A way of light

Last night was the last day of Principle Photography, we went back to Putney to re shoot the very last shot of the film as last week we didn't have a cat. Upon wrap, I started to hug and thank everyone. Upon wrap, we were over the hill we had been climbing for 5 weeks straight. Upon wrap, I felt suddenly emotional. I had tears in my eyes. I suddenly felt a wave of relief and happiness that with our limitations and resources we all worked really hard to make this film to the best of our abilities and now, it was 'in the can' as it were. When Stefan, the director thanked me saying he couldn't have done it without me, i couldn't say anything back as i had a lump in my throat. It's hard to describe the emotion of finishing a film with such tough challenges. I was suddenly so grateful to everyone who put their two cents of time to carry a case, make cofffee, drive equipment and ideas to this project. I have done 6 features prior to this and this has been the hardest and most rewarding. I felt i had been holding my professionalism for 5 weeks and along with that, my emotional state, my personal self. I felt, we did it, we made this film with last minute locations and last minute crew- WE made it happen and are all proud of what we had achieved.

For most of the 5 weeks, it was intense. The first 2 were really intense.

Against odds we made the wedding scene with 100 extras where 3 days prior we had only 20 extras. We made the fireworks happens in the only take we could do. We did an exterior night shoot walk and talk for 2 half minutes no cut walking around the streets of highbury. One day, we did about 25 slates, which averages about 75 takes. The end slate number was over 425 in 26 days.

Everyday the AC's would put done a different directors and DP's name on the board for fun but on the last day, on the last slate, the director and I put our real names down.

Sure I have been annoyed at the lack of time to set up and light and the amount of coverage I was eventually asked to do and the lack of prep but we worked with it.

But Stefan was great to work with despite his lapses in phone calls and singing to the crew, he was serious and stern and directed actors well. He is a director to watch and I can absolutely seeing him directing some films of both decent budget and worth. He just needs to learn some dicipline in shooting ratio and angles and trust in himself that he got the takes in less less coverage than we need.

I loved shooting this film, but I glad it's done. We do have pick ups to do, the first being on the 14th Nov for fireworks.

- J

Someone I used to know

Am on the last week of this 5 week feature shoot. I managed to get an old camera assistant of mine who I trained. She's difficult to get on jobs now. People move on, as they should. Someone else on the crew who also knew her when she started out said it was sad to see her not seeing the art of film anymore and doing it as a job. I agree with both ends, it is a job and we do get sucked into making a living but we must never also forget why we do it in the first place.

I used to be friends indirectly with David Slade. He's directing the new Twilight film. My best friend who used to be his partner said he would do small art films. Even then I suspected he would get into the Hollywood machine of producing features that were commercially viable. He now has a family to support so there is the rub. It is said that he sold out. What does one expect? would one do the same faced with a few million dollar pay wage? Even at my end of the scale struggling to make something of this job, i would welcome a good wage on a half decent film. At the moment I am doing a half decent film with the wage of someone who works at the local restaurant.

Unfortunately, we have to pay the bills and we want to do what we want to do be it directing or Cinematography and we want to make a decent living. Why would we work so many years honing our craft to be making work that doesn't get seen? To be starving artists? No thank you. Even if it is a semblance, most of us would take it. I dare say i would and have. It is the state of economics that we direct, design and shoot to practice some semblance of what we want and get paid for it.

We have our private projects no one will fund so in the meantime, make commercially viable projects so we can still eat sleep and dream.

Someone I used to know used to show me his sketchbooks of ideas in a flat in Finsbury Park. Now he lives in LA and is directing the new Twilight film. He is the only person then I knew who was driven enough to 'make it'. And he was only doing Rob Dougan's video then back in 2000. I always wished and still do, I could too.

I used to know someone who said they wouldn't do car commercials. But when I was offered one, I only hesitated to be hired because I didn't want to fuck it up.

- J

A wedding with love

So tomorrow is the wedding scene. It's been sitting there waiting to happen. To get 100 extras for free, to light a 100'x80' hall, to dress it for a few hundred pounds. I have never lit a space this big. Once the lighting is set, we are ready. We have 4 hrs to prelight, I have made a plan. We are making this film with a crew of 10-15 people. We are out numbered by all odds, but we have made everyday with a bang and great shots. Now we have been able to keep the track and dolly for an extra day courtesy or Agis Louka at Concept Cameras, we can speed up and make this wedding scene look the shit, as our one shot from the Phoenix cinema proved. A mix of track, handheld and lock off shots make this film photographically diverse. I sometimes wonder about the cut. We must be bold. I have pushed the lighting a little but have remained on the safe side of exposure.

