"A Road to Happiness" - REALLY A FINAL-FINAL DAY - 12th August - take 6

So why I couldn't finally sleep (I hadn't sleep normally since the morning I woke up at the countryhouse) is because I promised Evelyn to return a favour and go to a photoshoot, which was next morning. First she told me that it is going to be few hours, but I finally got free around 6'o clock in the evening. When I finished I got an idea - becuase the weather was so beautiful - I though to call Evelyn and do the drone shots again tonight, in the evening. But I had left my phone charger in the other apartment, so my battary died in the morning so I had no phone all day and I had to lend other model phone to plan the drone shoot. I also called my dad, to get a ride and that he would help me get all the props, painting things and camera equipment on the car and transport it back home.
When I finally made it home around 7'oclock, I charged my phone, ate and started calling everyone to still film in the evening with the drone. Despite the fact that I hadn't slept normally 3 nights in a row and had 14 hours shoot the day before and 6 hours long photoshoot today, I still decided to go for it and take the pain for those magnificent shots I wanted.
Here I would like to thank everyone - Martina and her parents, who were willing to let us use her apartment again, Evelyn and Svenne, who with such short notice still came (again), my dad, who drove me to the city again and Anett who luckily had time to film aswell.

Svenne operating with the drone, me and Anett being amazed. Thanks Evelyn and Svenne!

Also many people and tourists (around 50-60)gather around to watch how we filmed, first I thought it's not good, but actually it went well with the concept and it was awesome experience.

I pushed it to the final limit and got everything I wanted! It was amazing to lie under the drone and see how it was flying away! Awesome experience!
When we drove back around 11'o clock in the night I finally felt that it's done. I finally could say: "IT'S A WRAP!"
I felt so peaceful, thankful, blessed.. and tired!

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone! I had an amazing 3 (+ 2 short) shooting days during the summer. I had so much fun and great time with you, because I could do what I love the most - make films and tell my story, which I've wanted to share with the world since January. It felt so freeing, that now, finally, 8 months later all the hard work had paid off and that we're finished with the shooting and that I actually got everything I needed. Thank you again :)
All i have to do now, is edit!

So blessed and happy, and although after the shooting days I was so tired, I felt that I'm not going to shoot a next film not that soon again - I understand now, that filmmaking is my biggest passion and I am willing to work hard to tell my stories and to make a difference in peoples lives with my films.
So I courage you to dream big my friends, and work as hard as it takes to do what makes your heart beat faster and what makes you happy - go out and follow your dreams and passions!

Aspiring filmmaker Karl

"A Road to Happiness" - FINAL DAY(s) on the set - day 3 (+ two nights) of shooting - 11th August ( + the 10th night) - take 5

August 10th planning at the countyhouse

So on 10th August, Sunday, I forced myself to wake up early, because the next day was going to be final shooting day(I had planned actuallt 11-13th, because it was shooting of the middle part of the movie, which holds great importance and I thought it will take atleast 2 days to shooy), which wasn't still totally planned. Even tho I had been working on this movie past 8 months - I got the idea in January, I still wasnt finished with this part of the script - I wasn't quite satisfied with it. But there was no more time than only this one day. Luckily I was away from the city hustle and was able to concentrate 100% on my work.

Writing the script with some inspiration.

Early morning at the countryhouse. Waiting for inspiration. Finishing my script and storyboards for last set days for my new short film "A Road to Happiness" which start tomorrow. Tired but inspired and excited.

(Time)pressure and packing

The same evening we drove back to the city, got back home, I packed everything I needed for the shooting -  lots of props (!!!) and ofc camera equipment - this time I wasn't able to use the tripod and one lens, because my brother Hans headed into the nature to do some photography, but luckily I had bought my own camera and lens and I had my steadycam, so it was cool. There was again a lot of pressure and tension because there were so many props I needed to take with me - different clothes (almost full wardrobe) - certain clothes I had on during other shoots, and tons of props, because we had to film a lot diffrent scenes during varying periods of time in the movie.I also had timepressure, because I wanted to make it to painting evening my friend held at her appartment (where we were going to film the next day aswell and so I took my paintings and paintingthings with me aswell) and I also decided to shoot some important scenes(we did last time, but which I was not so satisfied with, so we def needed to do those again) at our own appartment in the night when it's dark and before neighbours go to sleep. Luckily there was only me acting and Joel and Gasanna where willing to take their time for me (thanks!)
Luckily had some time to be at the painting evening and also had much fun, thanks Kertu and Martina!

10th August - Shooting (again) in the night 

So when I got back to the apartment - Gasanna and Joel where already there - it was dark and it took quite much time to set up the set. Although messing up the apartment was much fun, I tried not to make much noise... And somehow it still took quite much time and so we finished around 2'o clock.

