We've finished shooting.

In my just-ended five week trip to Jerez, we finished shooting Domino.  In fact, we finished two days before I flew back to California.

Hooray for us!  Fireworks!  Cheering crowds!  We did it!

This may not seem like a big deal to you, but it was to me and to our lead actor, Antonio de la Malena, playing Luis.  To me because I really like the project and after quite a lot of time and effort, it felt good to have it "in the can," as it were.  To Antonio de la Malena because he likes the project too, but also because, well, I think by the end he was kind of tired of having me say "Hey, I decided to add just two more little tiny scenes...."

But I did add in all the scenes I wanted and to tell you the truth, I think they really make the drama complete.

"Luis' street," as seen last year.  Now, some of the houses have been painted other colors.

 For some of the last scenes we shot, Antonio was the only actor and he had no dialogue.  I did all the shooting of those by myself.  A five to seven person crew seems unnecessary if, for example, you simply need a shot of one person going out the front door of his "home" and walking down the street, passing in front of the camera as he walks.

But even small things like that had to be shot 5 or 6 times because it's hard to keep someone in frame and with a good spacing within the frame if the person is first moving towards the camera, and then away from it.

For that particular walking-out-of-the-door shot, several neighbors came out to watch because--a confession here--we used the front door of my flat as Luis' front door.  They were all very quiet while we were shooting, and when we finished, they gave us some applause. 

Good neighbors.

Another memorable shot was where I had Antonio (as Luis) walk in front of the major demonstration organized by the Moviemiento 15-M (los Indignados), similar to our Occupy Wall Street.  Here, we used a 4 person crew.

The protestors' camp in Jerez' central square.

 As we suspected, the demonstrators did not pose for our camera nor did they wait to start their march until we had the camera set up at the angle I wanted.  The result was that we got the back of the parade, we got some reasonable sound, we got Antonio walking in front of the tents (with a sign saying "Liberty" behind him),etc.  

Note that Liberty is something Luis does NOT have, due to his financial problems.

The "Liberty" sign.

BUT to make the scene complete, we had to go back another day, shooting  a DIFFERENT demonstration (but involving the same groups) marching down the street past the camera.

All that aside, I am really delighted with what we have, and really pleased that shooting is done.  Now, for fine cut editing, background music, and various kinds of technical work.  Considering money concerns as well as other matters, my guess is that Domino will be finished by summer of 2012.