Macbeth 3000 / French Onion /  Bloody Hell / Skitch / Orange Crush / The Perfect Sandwich / King Lear 2000 / Hamlet

Synopsis

Jim and Amber were a happy couple, until their relationship went flat. Amber is accosted by a lunatic in a poncho, while Jim learns the intricacies of HAM radio, but ultimately it is their choice of soda that brings them together as it was meant to be.

Orange Crush was made for the Toronto 48 Hour Film Challenge, you can read the production synopsis below to see how short and long 48 hours can be.

Production Synopsis

By: Denis Logan

Orange Crush was crafted from scratch in 48 hours on the hottest weekend in June for the Toronto 48 Hour Film Challenge. It is the universal story of a guy (Jim) and girl (Amber) breaking up and going on personal quests to discover what it was that didn't work so they can get together again. The production team sweated and moaned in Denis and Amanda's downtown flat for 48 hours straight to bring you this "analysis of a relationship". It has an original score created by Kirill under his musical alias "llilrik".

 The story was crafted by Sean, Bill, Denis, Amanda, and Kevin. During the crafting process, Kirill, Geoff, Matt and Jenn went out grabbing shots for the intro based on part of the TFC48 package. They based their shots on the color "Burnt Orange". Sean and Bill proceeded to work out the details of their own monologues while Denis made sure all the details came together. Upon the return of the other members, Geoff began work on a title sequence while the final draft was completed.

 The shooting took place over the next day and night. While shooting a scene in a local park, we could not find a plug for our lighting kit, and the natural light was non-existent. Using the tools he had assembled for just such an emergency, Denis attached a series of adaptors to a local frat house exterior light bulb and stole the power needed for the scene. A few hours later, Geoff and Denis were sneaking into a local apartment and clamoring to the roof for a sunrise horizon shot. They had to bend a metal plate and stick the camera a tripod out of the window to get the shot, which became the template for the end credits... signifying the new dawn in Jim and Amber's relationship.

 The next glitch occurred while filming in Denis' apartment. While improvising a scene, the building's fire alarm went off, sending a shriek through the ears of the filmmakers. Quickly packing up their equipment, the team retreated to the safety of the apartment as the fire trucks poured in. Not wanting to loose precious time, Geoff, Amanda and Denis left for a local park to shoot some daytime scenes while the rest of the team watched the base camp.

The next night, we were kicked out of three locations before settling behind a local frat house with the permission of the drunken inhabitants, to film the final scenes. Our strategy of shooting a few scenes, editing them together and then going back out to shoot had proved effective, as after the final scenes were shot there was little to edit, and Kirill had plenty of time to work on the score. All in all, we handed in about 15 minutes before deadline (not wanting to spoil the thrill of the chase with a boring, early submission) and then all adjourned to our own lives again. Feeling proud, energized by Bill's Bawls, coming together as a team and completing a 10 minute short in only 48 hours, we had accomplished our mission, and collapsed of exhaustion. 

Trivia

 
• Geoff did not shower once in all the 48 hours, and hardly slept. He also developed a particularly nasty flatulence near the end of it.
• Bill made excellent sandwiches for lunch during the first day shoot which everyone enjoyed. Geoff, however, laughed and it came out of his nose.
• This was Kirill's first attempt scoring an entire film from start to finish. Originally, we were going to use a selection of his tunes, but half-way through filming we found ourselves well ahead of schedule and Kirill decided to retrieve his keyboard, guitar and laptop and give scoring a shot.
• The hit Wordburglar song "Hermaphromic" is featured in one of the bar scenes, courtesy of Sean Jordan.
• Matt Snowball did not receive any concussions on this project, nor cheese sandwiches, but did spend almost an hour with Kirill searching for a can of grape pop for the ending because they were sold out everywhere.
• Denis was approached by a strange raccoon and whisked off to a foreign land where  raccoon enslave men, but he escaped and returned to our dimension, all whilst visiting the lavatory.
• Amanda really kicks sand in Denis' face.

Production Photos

Sean and Kirill collaborate on the musical score with only hours left until deadline.

In the foreground Kirill and Sean work on the music, in the background Kevin is giving Geoff a disc with the mixed audio to place in the timeline.

Other angle, everyone hard at work. Amanda is on the phone with some big-wigs.

The team at the Bloor cinema, minus Bill and Jenn. This is right after the screening.

Geoff later commented "...(he) had a gun to my back and he was forcing me to smile. I turned around and it was only a banana. Or so I thought..."

After the Gala, we adjourned to a bar for some Karaoke fun. Denis stole a pepper shaker.

Denis doing a drunk karaoke version of Led Zepplin's "D'yer M'aker"

Kirill pretending he's a super model. Watch out for that wind!

Cast

• Jim... Denis Logan
 
• Amber... Amanda Duncan
• Remington... Bill Stepec
• Balthazar... Sean Jordan
• Bartender... Kevin Dunlop
• Bar Patron... Kirill Kripak
• Guy who walks by with hand on chin... Matthew Snowball

Crew

• Director... Denis Logan
• Writers... Bill Stepec, Sean Jordan, Denis Logan, Amanda Duncan, Kevin Dunlop
• Producers... Denis Logan, Amanda Duncan
• Directors of Photography... Geoff W. Meech, Kirill Kripak
• 1st Ass. Directors... Kirill Kripak, Geoff W. Meech
• 2nd Ass. Director... Sean Jordan
• In the name of... Balthazar
• Lighting and Grip... Matthew Snowball
• Camera Operators... Geoff W. Meech, Kirill Kripak, Matthew Snowball
Favorite Color... Orange-Blue
• Location Manager... Denis Logan
• Boom Mic courtesy of... Harmeet Bindra
• Catering by... Bill Stepec
• Editor... Geoff W. Meech
• Sound Recording... Kevin Dunlop
• Sound Editing... Kevin Dunlop
• Additional Dialogue/Foley... Kevin Dunlop
• Original Music... Kirill Kripak
• "Orange Crush Theme"... Kirill Kripak
• "Yes I Have"... Sean Jordan, Kirill Kripak
• "Hermaphromic" (bar song)... The Wordburglar (Sean Jordan)
• "Untitled" painting courtesy of... Olga Peterson
• Production Assistants... Olga Peterson
• Special thanks... TFC 48, Seekers Books, The Shakespeare Cafe, The Tranzac Club, the frat house we borrowed power from, the residence we "borrowed" power from, the Bloor Cinema, JD's Grill House, the TTC Police, the mean landlord, the fire department, the tenants of our building, the team who worked on the film, Bill's Bawls, coffee, Scott Spears' Low-Budget-Lighting-Tips, Harmeet Bindra, Olga Peterson, oscillating fans, deodorant and the person who invented fog machines.

Thanks for watching. Appreciate it.

Macbeth 3000
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