"Little Men" is an independent movie that was filmed In New Tampa, Florida, June 2003
"Little Men"
"Little Men" is an independent movie that was filmed
In New Tampa, Florida, June 2003
A few of the 18 member cast of "Little
Men"
A 70 minute feature film
From June 19-30th, Boggess was on-location for an 11 day shoot for the
feature film, "Little Men".
The entire film schedule was outdoors in the scenic wooded Oak Park, in Tampa
Palms, Florida. Boggess was production sound,
dialog mixer-recordist & boom supervisor. He used a
rented Fostex PD-4 DAT recorder & (2) Sennheiser MKH416P48 shotgun
mics, booms, combined with misc. BMS studio extras. Gary used film students
(Alon & A.J.) on the booms and things went pretty well.
Boggess assembled a custom BMS Sound Cart for the film project, and
it worked fantastic. It was very light, and featured a built-in dolly.
Modifications incuded two extension shelves where he used bungi-cords to
secure the Fostex PD-4 and support electronics, to eye hooks mounted on the
shelves. The rest of the cart was used to carry a clamp-on umbrella, portable
chair, (16) mic cords, Sola AC Regulator, headphones, adapters, cables and
other misc. gear... which included an adequate supply of bug spray!
Gary was able to move from shot to shot, and setup with speed and relative
ease. The BMS Sound Cart proved to be a marvel of simplistic design concepts
and ergonomic wisdom!
Vincent Vittorio, co-director of the Big Kids Films project said he's entering
the film into the Sundance Festival. Boggess Music & Sound is currently
negotiating to provide services for the final audio post production editorials,
Foley, sound design and mixing for the film, slated for fall 2003.
Gary Boggess - location sound mixer
with custom BMS Sound Cart
For nearly two days, the film's schedule was interrupted by relentless June
rain. The heat & bugs were also a challenge. Alas... despite all
of the obstacles, the film finished shooting the movie on time, although
it helped to have a couple 16 hour days. After a preliminary edit of the
initial footage, additional scenes were added and shot on October 25th &
26th in Brandon, Florida.
(SEE NEWS STORY BELOW)
Directors: Vincent Vittorio & Trey Lineberger
Tampa Tribune - Highlights:
TOP STORY
Filming "Little Men"
By GEORGE WILKENS gwilkens@tampatrib.com
Published: July 3, 2003
TAMPA PALMS - Deep inside heavily wooded Oak Park, a small army of young
filmmakers and 18 child actors battled heat, humidity and thunderstorms to
create a feature-length movie. The 10-day shoot, with an all-kid cast and
filmed entirely in the park, concluded Sunday. The low-budget, independent
film, "Little Men,'' is slated for final editing in October.
The film "explores some of the most fundamental characteristics of human
behavior in the purest form - through the eyes of children,'' said publicist
and casting director Gabrielle Allen, who, like much of the crew, is a University
of Florida student.
The film explores equality through a debate about allowing girls in the boys'
neighborhood clubhouse. A power struggle ensues, ultimately resulting in
a division of members and the youngsters being torn between two leaders.
Vincent Vittorio, 23, co-director of the Big Kids Films production (in
association with Vincenzo Independent Productions) is responsible for the
selection of the film's natural backdrop, 16-acre Oak Park, sandwiched between
the village of Tremont and Progress Energy Florida's easement.
"This is the tree I had a clubhouse on when I was in third grade,'' Vittorio
said as he stood at the base of a grand old oak. The only remaining evidence
of his former clubhouse is one well-weathered wooden platform on a branch
10 feet above the leaf-covered ground.
Vittorio and his family moved to Atlanta when he was in sixth grade. Though
he never returned to the area, writing the "Little Men'' screenplay two years
ago resurrected memories of the treehouse and park.
The park's green spaces are the film's primary set, but the crew built a
ground-level fort, complete with a retractable trapdoor on ropes.
Tents and nylon canopies erected near the park's outer edge provided shelter
from occasional downpours and primitive facilities for the film's makeup
and wardrobe operations. A large electric fan provided the only breeze in
the well-shaded, but damp, park.
Vittorio is confident the sweaty work of the cast and crew will pay off,
that the film will be picked up for distribution.
"Without a doubt,'' said Vittorio, who in December will receive UF degrees
in English film and media studies, and telecommunications.
Predistribution deals were struck based upon the story line, and the demand
for independent films for children provides additional encouragement, he
said. "Little Men'' will be submitted to the Sundance Film Festival, which,
if accepted for screening there, could generate additional opportunities,
Vittorio said.
To keep within the film's $50,000 budget, all actors and the crew are donating
their talents. Additionally, a Tampa Palms resident was retained to cater
daily lunch and dinners, and a crane was rented to capture the movie's opening
"aerial'' shot of Oak Park.
The entire motion picture is filmed with a single Super- 16mm camera owned
and wielded by cinematographer Adam Nikolaidis, whose credits include TV
commercials, a documentary and a music video. Sound was recorded by Gary
Boggess, owner of Boggess Music & Sound, an audio post studio located
in north Tampa.
And the compressed shooting schedule was timed to coincide with summer break
at UF. "We're here to do it in 10 days,'' while a normal shoot would take
two months, said Allen, the publicist, a Fort Walton Beach senior pursuing
a public relations degree.
Subscribe to the Tampa
Tribune!
*********
Special thanks to the
booms!
|
I, Gary Boggess, send a special "thank you" and a
"job well done"
out to all the students that held my booms!
They are listed below in order of the time
they spent as boom crew:
E'lan Duensing (1st & 2nd shift)
A.J. Blanchet (SUNDANCE)
Asif (1st & 2nd shift)
Jordan Canu
Eric Rix
Jamie Armstrong
Shane Beckham
Trey Lineberger
Special
News!
 |
One of Little Men's child cast members, Devon Gearhart, (a 10 year old boy who plays Jacob), plays the lead character Bobby, (as a young boy) in the new Bobby Jones Films, LLC feature film; "Stroke Of Genius." Directed by Forest Whitaker, and starring, Malcolm McDowell, the film is scheduled for release in March 2004. See the film's website: Stroke of Genius
*********
Visit the Little Men film's website:
LITTLE MEN
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