For the last few days, in addition to cutting a few smaller scenes together, I've been working on getting an idea for how to get the visual effects shots done. I had the basic idea down, but over the last couple of days, I wasn't really doing it properly. Did a little bit of research through the web to get better at it, and today, I was finally able to get the green screen compositing to work, not 100% but pretty damn close to it. I’d done bluescreen work before, on Sensitive Soul, but the original edition of that film was not done at all with the computer tools that we have nowadays. In those days, at the public access studio, the foreground elements were recorded live over the background plate, as opposed to the way it’s done today, with the foreground and background plates shot separately, then the foreground would be composited over the background plates. “Doubles” is actually being done the way that regular movies are done as far as compositing is concerned. Lots and lots of fun.
At this point, I’ve got the majority of the major scenes cut together roughly to see them in context. The first scene I cut together was between the characters Hans and Alicia. I put it into my head that that scene needed to be handled delicately, especially for the tail end of the sequence. It will end up being one of my favorite sequences in the film, and I've emphasized this to cast and crew alike when we were shooting, because this scene gives the movie the feminine energy that this sort of drama needs in order to stay grounded. That feeling is largely up to the audience, but I’m hoping they get the feeling that I’m trying to convey. The other big scene I was looking forward to was a big scene right smack in the middle of the film where the characters Hans and Charles finally see each other for the first time, ever. The first cut of the scene is pretty slick right now, but like the rest of the movie, it still needs a bit of work. Before I have the first assembly fully done, I have to get these two sequences where my lead actor, Nathaniel, plays two characters in the same scene, and those scenes are where the majority of the green screen compositing is happening. Outside of those scenes, other scenes will have small bits that need to be tweaked with effects work, but for the most part, the majority of the hard work is contained in these two walking scenes.
Post has been good so far, I've been in post for almost a month at this point, and right now things are looking rather positive, although this project still has months to go before it's ready to finally be viewed. But hopefully I can get the teaser trailer done in the next month. Stay tuned.
