Major Project - Shoot Week

Shoot Week

In this post, I will detail what happened on every shoot day from 19th February through to the 23rd February. In doing so, I will provide specific focus on my role as the producer on these shoot days as well as how the script performed. As producer, it was up to me to make sure that everything was going according to plan and that everyone knew what they was doing on the day. If there was anything that needed to be clarified, I would be the person they approach.

Consistent notes

To save repeating myself, I feel I should clarify that everyone arrived to each shoot on time or earlier and was consistently satisfied with the food we had to offer.

I also made sure to remind the cast and crew of the health and safety points mentioned on the call sheet.

We managed to shoot every scene within this week as scheduled. Adjustments to the schedule were not necessary, with the exception of the shoot day in the following week.

Monday 19th February - Scenes 4-6

The first day of shooting would take place at an airbnb in Maidstone posing as Nick's house. The shoots would take place inside the kitchen, the garage as well as the road just outside. To ensure that everything was set up appropriately, we arrived a couple hours before the cast and crew and began setting up. I assisted in carrying in the equipment on this occasion as the crew would not arrive for at least another hour (as mentioned on the call sheet).

Upon arrival, I greeted the cast and crew as they arrived and showed them round the location before taking them to the first scene location. I allowed the actors to get settled in before starting any shooting. Snacks were made available throughout the day as well as breakfast.

An issue with the sound equipment was quickly resolved by Jack without assistance and a blown bulb was also acted on swiftly by Jack who was able to take it to the Ferg and get it replaced within minutes (we were only a 5 minute drive from the studios which was convenient). Having Saskia on board meant that we could continue the shoot without Jack which was ideal.

I would observe each shot and voice my own opinions where necessary.

Getting clear sound inside the garage proved to be increasingly difficult. The equipment itself was fine, but the weather was not on our side. The rain and strong wind, though temporary, could be heard quite clearly by Jack and the traffic, though limited, could be heard over the top of the dialogue. This meant that we had ran over time on the garage scene. Time was not an issue however as I had left plenty of clearance space in the schedule in case something goes wrong.

All in all, I was satisfied with how the shoot went. The actors and the crew all got along, any issues we came across were dealt with swiftly. One of my worries about my role during the production phase was that I would not be as actively involved as I liked to be. This was not the case however, as I was able to communicate my ideas freely.

Tuesday 20th February - Scenes 1 & 3

This would prove to be a very short and easy day. This was to be expected.

Everyone arrived on time at the uni house for breakfast and a briefing on where we would be going next and what the shoot would involve. As we would be shooting externally in a public space, a health and safety briefing was more than necessary to ensure that we do not get in the way of any passers by.

We set off into Maidstone and parked in a location near both the County Hall and Fremlin Walk so walking was not a major issue. I walked ahead of everyone else to meet up with the security at Fremlin Walk to let them know that we have agreed to film there and they obliged without issue. I was in and out within 5 minutes which meant I could meet back up with everyone else ready for the first scene.

While there were plenty of people at Fremlin Walk, there were no crowds of people. The fact that we had a time frame to abide by meant that we could not simply wait until later and we had to make do with what we had. Asides from that, the shoot was relaxed and our actor did not feel aggravated by any of the small inconveniences. I was again able to make use of my creative input on the bench scene meaning we got plenty of coverage.

While everyone else got set up at the County Hall, Saskia and I went to a local taxi firm, Apollo Taxis, to order a taxi that would act as Davids lift home. I had explained that we would be filming the whole scene and they were more than happy to contribute to the film. This was one of my biggest worries as should they have said no, it would meant either finding another local taxi service (which will delay the shoot) or use Josh / Jacks car as the taxi and edit it in post, so I am glad that this worked out.

There were no major inconveniences in this scene, it was just a matter of waiting for a clear shot with no people.

Wednesday 21st February - Scenes 8-10 & 13

Day 3 would prove to be the busiest day of the week as it was the only shoot day where we had EVERYONE in. All of the cast, all of the crew. This made my role all the more crucial as I had to manage each and every one of them. Thankfully all the scenes would be shot at the uni house which meant location managing was not an issue.

Despite the large number of people, it would in fact result in being the first day without ANY outstanding issues.

Prior to this day I was made aware that Harvey would arrive late to the shoot as he had to fit this in and around his own working schedule. Asides from this, everyone arrived on time, as expected, with breakfast and various other snacks laid out for them to eat. The living space would act as the green room while the kitchen (not to be used until later in the day) acted as the space where we would all talk about the day ahead.

Scene 8 (the van scene) was the first to be shot and went without issue. I made frequent sound checks as well as shot takes as we were filming externally and the conditions may affect the quality. This was not to be the case however.

