2018 | Production Diary 2 - Doongalla | Film: Cycle

Day Two: Doongalla Picnic Grounds

The second day of filming commenced with a bit of a bumpy start, dirt tracks lead winding up to Mount Dandenong's scenic Doongalla picnic grounds - a strange tourist spot that was ours for the whole day. It's a beautiful location for what we all wanted our mysterious forest to be, with tall trees that covered us from the outside world (except a park ranger who would occasionally drive by to see what a group of nine students were doing).

As I arrived I found the gates closed and Ramin, our producer sitting in his car - we were under the impression that today of all days it wouldn't be open. A few phone calls later and googling and we we discovered it would open at 9, still 45 minutes away, and all of our filming crew had turned up and our morning light was rapidly fading.

Closed -  'The way is shut. It was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.'

   

Back when I used to make shoddy hand-held films in highschool I remember filming was something that you could get hands-on with, you could take the camera here, put it there, move it (by a special rig consisting of people being pushed on rolly-chairs to simulate a track), and there wasn't much deliberation or limitation other than what you could think up. Once you get started filming with the 'big boys' - a crew of gaffers, AC's, AD's, producers and directors, all situated in an unevenly grounded forest, the ease of shooting goes out the window and a whole world of pain and joy emerges.

Ramin tries to make sense of the logistics and what we could film today, taking similar shots and deciding to shoot them in one group.

Before shooting began we needed to get all the equipment out and over closer to the where we would be filming as we weren't going to lug all the heavy-duty cases and bags down into the wet forest floor.

We began by taking a trip into the forest to find a good spot, with enough room for everyone and a clearing where we could place actors etc. It's a very unforgiving terrain because the rain the night before had made the leaves slippery and the fallen trees which we had used for tables soggy, muddy and dangerous. Once we were all happy and we had moved the camera, one of Deakin's three 4k RED cameras, it was onto blocking and getting the shots out of the way.

Because the film was experimental we could get away with shooting things that weren't in the normal choke-hold of continuity, but before too soon we realized that we needed some semblance of continuity in order for some of the shots to have a narrative (a wreckage our poor editor will have to navigate). We were filming a cluster of shots out of order to allow for the rest of the shots to take place tomorrow and as we were doing this we needed to create a small location that our actress could move in without throwing off continuity.

Left to Right: Dir. Başak, AC Dylan, DOP Nikki, Main Girl Alex, Gaffer Danny

Our actress was Alex, someone who had experience and was the perfect fit for what Başak had wanted. She was cooperative and understanding, even permitting that most of her time was spent in the forest, with a thin cotton dress under her jacket between takes. When Ramin and I suggested that Başak should choose an actress to play the main role (something she wanted to play the part of ) we thought that the burden of directing is a challenge that requires you to be behind the camera, not both. I think we've all found it a good experience to have an actress we can direct and negotiate with and so that Başak could have more control where we might've had a nightmare. It's not an easy thing to do, to relinquish the desire to be in your own film, and the act of producing a film isn't what she is used to. One of the things I've learned during this time is how the production crew is essential, working collaboratively and falling on someone else is better than going solo and getting stuck with nothing or no one to back you up.

Dylan, Nikki, our brilliant photographer Lachlan who captured all of our promo shots and better photos than these, and Dir. Başak - overseeing a shot.

We used the tree behind Alex as an anchor point for continuity for where she would be located in relation to where the other actors will be.

Our Sound Recordist for today was Sam, who stuck through all of the shoot capturing the sound of the wildlife, twigs snapping, producers complaining etc.

One of many times we were deliberating a setup.

Lighting played a bigger role than I had expected, and the density of the trees and foliage had meant that the light was shielded from entering, making it darker in the overcast parts of the day and the bright rays when the sun could penetrate the forest were all the more brighter by contrast. Danny, our gaffer had brought some of his knowledge and equipment with him which meant we could counteract the lighting changes by either lighting up areas, or diffusing the bright sunlight. When we wanted the sun it wouldn't come, and when we had set up for no sun, it would show up and blind us all. But the moments the sun fell through the clearings and through the rain drops were a spectacular sight!

Our equipment base camp just outside the trees were we shot. Deakin has some flashy and very expensive equipment! 

My role on the set was offering both our director, and the DOP advice in how to shoot or capture the setups and also to assist Ramin in noting the shots we were taking. Luckily we had Nikki and Danny on hand, our DOP and Gaffer who offered a better understanding of the various filmic techniques and vocabulary to help Başak to get the most out of everything. It was a chance for me to see the way the limitations from page to screen sometimes throw a spanner in what can be achieved, and how important storyboards are, even if they ultimately are dropped in favor of what can be done practically. The limitations of the set, lighting, sound, weather etc. are considerations that you can't make until you're on location and get a feel for the place. Externally, you think everything looks good, then you step into the forest and see it, warts and all and realize your work has only just begun.

It was a slog of an experience shooting because we just weren't prepared within the time we had to film on the location - setting up each shot, moving things, making last second adjustments were all exhaustive and exhausting. One problem we encountered was simply time spent between the director, Başak, and our main actress, Alex, which was a necessary evil - after all, you can't shoot something without first having solid direction and acting to follow - and getting our actresses marks and communicating her movements right was a challenge for what Başak was going for, and ultimately something we overcame.

In the end we pulled off most of the shots we wanted to complete that day, yet with more emphasis that tomorrow the crew et al. (without me) will need to move much more efficiently if they hope to film, and film with multiple actors this time!

Up next I'm on set for the final scene which seems like the easiest because we'll be indoors in a set we can have control over. The reality is that the complexity of pulling off some film magic and trickery is where the difficult parts come in and that more control doesn't necessarily mean more fluidity and ease...

Near the end of today's shoot.