Production | Shoot Day 1 (Scenes 8 and 11)

Mollie is holding the owl as it is wildly flapping its wings and screeching, desperately trying to fly away...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - George Wing
• Runners - Jack Whiteley, Aidan Robinson-Jones
• Photographer - Gina Riley
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Luke Lucas' - Daniel Hemsley
• 'Mollie Jackson' - Becky Black
• Owl handlers - Mollie King, Scarlett King
• Owls - Dawn, Merlin

The agenda:

• Shoot scene 11 first:
• This is a complicated scene for a number of reasons; the main complication being the use of an owl.
• We would need to ensure we got the most out of the owl as early as possible so we did not wear it out by over-flying or over-feeding it - this meant that we would need to liaise with the Kent Owl Academy team before and during the shoot to ensure the owls were being treated well.

• Then shoot scene 8:
• This was not as complex but had other obstacles to deal with
• This part of the KOA was open to the public - although not very busy - therefore we would need to be conscious of that whilst shooting.

What went well:

• Since this was our first day on set, it was important to build on the rapport we had already began building since the auditions. This meant that we needed to make sure that they were happy throughout the day and that we did not leave them standing around for too long etc. Therefore we decided to shoot the most complex scene of the day first so that everybody was involved and we had as much time as possible to get it right.
• I found that working with the owls went very well and having Mollie and the Kent Owl Academy team on hand was very beneficial to ensure that we were not demanding too much from the birds. We had discussed the scenes with Mollie before we began shooting and we ensured that she was well aware of what we were doing during the shoot as well.
• I was previously intending to use creative cuts and sound effects to give the impression that the owl was 'freaking out' and flapping its wings in scene 11, however Mollie advised us that we would be able to achieve this by simply tilting the gauntlet as Becky and Ed held them which caused them to want to balance themselves by waving their wings in the air. This was a much more believable way of making the owl look like it is freaking out, whilst also remaining humane and not mistreating it at all.
• We got a lot of coverage of the scene, including close-up shots of the owl, the needle and some reactions as well. This will be massively beneficial for Katie and Mel as they edit the scenes.
• I feel the day was well structured thanks to Mel's planning. Once we were happy with scene 11, we broke for lunch at the nearby Beefeater which everybody was happy with. This also allowed for some time to informally chat with the cast and crew which made shooting scene 8 feel much less pressured. We were also able to finish on time.
• Before both scenes that we shot today, Ed came up to me with suggestions on potential lines of dialogue and action during the scene. I liked his suggestions and we implemented them into the scene. From my research into directing comedy, I found that input from the cast is vital to provide a more natural performance. I was also very happy that the actors were getting into character to the extent that they were coming up with their own lines from the character profiles I had written and the original script.

What didn't go well:

• Unfortunately we discovered whilst assembling the rough cut that some of the audio from scene 11 was lost. We are unsure why this happened, there are some corrupted files from the Tascam but there are also far fewer audio clips than video clips so it is also possible that some of the sound was just not recorded. Regardless, this means that we will either need to cut around the missing audio or record some ADR at some point down the line. The visuals are fine, so re-shooting would be unnecessary if we can work around it.
• Even though we were on schedule the entire day, it did feel slow at points. 

What did I learn:

• I learned the importance of keeping the cast engaged and interested in the project, especially in terms of keeping them involved in the script. This has allowed for the cast to give their input on potential gags and alterations that allow for more natural performances. This has reinforced what I learned from researching writer/directors such as Armando Iannucci, who received a lot of input on the cast to give their own material, sometimes improvised, which opened the door for more spontaneous and natural line of dialogue.
• I had worked with animals on previous projects and during the test shoots however working with actors and owls together relied on a number of aspects of the shoot that we needed to tread carefully with. We had briefed the cast on what they would need to do and also liaised with the experts we had on hand to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Therefore I also learned more about the pressures of directing a larger group of people from the cast, crew and other contributors, with animals in the mix as well. Ensuring I took the time to speak with everybody and make sure we were all on the same page proved a vital skill for managing this many people.