Our first week took Now, Forager on location--north of the city, to carefully selected locales on both sides of the Hudson River.
On day one, week one it was immediately clear that we have an amazing crew. Our Producer (the multi-talented and always entertaining Kit Bland) and our DP (Jon Nastasi) helped us assemble a strike-force of uber-professionals at every position. From our master focus-pulling AC (Borja Campillo Arribas), to our incredibly detail-oriented script supervisor (Erika Sanz), to our local "fixer" PA and stunning set photographer (Kelly Marsh), to the hardest working gaffer in microbudget filmmaking (Brian Harnick), to our oil-on-the-gears Assistant Director (Mike McDermott). And of course, the keystone to our crew from the Keystone State--Pittsburgh's sound recordist of record, Jeremy Fleishman. Plus some kid from Jersey named Bauer. (I love this crew so damn much.)
Days 1 and 2 are probably going to be our most challenging of the entire shoot in terms of production value and logistics. Our biggest feat was transforming a lovely, modern locavore diner in the Hudson Valley (Another Fork in the Road, run by mad genius chef Jamie Parry) into a weathered, backwater Rhode Island greasy spoon.
The set dressing, costumes, lighting, authentic Basque cuisine food styling, and casting would all be at maximum levels of difficulty. Though we had a couple of longish shoot days, we got everything we needed--including a quantity (and quality!) of local background talent to play restaurant patrons at the peak of dinner service. Thank you Milan/Red Hook/Rhinebeck!
Day 3 was a series of exteriors in the woods north of New Paltz, NY--and the weather upstate cooperated. The rain that would be bringing us mushrooms for later scenes halted for a day and we were able to get a complicated Glidecam sequence through the trees, as well as an emotional final sequence set at dusk.Days 4 and 5 would also be among our more challenging in terms of set dressing, props, and food styling. Thank the powers that be for the arrival of Art Director Bara Jichova, who would help us manage all the moving parts. We had a lovely vacation home to use as a double for a Washington DC area residence, where one of the lead characters takes a catering job for the wife of a conservative strategist, played by the outstanding Gabrielle Maisels.
And that was Week 1--I'm sure I've forgotten someone important (like Another Fork's Micah Carter, who served as our kitchen master, sous chef, and food stylist for Days 1 & 2). Both Julia and I feel incredibly grateful for our outstanding crew.
(photos by Kelly Marsh)
