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Thursday, September 6, 2007 |
| Location, location, location |
I’m quickly learning how easy it is to escape to the most stunning scenery imaginable by travelling only an hour away from Calgary. Today’s location -- a ranch in the foothills, overlooked by towering mountains, to shoot a scene where David Mann, played by Joe Dinicol, and his sweetheart Cassie Walker, played by Meredith Bailey, playfully talk about getting around her domineering father, who doesn't approve of their relationship. David is not “over there” fighting for his country. This is seen as unpardonable cowardice. In order to earn the respect of her father and ultimately her hand in marriage, David is determined to enlist even though he has already been rejected for service.
The setting for this sequence presents a vision of rolling grassy hills that abruptly meet the wide blue prairie sky. However, today there’s some consternation when we arrive to find the sky fully clouded over. A film set is a controlled environment, where elements such as light and performances can be manipulated and directed. Weather is one element that no one can control entirely, and often dictates how and when a scene is shot. Perhaps a scene can be pushed until the weather is just right, but this costs the production as there are so many other scenes to shoot and only so many days, so falling behind schedule is not really a viable option.
A different location is scouted down by the Bow River where the sky is not the main feature, but rather the glistening river itself and the lush hills that surround it. Paul had a vision of young love under the wide prairie sky, so he has to improvise here – see if they can make this work. After some deliberation the crew is given the word to move their gear down by the river to set up. Paul and his Director of Photography Greg Middleton walk along the river bank, re-imagining the scene and figuring out the scene. It’s interesting to hear them working out what they’d like to do, things such as the movement of the camera, the framing of the picture in order to keep out certain features such as modern telephone poles and how many shots they will need to provide essential ‘coverage’ of the scene. This is crucial because the editor will need to have a selection of wide shots, two-shots, and of course close ups, all shot from various angles in order to tell the story in a compelling fashion.
As the clouds skim over us, we take advantage of the breaks where there’s
good light to shoot. There’s some nudity on the set today, so for those shots the assistant directors yell ‘Closed set’, and those not directly involved are requested to step away. The footage I do see of David and Cassie on the director’s monitor (a screen that shows what the camera is filming) is amazing. The clouds create an interplay of shadows and light over the wild and craggy landscape, highlighting the tempestuous nature of their young love. Paul is extremely pleased with how this has gone, thrilled with his actors and with the lucky break the weather afforded. It is remarkable that with all the advanced planning, scheduling, troubleshooting and contingencies undertaken on a film production, Mother Nature can step in and add something unique to the mix.
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| About the Blogger |
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The motion picture Passchendaele, an epic set amidst the horror of war, was shot in Alberta from August 20th to October 23rd 2007, directed and written by Paul Gross. The film is now in post production and will premiere in Theatres fall 2008, thus culminating a lifelong dream of Paul's, who learned of this extraordinary period in Canadian history from his Grandfather, Michael Joseph Dunne. The Battle of Passchendaele represents a story of determination, commitment and triumph, and this defining chapter in the forging of a nation shall never be forgotten. |
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