Computer Plumbing Central

Another large construction for GASA occured this past June. After a year of courting Ms Paige Shuttleworth for the role of the GASA computer plumber, we finally found the right time and spot to build the set and shoot the scene.

Paige's virtues shall not elude you, reader. Aside from those virtues easily extracted from the above photo, go 'head and table another in that both of her outfits used in GASA were made entirely by her, for her. She is a master at sewing and fashion design.

This set is a close second in terms of time/effort in building to the white laboratory posted about previously. We wanted to acheive more "steam punk" than "cyber punk". Paige's character works as a "plumber" of sorts, sending the two lead wretches to various "virtual" testing grounds where they unwittingly experience more pain than pleasure through psuedo food fetish S&M scenarios. Paige is central to the movie, and her character is less one dimensional than all others, as she is, in spite of incredible Glam Rock style and good looks, a working stiff and ground down by the steamy tomb room she stations at.

Set-


There is a smoke machine on the left by the bicycle rim. We take "steam punk" literally and there is occasional gusts of "steam" pouring from the wall to achieve Fritz Lang or Jules Verne style sci-fi energy. The set was built right in Dan's studio in the H+H building. We liked the idea that Paige's console for operating the whole thing was a big, dilapidated organ manual.

Thanks to my lovely and insightful wife Jackie for being our camerawoman and logistical inspiration. It was unbearably hot in Dan's loft and the three nights we shot footage were grueling. Baltimore warehouses in summertime will forever stand in my memory. It's a very memorable body sensation, that sauna like climate.

Jackie took all of these pics. The four of us had fun in spite of the temperature....expecially "choreographing" the fight sequences. As stated previously, Paige's plumber character is very abusive to our "wretch" characters. Like in every other scene in this movie, our characters have no hope of even getting a shot in as we are kicked, whacked and otherwise bullied.


The above pic shows how we achieve our type of "movie magic". This was a long tracking shot of Dan getting "punched" and a "fist POV" of him flying 10 feet into a wall.

Here are a few varied pics-

It needn't be said that the butt figures prominently into GASA. Below note Tom testing out the "butt whanging" mallets.

I am relieved this shoot is over. Thanks Paige and Jackie. The end - for now.

GASA Lab shoot

Dan and Tom put in a nice piece of labor this past June constructing the "Lab" for GASA. Throughout the film, and especially during the intro, scenes take place in a grimy "science lab", inspired partially by the "clean" space stations of kubrick, partially by the "dirty" spacestations of the russian "Solaris". There is also the clumpy top heavy kitsch space stations of "the Jetsons" or Vadim's "Barbarella" in there too, along with the cardboard christmas light twinkle of the orginal star trek's "bridge". We put in some long hours, including a very late evening the night before the shoot. Great thanks upon THEEric Franklin, who besides helping us with camera work during the shoot, also came out the night before to do a bit of construction. This set still partially exists in the Kitchen of Dan, 5th floor H+H bldg, Bmore.


Dan expressed interest in the set being white, to get that "Kubrick" feel.




note the Nintendo controller and VCR carcass.


thanks to Florian from the Whole Gallery, H+H bldg, for the contribution of these Dream Machines. They were mounted to turntables and set to revolve in mirrored cycles.

the night before the shoot we sure burned the midnight shampoo. at the last minute we were inspired to remove the metal tubing from the dryer exhaust to make a "transporter beam".



above pic prior to bzz cut.

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the next day, 11am comes on strong for our "stars", 75% of whom had had some drinks the night before. Dr. Drew was the half of Matmos that entered the set not hungover from the previous eve's saturnalia.


Much thanks go to Ed and Cameron, the "soft haired boys" (term c/o Merril Feitell), who portrayed lab cabana boys. Here Grace Bedwell applies eye makeup to Ed. Grace continued with her role from our first shoot - a sinister harvester and project manager for "GASA".



Martin Schmidt, when first approached about his role in the GASA lab scenes, asked, "am i being typecast as a 'science guy' again?".

He was superb playing his nearly natural persona.

Here Eric and Ed at work....

Buzz cut scene with Grace and Dan...


Above photo Dan directs Grace, post bzz.

Tom directs Martin post Bzz.

Lastly, Cameron's mouth as trash compactor....

This scene has been edited. We worked on the sound design while at Steim in Amsterdam. We have shown this scene to numerous friends/family as well as to an audience in Amsterdam and to an art class at Maryland Institute, College of Art (thx to Stephanie Barber). Although not finished to 100%, this has been our first scene to help us see how our vision of the film back in the drawing phase will feel once carried out with edits and sound design.