Production Diary

Friday 9th February 2007

Welcome to the 'Our Time To Live' Production Diary. Please insert applause.

This evening we're filming part of Scenes 11.1 and part of 8. Both of these have other halves which will be filmed later. We've had to completely rennovate a bedroom so that it looks girly. We would have been filming different scenes but we had a last-minute complication. Not a problem, though. I'd be lying if we said we'd planned to have an alternate scene set up, but it's worked out alright. Haven't actually started yet- we're waiting for the cast and the rest of the crew.

This isn't the first day of filming, by the way. It's the second. We had a very successful first day last Sunday with almost the whole cast present. Good work from everyone involved, and it's made us very optimistic about the rest of the filming. Wish there weren't so many illnesses going round, though...

Sunday 11th February

Today we were filming exclusively with actors Chris Levens and Fran Gray, who are playing Pete and Chloe respectively. Filming proved a little difficult today as there were high winds outside, so we'll probably need to ADR that particular scene as and when the edit comes together.

We appeared to be providing entertainment for a lot of the local villagers, as well- we were on a green in the centre of a small village called Rowlands Castle. The green happened to be surrounded by a road on all sides which looped back on itself, meaning that rubber-neckers could drive round us three or four times before eventually going back to where they intended to go (as was the case with an old couple in a yellow mini, who then appeared on foot just as we were leaving). Surprisingly enough, only one car beeped its horn at us. Nice to know there's still a level of respect in some areas of England.

We also filmed an indoor scene in Pete's bedroom, which has a wall plastered with soft porn. He's not a very wholesome chappy. Good day all round, though- due to more illnesses we've had a move another shoot to later in the week. That's now due for Wednesday. In preparation, we have tidied our office (at long last).

Wednesday 14th February

Quite an easy day today- only two short dialogue scenes, involving Ash (Simon Morgan) and Kev (Jack Arnhold), playing Worms on the PC. Went well, even though a dusty lampshade kept snowing dust bunnies into shot every now and then. Pleased that my new desk managed to get into the film. It is very nice.

Saturday 17th February

The first of two days involving a great deal more technical shots, including stunt driving, climbing onto roofs and wet rigs.

Today, we shot the opening scene of the film, which, being a shot of Ash (Simon Morgan) sat in the back of his parents' car, involved our Director (Daniel Hill) lying across the front two seats of his car, leaning out of the window whilst I drove. Incredibly entertaining and looks good, but having to rest his ribcage on the window left Dan a little sore. The rest of the day was spent inside filming other scenes with Ash and Beth (Anna Watson), some of which required some last-minute rewrites. Finished exactly on schedule, even with an extended lunch break. Fantastic.

Sunday 18th February

This evening shoot required extensive use of a rain-effect wet rig (although a slightly less elaborate term for it would be a garden hose with a spray attachment), and two ladders placed by the side of the house to allow three of the actors (Simon Morgan, Jack Arnhold, and Ollie Porter playing Rob) to climb onto the roof of a house and get inside through an upstairs window.

Bearing in mind we hadn't had a great deal of time to plan this section of the shoot, Dan adopted guerrilla tactics to filming this evening, with virtually all camera work hand-held, and with rehearsals and takes done at break-neck speed. We even managed to cram in some more stunt-driving and intense, emotional improvisation.

We have also discovered that sticky fixers are only strong enough to hold a padlock to a door all day, until you actually want to start filming, whereby it will fall off constantly. It is also a bad idea to leave our Production Designer with a hose for too long before people start getting wet beyond their original remit.

Monday 19th February

Very short, very sweet shoot today, re-arranged because we found we had some extra time than we anticipated, and gave us a little more time towards the end of the shoot. Today's scene was number 12.

Friday 23rd February

Some impromptu, vigilante filming today- since it was raining in the evening we rushed out to do some Second Unit stuff, which worked very nicely. Mostly watching cars drive around and getting wet.

Saturday 24th February

The preparation for today's filming started about four days ago with the painting of some of the walls left over form our production of The Caretaker in January, to be placed inside the kicthen of a house as... another wall. They also needed to be sawn up to the right shape, maneouvred in place and bolted together, then weighted down and have the gaps hidden. On top of that, we had to buy some cheap plates to throw onto the floor and smash and completely clear out the hall, landing and kitchen of excess stuff (of which there was quite a bit).

Melanie Gray and David Hepple joined us for the first and last time today, with explosive performances as Beth's Mum and Dad respectively. It was an incredibly demanding set of scenes for them and Anna Watson (Beth), but even so we managed to finish about two hours ahead of schedule. Although the plates we bought specifically to break didn't even suffer minor scratches, meaning they're much better quality than we thought. Very, very pleased with how it's looking, though.

Sunday 25th February

Although the scenes we needed to do were quite short, we finished rather uncharacteristically behind schedule today, for a number of reasons: tangled necklaces, the weather and unwitting obstacles (people, cars, buses, wheelbarrows...). Some more stunt driving today. Having taken the wheel today, I'd hate to be a professional stunt driver. Navigating some of the West Sussex roads is bad enough.

