On Set With Out of Time
Episode 2
Originally published on April 14, 2013 on Film and TV Fanatic
Creator Rodney V. Smith and guest director Mike Donis setting up a scene.
Photo by Jess Morton
Episode 2 Cast:
Katie MacTavish - Samantha
April Miranda - Kari
Torey Urquhart - Susie
Sid Sawant - Arthur
Katie MacTavish - Samantha
April Miranda - Kari
Torey Urquhart - Susie
Sid Sawant - Arthur
On March 30, 2013 creator Rodney V. Smith partnered up with Mike Donis (creator of Pete Winning and the Pirates) to film Episode 2 of Out of Time. Smith had hoped to raise $40,000 for the first season in a recent IndieGoGo Campaign. The funding endeavor came up short, and Smith only has $1,855 to make 12 episodes. Despite this Smith, the cast and crew move ahead. Dedicated to continuity, Smith booked the same location as in the prologue episodes.
When Googled, the 4-story office building in North York, Ontario claims itself as ‘Builing of Choice!’ The building’s owners are accommodating to those in the web series community. Donis and Matthew Carvery even used this location to shoot the IPF pitch trailer for ASSET.
Upon my arrival just before 8am any rush hour traffic had just calmed down. Beside the location a dirt paid parking lot remained empty, save for a lone white minivan. All the windows looked dark, and no one entered or exited the building. I double-checked the information Smith had sent me, and then proceeded. Before walking towards the automatic doors I thought the building was locked.
A guy in his mid-twenties sat at the security desk reading a book. I asked about a film crew. He looked down at his scheduling book.
“For Steve Kasan?”
“Yeah.”
“Fourth floor.” He got up and walked into a room in the back. It took me a minute to realize I should find my own way. Thankfully the elevators were close by.
Finding the crew in an office building on the weekend is rather easy. The cast and crew of Out of Time had commandeered a break room, a small storage room, and a couple of cubicles.
When Googled, the 4-story office building in North York, Ontario claims itself as ‘Builing of Choice!’ The building’s owners are accommodating to those in the web series community. Donis and Matthew Carvery even used this location to shoot the IPF pitch trailer for ASSET.
Upon my arrival just before 8am any rush hour traffic had just calmed down. Beside the location a dirt paid parking lot remained empty, save for a lone white minivan. All the windows looked dark, and no one entered or exited the building. I double-checked the information Smith had sent me, and then proceeded. Before walking towards the automatic doors I thought the building was locked.
A guy in his mid-twenties sat at the security desk reading a book. I asked about a film crew. He looked down at his scheduling book.
“For Steve Kasan?”
“Yeah.”
“Fourth floor.” He got up and walked into a room in the back. It took me a minute to realize I should find my own way. Thankfully the elevators were close by.
Finding the crew in an office building on the weekend is rather easy. The cast and crew of Out of Time had commandeered a break room, a small storage room, and a couple of cubicles.
Steve Kasan working the boom.
Steve Kasan, the protagonist of the series, rented the space in his name because he works for a company in the building. Kasan, along with creator Rodney V. Smith, functions as the project’s producer and co-creator. During my visit, Kasan only acted in two scenes and spent most of his time holding the boom mic. He wore a Clutch shirt during the shoot, taking the web series references to another level.
The office building being what it was, the small crew found themselves negotiating around small spaces. Just filming in a cubicle left Smith backed up against a wall, and left Kasan constantly holding the boom mic above his head. Kasan once described himself to me as the ‘brown Sean Bean’ because he has been killed off in many of his previous acting gigs. Kasan is also fit man, probably due to his obsession with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Conan the Barbarian (1982) is Kasan’s particular favourite.
“What is best in life?” Is a phrase that prompts a lovely Schwarzenegger impression.
“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!” The man loves to belt the deep accent, and cry out the signature groans. It’s something that Smith and the episode’s director Mike Donis don’t mind putting up with, and not because Kasan has the arms to hold the boom.
