Director's Daily Shooting Blog

Jade Page Jonnie & Cristina "More leaves Daniel !" Paul writing his blog...!

11.36am

 
Roger brained Kate with the Matt box as he was going into low mode for the first shot and she was going into high mode. Kate was floored again with her 9th injury on the film. I can't believe there will be another. That must be the last.
 
We are only just shooting the first shot as the equipment van was an hour late as well as hair and make-up. We can't blow today, can we? Just 9 shots to do outside and 3 in a tent!
 
2.15pm
 
We have shot the first scheduled scene now, 119 to fit between what we have already shot in Broceliande. Two of the best shots in the film are in this scene. The double Malika reveal shot and the Satyijit Ray inspired 360 degree rotation shot that leads us into the 5mm 119A tripping scene.
 
Jade played the second Malika, flitting around in the distance. It's only fitting as she designed the amazing costumes that Malika wears.
 
I already imagine that this sequence (118-120) will be one of the longest timewise to edit in the film with so many more possibilities and choices.
 
5.30pm
 
Wrapping from Hampstead Heath now. Darkness has descended. We are humping gear out of the forest like we did for 3 weeks in France. The final part of the ritual. By shooting the scenes here it allowed us to shoot the tracking shots on a dolly rather than on a steadicam which would have been inferior for this shots. The final one of Malika in the veil had an amazing surreal quality thanks to the dying light. Of course the light was dying thanks to squandering the first two hours of the day.
 
Soon we will head back to the Production Office (Jonnie's flat) to shoot scene 79, the final first unit scene to shoot. It is the flash inserts of Callum imagining having sex with Malika. Someone wise once said that you should never leave such scenes till the end as it is probable that the actors may have fallen out by then. With our film that is far from true. The actors and me are all as tight a unit as we were at the inception, in fact more so thanks to what we have been through.
 
8.43pm
 
Waiting for a train to the wrap party. Marina has been finishing the crew presents today and I am desperate to get across town to help her. We shot the three little shots in the scene quite easily. It was strange to end the film on a scene like this, a sex scene, but actually quite an abstract one. Just little bits of it to use as intercuts with almost no beginning or end, just a middle.
 
I feel sad again that it is coming to a close. After the scene Julie still lay in Jonnie's arms in the tent. She took my hand and the three of us were unified. In some ways for a final time. That is the last scene of the film we will shoot together. There will be ADR and screenings and publicity but that was the final bit of shooting. The end of our journey, our adventure.
 
Tommorrow I shoot some 2nd unit inserts. The crew will be me, Roger and Katie. That's all.