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Two Pictures a Day in Amman
Third week
Gilles Porte, AFC, and Samuel Lahu, his Assistant Cameraman, are currently shooting in Jordan. They have agreed to send us two images extracted from the daily photographic journal they are keeping during the shooting of the film 3000 Nights, directed by Mai Masri. Have a look at their third week of work.
Lighting crew
Left to right : top row, Mohamed Balawi (Best Boy), Hosni Baqa (Gaffer), Alaa Miskawi (electrician), Basil Asaad (grip)... ; bottom row, Mohamed Badawi (electrician), Mai Masri (director), Issam Nouri (generator operator) and Abdu Kareem... In Amman, when you chose an equipment rental company, they also provide the people who come along with the projectors. I am lucky to have benefited from Hélène Louvard’s experience in Jordan, and, regarding Hosni, 26 years old, she had said : “You’ll see, he’s a Rolls Royce !”… I’m delighted to discover that he comes equipped with 4-wheel drive ! (Gilles, June Monday 16)
Zarqa - Break
Faadi, the Boom Operator, hates waiting. He’s sulking in the sound booth and biding his time by whittling a stick. (Samuel, June Monday 16)
Maissa, Prisoner #735
1st day of shooting… She’ll be in prison for at least 33 days… Reframed photograms (Gilles, June Sunday 15)
D-Day : first day of shooting
The camera in its standard configuration for the shoulder : a TSF Sony F55 with Raw recorder, Angénieux Optimo 28-76mm zoom, Cam-Wave transmitter, TVLogic monitor, Preston remote… YALLA ! (Samuel, June Sunday 15)
Make-up test 2...
2d Make-up tests. The actress who has been chosen to play the part of Layal is named Maïsa Abdelhadi… and she looks nothing like the previous actress… Photogram (Gilles, June Saturday 14)
Travelling between Amman and Zarqa
We’ll make this same trip 66 times by the time we’ve finished shooting. (Samuel, June Saturday 14)
Optimo
Born in the Forez region of the Loire Valley in France to the Angénieux team, this Optimo 28-76mm has just arrived in Jordan ! While working with Mai on this project, I have noticed that the zoom lens has become a primary element in the cinematographic creation of 3000 Nights, which is being filmed mainly from the shoulder… A thought in passing for Jean-Pierre Boviola (creator of the Aaton camera) and to the few genius inventors who have enabled cineastes to stray off of the beaten path… Mai and I have decided to do without the Steadicam and the crane for the last scene that we have planned out in a different way.
NB : The Santa Claus who brought me this lens that I love so is named Frédéric Thomas and he will be our new 1st Assistant Director for the next 6 weeks ! (Gilles, June Friday 13)
NB : The Santa Claus who brought me this lens that I love so is named Frédéric Thomas and he will be our new 1st Assistant Director for the next 6 weeks ! (Gilles, June Friday 13)
Zarqa
The director liked the idea, so now, besides the regular photos in the diary, we’ve got to do one time lapse per day ! (Samuel, June Friday 13)
The World Cup...
Today is the official opening ceremony of the World Cup in Brazil… Here is the official ball that will be travelling alongside the prisoners of the film 3000 Nights… In passing, I’d like to thank Frédéric, Danys, and the entire TSF team who regularly make it possible for me to film movies in much better technical conditions than what producers are often able to provide. (Gilles, June Thursday 12)
Zarqa
We’re back on the job. Ahmad has just joined the team as a 3AC/grip. For his first day, I test him…by asking him to do a manual “time lapse“ : one photo every 15 seconds for 2 hours and 15 minutes. (Samuel, June Thursday 12)
Zaatari 2
Shoug, 28 years old, Syrian refugee, village of Zaatari (12km from the Jordan-Syria border). I have realized that using a simple piece of glass, a marker, and a little bit of care, that by asking children younger than 6 to freely draw themselves, you see fantastic self portraits appear before your very eyes… Today, I noticed that most of the adults who agree to draw themselves on my glass are often very surprised by what they are able to produce. (Gilles, June Wednesday 11)
Zaatari - “Portrait/self-portrait”…
A long day that ends with this stunning drawing by a Syrian grandmother. Photogram (Samuel, June Wednesday 11)
Black and White portrait of Rami
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Rami is working on yet another shooting schedule… I ask him for 5 minutes of his time to pose for me without smiling… A black and white image in honour of the man whose words are written on his t-shirt, to Buster Keaton, and in memory of my encounter with Rami who will no longer be with us a few days… (Gilles, June Tuesday 10)
Amman - The Regency Hotel, low light
I have to pick up a 5D that is currently being used to film a concert that ends at 2 AM for tomorrow’s shooting. (Samuel, June Tuesday 10)
Tamer
I take another look at the set… It’s empty… Only Tamer (the location manager) is present… I ask him if he would mind writing “Happy Birthday” in Arabic to my mother whose 75th birthday it is today ! (Gilles, June Monday 9)
Downtown Amman by night
I can’t wait to start, I’m beginning to get lazy. (Saluel, June Monday 9)
(Translated from French by Alex Raiffe)
- Have a look at the pictures taken by Gilles and Samuel during their second week.
- Have a look at the pictures taken by Gilles and Samuel during their first week.
- Read or reread Gilles Porte’s description of this project.
