Ballroom gala scene: Timotea Vernal's dreams

Preparing these last weeks for one of the last "connecting scenes" or "pickup shots" -whatever you call it- and it has finally arrived.

This last thrusday and friday, we shot a connecting scene of one of Timotea Vernal flashbacks and another Alfonso Ugarte flashback with his mother Rosa Vernal.

Small scene onscreen but quite heavy production-wise for we had to gather mostly light-skin people with the actors as it was a high-class ballroom gala party in Iquique thrown by the governor. Back in the XIX century, class differences were quite marked specially in race and skin color so the historical accuracy demanded it.

Props and stuff were brought in and all the women's wardrobe done in the past months were used. Looked awesome onscreen! The male wardrobe was rented. Planned to make them too but if it was just gonna be used for these scene, it wasn't worth the expense.

Lighting the scene was quite tricky as -not being a built set but an old house- we couldn't hide very well the light stands so some shots need rotoscopy to delete them digitally. Another pain in the ass, but....there was no other way around it. No rigging was allowed in the ceiling for the house is protected (its a landmark building).

Expected to start filming by 11am, we ended up shooting around 4pm...way much late than expected as hairdos and makeup of all extras and actors took quite longer. Even with many make-up artists onset. Also, women were the most time-consuming, as petticoats, undergarments, collars, hair-locks, bags, gloves and hand fans required much assisting. Regardless, the scenes ended up looking beautiful.

The gala ballroom scene.

Last directions before filming.

Checking the wardrobe.

The dresses take first seat in these scenes.

Supervising the makeup.

Some extras practicing the moves.

Used an old wheelchair to follow the actors move freely around the ball room.

Giving directions to Bolognesi and Weguelin.

Sweating under the lights. Weguelin and Bolognesi.

René, dance expert, teaching the moves to the main actors.

Before the dance scene.

The good old clapboard.

Young gentlemen and their ladies.

   

Screen capture: Timotea Vernal and her chaperone Lucrecia.

Screen capture:Alfonso Ugarte, her mother Rosa Vernal and Timotea Vernal.

Screen capture: Alfonso Ugarte meets Timotea.

Screen capture: Bolognesi talking with Carlos Weguelin.

Screen capture: The ballroom gala party scene. Dozens of extras.

It's a wrap! Most of us all for the last picture of the filming day.

Almost reaching the last post-production process

As we reach the last portion of Gloria del Pacifico's post production process, website development and all written media is produced. Interviews are coming like meteors showers and thinking on just giving out two more for the remaining month and part of March as I don't want to saturate the public's eyes and ears with overexposure.

Meanwhile, the brochure we made back in 2012 is simply up to standards. The website keeps and the respects the same design. Here is the cover. Sharing permission is allowed within Wikimedia Commons license.

Brochure cover for Gloria del Pacifico.

Radio interview at Radio Santa Rosa

And another interview today but this time on the radio. " En Frecuencia" show at radio Santa Rosa to talk again about Gloria del Pacifico. Could explain more in detail stuff about the film as more time was available and keep thanking some of the people that supported me all these years with their presence and participation. :)

Another TV interview at No Culpes A La Noche

No Culpes a la Noche TV show with Mathias Brivio tonight at Canal N. Thirty-minute interview and able to talk more things about Gloria del Pacifico.

TV report for Gloria del Pacifico

More than pleased for today's TV exclusive report. Another one of more to come in the next weeks.
Extremely happy to witness the reaction natiowide right after and seen on Twitter, Facebook, this blog and the website. More than 350 emails and contacts asking for more info about the film and congratulating the effort.

I thank each and everyone of you who wrote and expressed their admiration and support for this.
Finally...another dream coming true...and for my beloved nation.

Gloria del Pacifico film score sessions

A new year. A new set of 365 days to do much more for everyone and for oneself. Family time was interrupted by a slight swell in the throat only to develop in a full flu near new year's eve. Just coming out of this nasty illness today.

