Filming

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Broken (2011)

Little Crackers- My first Christmas Number 1 (2011)

Eastenders (2011)

Little Crackers: Walking and Talking (2011)

Recently I did three days filming on another Little Crackers short, which was filmed near Hackney. The main stories I have about this filming were not to do with the filming, they were to do with the area! We were filming in a university which was really nice, however we were based in a furniture store car park. After being offered drugs on the way to base, I finally made it to the safety of the catering bus! But on an estate across the road there was a massive family argument going on. We didn’t really think much of it but then all of sudden a man came across onto base with a knife threatening the security guards who, somewhat inevitably were watching the filming. Fortunately he left once the police were called, although he did return a little later to try and find the knife that he had dumped.

Call The Midwife (2011)

This was yet another very different experience for me. Not filming, but costume wise, as my friend I had to play 8 month pregnant women in the 50’s! It was great to shoot and it had one of favourite comedians in it, although I have to say, although we thought it would be fun, after an hour of being in a pregnancy suit we were well and truly fed up!

Allison Jackson Photoshoot (2011)

This job, unlike the others was a modelling job for a new book by Allison Jackson. I hadn’t really done anything like it before but it was a great experience and an excuse to hang out in a 5 star London hotel for the afternoon with a Daniel Radcliffe lookalike.

The Xtra Factor (2011)

This was a fairly short shoot which was carried out for the opening titles of the Xtra Factor. We were filming in central London around Trafalgar Square and Westminster Abbey and we were running towards and imaginary microphone. I would have to say the best part of the shoot was seeing the reaction of the unsuspecting public as we suddenly started sprinting along the pavement!

The Jury (2011)

Filming on The Jury was by far one of the scariest experiences of my life! We were filming in a school near Finsbury Park, which normally would be fine as normally the schools are empty. However in this shoot school was still in session, and to put it nicely, it wasn’t the most friendly of places!

The filming itself was fun though and we were on set working all day which is always better as it makes the day go a lot quicker!

Coming of Age (2010)

Filming on Coming of Age was a completely new experience for me for two reasons. Firstly, because it is a sitcom and filmed in front of a live audience, and secondly because I had to be dressed up as a goth!

As a BBC sitcom, it was filmed in a studio at the BBC broadcasting centre in White City, which apart from doing a very guided tour of before, I’d never really seen, so in itself, that was a great experience.

We had a call time of 1:00pm, which was great as it meant to some degree that I got a lay in! Once we arrived we had four hours of rehearsals, learning where we had to be and when during the live filming- almost like a very rushed theatre rehearsal. We then had an hour off to explore (well technically it was for lunch but we were let loose in BBC so there were more interesting things to see!)

Filming began at 7:00 with the live audience, so from 6-7 we were rushed through hair and make up and also fitted with my very scary costume (as seen in the picture below)

The actual filming was really fun as you got the adrenaline and feedback off of the live audience, but you also had the reassurance that if things go wrong you can always still cut and go again! In the end we wrapped at around 10pm and after 20 minutes of trying to navigate our way out of the BBC building we got to go home!

Little Crackers (2010)

Today (12/10/10) I had a one-day shoot for a short film written by and about Julia Davis, called ‘Little Crackers’. It was definitely one of the more fun shoots that I have done as everyone on set was so friendly including the main characters. The film is due to be broadcast on Sky 1 as a part of a series of life stories from various celebrities such as Stephen Fry and it is due to be broadcast over Christmas time and it stars Melissa…… who played Lucy Beale in Eastenders and Emily Atack who plays Charlotte in ‘the Inbetweeners’ and was also on Dancing on Ice. It is meant to be set in the eighties in Bristol (I think) however we were filming on location in Bushy, Hertfordshire. As it was set in the eighties going through costume, hair and make up was definitely an interesting experience. As seen in the picture below:

We shot three scenes in total, which involved a lot of drunken eighties dancing, kissing and drinks spilling which was definitely a new experience on set. (We also found a cameraman who is identical to Neil from ‘the Inbetweeners’). Overall it was a great days filming and hopefully I’ll be able to film there again soon.

It was a very long day considering that we had been at the Queens Theatre for twelve hours the day before doing a dance show, our call time was at 7:00 which meant a 5:45 meet back at the Queens Theatre and we got released at 8:00 in the evening after a full day on set.

Harry Potter (2010)

Recently I have been filming for the new Harry Potter film called ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows’. I was both shocked and excited when I was asked to do it because not only is it a major film, I knew that there would be a lot of well-known actors on set which I could learn from. It was filmed at Leavesden Studios in Herefordshire (and also at Pinewood). From the moment we arrived on set it was clear that the budget was by no means small and they even forked out the cash to look after us extras! Over the three days that I filmed, I had a constant call time of 7:00am which was most probably the worst part of the experience as I am by no means a morning person! The normal regime for the day was:

• Signing in and picking up our contract for the day.
• Getting some breakfast.
• Being called into costume.
• Going into hair.
• Going into make-up.
• Returning to the green room to get dusted up.
• Watching the odd episode of Jeremy Kyle before costume checks!
• Costume checks.
• Going on set.
• Filming.
• Lunch.
• Another costume check.
• Filming.
• Being released.
• Signing out

We were all very excited going into costume as we all wanted to find out exactly what we had to wear. We were all informed that we would be playing the students of Hogwarts and we were all pre-assigned a house to be in. I, myself was in Ravenclaw, ergo I had a dirtied shirt with a stripy blue tie with a grey jumper over the top which had blue around the rim, a longish black skirt, black tights and normal school shoes. Below is a picture of me in the uniform.

