Our Fire Films

Started editing the short film “4th”

Andris — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:30:15 +0000

Just started editing the short ”4th” (working title) . Here are a few stills.

Logo for Our Fire Films

Andris — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:24:42 +0000

A dear friend of mine Laura Skangale agreed to design a logo for Our Fire Films. So here it is. I will create some banners later.

Share/Bookmark

Filming the short “4th” on the 22th of August

Andris — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:38:11 +0000

Filming the short film “4th” on the 22th of August. An artistic look on a few of the many perceptions of the world. 4 people, one rat and one room.

p.s. Got MicroBeam 128 LED light from the UK and it’s fantastic for the things I need!

Share/Bookmark

General update

Andris — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:48:11 +0000

Hi there! We were laying low during the extreme hot of the summer, but now are gearing up to continue our filmmaking.

We have 4 new scripts of which:
1) one is a music video entitled “Nekad vairs Saule” (Never again the Sun) for the band Ēnu kaleidoskops;
2) one an experiment in animation film entitled “Dušainis” (The Shower Man);
3) a very artistic (arthouse) short film entitled “4th”;
4) and another one entitled “Freed by the Seagulls”, which is in its early development.

Also having some other problems besides of heat: 1) have to design and build a dolly for some critical shots; 2) having problems ordering a LED light from the UK, including the fact that I’m in the middle of moving without knowing exactly where.

Share/Bookmark

After The Bombs Fell The Walls

Andris — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:09:21 +0000

A sci-fi set in a post-apocalypse future Latvia. After the nuclear war things are starting to get better, but an evil cult still makes people believe that the world is contaminated and thus keeping control over the population.

But there are still free people and cannibals left free in the wastelands. And two of these are the unlikely ones to set the people controlled by the cult free.

View on ExposureRoom

Pēc bumbām krita sienas or “After the bombs fell the walls” is a film made in film studies.

Shot mostly in two days in May 2009 with more than two dozen people it was fun and maddening.
In the process we learned a lot about creating films, especially the organisation part.

The itself film is quite terrible though! :)

Exorcist: “Ja filmā nebūtu absurdie, nepraktiskie un citādi nekādā laikā un apstākļos velkamie apģērbi (jā, pat post-apo neradītu apstākļus, ka drēbju vietā praktiskāks un krutāks ir maiss), kā arī ja nebūtu vājprāta murgu dialogi un tēli, kas rīkojas ārpus jebkādas loģikas, un ja dialogus vietām būtu reāli dzirdēt (vējš mikrafonā; tā māsiņa ar brutālo reverb – ok Horror elements, bet nekam nederīgs risinājums kā tēla permanentā balss, jo ņihuja tur kruta nav un pat saprast lāgā nevar) – varbūt caur facepalm es kaut ko no filmas arī redzētu :)

Un šeit izsakās cilvēks, kam ir tuvs Horror, postapo un doomsday scenāriji, pamesti objekti un PSRS laiku CA. Un ja kāda kvalitāte iz šīm parādījās filmā, tad tā tiek norakta zem sūdu kalna.”

Deathperado: “Iekš imdb ir vēl vājprātīgāki gabali, šitas ir normāls mazbudžeta trve underground experimental postapocaliptyc sci-fi horror movie, nevis Avatar 2 :D”

Henesy: “Es tajā filmā piedalījos un ziniet, ko teikšu — man baigi patika tas filmēšanas process. Neviens no aktieriem nebija iz profesionāļiem, taču visiem bija jautri. Iespējams, ka šī filma ir kā eksperimnets, jo nav tajā nekā diža — nedz baigie specefekti, nedz ūber krutais grims… Taču galvenais paliek tas fakts, ka tomēr bija forši un patīkami ņemt dalību. Pie reizes rodas arī pieredze (ja es gribēšu stāties kādā kultūras mācību iestādē, tad iesniegumā varēšu rakstīt, ka esmu jau filmējusies).”

iva: “vietaam radaas iespaids ka tieuk atdarinaats bez maz vai mad max .. bet nu prieksh postapokalipses viss bija paaraak tiirs . prasaas stipri netiiraakas sejas un drebes ..”

Bangls: “Filma, sižets utt.? Man arī ir vigiki kur es ķēmojos ar draugiem, bet es tos nesauktu tādos lielos vārdos.”

In the upcoming week will also publish the making-of and some other additional film material.

