News and Notes from William Hopkins, Indie Filmmaker in NYC: Making DEMON RESURRECTION: The Shoot Begins, September, 2004

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Making DEMON RESURRECTION: The Shoot Begins, September, 2004

By mid-September, the DEMON RESURRECTION cast and crew was on location in Long Island and the production was underway...

Director Hopkins (L) and co-producer Edward Wheeler.

The cast and crew, on set, and ready to do a take.

The Canon XL-1S used throughout the DEMON RESURRECTION shoot. The camera is connected via Firewire to a MacBook, through which the video signal passes before being stored on an external hard drive.

Director William Hopkins (R) and co-producer Edward Wheeler discuss the features of the Long Island location with its owner, Peter Opromolla (R).

The wooden barricades on the windows, the six-sided stained-glass window, and the tabernacle containing the grimoire are a few of the modifications and additions to the living room of the Long Island house used in the DEMON RESURRECTION shoot.

The cast waits while a shot is set up. From left to right: Stephanie Roy (Marcy), Chad Kessler (Michael), Joe McClean (Steven), Laurie Miller (Kate) and Alexis Golightly (Grace). In the foreground with back to camera is crew member Jerry Woods, preparing to operate the boom mic.

Eli Kranski (Alex) and Bashir Solebo (Denton) wait with other cast members as a shot is set up.

Second Unit DP, Stephen Snow (L), and actor Caroline Adams (R) in demon costume.

The director's copy of the script lies open on top of the floor monitor as the cast relaxes between takes.

Laurie Miller dons Steven's yellow shirt and stands in for actor Joe McClean on a day when the actor was unavailable.

Everybody's "just dead" after a long day of shooting.

Laurie Miller (Kate) applies some "sweat" to Alexis Golightly's brow during a break in shooting.

2nd Unit DP Stephen Snow fills in as the boom operator during an evening shoot in Grace's bedroom.

Edward Wheeler helps Alexis Golightly (Grace) with the "blood-knife" prop.

Edward Wheeler monitors the action on a Macbook while crew member Jerry Woods works the boom mic during a shoot in the guest bedroom.

Alexis Golightly (Grace), getting bloodied during a bedroom scene.

Alexis Golightly (Grace) in a lighter moment on set.

Actors Damian Ladd (John), Joe McClean (Steven) and Eli Kranski (Alex) prepare to shoot a scene in which John's body is temporarily laid to rest in the guest bedroom.

Actor Bashir Solebo (Denton) and co-producer Edward Wheeler, prepare for a scene.

Crew member Jerry Woods holds a reflector as actors Bashir Solebo (Denton) and Damian Ladd (John) shoot a scene near a cliff overlooking Long Island Sound.

Alexis Golightly (Grace) and Damian Ladd (John) shoot the film’s love scene near a cliff overlooking Long Island Sound.

The love scene was shot with a minimum of crew to preserve the feeling of intimacy between the two actors.

Acting is hard work.

The white bag in the background is not a sack of cocaine for the wrap party, but rather a sandbag used to anchor tripods and c-stands.

Actor Joe Zaso as Toth's henchman, on the cult compound set in the final days of principle photography.

Producer Frank Cilla on the cult compound set in the closing days of principle photography.

Actor Caroline Adams shooting additional scenes on a Bronx mock-up of the archaeological dig set, a year after completion of principle photography in Long Island.