I have been putting off writing this.
These past few days I have just been so happy to not worry if it was raining or sunny, or if a tree was the right colour. I need to clean my bedroom, find a job, meet up with the few friends I have left and who I have neglected this past half year, and do anything but worry about making a film.
But I will say that we did it. On Friday I met JC at iLab to see the rushes and there were no problems. It looks very good and we have everything we need for now. I have already been thinking about some new material I want to try, but that will happen down the road.
The big story was the weather which was generally good and bad when we we needed it to be.
On the Saturday it was cold and drizzly but we kept working right until the light was gone. On the way home the rain really opened up so were fortunate because we wouldn't have been able to work in that. This shooting day was the key, as we managed to capture more than we planned and that put us ahead for the rest of the shoot.
The remaining days were not quite as cold and it never rained again. At the same time it was flat and grey, which was called for in the script and also made it easier to match scenes shot over two days. We had an early start, 7:30, but we were generally finished by 3 in the afternoon. This meant we began to rise and sleep like farmers, to bed at 9 and up at 5.
We shot the remaining scenes of the first segment, which mostly involves Paul and their troubled relationship. After an argument, set off when Paul discovers that Claire had a sister he did not know about, Paul goes off into the forest to cool down. Claire searches for him there, and eventually finds him, but now their relationship is essentially over. All that remains is for one of them to leave.
We also reshot the whole of Scene 42 as I mentioned, which included all the new material that I had developed with the video camera and Flora back in September.
So a big thank you to Redbridge and Walthamstow Forest Council for being helpful, kind and generous. And also to the people of Redbridge who were happy to have us there, and were kind, and helpful and generous too.
And a big no thanks to Epping Forest and the City of London who wanted to charge us £1000 for use of the forest, which for a low-budget film is prohibitive. They don't seem to care if you are Batman 4 or a small film just trying to get by, and weren't particularly helpful. They told us they have targets - how can a forest have targets? And what do they spend the money on? Walking about in there you can't help step in the dog shit, or stumble over the remains of parties and men going off into the shrubbery to have sex. They weren't patrolling the park or cleaning up the rubbish.
This reminds me of a story from Carlos Reygadas, when making Battle in Heaven in Mexico City in front of the National Palace. The authorities were happy to let a homeless man live in the square, being loud, abusive and drunk, but you want to make a film? No way! You need permission, you need to pay! This is the National Palace!
I would also like to thank our lab, iLab who have always treated us well, even though we are never going to make them a lot of money out of a small-budget group like us.
Finally two locations that really helped us out.
Lounge Lover in Shoreditch let us use their front entrance for the scene where, late into the second segment Claire spots Paul inside of a bar. Before she can decide whether to confront him he comes out and she turns and goes off. Did she make the right choice?
And then there was the White Hart pub on Stoke Newington High Street. Now they already have let us in back in September when we used the interior to shoot the meeting between Claire and Sophie. This time we made use of their fantastic beer garden, where Paul and Claire go one Sunday.
What next? I am putting off editing until at least after next weekend. I just don't have the taste for it. And when do you begin to think about cutting a trailer? I think that frightens me the most.
I have also been reminded that we need to develop the press package and website. Perhaps I could put my energy into that for the next while?
Below are a few photos, mostly via JC. David's photos will come shortly.



















Anna and Kendra load up.














Anna in front of some Lounge Lover street art.














Azahara in disguise. Some times we just couldn't find her, she was so well covered.














Beth resting on a Lounge Lover lion.




















Always great to get a photo of David.














Anna and JC set up the car for the driving scene.















JC and now Joana, who wrangled the Lounge Lover location.














Marc starts on one of Isabella's sandwiches. Isabella did all the catering for the shoot.
















Once again I am pointing out things to Flora.