Last day of the year at the morro

Last day of the year spent at the top of the morro. It was mostly artillery blasts and horse jumps. Asked for three horses and someone made the odd selection of sending me in the same truck two females with a "entire" (testicles not removed) male one, affecting many times my filming schedule as the male was very unquiet and running all the time to the females to mount them. It may sound funny to read but realizing that it was done on purpose to bother the guy who I rented the white horse from (because of a personal quarrel by the owner of the other two) bothered not only him but me. Specially when having tight schedules for filming exterior scenes.

Filming at the top of the morro has its advantages and disadvantages. For certain hours there's clear skies with lots of burning sun and then a few hours later it's all covered in fog, cloudy skies and a wind that affects my boom microphone even when having the softie windscreen on. Filming in extreme conditions is quite a hassle and very challenging.

Pushing those heavy cannons up the hill where we film

Pushing those heavy cannons up the hill where we film

Film shot pass-thru

More and his Vavasseur overseeing the foggy ocean down below

Ugarte

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The best team

Love these people

Extras playing chilean soldiers

De la Cruz Salvo

Applying a bit of soil to the uniforms to make them look worn

Kaboom!

But, it was fine in the end being just an anecdote among the many of this film.

After putting under cover the cannons and rifles away from the elements, we all came down tired but ready to spend new year's eve with our families.

Here I am, sitting down just a few before the midnight of december 31, 2011 and it's inevitable to do a deep thorough meditation of all the things passed during this whole year. I can't say it has been easy. In fact, it is the most difficult year professionally speaking. Very challenging and extremely stressful. Have lost chunks of hair because of falling debris and rocks during filming, bayonet cuts and rifle blows apart from the never ending tan-over-tan all on my arms and neck (I know I must wear sunblock but I'm somewhat irresponsible on those matters), Army issues that have made me feel so alone on this and very emotionally drained; money issues regarding the huge amounts of resources spent on making this thing happen, but also meeting and knwoing beautiful noble people who has shared and is sharing this dream with me. Helping me onboard and also putting their own efforts to push this thing forward.

But the final words are of thankfulness. Thankfulnes to life, to love, to family, to friendship and to God for helping me thru this: love of friends and family who support and make this heavy load a bit lighter and to God for being next to me all along even when I think I'm alone on this. He definitely is giving me such a lesson of life here for it is a constant exercise of patience, will, stamina, anger management, hope and love even to the ones who have affected me all these year much to their joy of not having it their own way or me not bribing them.

In the end, life has its own natural way of balancing everyone's existence and leaves next to you the people who matter. I'm glad I'm having here next to me those ones. The rest has simply gone behind this wonderful year that has given me not only hurdles but lots of lessons and satisfactions.

Happy New Year 2012 everyone!!!! :)

Preparing the run aground of the Independencia scene

It's Tuesday 26 and getting ready the scenario and set for the run aground of the peruvian Independencia ship. The scene involves ocean water flooding and fire plus explosions inside the armored ship because of the bombing happening outside. It also involves fire shooting of the sailors desperately trying to control the damage caused by underwater rocks. Navy officer Guillermo More is
in command (played by my actor friend Manuel Rojas) ordering black sailors aboard.
It is to be the flashback memories of him during his explanation to Bolognesi's question about it in front of Ugarte and Inclan the night before the Arica morro siege.

We will be also filming in the San Lorenzo island because of the clear waters surrounding it that would allow me to film underwater as the Peruvian sailors are shot to death by enemy fire.

Such a dangerous and delicate scene but happy that the Navy will help me with transportation to the island and also with the use of old ship metal shell inner casing so I can destroy it and open holes in the walls to allow for the water pumps to shoot pressured sea water in it.

The rest is just good acting and camera moves.

On monday I'll be doing some tests for fire control, lighting, how big the explosions would have to be and how much heat build-up will happen inside. Lenses would get really foggy and also my camera handles at least 50 Celsious and I don't want it to melt during filming!!

Let's see what happens. I'm very excited to shoot this scene!!

Second visit to the Morro Solar

As part of my second location scouting and preparing of the Morro de Arica battle scenes (the first one was back in 2009 as posted here: http://www.juancarlosoganes.net/2009/10/checking-locations-for-battle-scenes.html , some of the extras and me decided to go up to the top of the Morro Solar in Chorrillos. It is a steep, rocky and narrow road uphill that can be somewhat dangerous at times.
I wonder still how all equipment like hundreds of wardrobe, rifles, accesories, canons, sandbags and camera equipmetn are gonna be brought up there. It is a narrow road up.

The day was pretty cloudy and half way uphill it was heavily foggy not to mention the top where one could hardly see past 20 meters ahead. The wind was blowing hard and it even rained for a bit and we were all wet.

The extras wandered around to look for old bullet shells and stumbled into a few covered in green rust.

Humidity was so thick that all our shirts and hair became moist and wet. I could only show just a few parts of where I plan to shoot the scenes and Bolognesi's death.

I have to return to start preparing the scenario for the film shots.

Our navy hero Guillermo More was the commander of the Morro artillery and had at his disposal a 250 lbs. Vavasseur and two 100 lbs. Parrot cannons. As it would be extremely difficult to transport those very heavy large-scale artillery up there I'm planning to construct from scratch two of those cannons at natural scale replica together with their big bullets.

I'll shop around for possible materials to make it sturdy but light to carry around. Something easy to disassemble and assemble anywhere.

Sitting down to make some schematics.

More Peruvian and Chilean officer hats.

Finished two more hats for Baquedano and Lagos.
I had already made those like a month and a half ago but I'm making two more for some important characters as during battle scenes and filming they can get worn out or damaged. Filming in disorder sometimes allows continuity inconsistencies to happen so, this is my way of making sure none of that happens and get all accidents covered.

Also made four Navy hats. One for Guillermo More, one for Sanchez Lagomarsino (Ship-of-the-line Captains and Frigate Lieutenant respectively) and two more for lesser rank officers.

Tomorrow I'll finish hats for an Infantry Sargent and a Captain.
So far, looking good!

UPDATE: Here are two more hats for a sublieutenant and an lieutenant colonel.

UPDATE: Finished more forage caps: One for a Chilean colonel and another for the Granaderos a Caballo regiment.