We get to Cici's flat and she and I immediately run down to the off-licence to say hi and we're on our way. Camera and sound arrive shortly after and we start setting up. You would think, being 8am-ish on a Sunday morning, that an off-licence would be dead (I mean, he opened up especially early for us). You would be wrong however. The people of North End Road clearly like their booze and fags to start early on the weekend. We get people wandering into the shop while we're setting up, giving us slightly odd, confused looks at all the kit.
Freddie and Dewi arrive at the shop and we block this scene for the first set up. Run it through a couple times, the takes getting better as they get warmed up. There's an unfortunate amount of background noise due the fridge hum, but I don't think the owner would take kindly to us shutting off the fridges, so there's not much we can do about it at this point.
Laura & Cici, looking, frankly, way too chipper for that time of morning.
We do a few takes with the first set up, then some over the shoulder shots of the boys at the shop counter. The tripod, which was annoying Cara yesterday, today becomes the bain of our lives - "I hate this fucking tripod!" becomes a frequent refrain of the shoot, as it wobbles, refuses to hold the camera steady (indeed at one point the camera, a Sony PD170, falls off the tripod. I hold my breath - we're not insured, it's a borrowed camera - but it miraculously escapes the fall unscathed. God bless hardy Sony equipment). Get some good close ups of Chris, who's playing the clerk. He's hilarious; every time I cut his take I get the giggles.
Chris playing the clerk, and me. Or should that be I?
We then flip the camera behind the counter and do some Clerk's POV shots. Our first take is interrupted by a woman walking into the shop for cigarettes. It's not even 9:30, she's carrying McDonalds take out and wants smokes. Gross. She's bamboozled by the set up but wishes us luck as she leaves. We go again; this time Freddie picks up a pack of condoms at the counter instead of the gum as with previous takes, and once again I'm laughing as soon as I yell cut. We do a couple of pick ups with Freddie and Dewi and then they're wrapped for that scene. They go back to base for breakfast and napping on the sofa, and Alex steps in.
While the cam is still behind the counter we do his entering-the-shop scenes. Gareth has come down to the shop as well, slightly bored of sitting in the flat, so he helps with the falling-out-of-frame shots (when the character is supposed to have been shot) by violently pulling Alex out of frame - and two out of three times they crash loudly into the fridges. I'm wincing at the thought of any breakages but we're lucky and it's all okay.
My dad has been roped in to play the clerk's dad (to the amusement of the rest of the family) and I've told (asked politely?) for them to be there at 9:45 as we're so limited on time. My parents have been away for the weekend and have actually rearranged their plans to make sure they can come back for this, which is sweet of them (and unexpected). So my dad, Bruce, turns up and we Clerk him up - mess up the hair, roll up the shirt sleeves so the tattoo is visible, take off the glasses, put on some horrible jewellery. Attempt to make him get into character. He hangs around off screen for a couple of takes while he's not needed, then we bring the camera back out from the counter onto the floor and it's his moment of glory.
Ish.
For someone who is usually so outgoing - one of those people that will just chat to *anyone*. Knows most of the people on their road from just stopping to say hi, never a quiet one at parties. You know the sort - he's strangely self-conscious and it's quite frustrating, after spending the previous day and few hours with professionals, to get him to actually ACT. It probably doesn't help that with him being my father I'm perhaps less patient than I would be with someone I don't know. But I'm tired and haven't yet had my coffee...
Chris teaches him some Romanian words to say as he's supposed to yell at Alex, so we get a few takes with him doing this. We give him the gun and try (and try, and try again...) to get him to hold it correctly and act as if he's actually just fired it.
We're starting to run out of time - I can see the shop owner looking at the clock and Cici is getting antsy about us wrapping this location as soon as possible. I'm not getting what I need from Bruce as the clerk's dad and it's getting really frustrating (note to self: don't put family members in front of the camera again, even if it seems like it's for the tiniest role). We try a few more pick ups and it seems like hopefully there's a few we can work with, but we're out of time so I wrap the off-licence and set everyone back to base. Cici and I stay a couple minutes more to make sure we haven't left the shop in disarray, that we have everything with us, and to say effusive thank yous to the shop owner.
Back at base, I down a coffee, attempt to find some food. We take a short break, then get back in the living room. Only minor adjustments have to be made as we left everything set up from the day before. The takes go much better now - having been working together for a whole day, the boys have had a chance to gel and the camaraderie is more apparent, which is great. We finish all the set ups with the camera based in one corner of the room, do a couple of takes handheld, then break for lunch.
We leave the boys in the kitchen to reset the living room - moving the camera and lights also means moving all the furniture around as well, which is quite a task. We're keeping to schedule a lot better today, which is good. I pretend not to notice that a crew member or two occasionally sneaks off to the bedroom next door for a lie-down (what I wouldn't give for that right now!)
We shoot all the reverse angles and some mirror shots, and then do some more handhelds and then finally the magic words are uttered "-and this take is the martini." Everyone is definitely flagging at this point but gives it their all for this one last take and then I get to utter those great closing words:
"Thanks guys, that's a picture wrap!"
Cheers, hugs, collapsing on the sofa etc etc. Dewi has to rush straight off so I get him his travel expenses and thank him again. While most of the crew work on straightening out the living room, the actors hang out in the kitchen again. It takes about half an hour to demolish any sign that we've been shooting there this weekend - black bags off the windows, furniture back in its correct place, kit all packed up - and then we head for a well-deserved drink down the pub.
It's been such a great weekend and I've been so lucky to work these people - the amazing crew who were always on it (didn't even accept any subsistence expenses, they were just happy to be there), the brilliant actors who were so willing to hang about in the cold so we could make sure we got everything we needed. Everyone has gotten along brilliantly as well, which really helps. The first round of drinks is on us, of course, but I can't stay too much longer as we have to drive the kit back to New Cross (the other side of London).
Fi, Cara and I load up the car with everything and head out ... right as the Chelsea-Arsenal game is letting out too. Traffic is horrible and tempers flare between my sister and I. Cara sits quietly in the back, politely ignoring our sibling bickering. We do eventually manage to get out of the post-game crush and start talking like civilised humans again. We drop Cara off at her house, then head back up to central and North London.
I get back to my place and sit down, staring at the clapperboard that's now sat on the floor with the other crap I've just left there.
Playtime's Over. A Doll Parts Production. Director: Hannah Duncan.
Squeeeeeee!
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