11th August - Shooting with my good friend and great actress - Anett Demjanov 

Next day I woke up around ten and started setting up the apartment for next shots. So this day there weren't also many actors - only me and Anett - and small crew - Gasanna doing the make-up and Joel filming (later Frank).

Anett got there around 11 o'clock and I had already gotten my make-up (by Gasanna) and where already filming with Joel. At first it wasn't so easy to get into the role - we were playing happy couple - but quite soon it was much fun! 

´This kind of shootingdays are full of tension because I am in charge of everything - I have to live in the part I am playing, remember my lines, tell everyone what they have to do, check the set etc. And also one of the biggest problems for me as a filmmaker is that at first there seems to be so much time and then we take much time to make first scenes as perfect as possible, and then there won't be enough time to film the last scenes. So this time we tried to make it as fast (and good) as possible and headed to the oldtown to film there in my friends Martinas amazing apartment.
There we had to film many different scenes, day and night, because it was Anett characters - Stellas home - so we had a plan to stay there at least 'til the midnight.
Becuase Anetts character also was this little mysterious and in a way a perfect girl, then the apartment was perfect. I also needed a perfect sunny weather, but when I planned the set days one moth before, then I was able to take account of everything, but the weather. So it was quite rainy. But hwo we managed to look it beautiful sunny weather with a warm breeze - we took 4 lamps and put those behind the window, on the terrace. We also took a fan, which started flying the curtains, so everything look exactly as perfect as we needed. So it was amazing! I let Joel and Gasanna to rest and my good friend Frank Abner took the camera. He did an amazing job aswell and delivered everything I wanted.

Happy couple scene - in the bed, reading a book

For the afternoon we had finished daily shoots and had some time to chill. We went to the store and afterwards I cooked some pasta for my lovely crew! (Actually we cooked it together with Anett and Frank filmed, so we got some get scenes at the same time we cooked some food!)
Even tho we had filmed one big part so quicly (I though it's gonna take two days atleast), then there was still much tension. Even tho we had time to chill, Anett took even a small nap, then in the evening there was very tight schedule. We had to set up the evenings set, which took a lot of time and then I called my good friend and my model agency head Evelyn Mikomägi to the set, because she agreed to lend her car for one scene and also I asked if she and his husband Svenne could maybe film few shots with the drone they had. Because of this there was much more planning and thing I needed to take account of. Biggest problem was the weather, because it promised to start raining in the evening, but it is impossibe for drone to fly with the rain. Evelyn suggested that they'd come earlier, but it wasn't possible, because I needed to have shots that were taken at the night time. Evelyn also told me that drone is not good at filming in the dark, so they came a bit earlier, than I first had planned. This is why the evening was so crazy. The whole day I was so busy that I didn't have time to answer my phone unless it was something to do with the film. 

Despite everything we got the set up for the right time and headed to the streets of oldtown to film first with the car and the drone there and then back in the terrace of the apartment (with the drone).

For this time it was already raining, so I had to lie (again) on the wet ground... but as I have said before, this film is very important to me and comes straight from my heart, so I am willing to anything for that movie. It was awesome actually to be lying on the ground and Audi TT coming towards you. Thank you Svenne, that you didn't run me over! :) (since I got hit by a car like a month ago, then it was actually interesting that I had similar scene in the movie and tho go almost through it again.)

No drone today

Unfortunately it started raining again right when we finished with the car and first we were waiting for it to stop, but it didn't. The rain only got harder, so we weren't able to get the (only 2!!) drone shots I had in mind. We discussed it with Evelyn, and she told me that maybe we can do it again in the ending on August. It was OK, but I was kind dissapointed, because I was really hoping to finish all the shooting in those last days.

TWO FINAL SCENES

So overall actually quite happy - 'cause we got amazing car scenes, we headed back to the apartment to film two final, very important - romantic date scene on the terrace and romantic watching-the-stars scene. We made the set look as beautiful as I had imagined, and it was just so romantic. Had so much fun filming it. Luckily it wasn't raining anymore, and it was just magnificent, warm and beautiful summer evening...

We finished around midnight (or 1'o clock), which was a big surprise for me. Atfirst I thought it all is gonna take two days, and then I thought maybe we'll finish around 2-3.

Grabbed a camera to show Joel which angles I wanted to get.

Right after we finished shooting. Even though I didn't get the drone shots, I was relieved and very happy, because I got everything else with only one day, and it was as good, even better, as I had imagined.

