Barrage: The Making of a Short Film - Introduction
(as posted on ECR - http://www.electriccityr.com/index.php)
Hello, my name is Craig Cirelli, CFP Board Member and writer, producer and director of "Barrage" - a short film for the upcoming Community Film Project's CFP Shorts series, which kicks off early this summer at Endless Mountain Theater. "Barrage" is one of ten short films taking part in this event.
The idea for "Barrage" came to me last summer, after I had just finished editing "Cubes" - a feature-length film directed by Jason Sherry. Jason and I had been kicking around an idea for a feature-length action movie for some time, but we knew the next year would be spent promoting "Cubes". So when the first CFP Shorts series was announced, I decided to write an action / sci-fi short. I knew I wanted to make a movie that was loud, fast, and entertaining. I wanted it to have as much action as possible, and at the same time, I wanted the characters to be interesting. Finally, I just wanted to make a movie that has bullets flying and stuff getting blown up.
Early on, I realized there were going to be some challenges making this film. First, the story takes place soon after WWII. I needed authentic clothing, gear, and weapons (three of my four characters are soldiers). CFP President Jeff Fowler found most of what I needed at a local flea market (Sugarman's), so I borrowed a few things and bought the rest for $70. I also borrowed some hollowed-out grenades and an M1 Carbine rifle from a friend. I made my bazooka for $6 using PVC from Lowe's and some old green spray paint.
Second, this movie needed to be shot entirely outdoors, in the woods.. in late February / early March. I was completely at the mercy of the weather. Of course, the first scheduled shoot was snowed out.. so we decided to hold a rehearsal that afternoon. The following Sunday we had a sunny day and I was able to shoot a little more than half of the footage I needed, which was my goal for the day. The second (and final) shoot was completely rained out, so we re-scheduled for this Sunday, 3/26. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Third - hopefully without giving too much away - quite a few shots in "Barrage" require some heavy effects. Explosions, bullet hits, smoke, and models - all added during post-production using 3D and effects software. Even though this is a short film, these shots will be very time consuming to pull off the right way. Also, there are a few things I need to learn, pretty much along the way. I've always been a big fan of project-based learning. There's no greater motivation than a hard deadline, and people tapping their toes waiting for you to get something done.
So I have some long nights ahead of me to get this all done by late April, but I'm really enjoying the work. And my actors (Jason Sherry, Ellen O'Brien, Joe Palumbo, and Jack Evans) make my job a lot easier too - they are unbelievably talented and bring years of experience to this project. My brother Russell Cirelli is handling sound effects and music, and my friend Rocco Castellano helped write the final screenplay and sketched out some early model designs. This project would not be happening without any of the people mentioned above.
I'll post here hopefully once per week during the next month or so. Feel free to leave comments, ask questions, or contact me via the Community Film Project web site (www.communityfilmproject.org). Check out the photos from our first shoot (and a few other CFP Shorts films) here:
http://www.communityfilmproject.org/blog/2006/03/behind-scenes-photos.html
Hello, my name is Craig Cirelli, CFP Board Member and writer, producer and director of "Barrage" - a short film for the upcoming Community Film Project's CFP Shorts series, which kicks off early this summer at Endless Mountain Theater. "Barrage" is one of ten short films taking part in this event.
The idea for "Barrage" came to me last summer, after I had just finished editing "Cubes" - a feature-length film directed by Jason Sherry. Jason and I had been kicking around an idea for a feature-length action movie for some time, but we knew the next year would be spent promoting "Cubes". So when the first CFP Shorts series was announced, I decided to write an action / sci-fi short. I knew I wanted to make a movie that was loud, fast, and entertaining. I wanted it to have as much action as possible, and at the same time, I wanted the characters to be interesting. Finally, I just wanted to make a movie that has bullets flying and stuff getting blown up.
Early on, I realized there were going to be some challenges making this film. First, the story takes place soon after WWII. I needed authentic clothing, gear, and weapons (three of my four characters are soldiers). CFP President Jeff Fowler found most of what I needed at a local flea market (Sugarman's), so I borrowed a few things and bought the rest for $70. I also borrowed some hollowed-out grenades and an M1 Carbine rifle from a friend. I made my bazooka for $6 using PVC from Lowe's and some old green spray paint.
Second, this movie needed to be shot entirely outdoors, in the woods.. in late February / early March. I was completely at the mercy of the weather. Of course, the first scheduled shoot was snowed out.. so we decided to hold a rehearsal that afternoon. The following Sunday we had a sunny day and I was able to shoot a little more than half of the footage I needed, which was my goal for the day. The second (and final) shoot was completely rained out, so we re-scheduled for this Sunday, 3/26. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Third - hopefully without giving too much away - quite a few shots in "Barrage" require some heavy effects. Explosions, bullet hits, smoke, and models - all added during post-production using 3D and effects software. Even though this is a short film, these shots will be very time consuming to pull off the right way. Also, there are a few things I need to learn, pretty much along the way. I've always been a big fan of project-based learning. There's no greater motivation than a hard deadline, and people tapping their toes waiting for you to get something done.
So I have some long nights ahead of me to get this all done by late April, but I'm really enjoying the work. And my actors (Jason Sherry, Ellen O'Brien, Joe Palumbo, and Jack Evans) make my job a lot easier too - they are unbelievably talented and bring years of experience to this project. My brother Russell Cirelli is handling sound effects and music, and my friend Rocco Castellano helped write the final screenplay and sketched out some early model designs. This project would not be happening without any of the people mentioned above.
I'll post here hopefully once per week during the next month or so. Feel free to leave comments, ask questions, or contact me via the Community Film Project web site (www.communityfilmproject.org). Check out the photos from our first shoot (and a few other CFP Shorts films) here:
http://www.communityfilmproject.org/blog/2006/03/behind-scenes-photos.html
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