Going Loco!

Things have been really busy at Clowning Around Production Central as we come up to two weeks until filming and there's still a lot to sort out. Truth is that even with an amazing team working hard, we've all been doing stuff in our spare time and probably the trickiest thing has been finding the right interior locations so even though we've been looking for a good while, we began this week with only half the locations we needed.

But perseverance weighs out they say and that's certainly been the case for this film and it's characterful settings. We went to have our weekly production meeting at one of them this week, a pub location in New Maldon that is charming inside and out and has a friendly management who have welcomed us to film there where we'll be using both the interior and exterior for important scenes in the film. Added to the pub, we have a school full of children, two houses (with suitable interior and exteriors of both), a park with specific requirements, a shop, and a supermarket.

Ironically the most difficult thing to get was not the school full of kids, but the supermarket, however from the teams weekend recces today they have finally gotten it hopefully nailed down to a suitable and willing store, both houses are confirmed as well as the pub and school and everyone is feeling happy and looking forward to the next job. Which I'm guessing will be all the props and production design, arranging rehearsal and tech recces, and finalising the costume fittings and logistics etc.

Mostly it's been the production team and department heads working hard, and I've sort of been checking stuff off the lists from afar and worrying and trying to do bits when I can to help things move along and working to help production manager, Katherine with budget stuff, but I've definitely feeling my shortcomings as a producer. Truth is that everyone on this shoot is a working professional behind the camera, except me. I only produce short films in my spare time and I have never had such a big production or budget to work with before and it's a bit of a learning curve. I feel like I'm somehow not doing enough or being enough. I guess it's something I never worried about before because I never felt the stakes were high, but between the crowdfunding backers who've put such faith in the project, the cast and crew who've been working hard for a long time to make this happen, and our director Damien who has been wanting to realise this film for such a long time it feels like there's a lot of expectation of an amazing success, we've worked for that success, and failure is not going to be an option for us. Not that failure is even a suggestion with our awesome team on the case. It's probably just that in my own excitement and anxiety to see everything happen as it should after all this work and time and expectation I am now feeling a bit like an expectant mother pacing about, wishing it were ready to begin already, and hoping it will all go smoothly and the budget won't get caught around it's neck and strangle it and that our team will come out of their work with a film we are all proud to love and show off and all it's fingers and toes will be intact because we haven't had to compromise one or two along the way! I know. I've gone a bit nutty, it's pre-production.. I don't cope well with it!

A cool filmmaker, who happens to be one of our backers in fact, once said the following to me during a particularly tough pre-production challenge on another project that I was directing... "Keep going. The only way is in fact forward. Choose the day, don't let it choose you. You are EXACTLY where you should be. Smile. Go on" and it's good calming advice for any film challenge. Today I'm feeling very glad that I wrote that down and kept it. I admit that reading it back I do feel very reassured.

I might still pace in anticipation though until we're ready to give birth to this baby film.. just a little bit. But I'm smiling at what everyone has achieved today. *:o)

Locations in New Malden

I met production manager Katherine so we could start looking at locations today in New Malden, which is in south west London, a ten minute train ride from Wimbledon. After we spoke at last weeks production meeting, she mentioned that there was a pub, park and car park in close proximity to where she lives so had arranged to meet there on Sunday at 1pm to have a look.
Unfortunately (for reasons best known to themselves) I thought we were to meet at midday, so turned up over an hour early. As well as make me look rather stupid, it did give me an opportunity to wander round the streets near Berr
ylands station and see exactly the kinds of streets and houses that I would like to show the film, quiet suburban streets with quaint three bedroom terraced and semi-detached housing.

First of all we looked at a park nearby. I liked the fact it was slightly overgrown, quiet and had benches scattered around, but what we are looking for also is a pond that Bonzo can jump into after seeing Fernellis reflection.

Myself and Katherine wandered along the river which runs through the park, stopping at various points to see if it would work for Bonzo to be contemplating his scenario, to have the teenagers nearby and to jump into the water.

Obviously you can shoot the same scene in more than one location and 'cheat' it slightly

, but I always like to keep it as realistic as possible. As well as testing how and when we could see a reflection, we also found a few really nice bridges, which I thought would may be nicer, rather than to have Bonzo walking past the pond, he stops to reflect and sees the shadow of Fernelli stood next to him, which prompts him to attack.

We then stopped at the pub "Woodies" Freehouse (http://www.woodiesfreehouse.co.uk/) which is a nice, country esque locals pub which would be perfect for the end confrontation between the two clowns.

Unfortunately, the owner was too busy in the kitchen so Katherine will call her this week to see if they are interested in being a location for the film.

After that, me and Katherine had a chat about we can achieve within the budget and also backups for our backups as it is important that we aim high and are highly ambitious but at the same time have plans that do not compromise the film, should our original ideas not be possible.

We also had a look at an alternative to a supermarket in a 'Poundland'. If we do not make it a supermarket (as this is always tricky) then the only problem is why would there be a shopping trolley outside the shop? It could be discarded, but would still be weird to me so we chatted about other possible modes of transport as he exits the shop.

So watch out Bill, we may have you on a skateboard or a childs pushbike! :-)