So I would love to thank everyone so much for this amazing 14 hours in a row shooting day! Thank you Joel and Frank for amazing camera action, Gasanna (and littlebit Martina) for make-up. MArtina, thank you a lot for letting us use your apartment, it was fun for me, hope you had fun aswell! Evelyn and Svenne for your time, Audi and drone :) And Anett, for playing this perfect character so amazingly :)
I had again an amazing day, doing what I love! And it happened only thanks to you!

I finally got to sleep around 2'o clock, but again I didn't have time to have a full night sleep... You can read about it in the next post... :)

"A Road to Happiness" - on the set - day 2 of shooting July 16th - take 4

So starting with this post I will be posting in english because of popular demand...

The seconds day of shooting was almost one month later than the first one, only because I had many other plans and it was also quite difficult to find a day (during summer) which was suitable for 2 other actors - Theodor Tabor from my schools theater class and another actor guy Oliver "Kivor" Kivi, make up artist - my brothers girlfriend Gasanna, camera man - this time my other brother, Joel and me myself. Thank god there were only so few people I needed to take account of. That's actually something I thought off right from the beginning when I decided to play the lead role myself (not only I wanted to challenge myself and get to know what it's like to be in front of the camera and what I am going to want to get from my actors in the future, but it also made planning set days a lot more easier.) Still I had to waste many of my nerve cells because right one week before the shooting day one of my friends who had to play one of the roles got really sick and it wasn't sure until the very last second if he could still play the role or not. Then the whole week I tried to find someone else for the role which was almost impossible thing to do, because everyone who were suitable for the role and knew something about acting were out of town or had plans for the exact day. So I was hoping for my friend to get better, but one night before I understood that it is not going to happen. Then thanks to my brothers girlfriend Gasanna, who was also doing the make up for this days shoot, we found a guy with one day notice, which was miracle. I was almost ready to cancel the shoot, because the other guy was also sick (but he said he will still come) and me myself had gotten ill. Also I had not slept the previous day because of the awesome 30 Seconds to Mars concert and so I was very tired and sick myself. Only thanks to so much work I had already put into that shootingday and inspiration I got from the concert I decided to still do it and work hard for accomplishing my dreams. So pleased that I did it and didn't give up!

But it still wasn't easy. In the morning I felt terribly sick and tired and had to still pack all the props, camera equipment and make sure I have everything I need. I also had to make sure that everyone will make it to the appartment we were shooting (thank god I have place where I could shoot without having to take account of somebodys elses plans.) and that we will make it on time. Shooting a film is very tense because when you are making it all on your own then there are so many things you have to remember and think about - the bigest tension is - "can and do you get everything you need from the shoots?"
With those thoughts and all the stuff we had (all the equipments and props) we headed to the place we started shooting.

Some of the props and the equipment.

We started aroung 7'o clock in the evening. First Gasanna did a make-up for me and then we started shooting.

Gasanna doing amazing job

We had to shoot many different things - 1. before the other actors got there we shot a waking up scene with me and how I messed up the apartment.

2. when other guys were there and had got their make-up we shot the phone call.

I had a chance to get behind the camera aswell for some shots :)

3. Then we had to do two very important scenes where three best friends have two very iportant conversations - we started memorizing lines and playing it through. It took a lot of time, bu it was much fun and easy to work with such awesome guys and great actors. Had a great on the set chemestry and we played off eachothers reactions. Guys did a great job and delivered exactly what I was expecting from them.

The scenes we had to do this day where very emotional, so I had to do a lot of crying. I hope I did great. Big thanks to Gasanna for such awesome make-up and also Vietnam balm which I rubbed under my eyes to get the tears coming. It was very painful when it got in my eyes, but made it all more believable, so it was def worth it!

I have to honestly say that this time it was also much easier to get in to the role, maybe it was easier because it was such a great guys-best-friends kinda scenes or it's just easier to act around those guys because they were great actors and were making great jokes aswell. We finished with those two shoots for 30 minutes past midnight. Since buses didn't go to the citycenter anymore we had to call for a taxi and headed to the old town, where we had to shoot final scenes with those guys. Luckily it wasn't raining and everything went well. Joel, who isn't so great with the camera, as Hans did an amazing job and deliver exactly what I had in mind, what I had drawed through on the storyboards.

Joel as the cameraman, Thedor, me and Kivor doing the acting.

Filming in the oldtown in the evening.

Then I headed back to the apartment by foot alone and got there when it was past 1. There we had to still shoot one scene (Hans was there) which is a opening scene of the movie - how I - with charecter name Henry - was waking up in his messed up apartment, being depressed and how he flips and how he messes up the apartment. For this time I was tired as hell, but decided to still do it. It took a lot time and patience, but we still managed to do it. Finally I was able to go to sleep when it was almost 4'o clock in the morning.

I had an amazing, very tense and tiring 9 hours on the set, thank you everyone, it was so much fun and you did an amazing job!