MAJOR PROJECT: Shoot Days: Catering

As a Production Manager on a small, independent project, it was my job to ensure that all of the crew and cast members were well catered for. The shoot days were 12 hours in duration for the crew members, which meant that at least 2 meals were required to ensure that everyone's basic needs were met. Before choosing what the meal options would be I emailed every cast and crew member to find out everyone's dietary requirements and check for allergies for health and safety. To keep track of what I wanted to buy for the shoot, I made a shopping list so I could assess whether there was a good a variety of options and to give me a list to tick off when I would purchase everything the day before. To keep costs down, we decided that 2 out of 3 evening meals would be prepared by me prior to the shoot days and one evening, we would order pizza which was a much more expensive option.

Food Plan

Food Plan

For lunchtimes, I decided to get sandwich ingredients with plenty of choice and a wide selection of snacks and drinks so that there was plenty of choice. For evening meal times, we went for pasta dishes and chicken fajitas, with several side options of salad and coleslaw etc.
We were very fortunate to have a working kitchen at the location with access to boiling water, a fridge and a microwave. It was also fully kitted out with crockery and cutlery which meant that I didn't need to supply this myself. Once I got to the location I unloaded all of the food straight away so that everything was refrigerated and kept in order. I organised most of the food but had some production assistants to help out during the evening which made the meal times very easy going and ensured that we didn't overrun the schedule.

Generally, the food and catering was all successful and well organised. It was one of the biggest expenditures from the budget but, we were all happy to spend a little more and make sure that all of our cast and crew felt happy and well catered for throughout the shooting period.

MAJOR PROJECT: Makeup Design

During the pre-production stage, we had discussed the makeup that would be required for the film. The cast is very limited with 3 cast members only, 2 of whom are men. As we would like the film to have a natural aesthetic to it, we decided that the 2 male cast members would only need some powder to eliminate any shine on their faces, and would not require any further makeup.

Sophie

For Sophie, who is the only female cast member, I discussed her makeup requirements with her during the rehearsal. The character of Bobbie should have light, natural, subtle makeup that doesn't stand out too much on camera. During the rehearsal Sophie told me that she is more than confident applying her own every day makeup, and we discussed what would be most suitable and easy to replicate throughout the 3 shoots days. We decided that Sophie would do her own makeup which would include some subtle blusher on the cheeks and a thin, natural line of eyeliner and mascara on the eyes. Sophie has quite prominent features, therefore I felt that a subtle and natural makeup design would be most suitable. I also felt that as the other 2 cast members were having no makeup at all, it would be complimentary to the aesthetics of the the film that Sophie's makeup would be understated.
In the behind the scenes image shown here of Sophie, you can see that her skin looks incredibly natural with some rosy-pink blusher, and natural eyes and brows. She also opted for a soft pink lipstick that highlighted her features in a soft and subtle way. Below is a behind the scenes image of Nik being mic'd by Josh, his only makeup design was the matte powder which was applied before shooting each new scene.

Nik

To ensure that the cast looked shine-free, I purchased an inexpensive matte look powder. I decided to go for a loose powder as opposed to a pressed powder, as I knew that a pressed powder can sometimes apply unevenly and give a heavier appearance. Whereas, I wanted the powder itself to look near enough invisible and just serve the purpose of keeping any shine away. I also purchased some makeup sponges and labelled them with each cast member's name so that I wasn't mixing them up and using the same sponge on more than one person. I also kept them separate in their own plastic bags for hygiene reasons.
Overall, I was very pleased with the makeup design across the shoot days and think that it was well controlled. On the shoot days I sat with Sophie in the board room and went through her makeup collection that I had asked her to bring with her just in case anything needed tweaking. However, I was happy with the consistency of her makeup throughout the 3 days, and ensured that it was touched up throughout the day. I had the job of applying the powder to each of the cast members as I felt confident in this department and knew the look that I wanted to achieve. I also wanted to ensure that the use of the labelled sponges was controlled.

