Breakdown
Breakdown is an anti-romantic comedy. En route to a wedding, a couple is forced to reevaluate their own relationship after the run over the Runaway Bride.
I received my Master's Fine Arts degree in cinematography from Boston University’s Cinema and Media Production program. My thesis film was Breakdown. BU’s program was structured so that each student applied with a specific discipline: directing, producing, or cinematography. In the first semester, the students were paired into groups of three, one for each role.
The first two semesters, the majority of our work was prepping for the thesis film. We went through all the stages of production. In addition, each discipline had classes specific to their program. The cinematographers had extra camera and lighting classes with adjunct professors who taught them steadicam operating and advanced cinematography techniques.
Breakdown - Full Film
We filmed in the Blue Hills Reservation south of Boston, MA. Every 11 years, caterpillars hatch in the woods at remarkable numbers. They crawled on the green screen, into the vents of the Alexa Mini, into everyone’s clothes, on the actors, and dangled down into shots on their silk webs. The crew handled surprises with ease and respected the wildlife.
Photo of (from right to left) writer/director Logan Alexander, director of photography/colorist/editor Zachary Dripps, camera operator Michael MacDuff, 2nd AC Eric Moots, and 1st AC Peter Harrison
The script called for a car crash scene. For the car crash to be executed safely for the cast and crew, we shot with a 20x20’ green screen behind the car. We had crew members wave branches in front of lights and bounce the back of the car to imitate driving.
We chose the Angenieux Optimo A2S Anamorphic lens on the Alexa Mini because as the characters in the film became separated emotionally, we wanted physical space between them in the frame. A 2:40:1 aspect ratio enhanced this composition. We chose a zoom anamorphic lens for the Vertigo shot at the film's climax.
There were limited lens choices at the rental houses in Boston, so we rented the Angenieux A2S from Abel Cine New York. Beforehand, we took a bus from Boston to New York to go and conduct a proper lens test where we shot footage in one of their camera prep bays.
Zachary Dripps at the camera and lens test at AbelCine New York
We had 4 shoot days: 2 had torrential rain and 2 were sunny. The film is almost entirely one exterior woods scene. By hiding the rain and manipulating lighting, we could shoot a film that feels succinctly one scene. Although Breakdown is a comedy, it has many dramatic elements. I shot the film at a consistent 12:1 contrast ratio mostly with light modifiers such as floppies for negative fill, bounce boards, silk, and reflectors
The crew of Breakdown enduring torrential rain (from left to right) camera operator Michael MacDuff, key grip Elliot Davis, production assistant Allie Thoms, and 1st AC Peter Harrison
Breakdown was shot on an Arri Alexa Mini with Angenieux Optomo 28-70mm A2S Lens. The film was edited in Premiere Pro and color graded in DaVInci Resolve. Breakdown went on to receive official selection at film festivals such as the 2018 deadCenter Film Festival and the 2018 Redstones Film Festival.
The crew prepping for the Vertigo dolly pan shot (from left to right) sound operator Jamie Companeschi, key grip Elliot Davis, best boy grip Matt Drulias, and actor Douglass Bowen-Flynn (Mystic River, The Invention of Lying) playing the roll of the cop