P R O D U C T I O N D I A R Y
DAY ONE
03/03/24: It took us quite a while to set up the very first scene on Day #1 of production. But I had made sure to start with something straightforward – Bella approaching KASM Industries – so that we could all ease into the production. I also made sure to allocate more than enough time for this particular scene.
For the rest of Day #1, the 1st unit and I would travel to the next location to setup a scene, whilst the 2nd unit would stay behind to clean up from the previous scene. This ensured that we could maximise time efficiency and that no one would feel like they were not contributing to the production. We then went on to get all of the coverage inside KASM Industries between Bella and a faceless Consultant.
However, for the final scene of the day, we were supposed to be shooting in the hallway of a cast member’s house. Unfortunately, although I had previously sought permission from everyone who lived in the building, we found upon arrival that we were no longer welcome there. This meant that we could only film outside of the house, and that I had to make fast re-writes to the script. Although incredibly frustrating at the time, I am thankful that something like this happened so soon into the production as it forced me to think quickly and effectively, and to be prepared for similar problems to arise.
DAY THREE
08/03/24: But, to my devastation, at the beginning of what was shaping up to be our most challenging day, I discovered that everything we had filmed on Day #2 had been erased. Owing to the quick turnaround of production, I had yet to back up the footage from Day #2, and so it was very difficult to have to announce to everyone that such a thing had happened. This is a particularly harsh lesson that I will never forget. But, whilst we could not afford to waste any time lamenting lost footage, it immediately became apparent that there would now be the need for a fourth day of production, which eased the pressure on Day #3 ever so slightly.
DAY FOUR
20/03/24: Because Day #4 took place a while after Day #3, and mostly consisted of re-shooting particular scenes, it afforded me the chance to make certain changes that I would not have otherwise been able to do, having now viewed the footage from Days #1 and #3. This also meant that Day #4 was by far the most straightforward, and soon we were able to wrap production.
DAY TWO
06/03/24: We had planned to use that location for another scene on Day #2, and so, I had to also quickly secure a new location, which led to several amendments of the shooting schedule. Additionally, multiple members of the crew were struck with illness, which again resulted in amendments to the schedule. In fact, a lot of what I had planned to capture on this day had to be moved to Day #3.