The reason behind the uniform looking dirty is that the scenes filmed took place after Voldemort had being killed and in the process a lot of the students were supposedly caught up in explosions. Make-up and hair was a key aspect on set and it was given a lot of priority as naturally we all had to look our worst! Hair wise, I had to have brick-dust gelled in, with my pony tail backcombed. The make-up varied from character to character, with some people having cuts and gashes across their face and some (like me) who just got dirtied up with a black eye, which can be seen more clearly in the picture below.

The set itself was amazing! As Leavesden Studios use to be a World War II air base, the studios are all air craft hangers which although look small from the outside, are actually huge on the inside! As we walked through the various different sections of set, it became apparent that the majority of the set is polystyrene like material and wood! We were filming in the ‘great hall’, which had had half of a wall brought down in an explosion, and had being set up as a make shift hospital! Obviously I was unable to take any pictures of the actual set because I could be sued! The actors on set were great and the majority of them were very friendly and chatty, Daniel Radcliffe, Julie Walters and Maggie Smith in particular were very grounded and down to earth which is always a  refreshing quality for actors nowadays.

I also learnt a lot on set regarding camera’s etc. As it was in a contained situation they had many different types of camera and equipment, for example the crane was often used, also the use of Pee-wee dollies to steady the camera and also to film point of view shots, the camera man would be wearing a vest which had poles etc. coming out of it which kept the camera in place, but could also be easily moved without the added pressure of the weight of the camera making it impossible to be lifted.

Below is a screenshot of the film, also featured on the Asda website. I am the on the far right.

THE BILL (2009-2010)

Over the past year I have worked on The Bill around twenty times, the most recent been the 7th September. This programme is a personal favorite of mine to work on, mainly due to the atmosphere on set. In regards to costumes, they are exact replicas of police uniform (which always leads to confusion when real police are used for crowd control when filming on location!) and the props are all completely genuine, excluding the pepper spray. Also while working on set, it is also as if you don’t need to act for the first few takes, as you are so absorbed by what is going on around you as it is approached in a lifelike and believable manner. Not only has The Bill allowed me to experience yet another different style of filming, it also gave me a chance to work at the Talkback Thames Studios, which like Pinewood, was a complete maze! This is also one of the most organized sets I have been on, and it is clear that the people are experts in their industry and know what they are doing, meaning quick a turn around is always possible. It is not just the programme that is appealing, the cast are all unbelievably friendly and go out of their way to talk to us, which is not always in the case in some circumstances!

I have embedded a picture of Ben Richard’s and I. This was taken in early january this year on location in Croyden. Admittedly he is one of my favorite actors I have worked with! It was almost shocking how contrasting he is compared to his character! Also after having over ten years experience in the industry he was always offering us hints and explaining the do’s and don’ts in the industry.

This is Alex Walkinshaw AKA Sergeant Dale Smith (Smithy) and I on location near South Wimbledon. He is widely renowned by viewers as the nations favorite policeman.

I have embedded a clip from the penultimate episode of the Bill where I was featured as what can only be described as the council estate slut. You can see me from 59 seconds in, when the two main characters are discussing my character (They dubbed in the line ‘Where you going?’). You can also see me briefly from 10 mins 22seconds.

THE KID

Earlier this year, during my GCSE’s, I had a one day part in ‘The Kid’. A new film being released late this year/early next year. Like ‘Beautiful People’ it was set in the past, but this time in the eighties. Yet again the costumes were all eighties style, which meant me having to wear high waisted jeans, a stripy t-shirt and a jean jacket. In regards to the location, it was all filmed on public streets which had been especially cut off for the time we were there. Yet again this day released a whole new set of experiences. One thing that was particularly surprised at was how quickly the scenes were being filmed. In general, I have found that each scene takes about ten to fifteen take from each angle, depending on the scene. However, on that particular day, it was only taking two to three takes from each camera angle, which I can’t say was a bad thing!

CHATROOM (2009)

During the July of this year, my mother and I were chosen to work for a day on ‘Chatroom’. After researching the film before we went, it turns out that it is infact a new horror movie, compared to ‘The Matrix’ and is due to be released in 2010. The director Hideo Nakata has also directed horror movies such as ‘The Ring’ and from the moment we stepped on set, we could see the professionalism needed. The location was one of the countries top independent school, which costs a minimum of six thousand pounds a term. The main school building that we were filming in was a Victorian manor house, and inside it was all finely decorated. There was also a massive increase in the number of crew on set, primarily the runners. Which was due to the fact that base was in a completely different area of the school, meaning that cast were constantly been shuttled across from base to location and back again. Also the speed at which they worked was also extremely swift, which was aided by the larger number of crew.

