This was our submission for our three minute dialogue project. I was in a group with Barbara Oberholzer, Kiran Basra and Saga Buckbee. The art gallery was my initial idea, because I didn’t like the idea of having a dialogue scene where the two characters are looking at each other and we are simply watching them. I always wanted them to be looking at something behind the camera.
Since it was my idea, I, naturally, wrote the screenplay and its many redrafts. I also designed the shot desired for the film.
Saga was key in getting the location. We ended up filming at St Margaret’s House Art Gallery, which was a brilliant location, but we needed permission from all the artists whose work was on display as well as the owner etc, which we got. Our first major struggle was casting. We had originally cast two first year acting students in the roles, however they proved to be extremely unreliable. We were extremely lucky to have Joe and James volunteer as we couldn’t have done it without them.
Barbara was able to help sort out costumes and Kiran managed the sound on the day. However, on the day of filming, disaster struck! We had just started filming when a lady turned up and told us that nobody had told her we were filming and she was uncomfortable with us being there. This was the fault of the gallery receptionist and not ours, as we had received full permission to be there. We had only managed to get one take of the full screenplay and we didn’t have time to return and reshoot. The final film is that one early take and is very rough. The performances by the actors weren’t perfect, so every gag doesn’t land. We could have spent another two or three hours perfecting it, but it’s too late now. What’s done is done. The finished film is not a testament to our skill as filmmakers and, some day, perhaps I’ll come back and make the film I wanted to make.
Click here to view the film.
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