On our way

Hello Great Heights readers!

Sorry to be so quiet these last few months.  It has been busy for many at Flashpoint Academy. You will begin to see more updates over the next few months, but most importantly be on the lookout for a teaser trailer arriving soon....

DM

That's a Wrap!

Last night at 9:30, the crew successfully completed the final day of shooting for Great Heights! That's a wrap!  And a very successful one at that!  Thank you to all who participated in helping us achieve this goal!

There were 19 days of shooting, beginning on July 27th and ending on August 26th.  Here are a few photos from last Tuesday at the Merchandise Mart!

Now begins post production.  Stay tuned for more updates throughout the next few weeks as we unveil more pictures, videos, and blog postings.

DM

Complicated Shots

A few days prior to production, Dorian Weinzimmer (director of photography) told me he wanted to attempt shooting the Lurie Garden scene in one shot. For a moment, I thought he was joking. There was no smile on his face. Just that completely serious, dead-panned look that those who know Dorian know what I'm talking about.

To give you a better idea of what kind of shot this was, I would have to suggest recalling the 8-minute shot from the 2006 film, Children of Men (directed by Alfonso Cuarón). Although Dorian's one-shot is much shorter in length, it didn't mean it was simple. His idea was very intriguing to me and was definitely a challenge.

The day before principal photography began, we took a trip over to Millennium Park's Lurie Garden to block out the scene and run through a series of rehearsals. The day of the scene, we spent three hours attempting to get the shot. Finally, after about 12-15 takes, we not only got the shot. We nailed it!

Starting off with something so complex like this seemed daunting before, but in the process of getting it, we really came together as a cast and crew on our very first shot of the first day. I was really impressed with our focus and dedication.

Can't wait to see Ryan Berena (editor) cut this one together!

Filming Begins...

Production is underway, and for the last two days a skeleton crew has been rehearsing and filming at the famous Lurie Garden, located in Millennium Park.

Designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd. the Lurie Garden is home to hundreds of perennials, trees, and shrubs.  Surrounded by Lake Michigan and the beautiful Chicago skyline, the crew filmed for several hours under the hot sun to complete an integral part of Great Heights.  Here are a few photos to show off the work...

Great Heights is directed by Michael P. Noens and stars Jonathan C. Legat and Erica Schmueck, and is filming for four weeks in Chicago and Palatine, IL.

Later this week, a new link will arrive on greatheightsmovie.com.  A photo section will display all of our production photos, and a few stills from the movie as filming progresses.  Stay tuned...

DM

Production Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Flashpoint Academy Studios will begin production on its first feature film, Great Heights!

www.greatheightsmovie.com will bring you daily updates, such as production photos, video blogs, news from the set and much more over the course of the next several weeks.  Please check back often!

So, to start things off, here's some location photos, which we will be filming in during the course of production.

With the final day of Pre-Production nearing its close, I would like to thank all of our contributors for their faith and generosity.  This would not have been possible without you!

Here we go.

DM