SHOOTING THE END OF THE WORLD ENDS IN GREENWATER >>>
The ant can't act.
I return to the set of Koinonia last Monday, and the shooting has moved indoors. Struggling through a post-apocalyptic world, John (played by Tony Doupe) finds temporary shelter inside an abandoned house. He awakes one morning to the sight of an ant crawling up the wall next to him. Well, he would if only the six-legged buddy we wrangled would cooperate just a bit.
It must have gotten too cozy inside the mini-trailer director Andrew Finnigan made, because the thing refused to stay on the wall long enough for cameraman Sam Graydon to get a decent close-up. Luckily after a few takes, gravity loses and the bug's camera shyness wears off.
The shooting that week continues smoothly, thanks to a well-oiled machine of a crew, particularly its leader Finnigan. Most setups require only one or two takes before he wants to moves on. Finnigan typically knows not only what he wants in terms of staging and performance, but how to get these things out of his talent - and efficiently.
John (Tony Doupe) in a still from the upcoming movie Koinonia. Photo credit: Director of Photography Sam Graydon
Like the chess scene. Up to this point I've only seen Doupe perform solo. Now his character John gets to talk with someone else. Of course, his chess partner is only his mirrored reflection, but the witty exchange between dueling personalities highlights both Finnigan's writing and Doupe's acting chops.
The scene ends, and (forgive the cliché) electricity fills the room, and not just from the "stingers" (crew slang for extension cord). Descending from the attic, where he watches the footage live on a monitor, Finnigan wears a big grin. "Genius!" he exclaims.
We shoot scenes more or less in the order as written, a rarity in filmmaking, but it gives us all a chance to see John's character progress naturally. Later on, two women literally come out of the woodwork to interact with him - the first (played by Alycia Delmore) John knows from his former life, whereas Gabby (Madeline Elizabeth) is a stranger. All three actors share a common bond - last year's feature The Off Hours. In that film Doupe and Elizabeth play father and daughter, and now display a similar dynamic in Koinonia.
The crew experiences its own bond strengthening a little more at the end of each day, when we leave set with a shared sense of accomplishment. Evening activities back at the cabin can't help but inch back into film, like Finnigan's wife Brooke confessing her love for Wesley Snipes, or watching towering classics like The Goonies or Total Recall.
1st assistant cameraman Seth Wessel-Estes, far left. plays back a take for Finnigan and actor Alycia Delmore on the RED EPIC. Photo credit: Christopher Wood
But eventually we need to get away, if only for a few hours. We celebrate the midpoint of our 10-day shoot with a few pitchers at the only bar in town, Naches Tavern. Some locals challenge our posse to a foot race on the deserted highway outside, and Best Boy/Grip Marco Scaringi volunteers. Long story short: Scaringi finishes the race winning only a scraped chin and sprained wrist.
The next day, Emmons, a true handyman, throws together a makeshift splint for his Grip, held together with hot pink tape for all to see. A scarred Scaringi admirably soldiers on, hauling sandbags and lights for the rest of the shoot without complaining once. He earns the nickname "Footrace" from his fellow crewmembers, but since he bought me a beer he'll always remain a Best Boy in my book.
Koinonia has reached the home stretch of its production schedule. Now Finnigan flies into editing while waiting to shoot a few flashback scenes scheduled for the summer. Maybe most of us will reunite at that point; even if we don't, we'll always have that time together, dreaming up our own little apocalypse in Greenwater.
LINK: Journey to Koinonia, Part One
LINK: Go see a movie today