Ocean Advance Screening a Success

Last Wednesday, before the holiday weekend, a couple dozen cast-and-crew type folks gathered in the courtyard of the Ocean loft to watch an advance screening of the documentary. Very meta...I know! The loft, you may recall, is the one residency among the complex of micro-restaurants and food suppliers.

SPOILER ALERT: There's some question through the first two acts of the documentary, as to who's going to live in the loft once it's completed. Kevin suggests that he'd like to live in the loft, "...but it depends on my wife and kids."

In the third act, we learn that Kevin and his family have indeed moved into the loft. The day we visited the Cavenaugh family there, they had only been in the loft for a month. This was the day after Pie Spot's opening: Groundhog Day! We were hopeful of completing principal photography, all the talking heads and primary location b-roll, on this day. It certainly felt like we'd been returning to the location more times than anyone expected. Not unlike the Bill Murray movie that commemorates the day!

I made a snap decision that day to have Jack (Kevin's son) give us the tour of the loft. Kevin's mug graced the camera for most of the first two-thirds of the film, and I thought a new character might provide a bit of relief. Likewise, Kevin's wife Beth provides a large portion of the interview bites in the final act of the film, and adds a different perspective to the telling of the family move.

Now, I don't want to give away everything, but I will say that at that time of that the family anticipated being in the loft for only three months. They stayed quite a bit longer and...well, to tell you any more of this story...I'm sorry, it just gives too much away. I do want you to attend the TBD theatre screening later this summer and watch the broadcast premiere on OPB's Oregon Lens later the last week of August.

More details on those developments to follow in a future post.

Okay...I realize what just happened there was not cool. I said "Spoiler Alert" and then didn't give full disclosure about the screening event for the wrap up of the movie. So here's a little behind-the-scenes bonus look at some pre-visualization of an animation we decided to scrap before the final film. I think you'll see why. Be sure to take your Dramamine first!

Fueling up

Took a break the other day while working on the first edit for The Ocean documentary, I highly recommend giving SLOWBURGER a try... These onion rings set me back a whole 3.00 (and then they just sent me into food heaven!) Highly recommended, I had the seasonal jalapeno infused burger and it was delectable, I'll definitely be back to try the other items.

Assembly Cut Complete?

Remember our ten minute video? Turns out it's a half hour. Now hold on, don't go telling me that's too long. The Ocean's construction went a year longer than we expected. Kevin and his family just moved into their place this year. And the first tenant just shuttered their doors. We've got to let this play out long enough for a decent epilogue.

Pics from the Edit Bay

Working on the edit again today. Time really lends some perspective. To have eaten at the Ocean already and to now be going back and pouring over footage from back when this was all a speculative venture really validates the effort of documentation. You cannot recapture the past in this same way without the ingredients of foresight and time.

I'm working on this section of the doc now. When Kevin visits the Kerns Neighborhood Association to inform them of his plans for 24th and Glisan. There's Karl behind the camera with his old hairstyle.

This shot was taken on Groundhog's Day when we wrapped principal photography with a shoot at the Cavenaugh's new residence on the complex. We also did some pickups of vendors' kitchens. Of the micro-restaurants so far Uno Mas seems to have the most buzz, ranking #9 on EaterPDX's hot sheet a few weeks back. I'm a wing man myself, so I have to say I'm really liking Basa Basa the best. Still haven't tried Tails 'n' Trotters sandwich counter though.

Assembly Edit Underway

This is the craziest way to make a documentary. No money and no time. But I jumped into Final Cut for the first time in months tonight and have been at re-cutting the first half of the assembly cut Karl and I put together over the last couple of weekends for several hours now. I had an epiphany that there was just too much continuous Kevin at the beginning and that I needed to intercut Kevin and Art as they tell their stories. It really helps the pacing. Also, it means a lot less cover will be required. It's telling how similar their stories are. Art is a great reflective character for Kevin. The difference being Kevin had a lot of his career ahead of him when the recession hit.

I threw in English Beat's "March of the Swivelheads" (you may remember this from the backyard chase seen in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.) I know that it's frowned upon to get married to temp track, but I find that it's really helping me drive the energy level that's been lacking.

