I have learnt so much from this unit. I really pushed myself to focus on my role as director and strive to make something that is beyond what I have done before. I'm always looking to improve and develop my ability and skills and I feel that this unit can reflect that.
Initial Development
It all started with the initial ideas. I knew that I wanted to focus on being a director and I knew that a lot of my other work didn't have as much movement. I wanted to try this out and really go for something that's quite cinematic in an American style TV show. I began to focus on shows like American Horror Story and really wanted to do a scene from that. It was elegant and was shot really well. I then thought about doing the music video of The Yeah Yeah Yeah's called Sacrilege and making it interesting by inverting the characters genders. There was a major underlying mistake with these two things that I was not realizing, both of these ideas were already shot the way I wanted to do them and so if I was to go with these ideas I wouldn't be incorporating my own style into them. I realized what I was doing was actually building on inspiration to help get ideas for something that was not shot in this way.
After a long discussion with the group, we came to the decision that we did not have the time or budget to make the music video and we would have to go with a different scene. I suggested doing Black Mirror and the episode called White Bear. Both Drey and George were on board with the idea and I was happy as the original is quite shakey, bleak and dark. The shots didn't have the smooth American look that I wanted to go for and I could envision something completely different to how I would have done the scenes. I was glad I could finally put my own stamp on to something and make it my own.
Pre- Production
We then began the pre-production stages. Since there was no producer in our group I decided to take the lead as, being Director, I can help mold and set up the production to how I am envisioning it. Drey and George also helped out researching pieces and sourcing things like costumes and props to help towards the production. We attended locations to do recce's and I wrote a clear shot list to help me when It came to shooting. Once this was written and I knew the locations, I was able to test the ideas I had been having. Using the track and dolly, the shots were smooth and really took the shots to the next level and this was exactly what I wanted for the film. I also experimented with the drone which was another thing that I'm glad I tested as I had a go at flying it and then uploading the footage to see its quality which I was happy with.
When it came to permissions, I knew the owner of the house we would be shooting in and she was fine about us using this as the location. Some of the outside scenes would prove to be a bit more controversial with a man walking down the lane with a balaclava and a gun so I ensured all the neighbours knew prior to the shoot. I also was responsible for contacting the Kent Film Office and the police about using a fake firearm to ensure I had a permit and everything was legal when it came to shoot day. I did leave this a little bit late and got the permission a few days before filming so I realize I should have done this a little bit earlier which I will do in future.
When it came to casting, as director this is an important part of the process. I sat down and looked at people showreels and their experience before deciding who I wanted to play the role. I also had a phone call with the woman in question and I was able to offer her the role. I considered all of her past work but also her look as I wanted it to marry up with the narrative and the vision I had in my head. I believe that Claudia was the best person for the role and I am very happy with my decision.
Overall I'm really pleased with how I handled the pre-production stage. I was organized and produced work that would really help towards the production stage. My shotlist was great to help me get all the shots I would need, testing my ideas helped me to understand problems that may arise on the shoot as well as it helped me to understand the look a track and dolly would give me and also my casting I feel was the right decision.
Production
When it came to production most things went really smoothly. I arrived on time and was able to go through my shotlist so I knew what I wanted from the shoot. I had sent out call sheets before the day so everyone knew what time to be on set and what they were doing. When everyone got here I went through the schedule for the day to further enforce what we would be doing and then we started shooting the first scene. Everyone took direction really well and I ensured I was communicated with both the actress and the D.O.P to ensure we were capturing the right look for the scene. When it came to the hallway scene this is where we hit some issues. The shot I had imagined was proving very difficult to do. I assumed that since using the track on testing it would be fine but on the day for this scene, there was a lot more motion to it. We did take after take and eventually, we got the shot that I wanted. I kept everyone reassured and made sure I was being clear with the shot that I was aiming to get and everyone's perseverance with me really paid off as the shot looked fantastic. Since it was a frustrating shot I called lunch and everyone had a break and was able to have a breather. When we shot the scenes in the afternoon everyone was ready to go again. I had tested to make sure the TV would display the graphic before but when it came to the day the television was playing up and was being very difficult. I made sure I was keeping patient and that everyone was still positive so that when the difficulty was fixed we would be ready to go again.
On the second and final shoot day, everything was a little bit different. There was a major accident in the morning and everything was delayed by an hour. Once everyone got there we all got straight back to it. We started filming in the back garden and I wanted all the shots to be consistent so I continued to use movements of the track as well as static shots. I also used a range of wides and close-ups so we had a range to edit with. It was a hot day and I had brought lots of water so that everyone kept hydrated throughout the shoot. We then moved on to the drone shot outside. This was quite difficult at first. I wanted this smooth fluid motion and this was quite difficult to master. I had a go at flying it and after several takes, I managed to get the shot that you can see in the final edit. I am very pleased with how that looked and with everyone's co-operation during the takes. The last scene to shoot was the running scene and this proved the most difficult. It was hard to get the movement right with the drone as it was a very fast scene with the actress running and the drone was struggling to keep up. In the end I decided that we would have to slow the actresses running down in order to get the take which I was not happy about but it was the only way we could complete the scene with the drone. I also positioned the extras all along the road so that when it flew past they would appear which I felt was very effective.
Overall the production went really well. I felt I gave clear direction to everyone involved, kept very patient and had a good positive attitude that showed confidence and clear vision. I am very happy with the way I directed on the shoot and I loved doing it.
Post Production
In post-production, I sat with George Nicholls to make sure I was relaying my vision of how I wanted the final edit to look. I found it quite frustrating at first as I usually do the editing myself and it was difficult having someone else who was in control. I did eventually get used to it and I was able to let George edit whilst I told him how I wanted it to look. Although I feel we had some issues as there was a slight power struggle with the creative control, we put our differences to one side and we eventually got to the final result and I am very happy with how the final edit looks. It was stressful at times but with patience and determination, it was all worth it.
Overall I am really happy with the unit. I believe through all the stages my ability has been pushed another step further. I feel this unit has set me up for third year when it comes to the major production and I am very confident that I showed great directing ability all the way through. I am so pleased with what myself and the team have accomplished and I feel that as a director, I know the role to a high knowledge.
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