Dinner for Infinity (2012)

Dinner for Infinity (2012)

Poverty affects everyone, everywhere in this world. Since the early and Great Recession, the United States as a whole has experienced some form of poverty. A woman finishes a long day at work and settles into her luxury home. She is met with a twist of events when human empathy is put to the test.

The Workflow

Our main goal was to approach human interaction from a multitude of perspectives. Lighting was a large component in this process. We used both natural and studio forms of light in order to arrange each shot. The most challenging scene was in the bedroom. When our female lead removes her corporate attire, she dims the lights because she wants to shield any view of her physical deformity. Therefore, we had many things to take into consideration: a dark room, minimal lightning, a mirror, and her face. Lighting was shaped so that she was the focus, and the camera’s movement traced her body while avoiding the mirror’s reflection. The food scenes explored how we interact with food and the love put into preparing a meal for someone. We had a chef present on set for this reason. The food was treated as a character and much attention was given to this aspect of production. We decided to capture macro shots of various fruits and vegetables because we wanted our audience to appreciate culinary beauty. We shot the last scenes in a location where homelessness was prevalent. This was done intentionally so that the cast could be immersed in the desired environment. We worked with a SFX Makeup team to transform our actors into authentic characters. After the method acting simulation, our cast not only looked like they lived on the streets, but they felt like it as well. The musical composers, Danny White and Brandon Kader, were also key players in this film. Because there was no dialogue until the introduction of our lead male role, music had to have a language. We worked with two talented musicians who came from very different disciplines. Their audial contribution heightened the interaction between our main cast and their surroundings. Dinner for Infinity was part of the 2012 Creative Project curriculum at the University of California, Irvine Film & Media Studies department. Lecturer, Desha Dauchan, served as the faculty advisor for the film who mentored Director, Abbey Abeynayake, throughout the project. It set a record as the first student film ever screened at the McCormick Theatre in Irvine, CA. Dinner for Infinity is an actual account of realistic lessons. It is based on true events and hit a personal note for all of us on set. We hope you enjoy the film and we appreciate any feedback! THE TEAM: Director/Writer: Abbey Abeynayake Executive Producers: Abbey Abeynayake & Naghmeh Ghafourian Executive Assistant: Neda Ghafourian UCI Advisor: Desha Dauchan Original Music By: "Love is a Turning" "Gossamer Heart" Danny White "Dinner for Infinity" Brandon Kader Director of Cinematography: Neil Abeynayake Cinematography (Unit 1): Cory Wilkinson Cinematography (Unit 2): Vincent Rabaja Crane/Jib Operator: Sean Abeynayake Lead Sound Engineer: Brocton Jobin Gaffer: Robert Wills Editor: Abbey Abeynayake Production Manager/Location Inventory: Kelley Choi Color Grading/Vfx: Mystique Pacific Casting: Gypsy Media Studios Location Manager: Amanda Ramos Risk Management Captain: Goldbourn Sebastian Lead Stylist: Naghmeh Ghafourian Wardrobe Supervisor: Melinda Reed Hair/Makeup for Laura: Renea Knutson Special Effects Makeup Team: Stephanie Veira Erica Ruiz Jordan Green Production Assistant: Saul Gonzalez Financial/Marketing Consultant: Elizabeth Garcia OC Division Marketing: Nua Watford Cendra Sound/ADR: Abstract Digital Cinema Executive Chef/Catering: Nimmi Perera Page Text Editor: Christina Hernandez THE CAST: Woman: Laura Calderon Blind Man: Joseph Alexander Medina Homeless Women: Anna Richardson & Lori Sage Extras: Kim Tran Oscar Gandara Sky Siegel Joshua Zastrow Devin Moran Jamar Lazenby Melissa Gloria Dogs: Bailey Weitze Sasha Blue This film is copyrighted with the US Copyrights Office and available licensing in following formats. Please contact ABSTRACT DIGITAL CINEMA (Media Licensing Dept.) for fees, terms, and Photograph Use License Agreement. Unauthorized copying, publication, and/or replication prohibited. Copyright © 2012 Abstract Digital Cinema/Amanda Abeynayake. All rights reserved.