Monday, September 13, 2010 at 10:04AM Finishing up ABC Pilot "Final Witness
Production Company: Lincoln Square Productions for abc networks, Executive Producer LSP- Rudy Bednar, Executive Producer- Christine Connor, Producer- Lee Beckett, Director- Adam Feinstein, Director(s) of Photography- Khalid Mohtaseb & Andreas Burgess, Associate Producer - Alex Friedman & Meredith Fear, BLOG posted by- Khalid Mohtaseb
So its about 8am on Monday morning and I'm just getting home from putting together the finishing touches on the ABC pilot Andreas Burges and I shot titled "Final Witness". The last few days my buddy Andreas Burges and I have been working nonstop coloring the show and I must say it is coming together better than I expected. Everything from the storytelling & acting to the editing & grading is finally taking shape and I cannot wait for you guys to see this. Below is the trailer for the show. Although I am not entirely happy with some of the shot selections used, I think it serves its purpose and it came out very well. Check it out!
For those of you who don't know I did the first segment of this show in Dallas this past July. At that point the show was too early in its development stages for me to talk about anything more than what gear we used and how it worked. This time around its different; I've got the go-ahead to post a few screen grabs and give you guys a brief summery about the show.
FINAL WITNESS is a riveting blend of drama and documentary that brings together factual storytelling with the lush emotional language of the movies. It’s as compelling and absorbing as the most addictive crime fiction…but the story is real. Director, Adam Feinstien, has blown me away once again with his compelling storytelling & strive to make something different. This truly is a story that is a "must see" for every parent trying to raise a teenager or any teenager growing up. The plot is so unbelievably shocking that I still cannot believe it real. Below are a few screen grabs from the show.
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Our Crew returned to East Texas in August to shoot the second half of the show. Most of the stuff we shot was Narrative coverage which Andreas Burges and I co-DPd together. Andreas is not only an amazing DP but a really awesome person to spend 10 long shooting days with. It was a blast collaborating with him! We decided to go with 2 Canon 1D Mark 4s & a few 5Ds that we occasionally used. Combined with the first part of the pilot which was shot with 6 5ds, im proud to say that this show was shot entirely on Canon DSLRs.
To add to that, all the camera movement was entirely done using Kessler Crane Products (Cineslider, Pocket Dolly, Hercules Head, Pocket Jib, Revolution Head, Oracle Controller, etc..) The show air on abc tomorrow, September 14 2010 (which is also my sisters birthday) at 10pm EST, so be sure to check it out. You definitely won't regret it!! Ill try and update the blog tomorrow with some of the tech stuff but for now I've gotta get some rest. Goodnight and enjoy the BTS photos below.
-Khalid
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Next Level Pictures
If anyone missed the show lastnight here is a link to check it out online. Hope you enjoy it! Click here to watch Final Witness
Reader Comments (49)
Nice work Khalid. I shot a drama pilot over the summer on the 5D but we were so tight on budget we simply couldn't afford a full crew and enough gear to really support it, but it looks like you've got exactly the right tools for the job here and it looks great. Would love to hear the trials and tribulations of the grade sometime.
Hi there! I would like to congratulate you and your team on the amazing work you've done! This is art my friend :) Love all the snapshots and the amazing effects and makeup! can't wait to see it and enjoy watching it! wish you guys all the success! Also, thanks to my good friend, Bryan Coward, the creative director of Tampa Wonderworks Films for sharing this amazing post!
Best and regards,
Khaled & Mariana Mosli
Kismis Ink Photography
Thanks for sharing the great news. These screen grabs are unreal. Wow.
Great show! All teen's parents should watch it. Are there going to be continuous shows throughout the season? I sure hope so! Thanks!
I just watched the show on TV. Very touching story.
Liked the photography. It is a different kind of show, I hope people tonight gave their ok watching it so it can stay on air.
I am surprised there is no much information available on ABC's site. I found your site googling the show name.