Wednesday 28th February

Perhaps one of the most 'comfortable' shoots we've ever done, since the scenes on today's schedule were all based at a sleepover, all of the cast and crew decided to turn up and work in pajamas. In contrast to the atmosphere of a lot of the scenes already filmed, these were on the whole a lot lighter, so we had a lot of fun... and generated a lot of out-takes. Fish and chips were had by all at the end, courtesy of the owners of the house we were using. Many, many thanks to them.

Friday 2nd March

Big party scenes today, and some of the first (sequentially) in the film. We had a nice gathering of extras (who were all very professional under the command of Assistant Director Lucy Allman) who acted well as merry party-goers. These scenes help introduce the main characters in the film, so it was important to be able to get them right.

Having learned from mistakes made in the first film we made, whereby we filmed with ambient music on set and then tried to add additional music in the sound edit later, the majority of the party scenes were mimed, except for the dialogue of the main characters. Ambient chatter was then recorded separately and are being added in later, along with music they'll be dancing to.

Unscheduled rain managed to add a rather nice dynamic to another scene filmed tonight, despite getting the actors and crew a little wet.

Only two days left until principal photography's over now...

Saturday 3rd March

An evening shoot inside Chichester College today, doubling as a hospital. A fun shoot which went really well, despite the lights failing us just after the first take. I have learnt that it is not easy to drive with a large pot plant in the front passenger seat of my car.

Sunday 4th March

A very, very packed day. We started early, taking Ash, Chloe and Miserable Library Man (played by James Price, also our Boom Operator) to the Lavant House School for Girls to film a scene in a library. Our Producer Emily Moseley, Production Designer Millie Eden and Ollie Porter had cameos in this scene also, as other library users. Shortly after that, we found a nice stretch of woodland path to film a short section between Ash and Chloe.

Unfortunately, by this point it had started raining rather hard, which put a literal dampener on the next scene, the last shot in the film. The cast weren't allowed umbrellas, either, so everyone got rather wet, and rather cold.

Next up was the fourth scene of the day, filmed in Beth's bedroom. This was a rather intense scene which required a lot of concentration from the actors. Once that was finished, it was a wrap for Simon, Jack, Ollie and Alice. Fran had one more scene to go, which required the unit move to a leisure complex in Selsey, where we were joined by Mille Randle playing Chloe's little sister, Georgie.

This was a fun scene to film, if in an environment filled with a lot of ambient noise which may require some touching up in the editing room. I hadn't realised how much noise swimming pools made by themselves.

One month after the start of filming and fourteen DV tapes later, that was a wrap. Although the day hadn't quite finished yet, as we had a well-earned wrap party to attend, where we were all able to thank each other and celebrate working together. And it has been an amazing experience.

Monday 5th March

The film is still being edited together, but we've now started work on the construction of various DVD elements and are putting together the various essentials for the film's premiere. It's a fair while coming yet, but that doesn't mean we won't be busy.

Tuesday 6th March

We're currently working on a trailer for the film, which should be available on the net within the next few days.

Wednesday 7th March

The trailer is now online. See the Home page for the link.

Friday 16th March

This week's been an odd one. Dan's off in Florida- a working holiday, mind you, as a new picture in the Gallery can attest to -while the final arrangements for the premiere and the last song are underway. Lots and lots and lots of cutting out card. The rough cut of the film is complete, with only a few sound issues and small editing adjustments to make before it can be sent off to the BBFC.

Thursday 22nd March

With Dan back in snowy, rainy, don't-really-know-what-to-do-with-the-weather old Engand, we've been busy putting more bits and pieces together for the DVD, including plans for some bonus material. Yesterday, we captured the additional footage he recorded in Florida and pushed it into the film edit. We now have absolutely nothing left to shoot for the film. Hooray!

We're still waiting to organise the recording for the final song, though, which is leaving us rather little time at present.

Tuesday 27th March

Yesterday we filmed one of the interviews for the DVD (Millie Eden, Production and Costume Designer), and today we filmed two more- myself as Writer, Script Supervisor, Executive Producer and 2nd Unit Director and Daniel as Director, Editor and Executive Producer. I was very impressed by some of the things we managed to come up with separately. I'm looking forward to seeing them on the finished DVD. Let's hope everyone else is, too.

Wednesday 28th March

Today was a good day for music. In the morning, we went to Dug Out Studios in Fareham to record Emily Moseley and James Price singing the song to be played during the end credits- Parted By Eternity. It took quite some deliberation getting the mixed vocals right, but in the end we left pleased. Although we still had some more to record- the Havant Youth Choir, the largest single group of people we've ever had working with us, and certainly the best-sounding.

We recorded with them in the evening during one of their weekly evening rehearsals; they all were very kindly able to stay for an extra half an hour or so later than usual so that they could be taught the song and record a good number of takes. We were all incredibly impressed- not only by the sound of their voices, but also by their professional and helpful attitude and friendly nature. Listening to them perform our song was a real treat.

Thursday 29th March

We received the final mix of the song today, and it sounds incredible. Can't wait till the screenings!