Type: short film (colour: various)
Status: released 12th April, 2010
@ ExposureRoom (watch)
@ Archive.org (download)

Length: 40 minutes
Genre: sci-fi
Music: see below
Licence: Creative Commons BY-SA (Approved for Free Cultural Works)
Team:

Ieva Hlevinska as Madara
Reinis Rinka as Jānis

With:
Arnis Kalniņš
Dāvis Drazdovskis
Elīza Apriķe
Henriete Krastiņa
Ieva Tihovska
Irēna Saatčiane
Jevgenija Kuzņecova
Kārlis Zvejnieks
Kristīne Žukovska
Laima Jansone
Laura Skangale
Linda Leimane
Maksis
Mārtiņš Links
Ričards Puķīte
Roberts Vanags
Sergejs Budjonnijs
Uģis Bolmanis
Zanda Mankopa
Zane Ozola
Zane Pērkone
Zinta Ozoliņa

and others…

Music:
Antarktīda
Ballet Rachitis
Bauru Rīts
Dāvis Drazdovskis
Kroffork
Laima Jansone
NASA
Nefolk
Paranoia Inducta
Twrch Trwyth
Vārna
VSKB

Thanks to:
carrey
Jānim Žukovskim
Katrīnai Kaktiņai
Agnesei Kalniņai

and the rest!

Script, DP, OP, Director, Editor – Andris Krastiņš

Share/Bookmark

10th Bocmaņa beer ad!

Andris — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:06:47 +0000

Over the last two years we together with my friend Mārtiņš have made 10* unofficial ads for a local Latvian beer “Bocmaņa alus”.
They’re not professional in any way, just made for the fun of it, and we always have lots of fun with them. You can see them @ YouTube
* There is actually one more, but it awaits for a special occasion to release it. Stay tuned! :D

Share/Bookmark

Plans for the next

Andris — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:37:15 +0000

Now that “True Gifts” are finished (though I’d like to make some changes, but it’s already published because of the DVinfo.net charity challenge deadline, so meh) I’m thinking, what to do next.

Definitely will get back to editing “After the bombs fell the walls” (the film I shot to learn more about filmmaking) because I don’t like to leave a work unfinished. Also have some early tingling thoughts about the next short, which naturally must be a lot better than “True Gifts” – progress, progress, progress. Also maybe another music video for Ēnu kaleidoskops or another known to me band. Now taking a few days off to meditate more, etc.

Share/Bookmark

True Gifts

Andris — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:39:20 +0000

A spoon-fed madam comes head to head with the ugly truth that not only nobody loves her, but that she herself doesn’t love her. A psychedelic tale of glamour, suspense and the inner reaches of human psyche.

View on ExposureRoom

Shot in 2 evenings and edited in 24h. Created for the DVinfo.net 2nd annual Charity Challange with the contest theme – gifts.

Type: short film (colour: b&w, kodachrome)
Status: released 10th of January 2010
@ Vimeo
@ YouTube
@ ExposureRoom
@ Archive.org (download)

Commentary:

The film deals with various personae and energy centres that occupy the human mind and shows them in relationship with each other.
The woman in black is the energy centre of the human psyche that corresponds with the wish of self betterment and annihilation of unsatisfactory personality traits. But, alas, as Nietzsche said: “Be careful in casting out your devil ‘lest you cast out the best thing about you”, and so we have to continue this jihad or be left with an undeveloped or a degraded personality.

Length: 5 minutes
Genre: psychedelic
Soundtrack: Juanitos, Laura Krastiņa
Script: Google doc (in Latvian)
Licence: Creative Commons BY-SA (Approved for Free Cultural Works)
Team: Andris Krastiņš, Ieva Birnbauma, Margarita Kuhaļska, Laura Krastiņa, Duke*, Mārtiņš Links, Zane Pērkone.

Share/Bookmark

On the edge

Andris — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:26:59 +0000

Progress report on True gifts – everything’s on the edge. The script is almost ready, a few finishing touches left. Today I draw the scenes. Tomorrow we will shoot. I hope the main actress is fit enough by then. My friend will go get the necessary things during the day – a big glass and gift wraps. I rely on another friend to get an on-camera light from a studio. It’s essential, especially during the second day. If everything clicks, it will happen. I still haven’t resolved the problem with the dolly – I haven’t got any.

At least the soundtrack side is resolved – I found some appropriate Creative Commons music on jamendo.com.

Share/Bookmark

DVinfo.net charity challenge

Andris — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:22:20 +0000

Will participate in dvinfo.net this year’s charity challenge. The theme is “Gifts”. Have written the scrip and it’s almost in its last revision. Plan to do the filming on January 2 and 3, 2010. The short will be entitled “True gifts”.

Share/Bookmark