Ave Maria!
There has been much progress on the Fatima project where we are filming the three apparitions of the angel to the three children Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco that took place at Fatima in the year 1916, one year prior to the more famous apparitions of Our Lady to them in 1917.
Most importantly the filming is completed during the previous week or so with six very grueling days, and we are now assessing if any more shots are needed. This is great because we were under intense pressure to get this done before the leaves change too much.
We have done much to gear up for this project and it is a big jump up in our technical abilities where we are trying to do full cinema quality production. This takes much effort and funds. We had enough for the production side but we need more for the editing and the computer graphics, some of which we must hire out, including that of the angel. Keep us in your prayers.
Tables for setting up equipment with the production van in the background lent to us by a generous local businessman.
Friar Gabriel getting Jacinta ready for her role with Lucia
Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco on set
Katie filming the filming between being a great stage hand and adviser. She is working on a short news clip covering the project on her video blog Thing in a Pot Productions you can see some of her still shots here.
Arrival of the sheep in their custom built pen.
On set in the quarry
Keeping the sun off the camera’s view screen.
Arrival at the second set at “the well”
Getting the camera crane ready.
The AirMaria drone (named “Angel of Fatima”) is flying high with camera to capture an angel-eye view as the visiting angel approaches. It is near an airport so we had to keep in close communication with the control tower. It was a joy working them.
Lights, Camera, Action
Using the camera slider on the ground which slides the camera slowly sideways with the camera crane in the background along with the green screen needed for scenes with the angel who will be added latter using CGI
The quarry – One of the challenges was finding a place that resembles the more arid climate of Portugal in the verdant hills of southern Indiana. The solution was one of the local sandstone quarries of which Bloomington is famous. The owners were very helpful, not only giving us access, but even doing some landscaping and moving the multi-ton rocks in place for the well scene.
After hours refreshment and comradery with actors, friars, parents and helpers. Sue Mackewich took this selfie (along with the rest of these pictures) and she is a great friend as well as a big benefactor and main production expert from New York, without whom none of this could have happened. She has also been instrumental in getting AirMaria up and running to technical snuff over the last ten years.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the crew caught me goofing off recording an eight-day Ignatian retreat with 25 conferences by Fr. Ben Leudtke.
I filmed it with our new, permanently mounted, remote-control cameras in the conference center in Bloomington which we also set-up in the last two weeks.
This is a close-up of the portable control panel for our mobile studio unit which we are using until we can replace it with a permanent video switcher for the conference center once we have the funds.
Very busy times. All for the Immaculate!!
Ave Maria!