Today was the 5th day of Gloria del Pacifico's film score recording sessions. Micky Tejada's music captures close emotions to what I want to portray in the film. Sometimes it takes time for a musician to understand you but he was quick to pick up what was needed. Specially now that time is truly a matter. Really need to rush this out and finish the film post-production process for the music was the last thing that was holding me back.

After first recordings of timbale drums and percussion, tuba and trombone sessions were covered today. Hot in here like hell but the sound was super cool. We are simply doubling certain parts to make them sound like a full orchestra (overdubs) because budget doesn't allow contracting 120 musicians at the same time. Done overdubs back in the 90's when I used to record my rock band Alter Ego so this isn't new but quite a familiar technique.

I'm very excited about how all is developing. Can't wait to see this finally done and mixed with the film's images.

Thoughts

Reaching the end of 2013 in a few weeks and I'm getting close to the ending of the post-production process. Still a few months away from it but since April 2013, the act of being here sitting everyday in front of the computer is paying its toll on me. The carpal tunnel syndrome is kicking in I guess for my wrist and forearm feels quite stressed and like if a nerve is being pressed inside. Not to mention the eye strain  and headache. Still a few things need to be covered and help was coming my way from a person I believed in which offered support. A heaven-sent support which truly made me happy and calm but, in the end I guess it was all just talk for the person just disappeared without any explanation. All support is welcome but only destiny shows who's who in life and I feel its very wrong that a person plays with one's hopes and needs in these times of known stress. Sad but that's life.

But still, this is something I fought for for years and without much support it's all progressing. Slower perhaps than I expected but God above provides sooner or later. Total believer on that. I just hope its soon. After 4 years, its truly physically draining but its a goal I have placed on me and it will develop fine.

Honored

November 27, Infantry Day and there was a special ceremony held at the Infantry Legion attended by many officers and ex Commander-in-Chief's as well as a representative of the one in office now.

Was invited to showcase parts of the film and I feel joy to be decorated and honored for " Gloria del Pacifico" and how it will serve the nation. Also joined the Legion as an honorific member. Good to see many officers and former ones that have helped in a way to make this endeavor a reality.

A digital playground in my studio

"Having fun" with the tiresome work of rotoscopy. In this final stage of post-production for "Gloria del Pacifico", chose what scenes needed digital touch-ups and composite work and so far its around 120!!

Started two weeks ago with all the battle scenes digital composites and rotoscopy and its such a pain in the butt for its complexity (CG explosions that match the original ones on camera, bullet trails, sound effects, wire removal, sky replacement, color-grading, etc). My Wacom drawing tablet comes in handy for this fine-detailed job as precision needs to be of a surgical manner.

Also, I'm very happy that technology has progressed quite a bit since starting this film a few years ago as many things I envisioned originally had to be toned down in order to make them "filmable" with the logictics I had. Now, I'm pushing all my savvyness forward with digital compositions and things.

Since April been in this editing process and its now a month so far that I have a sidekick helping with it and things seems to move along faster. With working hours from 10am until midnight, its still a matter of a couple of months from today that the film will be complete. Meetings with sponsors are coming along all these weeks and I'm putting all my brain and emotions into this.

Now back to work.

Morro de Arica digital composite

Mmm....Inspiration....

Editing days -as many in the field would know- are quite time-demanding and concentration-packed. It even gets to a point where I lose track of time and space and without noticing, it is already evening. Pulling aproximately 14 hours non-stop (only to eat and stretch) is rewarding when results start to pay off. Difficult scenes like the Heroes Oath or Bolognesi's Answer are past now and the inmiment ending battle scenes for "Gloria del Pacifico" are closer.

Sometimes, even though it is a post-production job (I'm in the editing stage yet), one day or two I devote to some elaborate digital montage or compositions to know if the things filmed prior-hand will look as planned, like this one here for example.

