Ken Levine and POV

I stumbled across a blog by Ken Levine, a veteran TV writer (MASH, Cheers, etc.). In his most recent post, he discusses the making of his favorite MASH episode, "POV."

The story was told entirely from the first-person POV of a wounded soldier, who encounters all the show's regulars as they work to heal him. In the preceding post, Levine includes an excerpt from that episode's script, as well as a YouTube clip of the first act of the episode -- in which we see nearly every recurring character on MASH from the wounded soldier's POV.

It's a very interesting narrative device, because it allows us, via the soldier, to view the characters from a detached 3rd person POV until they interact with "us" directly. At that point, the story (and the characters) change from fictional people we're watching from a safe distance to individuals who are talking TO US, directly -- and often in a tone that reveals more about them than we ever see from the traditional, 3rd person POV.

Seeds of videoblogging, anyone?

(FYI, the most interesting tidbit I noticed was that this episode was filmed in three days. Wow. And we think filming a 5 minute episode of STBD is complicated...)

STBD 5-10: Revealed!

The "Light-Up Night" episode was a great opportunity for us to showcase Downtown Pittsburgh in all its festive holiday glory... and to wrap up a loose end or two.

The Making of "Light-Up Night" involved:

- 7 scripted pages

- 5 improvised scenes

- 60 minutes of raw footage

- 2 shoots over 24 hours

- 2 voiceovers

- 12+ hours of editing

Fun Facts, Scene by Scene:

* Caroline (aka Ann Turiano) is wearing a pierogi t-shirt, courtesy of a soon-to-be-launched Pittsburgh apparel company who shall remain nameless for the next week or two... (Ask Mike Woycheck for details.)

* All of the dialogue between Tim (Ryan Ben) and Leo (Will Guffey) was improvised from a basic outline, as was the idea for them to play a carnival game. Tim accidentally winning a one-armed bear? That was serendipity; the woman working the carnival booth asked Ryan to choose something from a shady box they kept under the counter, and he accidentally took a damaged prize.

* Improvised as well was the scene between Caroline and Todd (Matt Pavlosky) on Mount Washington. Matt happened to be drinking there with friends and we plucked him from the bar (Redbeard's) for an impromptu scene, hours after Light-Up night had concluded.

* If it looks like Leo is burning his S'mores beyond repair, that's because he was... More surprisingly, Ryan Ben (Tim) had never had a S'mores before, and wasn't sure how to make them. (Hopefully he didn't study Leo too closely...)

* To save on downtown parking hassles, Ryan Ben (Tim), Will Guffey (Leo) and Ann Turiano (Caroline) all carpooled down in director Justin Kownacki's car. While Ann and Rick Hertzig (Rick) were filming the final downtown scene of the night, Will was in charge of getting Justin's car out of the parking garage and navigating the traffic / pedestrian / construction hell of Downtown Pittsburgh during Light-Up Night. (Remarkably, he found streetside parking one block from the "big freaking tree," on 6th and Penn.)

* Although Dierdre's arrival under the "big freaking tree" is the last scene of the episode, it was the first scene we filmed. That's because Lacey Fleming, who plays Dierdre, had to race home to Ohio to prepare for a family wedding the next day. That scene was actually filmed 90 minutes before the Glenn / Caroline scene that immediately precedes it.

* All music included in this episode actually comes from Ed Roberts's incredibly useful Podsafe Christmas podcast, which returns with all new music immediately after this year's Thanksgiving! Thanks for the great finds, Ed!

* Several hours' worth of editing on this episode took place on an Amtrak train between Boston, MA, and Bridgeport, CT. Did you know Amtrak has power outlets for every seat on its trains? The STBD laptop (and its 1 hour battery) thank you, Amtrak...

STBD Shoot at Light-Up Night This Friday

Several of the STBD cast members will be on-hand for a live, semi-improvised shoot during Light-Up Night this Friday in downtown Pittsburgh. Rumor has it that veteran podcaster C.C. Chapman might be in town from Boston that night and making an STBD cameo appearance as well.

If you'll be downtown for light-up night, keep your eyes open for Caroline, Tabitha and the rest of the STBD cast! Say hello (and buy us hot drinks - it'll be about 35 degrees that night)!

STBD 5-9: Revealed!

The "Car Trouble" episode is a classic example of the STBD cast being able to create a solid episode even everything else goes wrong...

The Making of "Car Trouble" involved:

- 9 scripted pages

- 2 largely improvised scenes

- 48 minutes of raw footage

- 3 shoots over 24 hours

- 12+ hours of editing

Fun Facts, Scene by Scene:

* This episode wasn't even supposed to happen.

The original plan was to film the party itself, which Pryce (Trent Wolfred) is trying to bring everyone to. But a funny thing happened on the way to the party - we ran out of extras.

