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SAE Magazine 12-2

PRODUCTION Production week consisted of 4 scenes per day run- ning at 2 hours per scene. On set at 6:30am and ready to shoot the first scene generally at 8am or 9am. During the production I was working as the director’s(KimFarrant)assistant.Myroleherewas to show the actors where they would be perform- ing, get them familiar with the sets and how they could use their props in the scene and then to have them run through a blocking.As they blocked their scenes, I would draw up a birds eye view of the set, and for every position they had, draw where they went in the room and when. Then I would draw where we could possibly have the cameras set up, what they could get with the shots, and where - with two cameras - they could be positioned to shoot both at one time without seeing the other camera in shot. First and foremost however, my job was to see if there would be any problems in their blocking that may cause problems for the shot, where best they could be positioned on set to ensure the shot had depth and to help the actors find themselves in this set, push the boundaries of their comfort zone and know what they would be doing come the time Kim was ready to see it. Some of the scenes were more complicated then others, and this pre- blocking helped move the shoot along. There were problems with the blocking of some of the scenes, such as a scene where a girl with a gun needed to convince a man to get up on a chair. As there was a staircase they’d have to walk down to get to the chair they felt that the stairs diminished the alpha’s status in a scene. Through blocking it they found a break in the sentence where she could gain the control again by making him walk down the stairs first, it changed the script from him walking to- wards her, to him being lead by her, however the dynamics of the characters got to remain the same and the intention of the characters remained clear. As the production progressed into its final days, I helped with the lighting, set dressing and watched everyone else, taking in what they were doing and how their roles impacted the final product. In mo- ments where I was free, I watched Kim as she di- rected the actors, what techniques she used, and how she shot certain scenes. Whether it was a time saving technique or a filming technique, she loved the hand held style, and panning between two char- acters C.Uʼs as they had dialogue while the other captured the wide or tight two. KEY PERSONNEL KIM FARRANT Kim has this ability to make the actors feel com- pletely supported and cared for during their scenes andtherehearsalsleadinguptothem.Sheusesmany techniques with the actors to get to the raw source of human emotion, need, want, and goal. Kim works with a lot of method acting techniques, where by one of her techniques - if it is an angered scene - is to have the two actors stand in front of each other and yell at their substitutes using the other actors face to transfer or aim the anger at. Another one is to use this same technique but to have them yell at the character, what their character hates about the other, instead of the actor to the actor. In a loving scene, Kim may have them say 10 things they like about the other person. Then there is a repeat technique, where they find a sentence that hurts them to say, and then repeat it out loud. For example “I tried my best” or “Please come back to me”. In becoming friends with some of the actors during my time there, I asked them what is was they liked or learnt from working with Kim. Their response was that Kim understood that it was scary for them to venture into some of the emotions that most people keep locked away, and that in mak- ing them feel like they weren’t walking alone, she could comfort them, make them feel safe, and let them know that they could explore without criti- cism or judgement to find the source, the raw emo- tion, the feelings that most of society do their best to hide, cover or destroy. In a sense, she allowed them to feel safe, naked. KERRY ARMSTRONG Kerry had gotten into directing as something she wanted to explore and in doing so had found it compelling. Having been an actor for many years, Kerry’s techniques were more in the way of ex- pressing such passion herself for the role, that it was almost natural to feel it yourself. She would talk to an actor about what was happening in the scene, what the actor might be feeling, but in do- ing so would feel it too. If she was explaining how a character’s anger was overwhelming she would embody it as she spoke, and channel anger herself, and then have the actor feel passionately angered in watching. ➤ 126 production & Know How // Film Index

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