Page 8 - Fujifilm Exposure_33 Magnificent 7_ok

in production
24-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE
Shooting on the ‘hoof’ for Five’s comedy-drama, Perfect Day
I t’s the event that comes only second
to moving house for the levels of stress it can cause, so a wed- dingisnot–oneway or another – going to
be quickly forgotten. Nor is it
always the Perfect Day that
the title of BAFTA-winning director David Richards’s bittersweet comedy-drama might suggest.
But the production, while potential- ly stressful, was deftly executed by Richards and his team. Key to this was cinematographer Andrew Speller, who was a respected camera operator for years, not least on productions like Reckless, Crocodile Shoes and Alibi for Richards himself.
“I still think Andrew is one of the best operators there is,” states Richards. “When he started lighting we’d get him to shoot second unit for us, and then when this film came up I asked Andrew to photograph it for us. He did a fantastic job. It was terrific working with him, because we’ve known each other for many, many years.”
Although Speller has lit features such as The Pleasure Principle, as well as fulfilling the same duties on the second units of White Mischief, Orlando and Jude, his latest project relies as much on his experience working in documentaries.
“We shot the film in 21 days,” Richards continues, “which was incredi- bly fast. We were trying to keep it elegant looking and fluid, with movement, which all takes time. We’d planned a certain amount, but you can’t plan a whole film like that in the prep time that we had. We had eight weeks to set it up, during which time we had to cast it, hire crew, talk to designers and so on.
“We spent a bit of time before the recce talking about style and approach, talking about key scenes. But often we were doing it on the hoof. I’d stage the scene, with Andrew watching and talk to him about how we were going to
shoot it. He’s made lots and lots of doc- umentaries and that makes him more alert when it comes to thinking on his feet. Plus he’s a fantastic operator, with a brilliant eye.”
Opting to shoot on 16mm, Speller found a range of Fuji stocks that offered the flexibility he needed.
“I did some tests prior to shooting,” he recalls, “and for comparison I used a whole load of brightly coloured silks and shot them under various lighting set ups. The saturation of the colour and the density of the blacks swung it completely. On the shoot itself I min- imised the fill, it was source lighting and a very small amount of bounce. The blacks were black and the whites were white, and that helps to maintain the characteristics of the stock.”
The bulk of this story – which aired on Five at the beginning of December - takes place over a 24-hour period, the happy day for bride-to-be Amy (Claire Goose) and her partner Tom (Tom Goodman-Hill). But as their circle of university friends begin to gather old relationships and bitter rivalries com- ing to the fore once again.
“We didn’t want the story to have a proscenium arch feel to it,” explains producer Victoria Fea. “We didn’t want it to be objectified by the camera, so there we decided quite a lot of it would be done hand-held. That way we’re inside the characters’ stories rather than stepping back from them and mak- ing them part of a pretty picture. The storytelling is quite naturalistic and character driven, rather than placing people in a frame. Andrew is very good at capturing the moment, and I think that’s the key here.”
There is, inevitably, a rich mix of laughter and tears dur- ing two hours of this one-off story written by Howard Overman. And if audiences warmtoittheremayyetbea return to these characters for an ensemble cast that also includes Aidan McArdle, Kate
Ashfield, Chris Bisson, Lois Winstone, Rhashan Stone and Bruce MacKinnon.
Mercifully Andrew Speller, a one- time assistant and focus puller for Roger Deakins BSC and operator for Michael Seresin BSC (“my major influences”), did not find himself reduced to tears by the challenges he met in bringing the story to the screen, although he did face the odd problem during a condensed period of principal photography. Not the least of these was the ever-changeable September weather, which over the course of three weeks had to appear to be part of the same day.
If his experience working his way through the hierarchy has taught Andrew Speller anything, it is an appreci- ation for the job of every member of the film crew. He is a team player first and foremost. “He’s also an insanely hard worker,” chuckles David Richards. “You have to drag him off the dolly at seven o’clock otherwise he’d just keep going.”
But if his working life has been in making the image work, his abiding aim is to put the visuals at the service of the story that is being told. “There’s sometimes a temptation to go for the really glamorous shot,” he says, “but that can jar with the story. There’s no use trying to shoot everything like a commercial, because it spoils the flow and takes the audience right out of the story. The script is paramount, and in the end that’s what the cinematogra- phy is there to serve.” ■ ANWAR BRETT
Perfect Day was originated on 16mm Fujicolor Eterna 500T 8673, Super F-250D 8662 and Super F-64D 8622
Photo main: Claire Goose as Amy, the bride; above: the wedding party in Perfect Day
6 • Exposure • The Magazine • Fujifilm Motion Picture