LOLA Short Film
Set Diary - Day 3
© Nicole Oebel
September 25, 2018 by Nicole Oebel @philomina_
...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
16 September 2018 Sunday morning. The final day of filming. Stakes are high. Every minute counts. The location looks promising. Dark corridors, cosy corners, claustrophobic and spacious at the same time. Hot nights out looming. As the art department begin to work their magic the place turns into a dream. The lighting crew sets up down the corridor, costume and make-up move into a ballroom lit with fairy lights, a bar to set up coffee and breakfast. The place is lavish in a quirky kind of way. The director, D.O.P and steadicam operator explore the options for the different shots. A certain scene is on the schedule today, an eagerly anticipated part of Alex's vision. "A monumental feat of camera trickery if we can pull it off". His Boogie Nights scene.
© Nicole Oebel
The first scene of the day is shot in a confined space. Sitting down in front of it is Darko, the sound engineer. I ask him what the sound kit weighs that he's carrying around in his shoulder harness twelve hours a day. Twenty kilos, he says and smiles. The director and the actors discuss what they want out of the scene. Two actors, four supporting artists, everyone bringing their individual spark to the energy on set. The room is packed. Smoking. Literally – there's a smoke machine that has a mind of its own. Like it's run by a ghost hand. As they rehearse the scene a few times Alex enjoys Arinzé's gorgeous performance so much, it makes him chuckle every time. Love what you do.
© Nicole Oebel
In the afternoon the place starts to look like a beehive. Around twenty extras getting ready, up to ten supporting artists rehearsing in make-up and costume, set visitors sitting on a sofa having a lovely chat with Anna. A couple of actors talking about make-up as a sort of armour giving them strength in challenging situations. Coffee. Chocolate. Set-life. At a certain point before she gets called to set, Anna takes some time to herself and sits in a quiet space to prepare. A radio communicates "Three, two, one. Action!" and everyone goes quiet. Alex's powerful "Cut!" travels through the walls by itself, like the sound of not-so-distant thunder.
© Nicole Oebel
Next up, one of the big scenes. Final touches. Everyone is at the top of their game. Lewis is radiant, his performance pulls at all my little heartstrings. The director demands "One more! Let's not lose momentum!" - it's what an actor needs, it's what Alex tries to provide. Pressure is incredibly high so late in the day. The Boogie Nights scene beckons. Mark, the D.O.P, reminds everyone that there are gates to be checked. Cue banter! "I'm very good at my job", he says with serenity. A huge laugh ripples through the room. Nothing better to relieve a bit of the stress.
© Nicole Oebel
Time is closing in. By the end of the night filming will be complete. Will there be enough time for all scenes to make the jump from page to screen? The director fights for his Boogie Nights scene. Actor Alex fights for his characters, director Alex for the vision that is at the heart of his directorial debut. Self belief. Determination. From what I can see this is what you need as the driving creative force in a film's production. The crew works tirelessly. Chris instructs the many extras that are in the scene. The shot starts outside. As the camera team begins to move all eyes are on Anna. Alex's eyes are glued to the small monitor he carries while he follows the action. Soon the location swallows them up and outside you could hear a pin drop. A minute passes. Until from the inside you can hear the biggest cheer.
© Nicole Oebel
Things change constantly. Shots get moved around and suddenly the final scene is the last scene to shoot. Lewis's script, Alex's vision, Anna's performance, the cast and crew's collaboration, Ruby's journey, the story of love, secrets and acceptance, it all comes together. Right here, right now. It's a brilliant late summer night. The conclusion is an emotionally heightened moment aligned with the tonal progress of the film. It's all on the actors to get it right. And they do. Their energy is a palpable experience and moves me more than I can say.
A beat.
The actress pulls the director in for a tight hug. A group hug ensues. They did it! What a fascinating, overwhelming, demanding, fun, invigorating, wonderful three days of filming. Every day a different challenge. Now, on to the edit suite.
Continue Reading (LOLA pre-production interview with Alex Vlahos)...
More info on Lola Short Film and the crowdfunding on Indiegogo.
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