Rolling…set…action!

A few months ago I spent a week on a film set creating unit stills.  What are unit stills?  They are the still images used to promote a film or tv show: used for the poster, social media, IMDb, and the website.  These images help sell the product, create interest among audiences and show the behind-the-scenes process of filming.

"Moon Blood" is a short film written and produced by Benny Laurence and directed by Mark A. Burley. It is a period comedy set in the prehistoric era. Amy, the lead character played by Anjelica Bette Fellini, navigates art, family, and the patriarchy with twists and turns along the way. 

I faced a massive learning curve.  I was working on the periphery, trying to capture everything on the shot list without disrupting the creative team or shooting during filming. Making sure to get shots of each actor in character and each member of the crew without interrupting the flow of the day.  Working in exceptionally low light conditions pushing my camera to its limits.

Here are some things I learned.

• Making a movie is a massive TEAM effort.  Each member of the crew understood their role and worked tirelessly to contribute.

• COLLABORATION rules the day.  The director was an exceptional leader - constantly checking in with the crew for feedback, clearly asking for what he wanted, working with the writer to adjust on the fly, providing encouragement and positive feedback when needed.  

• The days are LONG.  We had days with 5:00 am call times and late nights. Not one complaint.

• The actors are committed and GIFTED.  Watching them shoot scenes over and over again from every possible angle and adjust their performances quickly based on notes from the director was awe-inspiring.  The next time you watch an emotional scene with an actor crying, think about how many time they had to give that performance.

I shot over 2600 photos that week and spent days culling and editing to get the images the team will be sharing in the coming months. Work on "Moon Blood" continues.  It is in post-production and will be coming to a film festival near you. It is a timely story that will cause you to laugh, cry and think about art and society.  See it if you are able!

Warmest,

Lisa

PS - I shot and created the movie poster.  Check it out below.