Day 2...

Following on from Leilani’s diary of Day 1, I thought I would add my own thoughts on Day 2 J

Day 2 was the easier of the 5 and we had scheduled as such as we knew (as with any shoot) it takes time for everyone to get into a rhythm of working with each other. It was also due to the restrictions of each location, for example it was best to shoot in the school on a Friday (being the end of the week), a supermarket on a Sunday and pub on Monday (as these were locations still open for business so needed to pick their quietest day), so we were happy that this would be less intense and put us in good stead for days 3, 4 and 5. We had less to shoot for the second day and were in a more controlled location without a hundred or so children to contend with but it was still tricky as the local train station which was a two minute walk away (Isleworth) was closed so many were coming by bus and tube.

After being picked up with the equipment van by 3^rd AD Blair, we arrived and met with th location owner Arthur and then started assessing where to put kit and people as well as dressing the front room, which was the main interior location we were filming in, as well as our unit base for the day. One of the reasons we picked this particular house was that it fitted Bonzo being a single man and was very quaint, which whilst good for him wasn’t for 20 odd crew squeezing in!

We had an added obstacle in a car was parked directly outside which we couldn’t move, so the production team went to work knocking on doors of neighbours so we could shoot the exterior shots, which are the final ones in the film. After filming this before lunch, it was inside to capture a scene early in the film where Bonzo arrives home, which was constructed fantastically by the production design team.

It was shot quite simply in terms of framing and blocking, but was very important in setting Bonzo up to our audience and getting an insight into who he is and showing his situation through how he lives, as well as conveying the moment his journey is kickstarted. Although tight, it was another day wrapped on time (at 4pm no less) but as we had an early start and a tight timeframe the following day, we had a full briefing with all crew to let them know just how important it was to be on set for 6.45am the next day in Islington, North London for the supermarket scene. I try to get people together to pass on the information as much as I can during a shoot, but it was good that everyone saw the importance of it and stayed to make sure they knew what our requirements were for day 3.

I was glad our scheduling had worked out this way, as it gave everyone a chance to assess where we were at so far and get some much needed rest before the more difficult scenes over the next three days. By this point we had already overcome a number of challenges including supporting roles dropping out, logistics changing at the last minute, exterior locations needing to be sought and technical issues with the lights and camera so was also very glad to see everyone was dealing with things as and when they arose. It is all well and good having a happy crew when things are going smoothly, but it is when things are not going to plan, that's when you find out what you are made of!