Shoot diary 23/11/19

What did you do?

This week consisted of a master class with the director, Richard Heap, who directed the film Runaways which we watched. This film is still under post-production as Heap is in the process of finding ways to exhibit this film.

The Runaways, is a film that speaks about the issues that three children face after their home life is turned upside down and the children and family’s donkeys escape across the backbone of Northern England, confronting both the harsh landscapes and what it means to be siblings. This could be seen as a throwback to classic children’s adventure films but with a modern aesthetic.

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi4150312729?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1

“An amazing film and a captivating story. Filled with grit and warmth. Beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning. It’s definitely a one to watch!” IMDB Review

The first thing we did after watching this film was discuss it with the people around us, before then voicing any questions we had about it to the Director, whilst he informed us of his experience in his first ever feature length film. This included the highs and lows with the production element, as well as with the cast and long process in which he had to deal with in the short amount of time that was available.

After this enlightening group session in directing, we were then split back into our groups to discuss and further generate ideas for the script. I found that my group was majorly in need of, as we had only previously summarised what we wanted to include for the plot of our short film.

What have you learnt?

I have further developed my knowledge of the pre-production/ production/ post-production elements of films. As well as learning from Richard Heap, the process of working with child actors and the requirements they have and restrictions there are when working with them, for example in the boat scene, Rhys Connah who played Ben could not have his head below the water, so when you are filming a scene where his character goes overboard I’m sure you can imagine how difficult this was to do without breaching the restrictions.

How have you worked with others?

During discussions involving The Runaways, as well as regarding our actual films. This included Asking questions to Richard Heap, the director, and voicing our own opinions of his film within the group of us.

What do you need to develop?

Our script for the short film certainly needs some development and more depth to the story arc. We also need to further develop a general plan for the short film, e.g. characters, costume, location…