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Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...
Marsell
USC student Film

Saturday October 06, 2012
Audition
I had submitted for the USC student film project Marsell; the project's writer/director sent me an audition invitation, a Saturday morning audition creating no issue with my local-time 5-7pm weekly radio show The Paranormal View co-hosting duties.
As always I arrived early and, the role being that of a package-delivery man, I wore my khaki outfit I'd acquired for custodian, groundskeeper and security guard type roles.
The shoot would be the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, of October 20-21st.

Thursday October 11, 2012
Callback
Callbacks for student films are extremely rare, but the director invited a handful of those she wanted to see again.
I took precautions due to precipitation (I don't quantify a few droplets officially as Rain, even if more persistant than a mist), and arrived, finding the different campus building with enough time to change into the khaki outfit. I had brought the light colour clothing in a plastic bag in case Actual Rain kicked in.
After the director finished up with a fellow before me, I came in and we ran the short script together, which consists of a few lines, both off-screen (outside the door), and the other on screen as I enter. The director and I spoke of the shoot, still scheduled for the same weekend (I told her I'd had Set Aside that weekend's date/s, Just In Case), the shoot would be in a private domicile in a loft area downtown, in a neighbourhood to which it would be enough for me to get.
As I went to leave, the director and I indicated even if I wasn't chosen for this project, she has my information for future projects. As she went to close the door she comically stage-whispered: "You've got the part..."

Monday October 15, 2012
Scheduling
The director contacted me with details on the weekend; a few hours Saturday morning rehearsing, then shooting on Sunday.
Cast in the lead role was working actress Dianna Miranda, whose demo reels convey her considerable talent.
Sunday Diana would have an 11am calltime, mine being 1pm, with a scheduled wrap time of 6pm (and apparently a 2pm lunch; with a McDonalds around the corner, I would not have to go far if I had to forage). This seemed probable; if she has a good shot-list planned out, and the rehearsing helped demonstrate how Sunday can go, it was clear the script was indeed short enough it might only take a few hours to get all the coverage in the can.
The director indicating having acquired a patch that could be double-stick-tape affixed to my khaki outfit shirt to reflect my being from a delivery service.

Saturday October 20, 2012
Rehearsal
It was an easy location east of downtown Los Angeles, one block away from the route 60 7th Street/Mateo bus stop. The director greeted me at the door and led me back to her sister's impressive loft at which we'd be shooting the next day. I met Dianna, who volunteered that her husband is the show runner for one of my favourite shows, Dexter, even once Dianna having appeared thereon.
We filled out some of our USC paperwork (the rather pointless medical information form; the actor release forms would be provided and handled the next day). ran through our scene together at the door a few times, and the director was able to plot out what shot would be where, as apart from writer and director, she was the project cinematographer. I left with her my shirt so at some point overnight she could affix the delivery patch onto it (the aspect of which for some reason never actually did get done)..

Sunday October 21, 2012
Shoot
The director provided us with the callsheet, as well as the day's shot-list, also asking about food allergies and the like. I provided her with my likes and dislikes, none of which from either was provided; thankfully I knew of the nearby McDonalds at 7th and Alameda so stopped there first, still arriving at 11:35am for my noon calltime. At 12:05pm, Jay Cohen came to the front to escort me to the back as understandably, no one had their phones audible to hear my incoming text/s that I'd arrived.
As Heiki had indicated the day before, the short was filmed pretty much in chronological order. Jay and Yuchen Yang were the crew, along with make-up artist Andrea Lamparello, who did Gabriel Cifarelli and Dianna's special effects make-up (I was fine, as generally is the case when it's Just Me).
The film was scheduled to wrap at 6pm; my sequence was completed by 5:15 or so, which included the scene with Dianna and some voice-over lines recorded without video. Dianna still had a few pick-up shots to do after I was wrapped; Gabrielle was wrapped after my film was shot and before I did the voice-over lines.
During the day it was discussed the hope of the film hits the film festival circuit, and it looks like it should quite good when it's completed.
The director emailed us later, thanking us all for our work, indicating some still included but somehow the photos didn't properly attach to the email. As it was I took a few behind-the-scene shots myself for my Facebook group and for this page.

Click on thumbnail for Full Image
Geoffrey Gould with our now-anonymous the director and Dianna Miranda behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
With now-anonymous director
and Dianna Miranda
Gabriel Cifarelli and now-anonymous director behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
Gabriel Cifarelli
Geoffrey Gould with now-anonymous director and Dianna Miranda behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
With now-anonymous director
and Dianna Miranda
Gabriel Cifarelli behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
Gabriel Cifarelli
Gabriel Cifarelli, Andrea Lamparello, Yuchen Yang, the director, behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
Gabriel Cifarelli with
Andrea Lamparello,
and Yuchen Yang
Gabriel Cifarelli with Andrea Lamparello and Yuchen Yang behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
Gabriel Cifarelli with
Andrea Lamparello and
Yuchen Yang
Gabriel Cifarelli, the director, Dianna Miranda behind the scenes, working on ''Marsell''
With Gabriel Cifarelli in front, our
now-anonymous director reminds me
and Dianna Miranda what happens
when actors forget their lines...

Sunday December 16, 2012
Complete
The director contacted me that the film was finished, and provided me with a .mov file that my computer's QuickTime and Nero player couldn't handle. She assured me she would be sending me a hardcopy DVD, and provided me with a Private Vimeo link at which to view it online, from which I was able to get a few frame-grabs. My on-screen time is about as brief as I expected for the well-done 4:13 minute short.
I look forward to learning when it is accepted at film festivals.

A few frame grabs from the finished product:
Click on thumbnail for Full Image
Frame grab from the USC student film ''Marsell'' Frame grab from the USC student film ''Marsell'' Frame grab from the USC student film ''Marsell''
Frame grab from the USC student film ''Marsell''

Sunday October 21, 2012
Why did the tenant even bother allowing the shoot?
The director contacted me that the unnamed tenant found this page (or "just" the photos hereon), and "requested" photos of the flat and the wall artwork be removed. While the artwork was barely visible in two of the Behind The Scene photos; for those and the other Behind The Scene photos I blacked out surrounding aspects beyond the cast and crew. As this is not unprecedented, I simply removed all anything that might "identify" the flat.
As the short is the short, I did not and will not touch the frame-grabs. If the tenant wants those removed, the tenant is welcome first to financially produce an entire Remake of the short which can be promoted, and frame grabs from that alternate location can be utilized.

Sunday April 07, 2013
Most puzzling student film project request ever
I received another email from the director, thanking me for augmenting the behind-the-scenes photos, but then presented me with the most baffling request yet of a student film project.
I could understand the apartment tenant's request not to "identify" the location visually with behind the scenes photos. Well, no, actually I am completely at a loss to that request, as it implies the director would have to soft-focus any location background and leave only the principal performers in focus for the viewable short film.
But even more puzzlingly, the director requested removing any direct identifying reference/s to her, not just the photos, but from the text as well. To me the situation is analogous to a name film director with an good to excellent finished product demanding his/her name not be associated with the project, which I can't fathom, considering the entertainment industry is one of contacts and networking, and not "Who You Know" as much as "Who Knows You."
But, as requested, I re-augmented the above photos to remove her visage, and omitted her proper and surname from the text.
(Nothing I can do about any pre-augmentated cached pages still floating out there on the internet.)
Based on that request, I would have to logically presume if the film is accepted at film festivals, she won't be doing any Q&A afterwards, even if she attends.


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