Harvey arrived in time for the next scene. While the rest of the crew set up in the kitchen, I greeted Harvey and explained to him what it is we wanted from him as well as what the film would be about. It was a particularly good experience for him to see what goes on in the third year which is a nice bonus. I also used this time to speak to the actors about what they will be doing in the next scene and asked if there were any concerns. Thankfully there were no concerns.

Like with scene 8, scene 10 went without issue, as did scenes 9 and 13. Harvey was particularly busy in taking photographs of each and every one of us in our working environment as well as getting some action shots. My only regret is not hanging onto Anthony for just a few minutes longer to go back to the van scene to get some pictures there. He had informed me prior to the shoot that he would have to leave early, though he was not expected to stay after shooting scene 10.

Thursday 22nd February - Scenes 12 & 14-17

As the final scene of the day would be shot at the uni house, it was agreed that we would meet there before heading off to Mote Park for the first shoot of the day. As 4 of the 5 scenes we would shoot were external and we were still in winter, it was advised that everyone wrapped up warm for this shoot. Thankfully the costumes required for the scenes were thick winter clothing any way so there were not too many concerns.

When we arrived at Mote Park, I decided that we would allow everyone the chance to pick up a tea or coffee before we start shooting as it was a particularly cold day.

It was not too busy at the park which made shooting rather easy. We were able to wrap up the first 2 scenes a lot quicker than initially anticipated.

Scenes 12 and 16 proved to be the most frustrating, despite having the simplest shot choices as there were frequent noise interruptions from birds, cars as well as the public, all of which were clearly heard by the sound. The earlier than expected finish at the park meant that were only set back a few minutes from what the schedule had said.

The most difficult scene of all was saved until last; Scene 17. As the scene takes place in the late evening, we had to cover up the windows with black bags and play around with the lighting to give the impression of night time. This took the crew a long time to get right, but seeing as this was a big scene to shoot, it did not phase me too much as far as the scheduled finish time's concerned. I was just hoping that the actors would not get bored of waiting. I used this time to simply talk to the actors and keep them satisfied. They were very understanding of the situation and were happy to wait.

I am glad that so much time went into the lighting of that scene as it came across as a very convincing night-time setting, even to the eye. Gavin played a big role in ensuring that the lighting came across as realistic.

Friday 23rd February - Scenes 19-24

The final shoot day of the week went without a hitch. By this point, everyone was perfectly comfortable communicating their ideas to everyone and everything came across naturally. A strong working relationship between cast and crew had been more than cemented by this point.

A strong working relationship would prove to be vital as this was among the most important days to get right (though a good working mindset would argue they are all equally as important).

While there were 6 scenes to shoot on this day, 4 of these scenes were very short and without dialogue leaving 2 longer scenes to finish off the day with.

While breakfast was provided, Basil was keen to jump straight into action as his scenes were first. Hannah would get to work on Clive's makeup in the meantime.

Unlike the day before, there were far fewer interruptions outside the house. Sounds of the knocking and the door opening all came out nicely while any external sounds blended in with the background.

These early scenes were fairly simple to shoot and therefore did not require a great deal of time. I suggested other methods of filming to make the most of the time we have as well as to get the most out of the edit.

Before moving onto the next scenes I advised that cast and crew got themselves warmed up, possibly with a cup of tea. Though sunny, it was still a fairly cold day.

Gavin had brought along some extra lighting to help with the final scenes, 21 and 23.

Though lighting did take its time in being set up, the scenes themselves went by quicker than expected which allowed for some experimentation.

Wednesday 28th February - Scenes 2, 7, 11, 18 & 25

Due to snowfall the day before, this shoot day was not able to go ahead as neither myself or Basil could make it to the location so it was decided that this shoot day would be rescheduled.

Reflection

Going into this shoot week, I was left unsure of whether my responsibilities as a producer would shine through on a day to day basis. I was worried that I may be sat around doing nothing at times. Thankfully this was not to be the case and I felt very much involved for the vast majority of the time I was there. I was able to communicate my ideas effectively and was called upon frequently by both cast and crew. I felt as though I answered any questions I could in a professional manner and received positive feedback from the cast as a result which I am particularly proud of.

Another one of my worries was that this would be a stressful environment and that either myself or my crew may underperform if we let these stresses get the better of us. This was not to be the case at any point throughout the shoot week. I thoroughly enjoyed this shoot week and a small part of me wished it had not ended and I was looking forward to the rescheduled shoot.

The sound came out nicely and the shots were well done.

There were some small issues as well as a couple of larger issues that we would later discover in our edit, however. A reflection in the microwave and a red camera light visible on a picture frame are a couple of examples, and we did not feel that Tuesdays shoot went as well as it could have in regards to final product.