Journal Zero

PART ONE OF THREE

Like “Jezebel”, this vignette is based on a very simple premise (ten words or less) and designed to be shot bare and plain. At the same time, while “Jezebel” was built around heavy dialogue and a confined space, “Special Delivery” was built around no dialogue and a very open space.

“Special Delivery” was, more than anything else, an experiment in which our hard-developed production techniques were upended: our tried-and-true methods were abandoned in the pursuit of something new, and there were two major factors (one logistic and one artistic) that prompted this decision.

From a logistics standpoint, the shoot for “Special Delivery” had to be swift. The weather would be drizzling at best, torrential at worst, and we were piggybacking on to an already challenging morning shoot. The longer the story the higher the photo count, and every lighting setup and every frame we capture takes time. At our best, in a well-controlled environment with a full crew and thorough prep time, we produce at ten minutes per camera/light setup plus five minutes per photo, and there was no way this vignette could cover what I wanted in less than forty photos and ten setups… a minimum of five hours (not including breaks) in a perfect setup. Take that perfect setup out into the cold November rain, your only shelter being a 24-foot box truck leftover from the morning’s shoot, racing the ruthless darkness of a 4:30 sunset, and the truth becomes all to obvious. There would be no way we could accomplish “Special Delivery” with our standard method of production.

From an artistic standpoint, the shots for “Special Delivery” had to be visceral. This story had to be in-your-face sweat and blood and dirt and rain, up close and personal instead of clean and distant. In film terms, our standard production is like steadicam, and I wanted this to be hand-held. For shots of Natalie running, I wanted her to be running. For the blow-by-blow with the scratcher, I wanted fists swinging and legs dancing. I wanted every frame to be dark, gritty, and alive. Instead of masking action offscreen or awkwardly faking it with apple boxes and harness rigs, I wanted breath and pulse in every shot. If the regular comic is surreal, this one had to be hyper-real. I wanted to do everything the opposite of how we’ve always done, which meant there would be no way we could realize “Special Delivery” with our standard style.

Fortunately, there was a single solution to both of these challenges, and although it flew in the face of everything we’ve established, there was no better time or place to let the great experiment begin. We were still producing a photocomic, we were still storyboarding with shot-cards, and we were still tonemapping images for a unique look, but there was one staple of Night Zero that was no longer in effect: “Special Delivery” would not be shot in High Dynamic Range.

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.

All smiles before the serious work begins

By grace of architecture, an incredible shot opportunity

Ben takes a break while Katrina gets her hood just right

Blam! Lighting the kitchen

Our first shoot with live previews of the shot

Pay no attention to the book in his hand, he's really a cool guy

Marion and the table steal the spotlight

I don't know what it is, but it sure surprises Ben