PRG Puts 360° Services Into Play for the Big Game
For more than 20 years, PRG has provided equipment and solutions for the biggest annual event in US sports and the cultural touchpoint that ...
In August 2013, 18-year-old Columbian-born artist Israel "Reefa" Hernandez was killed by police while tagging his signature symbol — an eye surrounded by flower petals — on an abandoned building in Miami. His death led to protests, and serves as a symbol for thousands of families who have lost a loved one via police brutality. Writer and director Jessica Kavana Dornbusch’s retelling of the socially important story is beautifully shot with a breakout performance by Tyler Dean Flores as the title character. Like Israel, Dornbusch grew up in Miami to immigrant parents. She met Israel’s family a year after he’d passed away and acquired the rights to his life and artwork, working with them to get the story right. In her script, issues of immigration and police brutality are viewed from a humanistic perspective, and even in somber tragedy there is an overwhelming feeling of optimism throughout. Flores gives an easy, charming performance as the titular character while DP Mike McGowan paints a multifaceted Miami where vibrant primaries and Art Deco pastels all take on a golden sheen. Turquoise water, sun-kissed skin, and the hot pink neon glow of the city is captured by McGowan’s effortless camerawork.
As Miami natives, portraying an authentic experience was imperative for McGowan and Dornbusch, and color was one of their most important tools. As it turns out, looking effortless requires a lot of work. “We did three camera tests and had the time to build the color palette, tweak it, and work with Bradley Greer of KyotoColor to build LUTs and eventually do the final color on the film,” explains McGowan. “We tried and tested filters at PRG. Having that support in pre-production gave Jessica a lot of time to do what she wanted on set with the actors instead of moving lights around.” More spontaneity in the moment meant that the young, often first-time actors could skate through their scenes more freely and riff off one another naturally. “Because the budget was tight, having someone like Mike who not only is a camera operator but also a DP and Steadicam op gave us shot flexibility we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise afford,” said Dornbusch. “He could just strap on a camera and get in with the kids to let them have a level of improv.” McGowan’s skill paired with lightweight equipment choices made those improvised scenes shine. He used an ARRI Alexa Mini with Cooke and Angenieux Optimo lenses. “I loved our camera and lenses, they flared beautifully when we needed them to, and the mini gave us the ability to just let the kids skate,” said McGowan. “You can’t do that with many cameras of this image quality and resolution.”
Throughout the film, McGowan uses backlighting and a gold filter paired with a classic soft to diffuse the light and achieve a subtle glow around Israel. “Israel’s favorite color to paint with was gold, so we wanted to use it predominantly in the film. I also thought that symbolically it played with who he was: the golden child, the one this shouldn’t have happened to,” said Dornbusch. PRG Account Executive Dawson Peden worked to get the Reefa team everything camera-related they needed, within their budget. “The support from Dawson and PRG from the very beginning helped us make a beautiful movie,” said producer Ed Arenas. “This fledgling production started with a very small budget, but PRG had the people, space, and the understanding of their gear to make it work for us.” "Reefa" is now available to stream on platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, On-Demand, FandangoNow, and all major cable/satellite platforms. Film Credits: Produced by: Jessica Kavana Dornbusch: Writer, Producer, Director Cindy Teperman: Executive Producer Ed Arenas: Producer Elayne Keratsis: Producer George Perez: Producer Mark Pulaski: Line producer Alejandro Suaya: Producer Cinematography by: Mike McGowan Film Editing by: Tina Pacheco Camera and Electrical Department: James Baldanza: Camera operator Jonathan Bowens: Best boy grip Brett A. Frey: First assistant camera Adam Lighterman: B camera second assistant camera Sean Lunski: DIT Paco Moises: Best boy electric Salim O. Sangary II: Key grip Osvaldo Silvera Jr.: Camera operator Jeff Togno: Gaffer Casting by: Ed Arenas Natalie Ballesteros Carla Hool Production Design by: Barbara Peterson-Malesci Set Decoration by: Mark Dane Costume Design by: Danny Santiago Makeup Department: Donny Djuric: Makeup Gianna Sparacino: Hair Production Management: Elayne Keratsis: Unit production manager Simi Wein: Production supervisor Second Unit Director or Assistant Director: Daniel A. Davila: Second unit director Melanie Grefe: First assistant director Ryan McInerney: Second assistant director Art Department: Sarah Arvanites: Art department coordinator Lauren Caulfield: Set dresser J. Mark Harrington: Visual consultant John Francis Kupfer: Lead man Craig Mark Ledermann: Property master Sound Department: Scott Clements: Sound mixer K. Joshua Fernberg: Sound effects editor Erika Koski: Foley Recordist Fred Kupfer: Boom operator Phil Minard: Assistant sound editor Jacob Ortiz: ADR Supervisor Raymond Park: Sound effects editor G.W. Pope III: Foley artist / sound effects editor Tyler Wehner: Foley Editor Amanda Zohar : Sound recordist Stunts: Chick Bernhard: Stunt coordinator Artie Malesci: Stunt coordinator Casting Department: Cynthia King: Casting assistant Costume and Wardrobe Department: Reno Reeves: Costume supervisor Editorial Department: Bradley Greer: Digital intermediate colorist Location Management: Lauren Caulfield: Location production assistant Devin Kina: Assistant location manager / location scout Matthew Rubino: Location assistant Sherrill Smith: Location manager Script and Continuity Department: Emily Pendas: Script supervisor Additional Crew: Lynisha Arceus: Production assistant Michael Bedell : Production assistant Xavier Cortes: Production assistant Robin Cousart: Production controller Glenn D. Feig: Legal Gabriel Anthony Herndon: Behind the scenes Colleen McCarthy: Key craft service Pete Mongelli: Craft service Karen Oberman: Publicist Emerita Ocana: Accounting assistant Maru Patetta: Production coordinator Fabiola Rodriguez: Assistant Production Coordinator Michelle Ryan: Production assistant, first team