The Steenbeck Story
  • Director: Marie Dvoraka
  • Year: 2009
  • DP: Kristina Nikolova
In a late night editing session, an editor's tie becomes caught in a reel and he becomes sucked into the film of his editing machine. He is taunted by his film idols, Orson Wells, Peter Sellers, Fritz Lang and many others. After the machine and filmmakers have their way with him, he is finally released back into his studio. The production design highlights included dressing a bare location as a 1970's editing room, layers of decoration and distressing, hero photos, creating a safe stunt effect of the world inside the Steenbeck, securing a working Steenbeck as well as building a second identical stunt Steenbeck. The location was the Brill Building in Times Square, NYC.
Rendering created for blocking, camera angles, furniture placement.
Original location. The goal was to immediately to change the white walls, black out the windows, and create a linoleum flooring.
Using sienna layout paper we covered the walls and layered with newspapers and photos.
We took advantage of designing shots with the window decorated in the foreground
Set Photo. Blacked out windows and added layout floor.
Reverse Photo.
The white walls were covered with brown paper, layered with photos, then aged.
Smoke was added for atmospheric effect.
Set decoration included reels/blinds to enhance a play of shadows on the walls.
Research on editing labs contributed to the level of organized clutter.
The character's tie is caught int he machine and he becomes suck into it.
Layers of newsprint and photos layered the window for an opening shot that lead us into the room.
The real Steenbeck was rented and chosen for its color and lalready added level of distressing.
Every wall in the room was dressed for the 180 degree camera turn.
Overhead view.
Someone was placed in the cut-out area of the faux Steenbeck to assist with the character's fall.
The character is sucked into the machine aka the faux Steenbeck.
Back of the faux Steenbeck. This Steenbeck was created with parts of a non-working Steenbeck.
The faux Steenbeck was built to have a support structure as well a room underneath to achieve the effect.
Set dressing helped to concel bare areas.
Before he is spit out of the machine. He pops out again and his caught in his film reel.
The split apart faux steenbeck. It split into four seperate parts.
A neckbrace of film reel was created to look like he was tied up in the reel.
The actor was supported on a rotating chair that allowed him to spin around underneath the Steenbeck.
The actor was placed in the faux Steenbeck and the facade was added around him to conceal his placement.
Spit out from his steenbeck.