Hope Bridge - Day 12

“It’s time to make the donuts.” Those are the words uttered by our gaffer, Thomas Green, as he went off to another day of working on the production of Hope Bridge. Making today’s donuts once again took place in Lawrenceburg, KY at the Spencer House. We’ve been there four straight days shooting in very confined spaces. Today featured a total of 31 setups and a very ambitious schedule.

Our first shot of the day started at 2:00 p.m. In the script, however, the scene is placed at 6:00 p.m. 

The lighting is just one of many issues that makes it challenging to "make the donuts" today. I overheard Isaac Pletcher, Director of Photography, commenting, “If you ask me years from now, I won’t be able to tell you how we pulled today off.” It seems like every day on the set of Hope Bridge miracles are becoming common place. It took a lot of complicated lighting to make 2:00 p.m. look like 6:00 p.m.

The trick is to make the sun appear lower in the sky, which means you must have the effect of a golden glow of light within your shot. There sure are a lot of things to think about when you make a movie. Paying attention to detail is a must. And that responsibility rests on the shoulders of Zack Brewer, who is the script supervisor. Not only does Zack have to make sure that the actors are following the script “to a tee”, but he also must keep an eye on continuity. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Have you ever seen a movie where two actors are having a discussion at the kitchen  table. In the shot we can see a cup sitting on the table. Then we have a cutaway. In the next shot you don’t see the cup anymore. Somebody goofed. It’s Zack’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen on Hope Bridge.

There are many moving parts in the making of a motion picture. There’s one person who seems to be everywhere but has no real role in the actual production of Hope Bridge. Her name is Chelsea Babcock. Chelsea is a recent graduate of Asbury University and has a degree in Media Communications. She is the BTS Production Director for Hope Bridge. Chelsea has an important and vital role. It’s her task to capture the behind-the-scenes footage or a better way to phrase it is The Making of Hope Bridge. She roams around with a Canon 7D camera that’s capable of capturing both high resolution video and photos. 

Her work will ultimately be used for the DVD, social media and the internet. The material will also be used for marketing and promotion of the film. It is something everyone appreciates when the film is finished; however, when the movie is being shot, often people can see you as a nuisance or distraction. So Chelsea has had to find her place and blend in to the background.

Chelsea says she enjoys her role. This is her first time shooting behind-the-scenes footage. She stated, “I like being around the action. Being on set. And I don’t have to deal with the pressure of actually making the movie.” She went on to say, “My biggest challenge is being there at the right time to capture those special moments.”

Like many of the other crew members working on Hope Bridge, she will also be going her separate way at the end of the movie. Chelsea will be heading back to her native Minnesota to look for work. She hopes to land a job as an editor. We wish success for her and for all of the cast and crew that have sacrificed so much and have worked so hard in making Hope Bridge a reality.

More to come