Tag: film
Prior preparation and planning prevents piss poor performance
by Lee on Nov.27, 2008, under Directing, Musings
So I’m preparing and planning like crazy.
We’ve got a big shoot starting next week. My producer Rachel has been sorting all the dull logistical kind of stuff. Shooting in London is strangely much harder than shooting in Dorset. Between the Metropolitan Police Film Unit, Transport for London, borough Film services, hotels, convoys, restrictions of ten hour days and the sudden requirement to double our public liabililty insurance it seems there’s a lot to do with this film stuff. We’ve got assistance from the British Army providing soldiers and equipment (and repeatedly offering to get weapons). Finally, because of our great relationship with Phil Baxter of Creative Video we’re being given the use of a Sony PDW-700 XDCam to test out for the shoot. Phil Wood is coming along to assist our DP Ed Moore so we’ll have two Canon XL-H1s to play with as well. I don’t think coverage is going to be an issue.
We’ve even got a great pro car photographer called David Shepherd coming along to capture the Armoured Land Rover Discovery in all its 3.5 tonne, 110mph glory. I used to do a job where we had two vehicles to cut about in, one was a Discovery and the other was, somewhat strangely, a Montego. They had the respective nicknames of the Beast and the Skip. This new Discovery definitely deserves the name, and then some.
Mainly i’ve been planning the shot list; working out how to get the most out of our extremely limited time. I wrote the script, planned the shot list and drafted the schedule so I should know it all inside out by now but I’m still convinced there’s more I could be doing. That means I probably won’t be great company this weekend but I plan to be very prepared. Piss poor performance does no-one any favours.
I’m really excited but also a little bit nervous. I think i’ve done everything I need to do to make an adequate film, but whoever got up in the morning and said “I want to be adequate”. More yet!
Elsewhere, two Royal Marines got the good news in Afghanistan today and Indian hotels are still burning. Spare a thought for the families. My best mate Nick flew to Iraq last week leaving behind his new born son Matthew. So if you have some thoughts and prayers to spare, send some his way too.
I think its time for a beer.