Page 33 - Headingtonian Magazine 2017

Stephanie, how did you get into film production?
I was very into acting and drama at school and after I left Headington in 2009, I studied History at Cambridge. The University drama scene was very lively and while I was there, I started acting and producing plays. We took one of the plays I produced to the Edinburgh Festival where we performed on the Fringe. This was my first experience of managing a large budget, negotiating a venue, managing our advertising campaign and arranging sponsorship, including fundraising events.
I also had to get my head round finding housing and transport for the cast and crew. It gave me a taste for the excitement and challenge of theatrical production, and this eventually led into film.
What happened next?
While I was working on my Masters Degree at the Victoria & Albert Museum, I spent a few months at the Weinstein Company as an intern. This was a baptism of fire – Harvey
is one of the film industry’s larger-than-life characters and working for him introduced me to the international, 24-hour, non-stop world of film production. I was involved with reading and critiquing scripts, helping on the set of major feature films and liaising directly with film producers, directors and actors − as well as acting as an assistant to Harvey Weinstein when he was in the country. Working over weekends and being responsible for a wide range of tasks at short notice and to very tight deadlines became the norm. Being able to function in this kind of environment – and enjoy it – was my stepping-stone into the film world of Harry Potter.
In what way?
Just at that time, through a Headington friend, I heard that David Yates was looking for a new
London premiere after party, sitting on the MAC USA throne
assistant. David directed the last four Harry Potter films – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), The Half-Blood Prince (2009), and The Deathly Hallows Parts One & Two (2011) – and was just starting pre- production on Fantastic Beasts. I sent David my CV and was invited in for an interview.
It was a big opportunity and I was pretty nervous but David is a very approachable guy and he could see that I’d coped with stressful situations at short notice and was a hard worker. I now know that in this business, that counts for a lot! I was offered the job as Director’s Assistant – and I grabbed it!
What does the job entail?
Making a film, every decision has to be run past the director. The director’s assistant is the link through which information is passed backwards and forwards. A film like Fantastic Beasts is a huge undertaking which requires every individual skill meshing precisely
with the production as a whole. And it’s all
against the clock. As the director’s assistant, everyone wants your attention. Thousands
of decisions have to be verified and agreed and you have to be a bit of a fantastic beast yourself – a mix of diplomat, time-manager, communicator, script analyst, and organiser. David is very inclusive, invited my opinion on things, and from the word go, I found myself at the epicentre of every aspect of the film. Different teams are in the studio for different stages of the production, but, along with the director I was involved from beginning to end over nearly two years. In that time, I’ve learnt to appreciate and negotiate the hierarchies involved with making a film - but you always have to remember you’re working for the director and they come first.
Isn’t it incredibly stressful?
Yes it is. You’re very aware that making a mistake can be unbelievably expensive! I’m constantly double checking everything but everyone is very, very professional. They know what they’re doing and there’s an incredible buzz, especially during shooting. In some ways it’s a bit like exam time. Everyone’s in it together and doing their best to cope. Two weeks of 14-hour night shoots were the most gruelling!
What’s it like working with David Yates?
Brilliant. He’s not dictatorial. You never hear him shout. He gets the best out of people by encouraging them and that attitude filtered down through the whole team. When he’s really happy, he skips! His favourite part of filmmaking is working with the actors. He’s very meticulous, too. For example, he’s one of the few directors who has rehearsals with his key actors a month before shooting starts. People like Eddie Redmayne really appreciate this because they’re often leading hectic lives. Just as shooting was about to start for
THE HEADINGTONIAN 2017
Stephanie Aspin, Director’s Assistant, scriptwriter and producer, describes her journey from Headington to the wizarding world of Harry Potter...and beyond.
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