In the Lyons Den: The Last Shot
Part Seven Seven months. Fifty single days. Hundreds of hours. On June 3, 2007, it all came down to one last shot. There was a decidedly cheery atmosphere at the nursing home location as director John C. Lyons and his crew filmed the last shot of Lyons’s dramatic indie Schism. Despite the upbeat mood, the simple zoom-tracking shot still had lighting director Michael Best moving lamps into the right position and sound recordist Kirk Daniels expressing concern over the air-conditioning noise. The film’s lead Terry Smith was in character as he sat hunched in a Geri-chair with assistant director Dorota Swies applying touches of make up on the top his head. They were still working, but the nervous, almost giddy energy on the set meant one thing: their months of toiling through weeknight and weekend filming sessions were over....
Read MoreIn the Lyons Den: Mid-Filming Report
Part Six Director John C. Lyons called it a mini-meeting. It was a quick chance to show the crew members how far they had come. It was a chance to get them fired up. When Lyons showed the crew, on paper, just how far the production had come, the long weekends and weeknights were put into the proper perspective. They had made it past the halfway mark in filming the independent feature Schism. Being halfway done with filming is an accomplishment, though the production has faced problems. Some cast members were replaced. Likewise, a few people on the crew didn’t make it to this point of celebration. Lyons admits that January 2007 wasn’t as productive as he would have liked. The mini-meeting, however, got people on track and Lyons said February’s filming schedule is now set to be the...
Read MoreIn the Lyons Den: Photography
Part Five Schism director of photography Dorota Swies wants people to remember one word when it comes to director John C. Lyons’ first feature: serious. When you see the photography, know that the crew took a serious amount of time working on lighting and framing. When an actor is wearing the right costume at the right time, know that they seriously strived for continuity. Other than the director, Swies is the one individual who can tell you just how serious Schism is compared to Lyons’ previous films. Why is she an authority? Because she’s participated in all of his films. As an extra in Shakespeare’s Dilemma and a camera operator on BOGO, Swies has seen the other side of the Erie filmmaker’s productions. It does help that the two are married, but she’s not working on Schism as Lyons’...
Read MoreIn the Lyons Den: Lighting
A meticulous perfectionist. That’s how the people who know Michael Best describe him. Best and his company Widow Creek Films are on the Schism set every time production is scheduled. When he was sick in early December, production was temporarily halted because without Best there are no lights. Early on in the production director John C. Lyons said that he was going to put heavy focus on the lighting and photography. By the time Lyons said that, he had already met Best, a local filmmaker and lighting guru. With Best and his equipment, Lyons has a professional lighting setup unlike any locally-made film has ever scene. “I’m extremely anal. I just don’t want junk.”—Michael Best The shot was only seconds long. An elderly resident of Ball Pavilion is pretending to undergo physical therapy while her therapists are introduced to...
Read MoreIn the Lyons Den: The Actors
Part Three “Have you found a reservation sheet yet,” a Brevillier Village employee yells from behind the front desk. Filming at that same receptionist station ended only minutes before. Short of a few lights in the lobby the desk was functioning as normal. The offices, well, the offices weren’t normal. Not yet. A cast and crew of more than 25 people crowded into the conference room and spilled out the front doors of Brevillier’s Ball Pavilion. A trail of cables snaked around the corners of the office hallways, while the indoor carpet entrance mats were rolled up waiting to be placed again. People visiting the facility were greeted not only by a film crew, but also a large Widow Creek Films van and a stock of unused wheelchairs and walkers. No, this was not normal. An entirely normal Saturday...
Read MoreIn the Lyons Den: Location
Part Two For a project like Schism, the main filming location is important. Very important. When director John C. Lyons finally found the assisted living facility that could serve as his character Neil’s home, Lyons described it as “huge.” Of course, calling the development “huge” may be a bit of an understatement for an Erie production without a budget. Regardless of how you want to phrase it, Schism has its main shooting location and the fun is really about to begin. The facility, Brevillier Village, sits at 5416 East Lake Road in Harbor Creek, Pa. With three residential buildings and hundreds of senior residents, Lyons was excited about the many options that the housing and healthcare campus offered. The majority of the indoor scenes will be filmed in the rehabilitation facility known as Ball Pavilion, but it was the...
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