On shooting the Episode Three scene at Yevgeniy’s house

Scratcher catchers has the distinction of the longest script-to-shoot leadtime (12.5 months), and up until recently Jezebel held the record for shortest script-to-shoot (2.5 weeks). Sisters is probably going to forever hold the shortest shoot-to-online turnaround (6 hours), and here we finally get to see Yevgeniy’s house, which tops the chart for longest shoot-to-online turnaround (10 months). It seems so long ago that we all got together to shoot our first scene from Episode Three, and yes, that’s because it WAS so long ago. And thanks to the shift from single-storyline to segmented scenes, this one photoshoot comprised the entirety of Katrina and Ben’s commitments for the Episode. Good for them, getting it out of the way early, but still a bit sad for everyone not having as many excuses to work with them throughout the year.

Sometimes I write my blog posts immediately upon completion of the shoots, other times I write at the time of posting for some retrospection. This is the latter, which means while my memory may not be as sharp, my perspective is, and the first thing that comes to mind is what changes first came along at Yevgeniy’s house and what we’ve learned to change since then.

The most significant shift with this shoot is that it was our first with Eli as the principal photographer, rather than as production goon and behind-the-scenes guy. Among his bag of tricks was a larger variety of lenses, enabling us to do some great wide shots and closeups that would have been impossible on our older equipment, as well as the live-view monitor, which gave the cast and crew a remote screen to preview the camera’s viewport. Having the dedicated photographer on set allowed me some freedom to step back and serve more producer-like roles for a change, and have some time to work with Kelly on keeping the production smooth and efficient. This was before the advent of the shot cards so we were still working off of page-restricted storyboards, but the perspective gained from watching Kelly work was part of what helped inspire the changes that (eventually) led to the shot card system.

Yevgeniy’s house was also our first chance to work with the ubiquitous Ben Andrews outside of the Episode One/Two office building, and this scene gave him some freedom to explore his character and personality away from the watchful gaze of the Nazarov sisters. While not as dirty or adventurous as his cameo in the Sisters vignette, Yevgeniy’s role in this scene is still a good development opportunity and our first genuine look into his relationships with the Nazarovs and Marion. For his costume, the dress shirt calls back to his suit at the office, but the deep red color is a direct contrast to his blues and silvers then, and compliments the wine, wood, and windows of his house. For Marion’s costume, darks to contrast her daytime colors and to emphasize her utility as a spy, with both her new costume and wet hair to contrast her ability to go home with Claire’s dependence on others.

More than any shoot before it, this shoot was a very casual and low-key production, despite the quantity and diversity of photos required. We had done a handful of other shoots at interior locations before, but always ones rented or borrowed or lent, and always with time restrictions on the part of either the cast or the location itself. For Yevgeniy’s house, we shot at a private property of our own, with a full day scheduled and no deadlines or cutoffs. Which isn’t to say we slacked our way through, quite the contrary, but it was definitely an easygoing and friendly kind of day. (My memory is fuzzy, but it may have been Superbowl Sunday.)

The opening of the scene is the type of visual sequence perfect in a film montage, and our attempt to recreate it in comic form has both its strengths and weaknesses. While we cannot fade from one image to the next, or slowly pan across an empty table with candles flickering low, we can overlap imagery and present a dark collage of deep, silent colors. Where a film could cross the room and lift itself up the stairs, we have juxtaposed the imagery to show the relative spaces without the motion in between. It’s less of a cinematic effect and more of a compromise for scene/environment establishment, but at the very least it’s got some pretty gorgeous photos. Our mysterious woman in the scene is the charming Lauren Logan from the local improv community, and she was a blast to have on set for her (all-too-brief) cameo. With her patience and Eli’s ingenuity, we succeeded in capturing the incredible overhead shot of her descent down the stairs– the kind of shot that’s easy in an illustrated comic but nearly impossible in photography. It’s dramatic, it’s different, and it is by far one of my favorite Night Zero photos of all time.