MAJOR PROJECT: Production/Shoot Day 3

On Sunday we had our third and final day of production for the film. As the first 2 shoot days went relatively well despite some weather issues, I felt confident going into the last day knowing what to expect. I also felt like the team seemed to have bonded over the first weekend and so I felt at ease going into the final day knowing that everyone would already know each other and be comfortable with their roles.

Like the first weekend, the first job I did was to stock the kitchen/fridge with all of the food and organise it all in its place so that the space would be kept in order. Again, we had the morning scheduled for the set dressing therefore all of the crew were in to assist with this. Everything in the office had to be put up again including the posters (all in the same places for continuity), as well as the black card on the windows and all of the cardboard boxes which needed to be placed in the same place.

Crew & Cast

Craig and Nik had an earlier call time than Sophie of 1:30pm. This was decided so that we could film the office scenes with Nik and Craig first and Sophie would join later at 4.00pm. I felt that the set up process with the equipment was much more efficient than on the previous weekend, as the crew knew the space and knew where the lighting was going. I think that this scene was a good scene to start with also as it was very energetic and comedic, which lifted the morale and team spirit. For these scenes, Gavin was the Soun
d/Boom Operator as Jack couldn't be there during the morning. However, he felt more than comfortable with the role after I briefed him and captured some really good, clear sound which matched the sound we already had.

Sophie (Scene 8)

After the office scenes with Sophie, we had dinner which I allowed an hour and a half for to ensure that it would be pitch black outside for the exterior scenes. From 7pm onwards we had to film scenes 12, 3, 4, 10, 1 and pick ups for scene 2. We had a lot scheduled in a short space of time because of the weather issues the previous weekend. However, most of the scenes were only a couple of shots long which meant that we were able to shoot them in good timing. I made sure I was strict with the time allowed for each scene as I didn't want to overrun as several of the actors and crew members had a long drive home.

Craig and George (Scene 12)

The final scene with Craig was the most time consuming as we needed to capture the apples falling from the box. Although, the reset for this shot was lengthy, we had 2 cameras filming at the same time which meant that we were getting double coverage for each shot. We wrapped the shoot just after 10pm and to schedule which I was pleased about. Again, all
of the crew members stayed for the clear up which meant that we were able to de-rig and take the set dressing down within an hour or so.
Overall, I was very pleased with how the final shoot day went, and although we had a lot to fit in to the schedule, I ensured that I was strict with the time management to be able to stick to the schedule. In terms of my role as the Producer, I felt the most relaxed, as all of the contributors knew by this point what the job in hand was and didn't need so much leadership from me.

MAJOR PROJECT: Finding/Selecting Crew Members

During our first tutorial with Simon, he brought up the topic of crew members for the shoot days. These would be extra crew members and not include Josh, Ellen and I. On previous shoots in the first and second year, a team of 3 crew members has been enough to tackle any issues. However, as this is our third and final year, Simon stressed that we should be undertaking our primary roles only to ensure that these roles are carried out effectively. As a group we had already discussed the idea, and had decided that we felt confident in asking some of the second years, having worked with them during Studio Production. We decided as a group that an additional 3 crew members would be sufficient. The roles would
include a Sound/Boom Operator, Camera Assistant and Production Assistant. We would also need a Set Photographer - of which we found Ellen's brother, Isaac who was keen to help out on all 3 shoot days.

Gavin as Sound/Boom Operator

As the Producer, it was my job to find suitable crew members and provide them with all of the details for the shoot. I took into account who I had worked with during Studio Production and who was recommended to me from my other team members. I had spoken to Gavin in the second year who recommended Jack Whiteley (also second year) for Sound Operating. I had also worked with George Wing as a Camera Assistant so knew that he would feel comfortable undertaking this role. Troy Smith from the third year was keen to work as a Camera or Production Assistant, and I knew from previous experience working with him that he would be a good choice for either of these roles. Ellen told us that her brother was keen on photography and wanted to help out on the shoot, which was a great choice. All of the other crew members had their own jobs to think about, therefore it turned out to be very helpful to have someone on set whose job was to capture all of the action taking place. Below are some of Isaac's behind the scenes photos showing the crew members at work.

