprised to find out that few-thousand-euro cameras are able to compete in color and texture.
 
I'm surprised how a new technology can inspire an aesthetics. It's the aesthetics of our period: intense colors, contrast, almost pure black, lights and partial focusing.
 
Suddenly, the focusing has arrived to homemade videos, and digital productions have depth of field, shades and interchangeable lenses again. We get surprisingly poetic, bright and lively results thanks to the mix of having the camera in hand, the digital aesthetics and a minimum depth of field.
 
It's great that it's been raised for discussion if it's a momentary trend; if it should stay or not; if it's beautiful or not. What we know for sure is that it's fascinating, and that we all want to play with this new-discovered aesthetics. We want to see how it puts reality and fiction closer.
 
Here are my reasons. Now, Luis Enrique, Pablo and Manu are going to explain the pros and cons of these cameras in a technical way, and why they (therefore, me) are not worried at all with the decision.