The Story Makers | The Story Tellers | The Set

The Set

It wasn't all work on "The Final HomeComing" set.

Whether it was directing a scene with a replica of a human femur or posing for a family portrait with an axe, there were some fun moments. Of course, most of these "fun moments" were recalled months later, after the 14-hour shoot days. Everyone seems to have forgotten when it would rain on the day that we were scheduled for outdoor shots. Or when the trains would blow their whistles during what was supposed to be an eerily quiet scene.


Jim Pickering, who played Mr Hastings remembers. "I wore a white sweater with the intention of it getting bloody since I'm one of the victims, but no, I was told it wasn't a blood and guts film," Jim laments. "Maybe, I can come back for the sequel and try my luck then." It was Jim's first crack at acting after a long hiatus from the profession, and he was impressed with everyone's kindness on the set.


Much of the goodwill between the crew and cast was the result of everyone working towards the project's to success. The townspeople of Brighton, Ontario - where we shot the production - were very kind, making us all feel welcome.





An Interview with Mike Strange - Cinematographer

Mike considers himself a lighting cameraman. "It's a British term," explains Mike. "Some people find that the term cinematographer is a tad lofty, snobby even." Mike is nothing like that. He's a down-in-the-trenches kind of guy who operates his camera as well as lights the scene. Throw in his good nature with the crew and his ease in working with actors, and you have the ingredients that make a pro - no matter what the professional title.

"We were first considering going Hi-Def," Mike says, "since it's now gaining acceptance and becoming affordable." In the end, Mike chose to go with Digital Beta. "Basically, the gear was lighter, smaller, far less expensive and it was a format in which I was very familiar." The post-production process will add in film grain, and software will replicate the standard 24fps look. Mike would have had to add electronic film grain in post even if the production went Hi-Def, although the format could have created 24fps in camera. "These are compromises you make."

Mike was happy with his choice of equipment. The colors were vivid, the detail was great, and equipment was easily portable in tight places and in the forest and beach locations. "However, I did add a half Pro Mist filter on every shot to take away the harsh video crispness. It was just enough to alter the image without compromising any "visual latitude" that may have limited the editor's choices in post."

"Sean really wanted to portray a certain heaviness and foreboding when the main character returns home - the place of the murders that happened two years ago in the story." Mike used a smoke machine to add some weight to the air and let natural sunlight filter in through the windows. The effect is a musty and almost suffocating feel. "It really was a wonderful effect and we used it more often than I thought we would," says Mike with a cough.

To capture the beauty of the surrounding woods and Lake Ontario, which stood in for the Atlantic Ocean, Mike relied heavily on filterization. "Polarizers are a must to bring out the blues in the sky and lake, but I also used many half gels to give the skies a different tint depending on the mood of the shot." Mike would experiment with greys and even reds to accentuate the sky, not playing it safe by staying solely in the blues.

Budget was an issue for this production because it was privately financed. To get around the traditional camera on a tripod shots, Mike used a portable jib. The jib gave the film a certain polish, without the expense of renting a crane or dolly, and the crew saved time by not having to set up this much more complex apparatus. "Placing the camera on a jib gave that movement through space feel - much like a point-of-view of a person stalking you - which was far more dramatic than a stationary camera on sticks." Mike politely doesn't mention the difficulties of setting up the jib with cold, stiff fingers or in the rain.



The Story Makers | The Story Tellers | The Set