The final crew member selections were:

Sound/Boom Operators

-Jack Whiteley
-Gavin Roberts
-Josh Bayly

Camera Assistants

-George Wing

-Troy Smith

Production Assistant/Set Photographer

-Isaac Carter

Crew

As all of the crew members are students themselves and have their own deadlines and commitments to work to, it worked out that not every crew member could work on every shoot day. Therefore, I worked out what days each person could do and found cover for the days that they couldn't do. This meant that on a few occasions, the crew were swapping roles. For example Jack couldn't work during the mornings, therefore I had Gavin and Josh cover him. To avoid confusion, I made sure that each crew member knew what was required beforehand and ensured that I talked about the individual roles during the briefing that I scheduled time for at the beginning of each shoot day. I made agreements with every crew member that all food and travel expenses would be covered for every shoot day, which everyone was happy with. Overall, I was very happy with my crew choices. Although, organising what hours each crew member could do was challenging and kept changing right up to the shoot days, I ensured that we always had at least 3 crew members at any time on the shoots which was really beneficial and kept everything in order and to schedule. 

MAJOR PROJECT: Finding a Composer

I knew that once we had shot the film, my role as the Producer would be less hands on and would require me to work with Josh as the Editor and oversee the edit, working in a creative way only. Whereas, it is Josh that will be undertaking a more technical and hands on role at this stage. I decided to pitch the idea to Josh and Ellen regarding hiring a Composer to write the credit track. I felt that having a piece of music that was unique and created with the production in mind would really lift the film. We had already decided that there would be music at the end of the film for the big reveal that would lead into the credits, and so I felt it important that we had something that would fit the timings and mood of the film.

Initially, Josh and Ellen were unsure about the idea as we had already exceeded the budget for the shoot. However, they agreed to have an advert sent out with a guide price that we could negotiate. I began by posting a job on Mandy.com, which is where I sourced our actors from. On this website you can tailor it to the role you are looking for and I knew from previous experience that you could look for composers and music professionals. I put a detailed description including what the film was about and what we were looking for from the composer. I also included a guide pay for it with subject to negotiation as I wasn't sure what the candidates would be willing to work for and I knew that I had to keep the costs down at this stage if I could. 

Advert for Composer

After posting the advert, I waited for some emails regarding applicants and was pleasantly surprised to have received 15 applications for the role, most of which seemed promising with plenty of experience and interest in the film and role. I discussed these briefly with the group before emailing the one that I felt seemed the most interested in the film and also had his own website with some great work to listen to. Since then, I have sent him the rough cut with the timings for the credit track so he can begin working on it. In the meantime Josh found a temporary track which fits quite well with the timings and the mood that we want to convey. Therefore, I told the composer that this is close to what we have in mind, but with an original twist. In terms of pay, the composer said that he was happy to work for a small income to gain some contacts and do some more freelance work for his portfolio.

MAJOR PROJECT: Admin/Documentation Prior to Filming

One of my most important jobs as the Producer was to prepare and organise all of the documentation and admin prior to the shoot dates. I was in charge of communicating with all of the cast and crew members via email, informing them of any requirements or changes. Once we had out firm shoot dates after rescheduling, I was able to update and complete all of the documentation that would be required. It was essential that I complete all of the admin so that the shoot days could run smoothly and on time, and all of the contributors knew what was required of them.

Call Sheet/Schedule
The first document I will talk about was the call sheet/schedule as this was essential for filming. This was updated several times but below is the final call sheet that I used for the shoot days. I had to think carefully about the requirements of each scene and when best to schedule them. I was also aware of what days the cast and crew would be working with us so I could schedule the appropriate order to fit that. I followed an industry scale template which was very long and detailed, I decided to use this one as I wanted all of the information needed to be evident on the sheet. When it came to filming, we did change around some of the scenes to make up time but otherwise, the call sheet was very useful on the shoot days to ensure that we got all of the coverage we needed in good time.

