A rainy day in New York - about filming

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-12 17:37

In just one magical, albeit rainy, day in New York, the heroine realizes that in fact she is not at all who she thought she was all the time, and her lover realizes that if there is only one life, then you cannot live it with the wrong human. Woody Allen's new comedy "A Rainy Day in New York" will be released on October 10, 2019, a description of the filming process and comments from the crew members will help you better understand the characters and feel the atmosphere of rainy New York.

How "A Rainy Day in New York" was filmed

The visual presentation of characters who are trying to show their true colors required hiding their appearance, in particular, hiding their faces in shadows. For example, the camera, filming Gatsby and Chen in the car, focused on the reflection of the cityscape in the glass, rather than on the faces of the characters.

“The secret of cinema is not always to show everything clearly and clearly,” says cameraman Vittorio Storaro, who previously worked with Allen on the filming of the films “High Life” and “Wheel of Wonders”. - It is often more profitable to hide the character behind some object or to leave only part of the body visible. It is necessary to create an intrigue to whet the audience's interest."

Storaro used different lighting and shooting techniques to highlight the differences between the characters of Gatsby and Ashley.

“Gatsby loves it when the sky over New York is covered with clouds, or even better, if it is raining,” explains the operator. "Ashley is bright and passionate, so I chose warm colors for her."

Even when Gatsby and Ashley were together, Storaro found a way to show their differences.

“It can't rain all day long, you know,” says the operator. - Sometimes the wind disperses the clouds and the sun appears, and then the sun again hides behind the clouds. The changes in the weather had to be used effectively. In cloudy weather, Gatsby is overwhelmed with love, he calls Ashley. When the camera moved to her, I waited for the sunbeam. " In addition, Storaro filmed Ashley with a mobile steadicam, and Gatsby with a stationary camera. “Steadicam emphasized Ashley's freedom and mobility,” explains the operator. "She is more carefree and open, and Gatsby is more reserved, he tries not to complicate his life."

Like New York, rain became an important character in the film

Woody Allen stated that he wanted rain to become a symbol of romance and love in the picture. New York is very beautiful on gray, foggy and rainy days. There is something special about soft lighting and clean-washed streets.

The rain also highlights how Gatsby and Ashley have different views of life. “The rain brings melancholy to Ashley, and Gatsby sees romance in him,” says the director. The places in which Gatsby and Ashley find themselves also demonstrate a contrast between them and between the events that happen to the heroes in New York.

“Gatsby is in love with old New York,” says production designer Santo Locosto. “So he finds himself in the Village with old hotels, in places that take us back to a bygone era, such as the Bemelman bar. Ashley loves modern New York - the glamor of the Soho hotel and loft in the city center. Her world is much more spacious and furnished with beautiful modern furniture."

The hotel scenes for Ashley's interview with director Roland Pollard were filmed at the Bovary Hotel in East Village. Since the filmmakers could not hold back the flow of hotel visitors, Lokosto and his team had to build a decorative facade of the hotel on another street and recreate the lobby on the second floor of the hotel, directly above the real one.

“I used hotel furniture and overall we were able to create a more or less exact replica of the lobby,” says the artist.“In addition, we rolled out oriental carpets and hung pictures of appropriate themes everywhere. We wanted to create a 19th century atmosphere."

The hotel room where Pollard lives and works was rented in a private loft.

“The dwelling was quite unusual,” Lokosto describes. "We've got a fantastic apartment that a filmmaker could shoot."

Scenes in Chen's classic house on the Upper East Side were filmed in an apartment in West Central Park. “The family that owned the apartment has a son and a daughter,” says Lokosto, “and the interior of the daughter’s room perfectly matched Chen’s character. We only had to bring in a few details such as sketches, watercolors and special literature, but otherwise we were content with what was already in the room."

Costume designer Susie Benzinger had no trouble finding clothes for Gatsby.

“He was all about Ralph Lauren,” explains the designer. - This is a kind of uniform for stylish youth who do not care about the choice of wardrobe. Gatsby's fashion isn't too worried. He loves vintage, so he wears clothes that he bought a long time ago. He wears a jacket that Ralph Lauren made many years ago."

Ashley, by contrast, shows up at Pollard's office wearing a pastel cashmere sweater that should impress her respondent.

“Ashley has her own mission,” says Benzinger. “She wants to give the impression of a conscientious girl who wants to pursue a career in journalism. In order for Pollard to take her seriously, Ashley is carefully preparing for the upcoming interview."

Chen, on the other hand, is self-confident, and she dresses appropriately.

“She is one of those New York girls who can wear obscenely expensive clothes anyhow,” says the designer. “Outwardly, they may look like ordinary teenagers, but they can wear sneakers for six hundred dollars and a sweater for a thousand dollars. Chen's burgundy Stutterheim cape was the most popular the year the movie was filmed. We needed several identical models to shoot, and getting them was a big problem."

"A Rainy Day in New York" is a classic old-school Hollywood melodrama with Woody Allen's twist.

“I've always loved these films,” the director admits. - They are amazing. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the film into the romantic landscape of rainy New York."

A Rainy Day in New York is much more optimistic than many of Allen's films. “I really think we made a positive movie,” says the director. “This weekend, Gatsby finally finds himself. He not only puts up with his mother, but also understands what woman he wants to spend his life with."

Gatsby and Ashley arrive in New York on Saturday morning with the intention of leaving the next morning. Gatsby planned everything up to the minute, the audience will always see the time and how the situation gets out of the control of the hero every minute.

“It was supposed to be an amazing weekend with Ashley, according to Gatsby, but it’s not going according to his plan,” Allen explains. - Gatsby says, "The city has its own plans." Time is always against us. You can try to control him or even try to deceive him, but in the end you will fail. From the moment our characters kiss under the clock at the end of the film, time begins to move their relationship forward, and this relationship can last a year, two, ten, twenty, or until the end of their lives. Over time, they will develop, like everything else in our life."

The release date of the comedy melodrama "Rainy Day in New York" in Russia is October 10, 2019, check out the details of filming, a description of the plot and a trailer for the film.