We're planning to shoot GINOSAJI using a RED Epic Digital Cinema camera, in 5K Ultra HD resolution. We'll learn more about this amazing camera later, and today we'll take an in-depth look at an important (and cool!) aspect of the visual style planned for GINOSAJI.
Anamorphic = Epic
In order to give the GINOSAJI movie a truly epic look, the plan is to create an authentic widescreen anamorphic look (originally known as CinemaScope). Many of my all-time favorite movies (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Apocalypse Now, Alien) used anamorphic lenses which squeezed the picture horizontally and then unsqueezed it in post or when projected in the theater. This method of widescreen cinematography results in a very specific look...
Spoon-Shaped Bokeh
Notice the bokeh (I pronounce it BOH-kə, others say BOH-kay) -- Bokeh is the quality of the out-of-focus background -- notice below how the lights in the background blur into spoon-shaped ovals...
...this effect is unique to the anamorphic format. When objects go out of focus, they stretch vertically, while all objects in focus appear normal.
SPHERICAL: Below is a shot of a tripod taken with a standard (spherical) lens, cropped to match a widescreen format... notice the round or octagonal-shaped lights. Pretty ordinary looking:
ANAMORPHIC: The image below was shot with an anamorphic lens setup -- notice the spoon-shaped bokeh, and the pointed blur / vertical stretch on the little Ginosaji automaton in the background just to the left of the tripod head:
It gives the image a cool, badass quality in the same visual tradition as some of my favorite films. It's more obvious when seen in motion -- When a rack focus occurs in an anamorphic movie, you can see objects expand and contract vertically as they move in and out of focus.
Night Exterior Anamorphic Test
Here are some anamorphic shots from a recent night test shoot near the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles...
Day Exterior Anamorphic Test
In these Daytime outdoor test shots, filmed on Tuesday in Los Angeles, you can see the vertical stretch in the out-of-focus backgrounds...
Shallow depth-of-field is another common trait of anamorphic cinema. Video cameras in bright daylight usually display almost everything in sharp focus, especially in wide angle shots. Shooting anamorphic cinema, it is common to see a narrower plane of focus, which is used to direct the viewer's attention to a specific part of the frame.
We're excited with the results of these tests... and there's a lot more to come!
Happy Holidays! -- EPIC things ahead in 2018
over 6 years ago
– Sat, Dec 23, 2017 at 11:33:00 PM
Hello Friends of the Spoon!
Merry Christmas, Happy Belated Hanukkah and Happy New Year!
2018 is going to be an exciting year for everyone involved with GINOSAJI!
SCHEDULE UPDATE: EPIC THINGS AHEAD IN 2018
Big news is coming about the increased size and scope of the production*, but we can't go into detail until everything is finalized. Additional resources are being put together to make it happen, but as can be expected these things take time.
As stated before, the production has developed and grown much larger and more ambitious (and a lot BETTER) than when the campaign began, and that's a very good thing! GINOSAJI was always meant to be epic -- it's an essential part of what makes this project special.
The production has been pushed into 2018 to allow more time to put things together. We would rather take longer and make a higher quality production than compromise on quality. You will be glad we did!
*WILL IT HAVE A RUNNING TIME OF "OVER NINE HOURS?"
No, this will not be a nine hour-plus movie (as stated as a joke in the original faux trailer/short film), but we are aiming at something larger than standard feature length... details to come.
REWARDS
The delivery of the GINOSAJI movie scripts, soundtracks, special edition blurays, movie downloads and signed posters has also been pushed until the movie is released.
THANK YOU!
We thank you for your patience as we continue to put things together... once you hear the details about the scope of this project, you will understand why things are taking more time than originally expected!
Have a great Holiday and an amazing new year! More to come!
-Richard---o
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: GINOSAJI Script Reading Excerpt!
over 6 years ago
– Sat, Dec 23, 2017 at 01:17:36 PM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
GINOSAJI AUTOMATONS ARE HERE!