Chilean Sargeant Major De la Cruz Salvo was ordered by general Baquedano to blast peruvian fortresses far away at the morro with his artillery from a hill afar. The original footage (shot back in December 2011...wow, almost 2 years from now!) was filmed at the top of the Morro Solar facing the sea toward the Chira beach. Waited for the time that would somewhat match the correct time this event happened for real. As you can see from a still capture of the orginal footage, far below theres a long strip of beachland and a flat surface inland and a small strip of hills that enter a bit into the sea. That natural beach curve resembles nicely the real Arica bay and that hill afar is where the actual Morro de Arica would be, so the task was to put behind the actors and far away, the morro, the town-city of Arica, the train station and railroad track near the beach and the Manco Capac monitor ship floating in the bay with natural reflections in the water.

Being a moving shot, the camera rises to reveal more of the city below and see an actor enter the frame obscuring the morro afar. Got myself some pictures of the morro I had taken last year when in Arica from atypical angles I'd need for the film scenes, the rest would need to be taken from pics found online of other mountanius formation and shape them/blend them in Photoshop and import them into my digital video compositor. Some frame-by-frame rotoscopy had to be made in order to separate the actors and soldiers into layers from far away objects. The Manco Capac ship is a picture taken of the miniature I had made some time ago for other scenes near the end. Being a far away object and in the sea, motion was not needed so just a picture would do the job. Only thing was to just match the angle of view and lighting. Far below, the city was made in a 3D program and the peruvian fortresses of Ciudadela and Este were also done with some sand-bag trench pictures together with pics of my cannons and put together afar with the flag and pole. At the top of the morro afar, the big Vavasseur and More's battery together with the big peruvian flag. Motion track the footage, color correct it and apply some digital fog in the background and the shot is ready to rock n' roll!!

The original footage shot at the Morro Solar here back in 2011. Lots to rotoscopy and form the layers.

Layer compositing.

Peruvian flags composited to be placed atop the morro.

Pictures of the cannons made for the film.

3D city of old Arica to be placed below.

Final touches and color correction.

The final shot: screen capture of the final digital composite 2 days later.

 Now....off to sleep and continue editing the film tomorrow. Just a happy moment of a task achieved. :)

Editing the Hero's Oath and Bolognesi's Answer scenes

A few days ago I just finished editing the scene known in history as the "Hero's Oath" (Juramentación de los Heroes), event that happened in real life on May 28, 1880, two days after the Alto de la Alianza battle and ten days before the Morro's siege. The curious thing is that now -october 2013- I'm editing scenes shot back in January 2011...two and a half years later!!

Editing & Post-Production: the final stage.

It is indeed a long but important scene and moment in the development of Gloria del Pacifico's storyline and in the war itself. Any history buff will enjoy as much as I did seeing all the heroes sitting next to each other in a big table dining and discussing possible scenarios and strategies. Also important in it is that Crl. Agustin Belaunde pissed off everyone by stating that it would be better to surrender. An action that caused quite a stir in the other officers and cemented his reputation as a coward in the future (4 days later he would defect Arica and his batallion and escape into the night). Such a pleasure to have actor Juan Manuel Ochoa portray this character in all its glory.

Screen capture: Crl. Agustin Belaunde (Juan Manuel Ochoa)

Preapring the shot.

Today, just started editing the Bolognesi's Answer scene (La Respuesta de Bolognesi) and excited to give form and shape to one of peruvian history's most recognized and heroic moment ever giving birth to the most known phrase of all time: "I have sacred duties to fulfill and I'll fulfill them until I burn the last cartridge" (Tengo deberes sagrados que cumplir y los cumpliré hasta quemar el último cartucho).

This scene gives me such an emotion as it's probably the culprit of all I'm doing this for: Fatherland sense renewal and renovation of our heroes's deeds.

The dining scene.

Behind the scenes: The heroe's oath: an important scene.

Being part of history in a way here....

Screen capture: Bolognesi's answer scene: a paramount moment.

Behind the scenes: Filming the answer scene.