Behind the Scenes - Fragmentsby `jsmonzani

Photography / Photojournalism / Documentary & Editorial

Please watch the movie [link] before looking at these behind the scenes shots

Some backstage photos of my short movie Fragments. Most photos were shot by our assistant Francesca Palazzi and are reproduced here with her permission.

You can see the three Canon 5D Mk II cameras used for recording (most of the time, we used only two), equipped with their 85mm f1.8 lenses. Sébastien, the second camera operator, also owns a 70-200 f2.8 lens.

Everything is lit by available light, where the walls hit by direct sunlight act as reflectors. Therefore, when the models don't face these walls, we need to bounce back the already bounced light with a reflector.

When recording, I like to leave some space for improvisation, even though it must fit the scenario. Sébastien can therefore propose some shots if he has ideas and it's always refreshing to get another view on your scene. The assistant, Francesca, is also a pro photographer. She can take time to shoot whatever she wants as well

I think that it's quite important when you collaborate with friends to give them some responsibility and to discuss their propositions. In the end, it must fit what I have in mind but there are always good ideas coming up.

It's exactly the same for actors. Stéphanie suggested that Laurent would spit the ball, which actually added a lot of sense to my storyboard. Finally, the end sequence is partly improvised, from the time she stands up again with her eyes close. Since we don't record sound, I keep directing the actors while they play, refining their poses if necessary.

© 2010 Francesca Palazzi / JS Monzani - all rights reserved