Suddenly, we had a filming date set, a location, and not enough extras to make it look like the type of party we'd planned for. So, we went with our backup plan: there's no need to show the party if the guests can't actually make it TO the party...

* Both Trent Wolfred and Rick Hertzig (Glenn) had other commitments on the day we filmed, so we couldn't begin filming with them until after 10 PM.

By that time, it was about 32 degrees outside... (That's the freezing point, for you Celsius fans...)

* While the news coverage of Luke Ravenstahl's mayoral victory speech was being recorded off the TV, a steam radiator in the same room began spewing intermittent heat blasts. There was no way to turn it off in time, so you can hear some of the noise during Ravenstahl's speech. [Of course, it's logical to presume Rich (Erik Schark) would have steam heat...]

* When we filmed the flashback of Leo gassing up his car while it was still running, we looked everywhere for a sign that said: "Please turn off car before fueling." Wasn't that a standard warning over the years? The station we were at had no mention of it -- and Will Guffey (Leo) had never heard that bit of wisdom, either. Are we deluded, or is the explosive potential of fuel-meeting-combustion no longer an issue?

* Dierdre and Glenn's final exchange was quasi-improvised. The scene wasn't scripted, so we saved it for last to make sure their energies matched what they were doing in the earlier scenes. When the camera's battery died at 1 AM, we retreated to the Creative Treehouse to recharge it and plan the scene.

* Filming for this episode wrapped around 2 AM - our latest shoot of the year. (And our coldest!)

STBD Shoot Tonight: Extras Welcome!

If any STBD fans are interested, we'll be shooting a few scenes at the Gallery Crawl in downtown Pittsburgh tonight. Interested in stopping down? Email me (jkownacki at somethingtobedesired dawt com), or just look for the guy with the camera.

Yes, I'm sure there will only be one...

STBD 5-5: Revealed!

This week's episode of STBD was a drastic departure from the norm. How so? Read on...

The Making of "Pittsburgh Politics" involved:

- 3 scripted "PSAs"

- 9 improvised sequences (of which, 5 made the final cut)

- 30 minutes of raw footage

- 1 shoot in 1 day

- 6+ hours of editing

Fun Facts, Scene by Scene:

* This entire episode was filmed in one day -- the Sunday before the epsiode went live. (Actually, filming only took three hours, including driving time.)

* The PSAs were scripted. Everything else was improvised by Erik Schark (aka Rich Mathis) and Courtney Jenkins (Tabitha), with minimal direction from yours truly.

* We purposely diverged from the standard STBD "look" to obtain a more "documentary" feel, which necessitated the removal of the opening credits sequence.

* The piece of cheesecake Rich devours really did cost more than $8...

* This episode is only the second, ever (that we're aware of) that DOESN'T feature Leo, Caroline or Dierdre in some capacity. (The first? Episode 4-28, which revolves entirely around Tim's romantic duel with guest stars iJustine and Matthew Ebel.)

STBD 5-2: Revealed!

This week's episode of STBD included some brand new locations, a cameo appearance and the return of a missing cast member. (Not bad for 8 and a half minutes!)

The Making of "Leo's Lucky Day" involved:

- 4 versions of a script

- 1.5 hours of raw footage

- 5 shoots in 4 days

- 18+ hours of editing

Fun Facts, Scene by Scene:

* STBD creator Justin Kownacki and actor Will Guffey (aka Leo Straub) were interviewed by Andy Quayle and Kaylynn for the Techburgh podcast last week. Immediately afterward, they returned the favor by appearing on STBD as Leo's number one fan and uninterested bus stop denizen, respectively.

* The bus stop that opens the episode is in Squirrel Hill, but the stop Leo is waiting at is in Bellevue...

* When Dierdre mentions she's still in school, Caroline's shock and surprise really mirrors that of the entire STBD creative team; we'd completely forgotten Dierdre was still in school all these years, until Lacey Fleming (Dierdre) mentioned it in a story meeting...

* The new Vanity Press meeting room and break room are located inside The Art Institute of Pittsburgh... because the original Vanity Press location has been long gone (to us, anyway).

* Gloria's pills? Actually Vitamin C tablets...

* Rich's admonition for Gloria to "Apologize!" to his manhood? Improvised.

* Todd living homeless behind Affogato? Invented, literally, the day of filming when Matt Pavlosky (Todd) mentioned he was available.

Video Production Snooze Alarm

Glenn (Rick Hertzig) and Dierdre (Lacey Fleming) wonder what took so long...
What happens when you hit "snooze" once, wake up ten minutes later, and realize you can STILL get to work on time?

If you're like most people, you hit snooze twice, sleep for TWENTY more minutes, and find a way to get to work on time.

Then THIRTY minutes.

How This Applies to Web Video:

In 2005, we started filming Season Three of Something to Be Desired in May.