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Oct 27, 2017 at 10:26:49 PM
Hello Friends of the Ginosaji!
Thank you for your patience as it's been a long gap between updates. In September I had a month-long adventure in Miami, Florida (my hometown) helping my parents protect their house (and then evacuate) from the deadly Hurricane Irma, which wreaked havoc on South Florida. They are alright, and the house was ok, with the exception of a number of trees blown down, and no electricity for more than a week. Now I'm back in Los Angeles and the preparations continue to come together -- we'll have a new schedule update soon.
Happy Almost-Halloween!
There's nothing like celebrating Halloween with a creepy yet strangely cute Ginosaji Automaton swaying hypnotically over your candy bowl!
We are happy to announce:
THE AUTOMATONS ARE FINISHED AND READY TO SHIP!
See them in action! If you have trouble viewing the video below, you can see it on the Kickstarter updates page
Chris Vick, our movie's Executive Producer and engineer/artist responsible for production of all the Ginosaji, Jack, and Mystic Spoons, has completed work on the amazing and rare Ginosaji Automatons!
Chris Vick with the finished Automatons
Each one infused with a Ginosaji spirit
AUTOMATON PRODUCTION GALLERY:
Heads waiting... and watching....
Each Automaton's left wrist bares the Mark of the Ginosaji!
Custom fitted miniature Ginosaji outfit -- each one made from many carefully crafted custom-made pieces of fabric
Automaton heads waiting for their bodies...
The Automaton's right hand has a magnet hidden inside which allows you to attach any spoon you want! Each comes with its own miniature spoon
Mark of the Ginosaji production line
Awaiting hands.
The Hands
Ready for action!
First Squadron of Automatons awaiting spoons
Completed Automatons
This rare, super limited production run is numbered by Chris Vick and will be shipped to backers across the U.S. and the U.K.
The Ginosaji ---o Brian Rohan visited his little ones before they embark on the journey to their new homes
The back of each base is signed by the director, the artist, and the Ginosaji himself
AUTOMATON DELIVERIES
We are now preparing to deliver the Automatons to backers in the U.S. and the U.K.
This marks the last of the physical rewards shipping to backers before the movie-- the scripts, soundtracks, special edition blurays, movie downloads and signed posters will ship upon release of the film.
MOVIE PRODUCTION SCHEDULE UPDATE COMING SOON!
Stay Spooned,
Richard ---o
Movie Project Update + Ginosaji Cosplay at Comic Con
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Jul 28, 2017 at 07:58:00 PM
Hello Friends of the Spoon!
Movie Project Update
As evidenced by the massive size of our epic screenplay, which you can see in this earlier update, the scope of the project is much larger than we had originally planned.
Our goal is to create the true full length version suggested by the original short film, and in order to do that and make it a quality production, more preparation is required than we first envisioned. This is a good thing -- it means we are dedicated to taking the additional time necessary to maintain the highest quality possible to deliver a production that will surprise our backers (and everyone else) with its size and awesomeness. Our plan is to deliver a lot more than anyone is expecting.
We ask our backers to please be patient and understand that good things take time to create, and great things take even more time. More details will be revealed as things continue to move forward -- it's going to be exciting!
Ginosaji Cosplay at Comic Con
Ginosaji and Deadpool
Ginosaji Cosplayer (and Executive Producer of our movie!) Chris Vick attacked San Diego Comic Con last weekend in costume -- and encountered many excited Ginosaji fans thrilled to see him representing the Master of Spoons at the mother of all pop culture events!
Please note: Brian Rohan, the amazing, award-winning actor who plays the Ginosaji in our films -- is saving his spoontastic skills for the movie production!
Here are some pics of Ginosaji's encounters at Comic Con!
Superman and the Spoon
Justice League Ginosaji
Ginosaji and the Goddess of Death from Thor: Ragnarok
This... is... SPARTA!!!!!
The Batman and The Spoonman
Long live the King! -- On a set from the TV series Medinah
