GORK JOURNAL

Etiology

Documentary Film: Etiology
Directors: Sergey Zhukov, Yuliana Kyus
Geo: Tsereteli Museum
Photo: Kirill Gorozhanin


About the Film

GJ - (taking the script's Talmud) How is this written?
Director - At night. You just sit down and write. True, the beginning of the script was different initially. But an experienced colleague corrected me. He says, start like this: I fell in love with a woman...
Sound Engineer – Usually, the most interesting stories start that way. Director - As I heard it, it dawned on me. I say “stop”, I got it. I tear up the script and go to rewrite it…

The last time we discussed the theme of cinema, we analyzed the sets for Macbeth. This time, director Sergey Zhukov invited me to the shooting of the documentary film "Etiology". In his film, Sergey tells the story of an ordinary, at first glance, Moscow doctor Mikhail, who discovered a love for jazz and began to write and publish stunning book-albums about it. These books deserve to be on the shelves of music lovers, but for now, Mikhail gifts them to musicians and the heroes he writes about. Not all of Mikhail's close ones and colleagues support such an "expensive hobby"... The film talks about how an ordinary person can uncover a whole Universe within themselves, about achieving goals, and preserving Russian culture.
Sculptural Cinema Backstage

The shooting day was almost entirely on the premises of the Tsereteli Museum on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya. This gave me an incredible whirlwind in my head from the new world of cinema and the hyper-fruitful work of Mr. Zurab Konstantinovich, who at 88, briskly performed a pirouette for us.

Those who have been following the channel for a long time probably know that I try to distance myself from video, both in terms of 3D animation and regular urban shooting. But the process of filmmaking is so captivating that I am pleased to share my impressions and notes with you.
About Cinema and 3D

The pipeline of film production is similar to rendering development. It involves script development, setting angles, searching for composition, working with light, fitting material for post-production stage, expensive equipment, working with contractors, etc. Understanding the nuances of film production is quite relevant in 3D.

About Tandems

In my understanding, having two directors on set a priori causes confusion, but Sergey and Yuliana understand each other halfway. The same applies to interaction with the cameraman, sound engineer, and characters in the frame. They are like a single organism. Everyone understands the value of time and tries to use the shooting day as efficiently as possible.
About Doubles

I think everyone remembers the films with Jackie Chan, where funny doubles were shown at the end. A similar situation happened only once during the shooting that day, but there were several reasons for reshooting a scene:

  • Noise:
Sometimes construction workers in the neighboring house start drilling, or a car with sirens passes by.
  • Dynamics:
The movement of objects in the frame might drag, or actors may hesitate when sitting on a bench, or dialogue can be too long.
  • Lighting:
The sun might suddenly hide behind clouds, requiring a change in lighting or even the location.
Tone of Voice

Reviewing material on the set is a moveton, resorted to only if it’s necessary to check the script and make sure actors haven’t missed any lines.
About Diligence

I know what the faces of overworked specialists look like. I noticed that almost everyone in the shooting crew has this slight flair of emergency work. I would like to wish the guys to get on vacation sooner. On the other hand, it would be much worse if they were idle. The location of the Tsereteli Museum in this context takes on a special meaning. There’s a lot of work, and that’s great!

Since Etiology is a festival short meter, I wish Sergey and Yulia to take victories and get the opportunity to introduce a wide audience to this amazing story!
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