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As gigantic an undertaking it is to produce a feature film, I seriously cannot believe there is only production weekend left.
There were a number of locations covered this weekend including Yagger's pub (where it all began), an office (where Courtenay created some of the most bizarre demographic groups of donut eaters ever seen for a board presentation) and a coffee shop.
The speed at which the cast and crew moves is something to behold and there are always several things underway at once. As soon as one office scene wraps the crew moves to the pub where Production Designer Shazia Mawani ensures the "beer" is properly mixed before moving a block down the street to transform 4 pieces of wall into several offices. All before lunch. How does this happen - without Red Rain (this time) or a production team of thousands? Good planning & scheduling? Certainly. Communication? Absolutely. Talent? Without a doubt. And the key ingredient? - Teamwork! This is not about 20ft trailers, mobile gyms and personal feng shui consultants. It's about Makin' a Movie.
The last scene of the movie was shot late Sunday and involved pretty much the entire cast and crew in one capacity or another. I also got to reprise my non-speaking role as coffee shop customer. Albeit in a slightly different mood this time. BTW Stephen – I wasn't REALLY going for demented but...
This shot covered a large space, involved pretty complex camera movements and a number of takes. I think we were all a bit demented by the end of the night. Watch this scene closely for Alex Dafoe...he may be an outsider in the scene but his facial expressions convey a soliloquy of pain – too damn funny.
Looking around the room at all the enthusiasm and energy still evident after seven weekends of shooting, it occurred to me that beyond even the planning, talent and teamwork - successful filmmaking relies on good relationships. Without people who can work successfully together for an extended period of time – all you really have is sound and moving images. Much is said about chemistry between actors but those perfectly executed scenes also demonstrate crew chemistry. Do Something With Your Life has it. I can't wait to see the results, on screen.
And after searching in vain for a non-cheese laden "final countdown"-ish song - stuff it. Take it away, David.
   
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