THE CATERPILLAR AND THE FLY (2009)

During the easter holidays I was called for my first audition, after I had been picked judged on my head shots. It meant travelling up to Whitechapel for the audition. Then during the audition I had been matched up with a girl who was auditioning for another character. We were then instructed to improvise a plain scene of sitting and watching television while the woman holding the audition filmed us, judging us on how we reacted to the camera, or should I say how we didn’t react. I knew from previous experience that looking directly into the camera lens during a scene would mean they would have to cut and reshoot. I found out later that day that I had got the part of ‘Lily’ in a short film directed by Vanessa Caswill. Then two days later I was taken to Nottingham to shoot it. It was a long day, but it was my first experience of having a scripted part. Yet again, a new project,  a completely different filming style and a whole new problem. Where we were filming in a small farm house, the amount of equipment and electricity needed repeatedly caused the power to trip out, meaning the schedule was been pushed the limit. Also as it was only a short film, the crew did not seem to be as worried about issues such as continuity, they were more worried about getting the job done. Which I think was the main difference between small films, and big budget television programmes.

This was my on screen family which consisted of grandfather, father, mother, the eldest daughter (me), the younger sister and the youngest brother.

This picture was taken midway through the take, you can see the ‘video village’ in the background. With the director watching the scene take place on her own screen. You can also see many of the crew including someone holding the clapper, waiting for the director to say cut.

This is another shot taken inbetween takes, you can see a vague outline to the camera man, and the camera. As there was limited space the camera was mounted on a tripod for the most part of the day. However later on in this scene a small ‘Peewee Dolly’ was used to enable the camera to glide smoothly along the track with minimum effort.

This photo was sent on via the costume lady, as they needed to take numerous pictures throughout the day as a reminder and a guide to help smooth over any continuity issues regarding costumes.

This was a photo taken of the clapper during our lunch break.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (2008)

When I was fifteen I worked on BBC 2′s ‘Beautiful People’. A comedy programme set in the nineties about the top fashion designer at Bloomingdales and his troubles during his childhood. This was my first experience of being in a programme set in a different era. It was a great experience, and for that day it really felt as if we had been sent back to the nineties as teenagers, instead of the actual age we were in the nineties. Yet again the filming situation was completely different, especially due to the torrential rain throughout the day! The weather was a major hinderance throughout the day as extra hair and costume people had to be dotted around in order to re-gel and restyle our hair as it was flattened by the rain. And even the minutest details such as rain drops on our blazers had to be altered.

THE INBETWEENERS (2008)

The next programme I was placed on was named ‘Baggy Trousers’, which we were told was channel fours new programme aimed at people around the ages of fifteen too twenty, and was likened to ‘Skins’. The filming took place at Thorpe Park in Surrey. It was my first experience of filming on location, and probably my best! Being a bit of an adrenaline junkie, the idea of spending the day riding ‘Nemisis Inferno’ over and over again was like a dream come true! (Much to the other people who had payed to get into the parks annoyance, as the ride was closed off for the day). This programme was later released under the name of ‘The Inbetweeners.’

AFTER YOU’VE GONE (2007-2008)

After completing around sixteen days over the summer holidays on ‘MI High’, I was picked to work as a supporting artist on BBC’s comedy drama ‘After You’ve Gone’, starring Nicholas Lyndhurst, Celia Imrie and Dani Harmer. Unfortunately, at the time of filming, there was a three day tube strike, which ironically coincided with the three days filming! This equated to an eight hour round journey everyday, to and from Pinewood Studios. My experience on ‘After You’ve Gone’ opened my eyes to the fact that different programmes and directors and general crew work in very different ways. The freedom the actors were given on ‘After You’ve Gone’ was far more than the characters on MI High. After having spoken to Nicholas Lyndhurst and Celia Imrie, I could tell that they were the top of their game, they knew exactly what was going on and they were using words that I didn’t even know existed! This taught me a lot about the industry, and proved to me that experience is everything!

MI HIGH (2007-2008)

Soon after I joined the agency I received my first ever job as a supporting artist on CBBC’s spy drama ‘MI High’. To be completely honest I was both shocked and excited when I arrived on set on my first day. Contrary to the picture painted in celebrity magazines of red carpets and limousines, we had to make our own way to north London with our chaperone (As we were under sixteen). Nevertheless, the excitement drowned out the disappointment, and even after having spent the majority of the day sitting around in a green room (which wasn’t green!) the experience was certainly one that I wasn’t going to forget. During the filming of the first season of ‘MI High’ I was offered a feature role, in which I was a girl named ‘Louise’, although I had no scripted lines, I was also given a short scene to myself in which I was chased across a hallway by a ‘toaster mobile’. Doing this extra scene also portrayed the difference on how you are treated depending on the different levels you are at in the industry. When the main characters were on set, everyone’s attention was directed at them, leaving us at a loose end. But working on my own the concentration was reverted onto me, which admittedly was rather daunting and it felt unfair.

Below is a freeze frame from the MI High in which I am being chased by a toaster on wheels: