Director's Daily Shooting Blog

8.08am

 
Now prepping to do an insert on the sex scene. Callum ripping Condom packet. Stupidly I forgot to include this before. A mistake on my part considering how they were featured in scene in London and need to be included later in Soldier scene. It's probably the first creative mistake I have made on the film so far. Hopefully this insert will solve the problem. I know how to edit the scene to make it work.
 
Jonnie has arrived on set without make-up. Unbelievably he couldn't wake Cristina this morning. I heard she had a bad day yesterday and didn't want to see anyone. I can only assume it is exhaustion or stress as she was not ill the other night and didn't thus have to go to hospital. I would have gone and visited her yesterday except Julie told me explicitly that she didn't want to see anyone.
 
I will have to send Jonnie back after doing this insert as there is no other choice. I had already decided that as it is a light day with no make-up resets, she can set make-up then have day off until de-rig. Hopefully this will give her the opportunity to recover. I have no other choice as like a lot of people, she does not have an assistant here and I do not have the luxury of being able to call another day off.
 
10.15pm
 
Earlier I shot a lovely scene of the tent shrouded in mist. Daniel is doing a great job. I texted Seanne in London and told her than Daniel deserves a medal. He's doing a great Bruno Gantz impersonation of him playing Hitler as well so maybe it should be an Iron Cross which by chance is the name of the film by Peckinpah that we were discussing on set earlier while prepping!
 
Now shooting scene 102 where he calls out for Malika. Roger suggested an idea where he calls, walks out of frame, calls again then walks back into frame, calls out and then walks out again only to return a final time. A wonderful idea. Worked beautifully. Roger and I are on the top of our game at the moment. Earlier someone said "When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" I couldn't have said it better myself.
 
Steve, who is standing in for Axle, asked earlier as he has a cold, "Can he be replaced by Axle?" I told him no way. She was in a hospital bed less than 36 hours ago!
 
1.27pm
 
Having lunch now. Kate is telling us about her experiences shooting in India. I feel great, strangely despite having flu. It's probably my mental state rather than physical. Up on the hill earlier shooting Callum doing Tai Chi exercises was beautiful. I sat there in the sun for 10 minutes waiting for the shot to be set up. It was so peaceful. Afterwards we shot some more of 102B. I decided to start that scene as Make-up was a little late and thus I couldn't shoot on Malika.
 
Then I saw a beautiful thing. The sun backlighting some trees as seeds fell from them against the sun. We shot it. I'm certain it will be shot 2 of the film coming straight after the close up of a leaf backlit by the sun. I feel the full presence of Broceliande now. It's peace. It's magic. It's the calm after the storm but it's also about being perfectly harmonious with the film and full of confidence.
 
I wish everyone was as absolutely focused on the film as I am, as Roger is, as Jonnie and Julie are on set. That's how you get through a long shoot. Not through worrying about peripheral things. By concentrating on the job in hand. Of course you can't expect everyone to be like that. All you can do is show by example. To me even. Roger is a shining example of how you get through a long shoot. He is a rock and I am glad to have him.
 
Anyway, Dougal Porteuos has arrived here in France. He will have a single scene tomorrow as part of 118, the tripping scene. He came up to me and whispered "If you have no problems normally that means that you make a shit film." He's right of course.
 
I remember on Boston Kickout a sceptical assistant Art Director who evidentially didn't believe in the project. She got sidelined effectively by more diligent and dedicated people. At the London Film Festival screening of the film I looked down to see her in the front row with tears in her eyes. She had finally got it, what we were trying to achieve. The only thing was it had taken a year after the shooting. She lost it through her own obstinacy. Afterwards she apologised to me as did the Prop Master that I had to sack on that film. They both apologised for not being with the programme, for not believing, for not understanding what it is to make a film.
 
Making a film is not something to be taken lightly. It's a monumental task physically, mentally and emotionally. Not everyone has strength in all three areas. As a film-maker having all that is essential.
 
4.01pm
 
Shot some lovely stuff just now. Scene 104, Callum sitting by the river at the edge of frame off to the right was very nice. But as Roger said earlier "It's all nice on this film!"
 
Now in the middle of a rehearsal for scene 106. Julie is happy I can tell. I have heard mixed reports throughout the day about Marina and Cristina. Some say they are better others not so. I don't dare to ask her about them. I just hope they will be rested enough to return tomorrow from the MIA list.
 
6.55pm
 
Just wrapped. Kate caught her fingers in the camera car. It is her eight injury now. She was in so much pain she even didn't want me to take a snap of her!
 
We shot some great stuff today. Julie's close up at end of 106 was especially memorable as was Callum dropping down into frame at the beginning of it. We shot more than was scheduled to shoot today and thus got ahead or ourselves. If we keep this up we'll be leaving France a day ahead of what was predicted. That will be good for everyone. People will be getting cabin fever soon I imagine!
 
We were going to go bowling tonight but unfortunately it has been cancelled. Cristina and Marina are too tired to do it today. It would have been a nice bonding experience. Matt was especially looking forward to it. I was too. Maybe it will happen on the19th now. Maybe not.