Call Sheet

Call Sheet

Call Sheet

Call Sheet

Call Sheet

Risk Assessment
The risk assessment form was a huge priority for me as it enabled us to shoot the film. Without a risk assessment form, the location and production would not be deemed safe for all contributors present and so would not have been allowed to go ahead. We must have the risk assessment form signed off by Simon who checks that all hazards have been accounted for and resolved or monitored, with this, Ellen and Josh would have been unable to book out equipment. The risk assessment form itself is something that I began writing for the test shoot days and updated regularly if I saw any other potential hazards at the location. Given the recent wintery weather, I made sure I highlighted this and the hazards associated on the form to ensure that this was taken into account. I printed out a copy of the signed risk assessment form and kept it in a folder with me at all times during the shoot so that I could access it if needed be.

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Consent Form/Expenses
To ensure that we had a written agreement from all of our cast and crew members, I made a consent form. It was important to have this as it was proof of what we had agreed to and were expecting prior to filming. I had already agreed on travel and food expenses which would be covered, but established with all cast and crew members that there was no pay besides expenses. I wanted to ensure that this was made clear and that we had it in writing to avoid any problems further down the line. For Sophie, we also paid for her to stay at a hotel over the first 2 days as she was travelling 90 miles to the location and the shoot would be fishing late. I shopped around for some hotels and found the best quotes from Premiere Inn and Travelodge. However, Sophie soon after emailed me and said that she had a membership with Mercure, which meant that we could get a cheaper deal for her room.

Consent Form

Props/Costume List
I also made documents containing a list of all of the props and costume items that we needed for the shoot days. Although, I had these stored on my laptop already, I wanted to make a clear list for these items that I could access easily on the shoot days. I printed the lists off and checked off items before I left to ensure that we would have everything we needed.

Props/Costume List

Props/Costume List

On the whole, I was happy with the admin work I completed prior to the shoot and felt like I had everything I needed with me in a folder for the shoot days. This job was an incredibly important part of the production and allowed the film to go forward and be made. I made sure that all of the documents completed were of a high standard and thorough to ensure I wasn't missing any information out. Given, the reschedule, I had to alter nearly all of the documents to suit the new schedule. Although this was a lengthy process, I am pleased that everything was in order for the shoot and it all ran smoothly.

MAJOR PROJECT: Production/Shoot Day 2

Exterior Scenes

Yesterday was our second shoot day out of 3. Again it was a later start for the cast as we needed to set up again. However, we were able to leave some of the set dressing up overnight as no-one else would be using the office space. We had a longer briefing to start off with where I covered some of the issues that we had experienced on Saturday and explained how we would tackle them. The first part of the shoot were interior Scenes 5a, 5 and 7a which ran to schedule. As we had extra time we decided to get coverage of any other interior shots with just Nik and Sophie to allow for any overruns elsewhere.

Crew

After we had dinner, all of the scenes were exterior and required it to be pitch black outside. We needed to shoot some extra shots from some of the scenes that we missed from the previous day so we made sure that there was time for this also. However, when it came to filming some of the exterior scenes from around 7pm, we did encounter some snowfall. We had just set up the equipment ready to shoot and the snow began to fall. Initially, we made a group decision to test out the two-shot to see if the snow could be seen on camera but it began to get heavier. During this point, I was feeling rather stressed about the schedule as we would already need to pick up some extra shots from the previous shoot day. However, I didn't want to de-motivate the team and so remained as positive as I could. We had to wait for about half an hour before the snowfall stopped completely and we were able to continue shooting. In the meantime, we had thought about attempting to film some of the exterior scenes in the garage without the garage lights on. However, we thought this would be too difficult to not light up the garage and make it obvious that the car was in fact in a garage. Thankfully, it didn't need to come to this as the snow fall had stopped.

Generally, it was a very successful day and I was pleased with the coverage we that we got despite the weather issues. I feel like as the Producer, I was less aware of ensuring that all of the contributors knew what they were doing as there was a much more relaxed atmosphere than on the first day, which happens with any shoot. As on the first day, I was still very conscious of the schedule and was strict with the time allowed for each scene. However, this was absolutely necessary to ensure that we didn't overrun or miss out on getting enough coverage across the first 2 shoot days which is crucial.