In a world were cheap TV production with reality shows are flooding the TVs, I hope we can see again real quality programming.
I just finished watching the pilot and I was blown away. I've never seen anything like this before. Thank you Next Level for seriously raising the major network bar for the storytelling, video quality, soundtrack, and respectful treatment of the people involved. I didn't know TV could be so good! I'm crossing my fingers that the series continues.
Just saw the pilot, very sobering for parents with teens. I'm wondering who the artist is that did the music? For me the music really colored the whole piece very well.
Only one word can describe this show.. WOW. I just got done watching the first episode on Channel 8 in Dallas and I am blown away! This show is riveting and so powerful. I tried to find the next episode but it wasn't listed on the guide for next week. Please, please, please tell me that this show is going to be a permanent fixture on TV soon! Everything about grabbed me.. the music, the mix of real interviews and the re-enactments, I just loved it all. Wonderful work and wonderful show.
hi who was the actress who played the maine girl in the show tonight? Has she been in anything else?
Beautiful work, Khalid. Great use of Morgana Shaw's
ample talent.
Khalid, damn! I just watched the show and am trying to track down info to see if it's a series. It has been so long since I've seen a crime doc that was this interesting and emotionally riveting! I put it on, originally, so i could zone a bit and maybe hear the same ol' crime doc format which would have a few moments of interesting aspects to it. Man, I was freakin riveted! The music, editing, cinematography, acting, all of it. Unbelievable.
Are you doing more? Please tell me this is a series.... please.....
Great work visually telling this tragic story. I hope you folks can make more of them. Important messages for parents and teenagers being told here for sure.
As far as production goes...
I loved the attention to detail, composition and the sequencing of the camera shots. A few of my favorite shots: slow motion as the boys put on the gloves and left the car, direct eye contact in the sit downs, silhouette of the gun against the window, lighter flame on the fabric, tv monitor of interrogation on stand in empty hallway, and fire lit trees as the father crawled from the burning house. I know how hard it is to use DSLRs to shoot with lenses wide open. Plus the aliasing and moire, you avoided it well! Ok, enough tech talk, but thats me ;-) Nice job Khalid!
Yes, very engrossing and well crafted show. I believe that NBC has done a couple of similar type shows, but I think that this one was better executed. Does anyone have a song-list for this show? I can't seem to find one.
I loved it!
I am also wondering where to find the music that was used. Would you please email me the music references used on this episode?
Thank you; & excellent, stunning show!
I have found two of the songs: Mr. Gnome - Rabbit, and Marissa Nadler - Annabelle Lee. I'm still looking for the one with the lyrics "and the/our flowers were dead and gone"
I loved it! What book was this based on?
I just finished watching Final Witness and was touched deeply. The best show on TV. I hope ABC has it in their Fall schedule. I looked for it, but couldn't find a listing. Big mistake if they don't. Great job to everyone involved in the show.
I love it when something comes along and is unlike anything else. Just the trailer alone was enough to grab you and make you watch!! Really hope it becomes a long running series. Music was amazing. I would love to know what song was playing during the part of the show when the 2 men were getting out of the car and walking into the house. Anybody have any idea??
I just finished watching your absolutely rivetting documentary 'Final Witness'. Incredibly resonant imagery; gorgeously lensed. Such an immensely tragic story told with such poignancy; not the paint-by-numbers storytelling that one has come to expect from the much lazier 'Dateline' and '48 Hours Mystery' real crime magazine segments.
I have my fingers crossed that you get a very nice set of Nielsens tomorrow, and that the Alphabet gives you a pick-up to series for this well-executed pilot.
Congratulations!
Wow! Found your site googling for more information on the show. It was outstanding! I generally have the tv on in the background as I search the internet or read, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the tv. This is the first show that has done that to me in a very long time! I can't wait for more! I sure hope there are more.
Congrats on a job WELL done!
Jessica McKean