That's a Wrap!

Recovering from a night of much libation! Many an ale was supped last night in celebration of the end of our short shoot. 

Everything went well, we got all the scenes we needed, nothing was dropped, we managed to shoot all 21 pages in 5 days.

Day Four: Pick-Ups and Council Offices.

We started late on Tuesday. We had four pick-ups from Monday, due to the weather. I had planned to go back out to the canal to get a shot there, but I couldn't figure time, I was worried about getting back in in time to get the other shots and get to the council office in time. So I cancelled that shot, it was an after thought anyway, took some pressure off. 

It was a beautiful sunny morning so was glad of that. But as people started to arrive it clouded over. We got one shot done when the heavens opens and it poured down. Not good for us, or the equipment, but good for the shot. The stuff we shot on Monday in the same location was in the rain, so it works for continuity. 

We got those shots done and headed to the council offices, thanks to Dom Wilton and Gary Delany for their help there. Dom organised getting us in and Gary is the caretaker, so he was there to keep an eye on things. Both lovely guys and both very patient guys!!! Which helped.

Started with Ann Russell's scenes, got those done quickly. Then we moved into a disused office right beside the hatch where we were working, which was an unbelievable stroke of luck. It was a cool office to boot. Large window out onto the street and a frosted wired window on the opposite side, so it was a interesting space to photograph. 

Time was ticking on, and stress, though not high, was building. I was always aware that we had so many scene to get in such a short space of time and there were people giving up there evening to watch us.

We then moved into the council office itself, a large open plan room with walls lined with binders and desks cluttered with files and office paraphernalia, couldn't really ask for a better location. We got the scenes we needed there. The extras were great, my friend Wendy Tinsely came down, she's some how managed to be in all my films, well - except for Emily's Song, but she was involved. Eamon and Ann Lawlor were down, Ann did a great job with a line I gave her. Maryann jumped in too and I gave Dom a walk on too! Just to say thanks for the help, he seemed to enjoy it.

We wrapped there at 9:30, just half an hour over the promise time, so I think we did alright.

Day Five: Intensive Care

Elaine Reddy and Rory Mullen in a scene

Wednesday, last day, and we were in Dundalk at the DKIT School of Nursing, Midwifery, Health Studies and Applied Sciences. Sharon Touhy was extremely helpful there, apart from allowing us access and use of the facilites and equipment she was our consultant for then day and when it came to it she rigged out patient up to a heart monitor, a drip, a blood pressure mach and a ventilator - even had a mocked up central line! Great! I would have been jamming tubes everywhere! People would have been looking at it saying "That doesn't go there!" - so she was a life saver! Literally!

Graham Newcombe replaced Sue Downey on sound and like Sue was very professional and easy to get along with.

JJ Rolfe and Eoin McGlaughlin

We were a while getting set up. We had to dress the sets and Maryellen Darby had a lot of make-up to do. We eventually got going and started with the intensive care scene. Once filming we moved quickly and got the scene done in less then an hour. We were shooting on a 3-1 ratio the entire time, a lot we got it first time, I saw what I was looking for, but went for one or two more sometimes for safety, sometimes just to try something a little different. 

Then stopped for Pizza! Nice.

In the afternoon we shot the ward scene which again went quickly. Lovely performances from Elaine Reddy and Rory Mullen, many many thanks to them for coming down and giving so much to their characters. 

We wrapped at 3:45, which was great, because we were to be kicked out at 4pm! And that was it. We wrapped up the gear, headed back to Drogheda and vegged for the afternoon! Most everyone headed off but Paschal, Maryellen, Maryann, Noel and Gerry headed for a few drinks... of course a few turned into many! 4am I was staggered home in something of a stupor! It was fun though.

Paschal Scott and Maryellen Darby

Over all I was very happy with how the shoot went. We got everything I wanted, all 21 pages in 5 days, which, as I said, probably good have been condensed to 4  days - but it was nice to have the luxury of time and to have breaks day to day. 

Everyone was great to work with, JJ was fast and professional, I enjoy his easu going demeanour, which never gets in the way of his commitment to getting the shot. He's easy going, but never complacent. Sue is an absolute pro, again, I know I'm getting the best job done when she's with me. Maryellen was great, a lovely person and an enthusiastic part of the crew. She had little experiences in film but she did a wonderful job and will be scene in the final product. Eoin was a pleasure to work with, kind natured and good humoured and of course talented and professional. He's a great photographer as I mentioned previously and he was snapping away during the shoot, so I'm exited to see what he's taken.

The cast were great. Paschal was a gentleman, a professional, kind and generous and a pleasure to work with and indeed, drink with! I was glad to have had the opportunity to get to work with him. I've mentioned all the others in previous posts, Gerry, Noel, Shane, Eric, Connor, Andy and Ann, so I shant repeat myself, less to say they were wonderful. 

Elaine brought a subtle sensitivity to her part. She captured the raw emotion and anger brilliantly. Rory again brought a soft sensibility to his character. He has a great face to photograph (I mean that in the best possible way Rory!) a he can convey so much with so very little. 

-- 

So that's a wrap. Job done. Now I have to see what we got and start cutting, see if we have a film in there somewhere. Well, I know we do, I just don't know what it's going to be. It's odd, I wrote the script, I storyboarded it, I visuallised the scenes over and over in the locations where we shoot, and even though we captured everything I imagined and often so closed it was scarry - I still don't know what the end film will be! Something close to what I pictured I imagine, but different enough to be something else, be a surprise...

I just hope it's a good one!

Me, Paschal Scott, Gerry Shanahan and Noel Kelly