Reynaldo and Pold: Two generations and their views of the past.

Starting the second week of filming on-location at one of the most beautiful districts in Lima: Barranco. Started with short shots of Chilean soldiers dismantling and destroying the electric batteries that power up the mines in Arica.

At last, working on one of the few remaining scenes of the film with Reynaldo Arenas and Pold Gastello as Vicente and Juan Diego respectively. Funny fact that I asked them to be in the film around a year ago and finally the time has come. Pold plays Juan Diego, Vicente's only son and Reynaldo plays Vicente, an ill bed-ridden, 75 year old war veteran beaten by life.

Doing the part of a war survivor and his son, Reynaldo and Pold are such a joy to work with. This is our third film together and so much like the fact that I get to work without the pressure of time and space as we are filming in a turn-of-the-century house in Barranco, just a block away from its plaza and close to all the old and warm places Barranco is so much loved for. We all (but actors) stay to sleep here as we start very early. Love old houses. Some here think there's some stuff going on at nightime but haven't heard or seen anything.

Their parts are truly vital, as their scenes delicately knit and connect all the dots for all the duration of this feature.

Making a 1929 room.

Making Reynaldo look 75.

Script go-thru.

Mustache.

Vicente's dormitory.

China ball as a fill light.

Making gray hair.

Screen capture: Reynaldo as Vicente. 1929.

Screen capture.

Screen capture: Pol as Juan Diego, Vicente's son.

Screen capture.

Screen capture: Letters from the past.

Screen capture: Teachings.

More wardrobe in the making

Frenzy stuff all around preparing things for last week shots together with choosing the right fabrics for the new Timotea Vernal, Alfonso Ugarte and Rosa Vernal ballroom dance scene. So far, so good.
Makes me remember those months back in 2010 when buying fabrics for all the uniforms. The prior maker for the actresses wardrobe did a great job but wasn't fast enough and the stalling simply got on my nerves so we had to find another one that could do the job.

Lima's downtown fabric stores are a great spot for finding good deals on amazing fabrics. Just the colors inspire to make dresses better than what you had pictured initially. I know some people would ask themselves why I'm doing this all (shopping for fabrics, designing them, etc.) when there are other professionals that could do it. The answer is simple: work-style and budget. Maybe a few know that I'm making this feature fully self-funded and we are all able to do it by cutting some corners and applying all the learned experience of years in the field, and one of those things is making things yourself. A pro actor in a thater group (or troupe) does and applies his own makeup, dresses himself and takes care of the art department himself. Perhaps some would think its just pure ego but its not. It simply oriental teachings. I am not a costume designer and my time with other stuff in the film really fills up my day, but I'm putting in practice all those studies at theater school back in the 90's. One thing that the ETUC taught us is that an actor should do it all in the field and we were taught that way. No wonder our courses were on make-up, prosthetics, wardrobe, singing, lighting (for theater but I use the film techniques on this), even ballet dance (just basic. A course I disliked though :P ) and above all: mysticism in everything. What I mean is the respect one should have for all aspects of one's job and the discipline to endure long work hours. Our teachers used oriental discipline on us normally found on the Kabuki or No japanese theater and the essence is what remained in many of us. I thank all those theater years. Without it I'd just be knowing film tech stuff and not the artistic stuff too. :)

Anyway, doing tests for Juan Diego character's wardrobe also. Year set to be 1929 when Tacna returned to motherland Peru, 49 years after the battle of Arica.

Still half-way done, the progress seems to be going well.

Timotea's dress half-way done.

The back side. That border is a bit darker than expected. Need to check that.

Lucrecia's dress in the making.

Timotea's dress. Showing details to the maker.

Choosing the right fabrics.

One gets inspiration from all things.

Juan Diego wardrobe. 1929.

The texture in this one is amazing.

Have in hand a picture from the era.

The semi-shine of these fabrics will look good on Rosa Vernal.

The textured fabric for Rosa Vernal's dress left and right sides.

Difficult decisions. Beautiful fabrics.

How finishing touches will look like this.

Choosing the right fabric colors for Rosa Vernal's dress.

Looking at the past

Getting ready now to film the scenes with Rosa Vernal (Alfonso Ugarte's mother). All these is finally approaching its end and will be wrapping up in March with Reynaldo Arenas and Pold Gastello's war survivor scenes.

I guess the last things to be filmed will be just the special effects shots of the war ship models and green screen sailors to be placed in them and motion-tracked to follow the ship's moves. Will be a bit of a challenge but pushing the digital effects has been quite a ride so far and looking good. Thinking of doing the water all in digital form for mimicking waves to be in the appropriate proportion to the miniature ship models (almost 2 meters long each) is a bit of dilemma still to be resolved. In case it is, then it will all be shot entirely real. I'm still thinking hard and checking out some old school techniques.

Looking back on all the war battle scenes footage and the interior ones makes me feel wistful. All the efforts, all the hurdles, all the mishaps and all the troubles gone thru to make these all happen is simply such an exciting thing and like a dream come true. Must be similar to a mother giving birth to its child. 12 films already and I haven't felt this big of a excitement. Its yet my most demanding and ambitious film so far. That's why I thank all who have helped make my dream come true once more. So far...the biggest one.

Quite a ride all these years...
I thank the Lord above and all my good friends for helping me make this happen :)