Producer, Louise Jones
We capture Louise during a crazy, hectic week (when is it not??!!) getting ready to film for a huge production (in this case, a crucial nationwide policing training documentary)..
Monday
I’ll be out filming for the next few days and so today is all about the final pre-prep which basically involves checking and triple-checking the thousands of lists I’ve made myself across props, costume, locations, shot lists, kit lists and making sure my beloved folder contains all the necessary call-sheets, production schedules and scripts.
This is going to be a big shoot and so I touch base with everyone involved who will be on the shoot to make sure anything and everything is clear ahead of filming – actor’s agents, the runner, camera operators, sound engineer, police consultants and the client.
There is always a strange sense of calm teamed with nerves when you finally feel that you can’t possibly check everything one more time and that, by George, you’re ready
Tuesday
Shoot Day One. Today we’re shooting the first scene that will act as a dramatised re-enactment within the film. We’re not even rehearsing until 10am but I set off at 6am for a shoot that is only 20 miles away (at a residential house I sourced from a fantastic locations agency) but we need to dress the set and rig all the kit up which also includes a monitor for myself and the client to see how the shots appear on-screen. It is one thing to have a shot list but another when you see it on screen and think, “hmmm…maybe not” or notice something in the background that shouldn’t be there!
Once everything is in place and all the kit is rigged, I run through the shot lists with the crew and we do a tech rehearsal across cameras, lighting and sound. Whilst things always change on the day, I always have a production schedule that I try to work to to ensure all the desired shots are captured by a certain time and that allows for ‘contingency time’ in the event of any technical hiccups, human error or for moments when I suddenly see another shot or two I’d like!
The shoot goes fantastically, helped by a fantastic actress and fantastic crew!
Friday
It is always a relief to hand over all the footage over to our editors. I do always make sure that all footage is copied over onto a hard drive at the end of a shoot so that we have more than one copy of everything, but still!
I sit down with the editors and run through the shot logs and we discuss what needs to be cut where in line with the script, the best takes and which footage to use from each camera: Camera One 4K, cinematic; Camera Two – Handheld for realism and Camera Three – Point of view camera – in this case, mock-ups of an officer’s body-worn-camera.
As we will also be producing a subtitled version of the film and as we revised some of the script whilst actually shooting, we also transcribe the scenes as per the revised script for this purpose.
We are recording the voiceover for the film at a studio next week and so I break down the script and issue it to the artist’s agent and the studio. I LOVE my job but I’m definitely glad it’s Friday!!