THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES :: Simply Jimmy D :: Breakin' News or Breakin' Balls: It's all the same to me!

jimmyd _writes "Whew! I just spent the last two days shooting "The Vampire Chronicles" for director Jennifer James, producer Dru Berrymore, and their new production company, ArchAngel Productions.

I'm sayin' "Whew!" cuz we shot this scripted, 6-scene, glossy, gothic, blood-sucking, Anne Rice-inspired, romantic porn feature in (1080) Hi-Def and that freakin' Sony camera (as I've said each time I've shot with it) is big, weighs a ton, and wasn't exactly designed with porn in mind, i.e., for the many hand-held, get-in-close shots that porn demands. So my legs are still a little wobbly and my arms are a wee bit tired.

But what I like best about this camera and its technology is that--unlike operating its simple, miniDV and DVcam cousins--half the guys currently shooting cameras in this biz will be scratching their heads for hours (if called upon to shoot with it) just trying to figure out how to turn the thing on; much less knowing anything about actually operating it ... even minimally competently. Maybe, for the first time in a long time, this technology will cause the pendulum to swing back towards those with real knowledge and experience and skills when it comes to holding a camera and shooting.

ArchAngel's location for "The Vampire Chronicles" was a private, gated, estate, nestled in the hills up near the Hollywood Sign, known to many people in the biz as "The Castle."

At first glance, "The Castle" is an imposing medieval-like structure filled with a fascinating array of antiques and lots of other stuff that looks like it belongs in a museum. But upon closer inspection, one discovers that the place is more like a set on a studio backlot and its mostly medieval, eclectic furnishings were, most-likely, put together (many years ago) in some Hollywood prop shop.

"The Vampire Chronicles" cast included Shay Sights, Julie Meadows, Venus, Lauren Phoenix, Julie Knight, Olivia O'Lovely, Nikki Hunter, and... uhhhh.... well, I forget who else; but there were more chics. Nick Manning, Steven St. Croix, Kyle Stone, and some new guy calling himself "Hollywood," were the meatpuppets. The crew was fairly big with lots of hands available to help out. Mike Tristano PM'd the shoot, John Wilkes lit it, your's truly was the DP, Richard M. shot the stills, and Marty Rudy and his dread-locked, Jamaican/Rastafarian assistant chef provided the 'delicioso' catering.

It's been a long time since I worked a shoot that had so much press in attendance. Geez, they were everywhere! Jeff Mullen of All Media was the publicist and I guess he arranged for all these people.

Marc Bruder, of Cable Entertainment Distribution (CED), spent half the day on the set and he an I had quite a good chat. According to Bruder, 1080 Hi-Def is pretty much all Playboy, DirecTV, and others are interested in these days and anyone shooting in that format can expect quick sales provided their program passes Hi-Def QC (Quality Control). If you're not shooting 1080 Hi-Def, you might find your cable sales will go into the toilet in the not too distant future. Marc and I also talked about a bunch of other stuff, but I think I'll keep it to myself: I guess I've finally learned to quit sharing information that gives other people, i.e., those competing in the same arena as myself, any kind of edge.

Look for "The Vampire Chronicles" (which is the first part of a trilogy) when it's released, or keep an eye out for it in your cable listings cuz, from what I've been told, it's pre-sold and will have extremely quick air dates.

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