Half past eight. I just went to The Muddy Duck, which is my favourite place to eat in Jersey. It didn’t exist when I was living here but I found it by happenstance just after it opened about eleven years ago. Since then I go back whenever I can, even if I’m only here on the island for a couple of days.
The hardest day on set for me tomorrow by a long chalk. I’m gonna have to fight and die. I’m also gonna have to find an authentic journey through that. There’s a lot of action in this script and very few words, as film should be. I only have to tender my journey, really. But we are a small unit. And the director has put himself into the film despite not liking acting. He can serve it when he has to, he just doesn’t want the lens. Tomorrow, I’ll need to make him take his time over things and I’ll need to persuade him that he needs a close-up when we square off to fight about the bread. I think if I don’t suggest it as a shot he’ll skip it. He is good at the stitching but he’s deliberately stitching over himself knowing he’s not an actor but he couldn’t find one.
That said I trust his vision. The DOP is local and is genuinely excellent. The Sound Guy is a sound guy as well, as they weirdly always are. He’s the only crew member with a Leatherman on his belt. (I didn’t have mine as hand luggage only, so couldn’t do the old surprise actor tool use). He made a hole in my belt. No wardrobe department here. This is a skeleton set. No gaffer. Skeleton lights. But… we are so fine with the skeleton team we have.
This is a local Jersey film with a few deep practitioners in core roles. There are four of us who know their role deeply, and at least the four of us know our roles very well. Director. DOP. Sound. Lead. You can make something good with that square even if everyone else is learning.
“I don’t know if this island could support a native gaffer,” one of the lads says. And perhaps they’re right. Gaffers need a van really, and if most of the work is on the mainland then they are at the mercy of the weather to get their equipment over. Lights are both precious and heavy. We have been shooting outdoors, so natural light directed via diffusers and canopies.
This is low budget film but the team is good. There’s a shot at something here. If this works, if the sound design matches what we already have in the can, if tomorrow works out, if if if THEN…
One thing at a time though.
Also just generally a helpful tip: if you’re playing the lead in a woodland shoot where there’s just one rented portaloo a long way from shot, don’t ask for hot noodles the night before no matter how much you love spicy food. It was touch and go at points today. I managed to make it work. But some of the pain in my eyes wasn’t feigned.