In 2006, we started filming Season Four in June.

In 2007, we started filming Season Five... yesterday.

Call it cavalier disregard for conventional wisdom. Call it execrable time management.

I call it learned behavior from a lifetime of hitting the snooze alarm...

Location Is Everything: 5 Tips for Location Filming

Since anyone can pick up a camera and start shooting web video today, it's increasingly important to find an edge that helps distinguish you from your competition -- which is everyone ELSE with a camera.

At STBD, one of our assets is location -- both the city itself (which is highly cinematic) and our recurring cluster of unusual indoor locations (the WANT FM radio station, the Affogato cafe, etc.).

When you're considering filming in a location, here are 5 questions to keep in mind:

1. How "Available" Is This Location?

A lot of small business owners are keen on supporting social media in exchange for some extra exposure (and the cachet that comes from knowing the cool, cutting edge media makers). But not everyone wants to make this a weekly proposition.

Treat every opportunity as if it will be a one-time thing. If you (and the location owner) have a positive experience, THEN you can discuss the possibility of a recurring arrangement. But don't plan on having 24 hour access to a location, write a number of scripts under that presumption... and then destroy your relationship with the location owner on the first day.

2. How Flexible / Creative Can You Be in the Location?

One reason we love filming in Affogato is because it offers so many options for plot / character situations. ANYONE could be in Affogato for ANY reason at ANY time of day. And, as a "public" location, it enables us to introduce new characters and cameo appearances with little need for justification or planning (since every cafe has random customers).

Conversely, when we've filmed in Torque Denim or Pavement Shoes, we've had a limited window for filming (usually an hour before they open), and we've had to work around their employees / interns, which creates an additional logistical challenge. Is that challenge worth it? Depends on what you can achieve within those limitations...

(Side note: Versatility in a location is underrated. We filmed the "Caroline Meets Lloyd" episode in a utilitarian space in the South Side Works that happened to be serving as a makeshift art gallery at the time. That same week, we realized we needed to re-shoot part of the "Caroline and Rich at the elevator" sequence from the first episode of Season Four... but we no longer had access to the original location. Fortunately the "art gallery" had generic white walls -- similar to the elevator location -- so we faked the re-shoot there instead. [Whew.])

3. How Often Do You NEED This Location?

Just because you CAN film in a location on a regular basis doesn't mean you NEED to -- or that you SHOULD.

One of the easiest places to film is a cast or crew member's apartment. It's usually available on short notice AND at all hours of the day (or night) -- but how interesting is it to a viewer? As often as web video producers resort to their own apartments as a backdrop, yours is going to need to be particularly amazing to stand out from the crowd.

On the other hand, if you DID have recurring access to an unusual space -- a deli, a factory, an antique store -- COULD you find a way to make that a more integral part of your story? Unique is good, but well-utilized uniqueness is better.

4. What Noise Issues Are Involved?

Fans, coolers, traffic, overhead lighting, nearby humans -- all of these things (and more) can create audio nightmares. How much can you turn off / turn down / tune out?

At Affogato, we turn off the coolers, but the fridge in back cannot be shut off. Thus, we have to strip that hum out in post. The cappuccino machine also "cycles," and occasionally "clicks" during a line of dialogue. By and large, we leave that in because it sounds natural, given the location. (Plus, it's too much work to re-record dialogue to avoid "clicks," though we have done it on occasion...)

Oh, and if you turn off coolers, refrigerators, etc., PLEASE turn them back on when you're finished...

5. What Crowd Issues Are Involved?

If you're shooting while a location is open, you may have to film around employees, customers or the general public. These people will not always be quiet while you're filming. If you can't silence the masses, can you make use of their idle chatter?

If you intend to leave the public in your shots, you'll want to have them sign a release form allowing you to use their image / voice in your production. You can also hang up a sign or two (in a WELL-TRAFFICKED area) that states, "Anyone entering these premises during filming MAY appear in the finished production," which implies consent on the part of those who may wander through.

******

Locations can help your production seem larger and more interesting than a simple "indoor apartment" shoot -- but only if the locations are utilized properly. Don't make more work for yourself than you ALREADY have when producing web video: be smart about your locations, and let THEM work for YOU.

Ustreaming with Matthew Ebel

Last night, we filmed a scene at Affogato for next week's STBD episode featuring traveling troubador Matthew Ebel, who happened to be in town mid-tour.

iJustine was there too, and each of them ended up Ustreaming the filming live... which is odd, considering the folks watching their Ustreams were able to see the live filming of what will end up being an edited video. How meta can we get?

The revolution will be Ustreamed...

Doughnuts and Art

STBD has been invited to take part in Doughnuts and Art, an art show / mini-concert / celebration of sweet round things on Saturday, April 28th.

