So what's shaking in Moscowtown? Last night the very last motion picture photography for HITLER KAPUT! was undertaken at an ice rink not far from the Three Stations area of Moscow. Don't bother trying to decode why it's called Three Stations, it's far too arcane. Ultimately it has to do with the fact that there are three train stations collected in one tight little area. Weird, huh? These crazy Russians...
The ice wasn't available till 12:15am, not till after hockey practice.
We loitered as the crew brought in gear.
Craft service laid out some frankly delicious meats, cheeses and French fries.
And here's a difference between American and Russian craft service. It was a frigid night outside and cold inside so beyond the warm foodstuffs the table also had bottles of cognac and vodka. These crazy Russians...
Right on time, the hockeyists vacated the ice and the rink was Zamboni'd.
The crew shuffled about the ice setting stands, lights, and a large green screen.
But what is all this for? Well, in the story, our hero, Russian spy Shura Osheskin is joined by a comely Russian codebreaker and radio operator named Zina. Zina is played by Ukranian actress Anna Semenovich. Now, Anna. Anna is also a professional ice skater. She used to compete internationally. At the top of her game she was ranked 6th in the world. The world, people. That may seem like borscht to you but it's Fish in a Fur Coat to me. Yeah...
Anyway, in this particular scene, Shura arrives in his Gestapo headquarters office and tosses a magazine on his desk on which Zina is on the cover. She's posed in a kind of glamorous fashion wearing ice skates. To Shura's delight, Zina emerges from her own photo and skates around his desk like a little icy Tinkerbell. It's very funny and very sweet. So tonight we shot the elements for Zina's desktop routines.
The scene has already been cut using animatics supplied by the St. Petersburg VFX house. The challenge was to choreograph the action around the actual desk accoutrements shot live on set five months ago. The first shots were done from the scariest scaffold I've ever seen.
Usually, you'd tie it off to something. But no. It swayed and rattled the whole time they were up there. These crazy -- well, you know.
We had a terrific little HD monitor. Always makes video village a happier place. I've been on shows where you're pounding a fritzy little TV within an inch of its transistorized life to get an image. But shooting HD allows you to monitor in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of way. Very nice. Of course the movie itself was shot in 35mm but for elements like these HD is a great way to go.
This is what's always fun about people like Anna. People who are as good at what they do as her walk in the building in jeans and tennis shoes. In Anna's case, she's about five-three and has this rather un-ladylike, cackling laugh. She's really just this farm girl from some Ukranian backwater who happens to be one of the best ice skaters in the world.
So she changes into her costume and comes out walking on her skates. Whatever. I can do that. She steps out on the ice and glides around a little.
Again. Whatever. I can do that, too.
Marius gives her direction for the first shot...
Anna listens...
Camera rolls and...
It's axiomatic that people who are good at what they do make it look effortless. Anna is no exception. Remarkable to stand on the ice and have this going on just a few feet away.
After a few takes we gather around the playback and talk about what's working and what's not. Anna is sipping on cognac. It doesn't seem to matter.
It's freezing out there so Anna rehearses in her parka.
Anna then dashes back to the monitor to see what she did.
By now it's almost five in the morning. We still have a couple of ice-level set-ups left. But it's fun and everyone is having a great time.
Finally, we get it all and there is much good spirit and fellowship among the nations.
Marius was drunk so I had to drive him home.
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