Urban Endings: the pre-production

So, I've been rather remiss in my blogging about Urban Endings. My best defence is that I've been busy working on it.

My script poses several production challenges:

First, it requires a high quality of actor. While it is true of any film that you want the best actors possible, I would say that mine, which depends so much on the emotion of the characters, and contains little to no action, it is especially vital. And good actors, they don't come cheap. Well, they do, but it's harder.

I actually wrote the script with one actor in mind - my advanced higher drama class happened to produce two successful RSAMD applicants and one very talented actor. And this was a class of three. We're good friends and I know it'll be great to work with him again.

For the other part, the mother, I had to do some casting work. I knew it would be tricky - good, older actors willing to work for a nominal fee are hard to find, far harder than student age ones. I have, however, secured an actress called Margaret Fraser who I think will be very good.

So far, then success!

Another challenge is that the design vision I had for it is quite pricey to achieve. I made myself a mood board and it was all Mise Van Der Rohe modernism (I blame my architect sister) - hard to achieve on a budget. However, I decided to go down a slightly unconventional route and ask the people at BoConcept, the coolest furniture shop in Glasgow, if I could use one of their display areas. They have very kindly agreed and we'll see how this goes.

I also found a great little cafe on Ingram St which fulfilled the criteria I needed it to - glass windows, not too busy an area, smart looking interior. I was also chuffed that in assessing whether it would work I got to exercise my Artemis app - I could tell whether the camera would be too close/far.

Again, success!

The other big challenge I have is the little matter of the pill props. There are numerous ways of getting round that, including the rather awful idea of carving a stick of chalk, but I needed to find one which would
a) pose no danger to the actors
b) look right

After several tests I have decided to empty out capsules. I have still to decide whether to fill them with sugar (it depends on whether the weight change is visible) but it makes the most sense, being safe and still looking real.

I'm looking forward to getting all these off the ground - it's certainly a big project to be making 13 individual films! Part of me is craving a break after grads but there'll be plenty of time for that during summer and before then I'll get to be camera op, DOP, sound recordist, director, producer and editor. Fantastic.