Another radio interview

I was invited to a radio show hosted by my friend and actor Fernando Petong and co-host. We talked about music and my band Alter Ego. It was good to recall those times and listen to it over the airwaves.
Also invited were new vocal R&B group that really sang good.

Next week I'm invited again to talk this time about the film and all details.

Magazine interview

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by the MAS Magazine in Trujillo about the film and my career. it was good to remember the music part with Alter Ego and all. After many questions, as it's obvious, the answers needed to be shortened and the author has asked me to do a second part.
I'm simply glad for this event and share with you here a screen capture taken from the digital version of the magazine.

"Utopía" behind-the-scenes video

I began editing the behind the scenes of the "Utopía" videoclip backn in october last year but sidetracked after so much happenings.
Now here it is...the extended version though. The short one isn't worth posting.
Do like this one better.

Here, the behind the scenes for the Alter Ego song "Utopia".

The End of a Dream

After making the video many sensations came to me. One of the main ones was the fact of making a past dream that was good in its moment a present one. It was good while it lasted at least.

One of the things that sometimes one learns the hard way is the fact that one's dream is not necesarily other's no matter how good or similar they were to all. And although people that spent a part of their life together for a supposedly similar reason, they get their own personal impresions of one same experience instead of a colective one. Common sense as it should seem like, no matter how close a union can be, the parties get a hold of their own ideas out of something tangible no matter what.

And this is what I learned late -in a way- out of a colective musical dream that started sixteen years ago and that was put in hiatus several years back. As hard as it was to put together the members of this band for the video, it was good above all else to see my friends under one same roof performing what we shared "as-one" years ago. As sentimental as it may sound it was a good way to make things feel good nowadays.
Kinda like lighting a good old flame to make today good also. But sometimes things like that are just momentary or illusional....like this one.

Years pass, people change, priorities change and sometimes deep inside you think that people are remembering one simple time experience "as-one" but in most cases you are wrong. People form families, have kids, go on with their lives and eventually....change.

Anyway, it was good to see us back at least for one single simple video....while it lasted. Plans were made for a second one but the dream de-inflated and real personalities of each one came afloat making oneself hit a hard wall. Didn't see it coming but I kinda like thought about it lately.

People change....but dreams remain. At least in my head they will.
Maybe it was like my close friends said: "The music was your sole brainchild after all. Perhaps you needed a closure".
If it was like that then, as a good father, I will protect my child from loneliness.

Good bye hope....the music and the dream will be remembered always.

Utopía - finished and ready

At last...finally the new video complete.
Just done editing and it's up and ready to show!

Utopia last shooting day

Finally, we shot the second part of the videoclip was shot yesterday. It was gonna be a long drive to the deserts of San Bartolo and do some off-raoding.Started with some problems as usually every production has but was fixed quickly.

I was glad the location appealed everyone as it was a bit far but it was worth it. The results were awesome and the sky and sun was there with the precise position, the precise intensity, the wind was blowing not too fast, not to slow and the whole day was filled with fun and laugher and Toño Valero documenting all the behind the scenes with pictures and his little camcorder.The hawk and the trainer couldn't make it today but I'll do pick up shots of it probably on monday if possible as it has to be done way south outside of Lima. Maybe I'll arrange another nearby day.

We did a shot where a cape was used on top of a huge rock to to mimick a hawk and the wish to fly. We did it in sillohuette against the sun and the results were quite good. I loved the theatricality of the shot showing not an explicit but a more implied-artistic representation of the bird. Maybe if while editing I see this shot works better I'll just keep it and discard the real hawk shot....no matter if it's easy now to obtain it. I love those birds but the whole video idea is more important than bird.

For the long shots, the Nikon 80-200mm zoom was used and I think this was the best testing of it....now looking at the footage with the pro monitor at the studio it shows very clear, crisp and no color aberrations. Edge to edge sharpness was achieved and with the Canon 18-35mm there was no vignetting either. The Letus showed an incredible sweet bokeh and like I said...all the lighting and sun was perfect. Like if we paid it big bucks!



Hued the camera colors to the blues and cyans to jump one step in color correction in post.



So far, this HD footage takes quite long hours to render.At night we went to my good friend Jean Pierre Vismara's house. Although a bit far from the desert location (he lives in La Punta-Callao) and somewhat delayed in schedule, we finished fast.It was good to see him after almost two years. He was kind enough to lend me his house for the shooting. I shot there another videoclip in 2006 for Big Mike as a return of favors and he delivered. His house lends itself to lots of visuals as you can see on that video. And Rodolfo here stressed by the long hours of set up. He simply is not acustomed to audiovisual production scenarios and times. Impatient as he is it was such an ordeal to him to wait so long hours for shots that took actually minutes to do. You can see in his face his uneasiness....he is such a great guy. Very funny. Good old friend for the last 17 years!
It was a good day.

Hawks & Deserts

I have always digged hawks.

Since a child myself I have always admired the royal elegance of such a beautiful strong bird. It's typical silverish tone of the first one I saw in my life made it look like shining metal and so magestic it look soft and respected at the same time.