Here's an article from the Detroit Free Press that features protestors at the closing of Timberline Dodge in 2009. The story as I recall was that a bunch of hot rodders showed up in full force. I also found this Oregonian letter to the editor. One of the commenters suspects a liberal conspiracy in how the shut down dealerships were chosen.

Give me a holler if you're out there.  -SPH

We Have Something, Have We Not?

With the opening of the Pie Spot just a few weeks ago at the Ocean complex, I've completed principle photography on the documentary short I've been working on. Now I need to cut the thing together. Oy. I'm totally guessing but I think we're up there in the shooting ratio of 80:1. The idea for the short is to use it as a promotional piece to garner funding for a feature length cut, but we want to have enough in the can to make a fuller version should that rainbow lead to a pot of gold. I'm definitely calling in favors on this one! The short has to be high polish to show the level of production quality we can achieve.

Enter ADi. Kate, the kindly owner of this establishment, has agreed to help out with some cool 3D transitions, maybe even an intro animation. I haven't even had the gall to mention the lower third keys yet. :) [She proofs these posts before they go live, by-the-by.] Anywho, I've got these delightful CAD files from the architect and now the question is, how do I make the best use of them? I have a few ideas...

We've shot a bit of timelapse photography in and around the building, not true timelapse, mind you, but just setting the camera up on sticks and letting it roll a good long while so we can speed up 10, 20 minutes into a nice seven second shot or so. One idea I had was to treat the CAD of the building in a similar fashion. Show the building (or a portion of it) being built "brick-by-brick," as it were, to replicate a timelapse-type shot in the virtual world.

Another idea that I had was to use the design files as a transition mechanism for match angle shots. Start with any shot you have by matching perspective, cross dissolving to the 3D, then flying the camera around to the position of the first shot of your next sequence and dissolving back to live action. A variation of that would be to use the 3D as a transition for before-and after shots if you haven't gone to the painstaking effort of matching perspectives in the live action set ups. The key there is to actually make your perspectives different enough that it motivates the transition to 3D--and the virtual camera move.

Lastly, I can really see the usefulness of using 3D to give a lay of the land of the complex. A map would work too, but 3D is way cooler. Why use a static overhead still (or even 2D animation) when you have a dynamic crane shot from the storefront to birdseye view virtually at your fingertips?

The ocean : principal photography complete

Today Karl and I finished shooting the ocean documentary. Kevin and Beth were gracious hosts. And Jack. Pretty excited to get this cut together and share the story with the world. Anybody love to log?

More Drawings of Aquatic Life

I have binders worth.

Tallulah Drawing for Open Animation

My daughter drew all over my notebook. Free labor!

The Ocean: Script Outline

SCENES:
1. Intro/Teaser [2min.]
2. Sandy Blvd. Historical [7 min.]
3. Meet the Neighborhood (Kerns) [7min.]
4. Art Laws/Timberline Dodge Historical (The Great Recession) [7min.]
5. Meet the Vendors [8 min.]
6. P Palace False Start [5min.]
7. Finance Intrigue/Opening Delays [7min.]
8. Future of Biking on Glisan [6 min.]
9. Site Construction [7 min.]
10. Opening Day(s)  [5min.]
11. Open Q's [3 min.]

What's new?

I was taking a late Summer bike ride last weekend so I swung by the Ocean to check out the haps and it looks like some new spots are about to drop soon so stay tuned!

The view from across the shore.

Basa Basa

 Slowburger

 Uno Mas

24th and Meatballs

The Pie Spot is getting ready to swim to The Ocean

We stopped in briefly yesterday to get some video of future Ocean resident and purveyor of poetic pietabulism, THE PIE SPOT

This is Ashley Ragsdale, who along with Jessica Woods own and operate this awesome little bakery on wheels. They are currently housed at the D-Street Noshery located at 32nd and SE Division St. in Portland, Oregon.

They'll be packing up really soon and opening at The Ocean on September 5th, 2012 but you can still visit them at their current home until Labor Day Weekend.

