LOLA Short Film
Set Diary - Day 1
LOLA Short Film is a story of love, secrets and acceptance. A young woman, Ruby, begins to uncover aspects of her long term boyfriend Paul's life.
© Nicole Oebel
September 21, 2018 by Nicole Oebel @philomina_
LOLA is a short film that examines trust within a relationship, and how the harbouring of secrets can often be more damage than the secret itself. It explores the topic of gender, identity, acceptance and how we define and see ourselves within society.
Director: Alexander Vlahos
Writer: Lewis Reeves
Producer: Robyn Fox
Director of Photography: Mark Nutkins
Actors: Anna Brewster, Lewis Reeves, Arinzé Kene
Related: Our recent pre-production interview with Alex Vlahos on his directorial debut, Lola Short Film.
13 September 2018 Jumping on the bandwagon the day before shooting I meet Robyn, the producer, at One Stop Films where the camera team is busy assembling the film equipment. Everyone is very welcoming and my heartbeat settles back down to normal speed. Upon first handshake I get a feeling Mark Nutkins is the solid as a rock, calm anchor kind of person who is going to be a very interesting D.O.P. to the fiery quick director I assume Alex will be. I join Robyn on her tour around filmmaker's London, first stop Cinelab, where Lola is going to be processed. Yes, the same lab things like "Star Wars" have been processed in! We get to see the labs, processors and scanners and it's nothing short of breath-taking. Next stop Pinewood Studios! The 007 Stage. The Underwater Stage. Backlots where Godric's Hollow was built. This is where we get the lighting equipment.
While we drive Robyn talks to me about negotiations, proceedings and why she's part of Team Lola. The production is in good hands.
© Nicole Oebel
14 September 2018 Shooting begins. On a rooftop and inside a flat. London weather offering everything there is to offer from soft rain drops and strong winds to bright sunbeams challenging the camera. Things move pretty fast and there's nothing like working on a film-set to remind you just how much can be achieved in a day. The dedication of the crew is amazing, a wave of energy, around twenty people setting up lighting kits, makeup brushes, props and coffee, always coffee. I meet Lewis Reeves, the writer and actor who's going to play the role of Paul. We're happy to meet in real life. The film is becoming a reality. "We're doing it!" he says to Alex.
© Nicole Oebel
While some departments find themselves having a bit of downtime here and there, the Director is in demand all day. And he excels in it. Alex is confident. He speaks in a certain type of way to his D.O.P., to his first A.D., to his script supervisor, to the production designer. Different nuances, different aspects of the vision. He is extremely well prepped. Extremely available. Everyone is. They understand each other. Sitting down in front the monitor, deep breaths. Eyes close. Hope, trust. And Action. Breathing almost stops. Complete and utter focus on the scene. Until he yells Cut!
"Happy days!" he shouts out. Many, many times today.
© Nicole Oebel
I find myself staring at the monitor marvelling at the picture. It isn't razor-sharp high-definition, in your face. It has style, deep colours, pleasing to the eye, slightly grainy, soft. A letter box. The way the frame captures the room adds perspective. One actor close up, the other kept at a distance. They look gorgeous. It looks like a film. "Why aren't we shooting!" The French accented exclamation comes from Alex recounting a moment from working on Versailles. The scenes look like a dream, schedule runs as planned, the vibe on set is great, both professional and fun.
© Nicole Oebel
Only a couple of minutes into the film the characters move me deeply. Lewis is a Paul that makes my heart ache. And Anna is the Ruby I identify with. I didn't see that coming by the way. She was Montespan for me so much so that I couldn't see her as Ruby. Until ...well, I saw her be Ruby. Alex always takes some time alone with the actors to talk about the next scene. The emotions, the build-up. "When your eyes lock, that is the story", he says to Lewis about a crucial scene that's about to be shot. He is with them as they rehearse, the three of them working together at finding the truth in the scene and they don't need much time. - Whose idea was it for the three of them to work together? Kudos and cake to them! - These three are really good at what they do. As an actor-director Alex just knows how to speak to the actors and how not to speak to them. "'Don't do too much' is a shit note." He speaks from experience.
© Nicole Oebel
Set move within the flat and waiting for darkness. Are we actually ahead of schedule? The production team sets up shop in the bedroom while Pizza is being ordered. The heart-eyes on everyone's faces upon the smell of a lovely meal is a joy to behold. Production manager Helen and I keep in touch with the extras for the next two days while the director, script supervisor and monitor rig move in. Decisions are being made about running a couple of scenes together. The level of flexibility makes for an efficient workflow while the director's vision is protected with a passion. A short but deeply meaningful scene is being shot. The last one for the day. After 12 hours of work, following the scene on the screen, Alex's heart is on show as much as it was at shot 1, take 1. He jumps up, talks to his actor. Coming back he says "I've just given a note: 'Am I guilty?'" We look at the monitor. Action. It's there.
More info on Lola Short Film and the crowdfunding on Indiegogo.
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