In psychology class back in college days I found out why I happened to relate myself to those birds, for its elegance and for its ability to soar high and away and always protect its bird family as they are very territorial and protective of what it considers its own. As corny as it sounds to some, I relate to that much.

Now, years later, I wanted to say such a strong image in the song "Utopia" while writing the lyrics and now, for this shot I have tried to get in contact with people that breed and train hawks and pray birds, and I finally got one!

Im just waiting to confirm for the hour they can get the falcon to our location in the deserts south of Lima. I went location scouting today and found a place close to what I had in mind with that dried-soil look to it.

So now....sunday is the day. It will be awesome to have finally a hawk for the takes.
Later that night, the pick up takes for the middle part of the song.

Color test of the "Utopía" videoclip

Here is the first color timing test of random clips from the video.
So far, so good.


UTOPIA videoclip color test from Juan Carlos Oganes on Vimeo.

Filming the Alter Ego video

So finally....the Utopía videoclip was shot on monday.
The day was packed with details that made it a frenzy one in production anecdotes.

Lighting took quite a while as the place was big and the main power box was a bit far from the shooting sets. We had a late start and had to push my singing shots to the end of the day and overrun our schedule ending time by three and a half hours. We wrapped for the day early morning the next day. Besides of that, it was good to see all the band together after years of being apart.

Establishing shots were done in 720p at 24fps using a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM, medium and tight tele shots were done with the Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD and Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF zoom lenses all using the Letus Extreme.

The HVX200 delivered beautiful colors and details but had to lower the V-detail a bit to get rid of the "video" sharpness and get closer to film edge-quality.

Tried far to hue the colors in-camera as not to overload post-production and rendering times. So far, on today's tests, it's giving me five hours per minute of video.
The Jib-arm bringed those floating shots I so love and raising up to 12 feet, it sure brought production value to the shots.
As always, my good old friend Aguinaga was with me on the lights and it was a good thing to work once again together after so many years and like on every job, he is quite ready for light directions I might have. Most of my latter work was done with him under and I must say he is not only a great professional but a great friend.

Here are some pics of the shooting.
The second day of shooting will be on the weekend.

Here below is a first color grading test of random clips from the video.

Utopía wardrobes

We went to pick up the wardrobes for the videoclip. The wardrobe maker is Emilio Montero, excellent professional and good friend. He makes costumes for the Lima Prolírica Opera and also the Zarzuela. I chose him not only because he is so talented in his craft, but also as HD captures every nuance in fabric and texture that we need to be very picky on things like this and he is the guy for it. Toño Valero also came with me, his guitar riffs are gonna look cool with wardrobes like this.

So far, this is what he has. I'm liking it!

"Utopía" videoclip getting close

Now as the day for the Alter Ego videoclip shooting comes close, I'm making visual examples to aid on the look style I want for it so I show my gaffers and crew. I always loved medieval, ancient, castle-like structures kinda like in the gothic arquictecture and for interiors the classy candle light ambiences. The song "Utopía" is dark and heavy so this bloomy and contrasty light/dark atmospehere need to resemble it. From wardrobe to make up, from scenography to lighting. All needs to be thought of well Tomorrow I'm checking for the type of cloth each band member fits to.


Here are some pics that exposes in a way the look I want to achieve for the clip.

The widescreen pictures are from Aaron Hobson that I happened to stumble on the net. Excellent work he does.

Another option

Still searching for a good location for the video and another option has come up in my mind: The Posada del Angel pub/bar. They keep in place antique old stuff that with precise lightning can look rather spooky or gothic and that's the look I want. The AAA is quite nice too but it comes with little light and no props that'd help achieve what we need.

The problem comes in the fact that saturday is a day chosen as everyone is free and in the city, but it's also a busy day for any pub/bar too....so let's see what we can come up with.
If we lock that place for us it would be awesome but we must be quick as the owner is a bit dodgy but I talked to him and I just need to know how much he is gonna charge me. The shooting day is getting closer!


UPDATE: We got the place!! I talked with the owner and we have the place. Now, off to keep the pre-prodcution going fast. Not all memebers are here in Lima or available at the same day or at the same hours. Wardrobe will be needed.

Alter Ego new video

The band....our band....

We had pretty good times back then playing concerts and the peruvian musical circuit.
I still meet and talk with some fellow members and some months ago, because of my new adquisition (the HD camera), we came up with the idea of shooting another videoclip for a song we wanted to have one for, so we chose "Utopia".

So far, Rodolfo Carreño, Toño valero, Israel Beltran "Putre" and Israel "Doom" Medina are on board. We tried to contact Miguel Flores but he is lost somewhere not returning calls. He doesnt even know why he is called so I don't think it's personal. He is just into his own stuff.

Not only "Utopia" has that dark/gothic sound to it but it is very majestic and gives a lot of imaginery to my mind. Besides testing the HD camera, getting back together for the day at least would be a very good thing to do and to remember.