Everyday in the last 20 have been a 12 hr day test and we have come out in pretty colours. Tomorrow will culminate all our experiences and skills. We are ready to make this big set piece shot like a big arse financed project on a tin budget and crew. I am proud of what we have acheived so far. Tomorrow will be the heights of our labour and I have NO doubts we will be flying by the end of the day because we love what we do.

- J

Camera, cars and mounts.

Today was the designated day off. But me, the Director, both Producers and the Production designer and Art Director (all our HOD's), spent the day working. We had to have a meeting regarding the lack of extras we need for both the wedding scene and the pub scene; whether we could shoot the pub location as two different places and with a lack of people. Despite the pub being empty thus we have it for a whole two days, the bathroom photos we saw were horrible so me and Stefan spent the morning looking around for a location- pub ladies toilets in Shorditch.

We sat down and nailed a time schedule for the two day wedding scene- pre light on Sat, crowds on Sun and other on Mon. We also have actors schedules...

Then our brand new AC dropped out. My old AC dropped by to return a camera and so I got her on board as a favour.

We worked out a new Wed schedule as we decided not to shoot the toilet we had. But later we went to see the location of the pub and the toilet was do- able so we are doing it tomorrow. After the toilet scene we go to Hamstead to shoot a sunset and then to Kilburn to shoot a exit from the speed dating scene.

Friday we shoot the cinema scene in the Phoenix Cinema (one of the oldest cinemas in London) and then we go back to the banks of the Thames to shoot the pick up fireworks.

Yesterday we shot night exteriors. Lights on streets with no permit we got there early and set up ready to go. I had come up with a cheap option car mount for our a la 'Anderson' shot and taped it to our Sound Recordists car. When it came to shoot, his car wouldn't start. When they tried to boot it from the 2nd AC's car, smoke car out of both. We ended up pushing the car around the corner into place to shoot it. It worked out despite the car, despite no permits and two nervous Producers. The car door opens, the car door shuts- in one take, no cut (see Punch Drunk Love) . We grabbed the off lisence scene in one shot too- a pan back and forth. We were going to go to Turnpike Lane to grab the walk and talk but decided that the area we were in was bright enough and quiet. We strapped the tripod to the back seat and got in and did a walk and talk with then crossing the road and walking on the road. It was difficult but it turned out pretty damn well considering. Also done in one two and half minute take- no cut. looks smoother than a Steadicam sometimes. Beautiful.

The RED One camera and Edgar, a 1st AC

The Gaffer, both AC's and the Director push the car into position.

A very difficult mount in passenger side of car. It JUST fit. I also JUST fit with it too.

Low budget film making at it's most ingenious. With the Canon 5D (as we cound't mount the RED on the door.
The JC CAR MOUNT (industrial Velcro and 2' camera tape)

Me and Stefan at midnight shooting from the back of a moving car boot.

- J

Have wheels will travel

We have shot half the film. This week has been an easy week in comparison. The first two were a bit mental. We had two half days. Handheld work came in a big way that has left me with muscles. Handheld standing, handheld running and handheld on a wheelchair. The camera weighs about 20kg. But it's been fun. This week were mostly exteriors shot in Shoreditch and Putney by the Thames. Had two assistants who were students but were pretty good.

We had a free stunt man fall down the stairs backwards and got amazing footage. Pretty scrary stuff but i had to remain uber cool to operate.

It's amazing what we do in the time allotted with the tiny crew and limited resources that we have. It's an achievement so far. It's a great journey...

Roger, our Sound Recordist on wheels

Me on Wheels, two AC's and Roger

Stefan the Director on wheels with Seb pushing

Seb our lead on wheels and camera with Stefan pushing

Seb as Spiderman (this is not in the film)


Seb as Bond (also not in the film)

Stefan in the Thames

Us setting up on the bank of the Thames

Shooting handheld in Shor(e)ditch

- J