"RUST" is a science-fiction short film directed by Kalen Rixon, starring Pat Healy (Cheap Thrills, Capt. America: Winter Soldier, Magnolia), and Katie Parker (Absentia, Oculus). It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a blood disease is basically wiping out the remainder of civilization. Two soldiers, Noah (Healy), and Aurora (Parker), must find a way to survive the elements and the oncoming disease in order to find a cure. RUST was filmed in three locations over a two-month span. I was on-set capturing images, for five of the filming days.

It was my first time on a movie set (too cool). I approached it like photographing an event: just find the right moments. I learned a lesson very quickly on this project: I needed to get a sound blimp. A sound blimp, for non-film makers or photographers, is a sound-proof box that muffles/eliminates the shutter sound of a DSLR. It's useful during on-set photography because that little "click" sound of the camera can be picked up by the audio department's sound equipment. You can't have a soft, quiet scene going on and then hear, "click, click, click.....click," so on-set photographers have sound blimps. It was a rookie lack of knowledge. I'll have one in the future, for sure. Anyway, enough chatter, here are the images.

Select a gallery:

Eagle Mountain, CA | 9.3.14

Studio Gallery I | 10.25.14

Studio Gallery II | 10.26.14

Studio Gallery III | 10.27.14

Red Rock Canyon | 11.3.14

I have to thank the producer of this film, Marcus Wada for giving me the opportunity to photograph this project and gain this valuable experience. I met Marcus Wada of OGE Productions in late 2013 through…work. I’ll just leave it at that. (He doesn’t like to divulge where he works. He prefers to think of himself as a professional filmmaker first and foremost, and I can respect that)

In the course of conversation, I let Marcus know of my photography work and my desires to learn Cinematography. Graciously, he offered to let me know when he and his father would be working on any films. He also offered for me to stop by their offices and studio space to check it out, and give me a feel for some professional filmmaking.

I would eventually take Marcus up on his offer and I stopped by their studio/soundstage in Van Nuys, California. There was a relatively large space, and a pretty impressive wooden frame being constructed. It looked like a bowl or sphere. Marcus told me that his crew was currently building a set for a short science fiction film entitled, “RUST.” Cool. He then showed me the rest of the space and they had a few other sets being created and were at various levels of completion.

I was thankful for the visit and to get a peek at a film production in progress. It was fun. A few weeks later, Marcus let me know that the film was still in progress and that he might have need of a photographer for some on-set, behind the scenes images. The director’s wife was a professional photographer, but was likely to be on-set, helping move things, equipment, people, etc, so Marcus asked if I’d be up for the task.

Huh. Awesome. I didn’t see that coming…