PRODUCTION. DOWN WITH THE KING
akin to a piece of accessible European filmmaking. The rap scene lasted 45 minutes – although it was carefully edited for the feature presentation – and was made possible not only by the abilities of the artists and technicians involved, but also the equipment used. ON THE MONEY Down with the King was shot with just two active Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K digital cameras. Their size and capabilities allowed Vecchione and Lawson the freedom to execute their director’s vision, adopting an almost exclusively handheld approach. It crafts a story around the character of Money Merc (Gibbs), a famous rapper, disillusioned with the music industry. He journeys to a small-town farming community in Massachusetts to seek out the solitude he requires to reconnect to his art, and to himself. Gibbs is not a trained actor, but neither are the majority of those who share the screen – the only seasoned professionals are Jamie Neumann, David Krumholtz and Sharon Washington. The Blackmagic Did you know? Down with the King was shot in the autumn of 2020. With the Covid-19 pandemic preventing Freddie Gibbs from performing live concerts, he was able to commit to the 20-day shoot for his feature debut.
A TALE OF EXTREMES Money Merc’s place in the white, pastoral community provides a fascinating juxtaposition
he adds. “Everything felt organic and relaxed, making it easier for non- professional actors.” Many of those on screen are friends of the director who live in the region. Even two of the filmmakers’ PAs get lines. “And you don’t want to freak them out with a big rig.” Lawson adds: “With the footprint of this camera being so small, it wasn’t drawing a lot of power. Using external recorders meant recording a ton without having to reload. We were able to run around from a base camp untethered. I could run off with two batteries and shoot exterior stuff for a half a day.” SIMILAR, BUT DIFFERENT Ongaro and Vecchione followed a similar path on their first collaboration together, 2015’s Bob and the Trees (shot on the Blackmagic 4K), which evolved out of a short film the director released in 2010. Down with the King and Bob and the Trees look and feel like companion pieces; the star of the latter, local farmer and woodsman Bob Tarasuk, plays a prominent role in the new film.
6K’s miniature size allowed the filmmakers to work with a very small footprint. So those on screen were given the freedom to find their voice, without the intimidating encroachment fostered by the sizable crew and paraphernalia required on larger-scale movies. Here, there were often more people in front of the camera than behind it. “Diego has a specific way of making movies,” Vecchione explains. “It is difficult, but rewarding when it works. The crew is small. Connor and I had two first ACs – one for the A cam, one for the B cam – but there is no AD department, so we’re all running the set together. There is not the rigidity you normally find. “Connor and I would have Easyrigs and could just roll into the scenes,”
“Connor and I would have Easyrigs and could just roll into the scenes. Everything felt organic and relaxed, making it easier for non-professional actors”
GIVING THEIR ALL A small team meant the crew had to pull together, with little time to waste
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