Since this is hosted at the Creative Treehouse, and we're big supporters of the folks making things happen in the borough of Bellevue, we'll be there. Perhaps we'll be filming a scene or two for an upcoming STBD episode. Perhaps you can be IN the scene, if you're ON the scene (get it?)...

No Sex in the Champagne Room

Brent and Chloe have some 'splaining to do...
Here at STBD, we like to think we make it look easy.

The truth is, creating this series is consistently one of the most UNsexy -- and sometimes unintentionally hysterical -- processes in modern media.

To wit, these recent behind-the-scenes tidbits:

April Showers Bring Sub-Zero Wind Chill

The opening scene in this week's episode, featuring Caroline and Dierdre taking a leisurely walk around the Cathedral of Learning on the Pitt campus? Filmed in 7 extremely speedy takes because it was approximately 30 degrees out. Ann (Caroline) and Lacey (Dierdre) battled runny noses and numb limbs to nail the script before hypothermia set in.

Is That a Lamp Neck in Your Hand, Or... ?

The orgasm Alexxxis enjoys at the end of Episode 23, while Caroline and Dierdre view her webcam? Recorded while Lindsay (Alexxxis) was standing beside the camera, holding a flourescent light for the scene and moaning. (Three takes.)

Dex May Not Be Home, But...

While filming Episode 22's Chloe-Brent pseudo-sex scene at "Dex's place," production had to break for 45 minutes. While director Justin Kownacki was away from the location, the actual owners of the house -- who had no idea we were filming there -- came home. Meanwhile, Clare (Chloe) and Josh (Brent) were lounging upstairs in "wardrobe" (or lack thereof), and had to re-make the bed and bolt from the room while ensuring everything was in its proper place and no condoms were left behind.

Ironically, that scene was originally supposed to be interrupted when Dex returned home, but was changed at the last minute. Sometimes, life imitates art in real time...

Head Games

The entire episode in which Dierdre counsels Tim as he meets his "online penfriend"? Filmed while Lacey (Dierdre) was recovering from a splitting migraine that caused her to skip work. (This likely helped her react properly to most of Tim's dialogue...)

The Man Who Wasn't There

When Caroline is reading Glenn's notebook in Episode 24, only to be interrupted by Leo, she carries a conversation with him from the couch until he sits down. Except, in real life, Will (Leo) overslept and had to rush across town to complete the shoot on Ann (Caroline)'s lunch break... which meant Caroline started her conversation by interacting with no one.

Although, in retrospect, that's not unlike most conversations with Leo...

The Ups and Downs of a One-Camera Shoot

We filmed two scenes for STBD yesterday at Affogato.

In each of them, characters were having conversations across a divide -- either sitting on opposite sides of a table or staring at each other from different vantage points.

Normally, a professional film crew would use two cameras (at least) to cover this setup, ensuring that the characters' reactions to one another were consistent. But, on our shoestring budget of zero, we use one camera to cover each side of this setup.

How? Multiple takes.

Do you see the potential problems?

The Cons

- If one character ad-libs a line, it may not match the other character's response in the reverse angle.
- If one character changes his or her delivery or motivation during subsequent takes, it may not match earlier takes.
- It may ALSO not match the reactions of the other character, creating a disjointed conversational flow.
- If props are moved, or if one character's hand / body / mouth enters the other character's frame, it could disrrupt continuity.

And yet, despite all of these pitfalls, there are upsides to using a single camera.

The Pros

- Less footage to capture, sort through and edit (in fact, presumably, HALF as much).
- Lighting only needs to work for one angle at a time, rather than both.
- Half a set is NOT in use during the filming of each angle, allowing the unused portion to be dressed / lit for the next setup.
- Fewer potential mistakes by multiple camera operators (and, as a result, only one operator needed).

How a One-Camera Shoot Affects the Actors

This is the tricky part, because the actors always know whom the focus of a shot is on when the camera is only pointed at one of them. This can lead the off-camera conversant to drop his or her energy level. That's understandable, since they can rest assured the visuals of their performance won't be recorded... but that also affects the energy level of the actor being filmed.

If someone is flirting with you, or yelling at you, and they're putting 100% of their effort into it, you'll respond much differently than you would if they're only putting in 50% effort, no? The same goes for actors. Despite their best intentions, it's still inherently unnatural for one to react at 100% when the inciting incident that causes his or her reaction was only delivered at half-energy. The actor being filmed may become self-conscious because he believes he's over-acting -- when, in fact, he's merely doing what he's supposed to be doing.

Suddenly, the entire scene loses its zip.

The solution? Simple. Encourge everyone involved in the scene, even if they're not on camera during that take, to give it 100% every time. It's natural for the off-camera actors to still withhold just a bit, to make sure they have a little something extra in the tank when it's "their turn." But if everyone is running around 80-90% energy, the scene will flow much more effectively -- and believably.