Ashley told us she is really excited about the opportunities The Ocean holds for them.

She was even kind enough to treat me to a pecan Pie Spot with a dab of vanilla bean ice cream, needless to say my afternoon went much better after this: delicious! I'd definitely make my way across town for another one of these and I am glad they'll be quite a bit closer to me now.

They were recently featured on The Cooking Channel's "Eat St." series. Follow them on Twitter at

@pie_spot

Sandy:Cars::Glisan:Bikes, Part I

In the Eisenhower Era of postwar car culture, Sandy Boulevard reigned supreme as the model of the neighborhood thoroughfare. There's even an online Smithsonian Exhibit  that celebrates its past. Today in Portland, Ore. the adjoining Glisan Avenue exists as a nexus to a new ideal--just like the lot on which The Ocean sits that connects the two streets. Enjoy this video of cars travelling Sandy Boulevard in 1939 from the Portland History blog Cafe Unknown.

Balls are now dropping at 24th and Meatballs

This was the scene Friday August 10th on the corner of 24th and Glisan at 24th and Meatballs which is the first of The Ocean's micro restaurant tenants to open up for business. 

I tried the Cuban meatball sandwich and let me tell you, it was something to remember, just the right kick spice wise and the thing was gone in about five minutes flat! I will definitely be returning to eat it again as well as start making my way through their diverse and delicious sounding menu.

Here I am pleasantly powered up by a meatball sandwich in the act of setting up a timelapse shot.

185 lb. Guerilla

Kevin Cavenaugh in a noisy booth at Noble Rot

Kevin Cavenaugh was the darling of the Portland development scene. Fresh off the success of the Box and One and Burnside Rocket properties, he'd been named a Harvard Fellow for his work as a "guerilla" developer, a term he uses to mean a just-get-it-done approach to developing properties. 

But his approach proved flawed when the economy stalled and he fell behind on payment of loans. His signature Burnside Rocket building--the LEED Platinum four-story with its rooftop garden and ground water well--had won him accolades and design awards, but it also helped make him broke. While most developers get it built and move on, Cavenaugh found himself stretched thin trying to retain his stake in various properties as the nation's economy was teetering on Depression.

Balls are going to be dropping at The Ocean this Friday, August 10th

Please forgive the seemingly tasteless title of this latest blog post, from all indications it will actually be  quite tasty! One of The Ocean's inhabitants, 24th and Meatballs is launching on this Friday, August 10th.

The venture is a concept restaurant by Tabla's Adam Berger that specializes in, you guessed it - Meatballs ( it sounds like they also have other treats on the menu, including milkshakes and "sweet waffle balls"!)

Check out this nice little Oregonian article about it right here

A random self portrait in blue while scouting out the next shot to set up at The Ocean.

I'll Eat My Hat

Remember Art Laws, owner and pitchman for Timberline Dodge? You know, the guy who said, "Your best buy or I'll eat my hat!" in the TV commercials. We were there when he signed the papers over to Kevin Cavenaugh, for the property of The Ocean (more on Kevin in future posts). Art has quite a story of his own. His dealership was closed down during the government takeover and restructuring of the auto industry in 2009. The family still owns and runs a tire dealership down the road on Sandy Boulevard. He was nice enough to deliver the classic line for the camera one last time.

Teaser

I thought this teaser copy reads a little like a poem. What do you think of these emerging themes for the doc?

Introducing, The Ocean (and myself)

Hello, my name is Karl Lind and I'm a filmmaker who has been helping Director/Producer, Sean Hutchinson to make a documentary film about The Ocean, what is The Ocean you ask? Well I can tell you that is located on the corner of NE 24th and Glisan St. in Portland, Oregon and that several micro restaurants will be inhabiting it, the rest will be fun for us all to discover together!

 I took the above image on my Iphone last week from The Ocean's backyard - the sky is not the limit! I am really looking forward to sharing more photos, video snippets as well as my thoughts about working on this project in the weeks and months to come, thanks so much for checking our blog out and please subscribe to it so you can continue to receive future updates.