Push

Help were the first words that came into my mind when Jeff was going away and a film was on the agenda for shooting and those words rang in my ears ‘Yes you can do it!’.  Yes I can, No I can’t. I talked myself in and talked myself out and then said to myself fairly confidently ‘Yes I can!’

What does a Director look like, I thought.  Well they look like Jeff! After all he has always directed and edited our films since we first formed, so that was my first problem.  Aah! A clipboard, that will make me look a little like a Director.  Maybe a chair with the words on?  No! what a shame I was going to be directing from inside a car!  So that was another problem jumping up at me …… who on earth was going to hear me when I shouted ‘cut’, ‘roll camera’, it’s a wrap, and even ‘pull the plug!’  maybe that was why I was to be the Director!!  So I thought, what the heck, let’s have a go! Oh, but the biggest problem!  The cameraman …… Tony, my husband!! Now that was  going to be the biggest hurdle, would he take it from me, I certainly wasn’t going to be hassled by him, after all, those words ring in our ears at every shoot when Jeff says to Tony and I quote “ Me the Director, you the cameraman!”  Ha ha! Was I about to get away with that one.

The morning of the shoot arrived and we gathered around and I waved my board about and looked for any instructions from Gary the technical Director, well he might have one or two tips for me!!!!  I took one look at the cameraman and gave him my first instructions or my first thoughts as to what I wanted.  Well, that didn’t go down favourably but the morning was early and it was cold, very cold.  It was actually, very exciting as we were trying a new technique for the first time, affixing a camera to the dashboard and having the Director in the back of the car, laid flat out, raising only to see what was happening outside, and not I might add, always in the right place.

Up and down the road we went, take after take, (unfortunately the camera wasn’t always on!!) but soon we were all in the swing of it.  It was fun, funny (particularly when one of our actors ran out in front of the wrong blue car to wave us down!). You must watch a clip of the film when it becomes available on the website.  There was no stress, only fun getting on with it and actually, husband and wife did well, I only remember saying those words a few times “Me the Director and you the Cameraman”  altho’ as he is a good cameraman, I did take a few suggestions into account but reminded him that he had to face the journey home in the car together so he would have to be very careful!

The film eventually got finished and we as a group, are all individually editing the film so I am particularly looking forward to seeing all the results at our meeting tonight.

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Update: Well we all had a go at editing the available footage. Not surprising all version of the film basically told the same story, but it was interesting to see the different interpretations and film clips used. All we have to do now is decide which one we are going to unleash on the unsuspecting public.

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I’m glad that I had this opportunity to do this job, and yes I would do it again, only with a very long list of exactly what will follow what and who with!   Here are only a few of the things that I will remember to do:

Apart from anything else, it was a very enjoyable morning, thoroughly enjoyed it, and hey, who knows about the Director’s Chair at another shoot?

Wendy Empett
Director of Push