The office building being what it was, the small crew found themselves negotiating around small spaces. Just filming in a cubicle left Smith backed up against a wall, and left Kasan constantly holding the boom mic above his head. Kasan once described himself to me as the ‘brown Sean Bean’ because he has been killed off in many of his previous acting gigs. Kasan is also fit man, probably due to his obsession with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Conan the Barbarian (1982) is Kasan’s particular favourite.
“What is best in life?” Is a phrase that prompts a lovely Schwarzenegger impression.
“To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!” The man loves to belt the deep accent, and cry out the signature groans. It’s something that Smith and the episode’s director Mike Donis don’t mind putting up with, and not because Kasan has the arms to hold the boom.
Mike Donis and Rodney V. Smith setting up for a scene.
The two have a good working dynamic. Donis, best known in the TWSC for Pete Winning and the Pirates, is an extremely energetic and productive director. He has a philosophy of getting things done when approaching every project. That includes the three-day shoot of Out of Time, “We could have shot this in 6 days, and all be comfortable. Then rushing to finish everything at the end, because we had time. So I’d rather just say, ‘Let’s do it.’” As with any shoot, when things fell behind schedule Donis would act confident, keeping the crew positive and minimizing the stress.
Donis and Smith cramped up against a wall to shoot the first scene of the day in a cubicle. Smith pushed himself into a corner in order to fit himself behind the camera. Donis would take charge, but Smith had the final say in everything including the cinematography. Smith, as the creator of the show, is the last line of defense. He keeps track of the story, knows every character’s motivation, and understands exactly how he will insert the special effects. He made the props with flashing lights. He also knows how to say Sosumi, the evil corporation in this story, without having it sound like, ‘So sue me!’ A sci-fi web series as complex as Out of Time needs a mastermind as OCD as Smith.
Smith is silent in comparison to Donis’ continuous bursts of excitement, but he is really analyzing everything that’s going on.
With Smith behind the camera, Kasan on sound, and Donis moving outside the frame the set is ready to go. The day starts with a scene centred on prime villain Samantha Perry. “Let’s get your picture on!” says Donis, and with that filming has started.
The small cast and crew either knew each other previously, or quickly introduced themselves to remedy any unfamiliarity. Long weekend or not, everyone wanted to be there. Donis and Smith were both good at accommodating those who had to rush off to Easter dinner with their families. Cast members would also run lines in between takes and scenes.
According to Smith, episodes 2, 4 and 6 will all be filmed in the same run, with different guest directors signed on for each. The filming schedule follows the even-number format as they all take from the same timeline. This is the past timeline I believe, but with constant switching between the two it’s hard to keep track. The series calls for a smart, nerdy viewership as it’s quite mind bending.
Donis and Smith cramped up against a wall to shoot the first scene of the day in a cubicle. Smith pushed himself into a corner in order to fit himself behind the camera. Donis would take charge, but Smith had the final say in everything including the cinematography. Smith, as the creator of the show, is the last line of defense. He keeps track of the story, knows every character’s motivation, and understands exactly how he will insert the special effects. He made the props with flashing lights. He also knows how to say Sosumi, the evil corporation in this story, without having it sound like, ‘So sue me!’ A sci-fi web series as complex as Out of Time needs a mastermind as OCD as Smith.
Smith is silent in comparison to Donis’ continuous bursts of excitement, but he is really analyzing everything that’s going on.
With Smith behind the camera, Kasan on sound, and Donis moving outside the frame the set is ready to go. The day starts with a scene centred on prime villain Samantha Perry. “Let’s get your picture on!” says Donis, and with that filming has started.
The small cast and crew either knew each other previously, or quickly introduced themselves to remedy any unfamiliarity. Long weekend or not, everyone wanted to be there. Donis and Smith were both good at accommodating those who had to rush off to Easter dinner with their families. Cast members would also run lines in between takes and scenes.
According to Smith, episodes 2, 4 and 6 will all be filmed in the same run, with different guest directors signed on for each. The filming schedule follows the even-number format as they all take from the same timeline. This is the past timeline I believe, but with constant switching between the two it’s hard to keep track. The series calls for a smart, nerdy viewership as it’s quite mind bending.
