I wanted to push myself. I wrote a list of what I lacked in my films which other film makers had – good drama, professional actors, a budget, lights and a fancy camera. My last short films where just ‘student films’ bad camera work, no-budget, no lights, I learnt a lot from them but I felt that everyone around me was making better films. I wanted to know what would happen, if I threw myself into the deep end.
I’m unsure where the idea came from, I think I wrote the characters first then I wrote a story around them. – A girl called May hates her sister so much that she decides to kill her. I called May’s sister Eve so the title ‘Killing off Eve’ was born. The film was to be 10 minutes long and it would end in a climatic fight against the two sisters.
When I finished the script I began searching for actors. I’d worked with actress Nicola Hardman before and knew she’d be great for the evil sister Eve. I made it particularly hard for myself by wanting the entire family in my film to all have ginger hair. I was convinced that if I stuck to the script and played perfectionist that everything would look more professional in the end.
A carried out far too many auditions; If you advertise online for actors expect a lot of people who look nothing like the character description to show up. I mean that in all aspects, not just the hair colour – 30 year old black women auditioning for the part of a 17 year old white girl. I wasted far too much time auditioning. And then when I was beginning to lose all hope 17 year old Christine Bailey walked through the door.
Next time I audition I’ll ask around first and hire out a warm room to audition people in. I wanted the character of May’s dad to be a professional actor. I had names in mind Ian Hart, David Morrissey – I guess I was dreaming too hard without knowing how to make it happen. I hired a casting director to help me find someone for the role of Dad. I wanted someone professional I wanted to know what it was like to direct a professional actor. Then actor Conor Ryan (From Emmerdale & Coronation Street) called me, he had been sent my script from his agent and loved it. I had found my professional actor.
I’d worked on several local sets – as a camera assistant and continuity supervisor – previously that year. I asked around for a crew to help me out on my film. The biggest mistake I made on my film was underestimating just how much pre-production work is needed. I didn’t hire enough people; I could have done with organising crew meetings and more rehearsals for the actors. Luckily my core crew was there and having a crew (the first crew id I’ve ever had) helped me out so much; I wish I could have paid people.
But I didn’t have a budget. I wanted one so I gathered up savings which came to £500. ‘That’ll be more than enough’ I thought to myself. A food and expenses only shoot it was to be. Then the ‘let downs’ came. My caterer let me down a few days before the shoot (hiring people from online isn’t the best idea), My Sound guy let me down the weekend before – then another, then another. My friends from University helped me out with sound in the end.
The night before shooting was when one of the other lead actors pulled out. I was at maximum stress – filming begins in 6hrs and I have no actor. Then Nicola Hardman (Eve) gave me a great idea; she recommended the same guy who I cast for another role in the film. He’d be perfect I thought– so I mixed around the actors I had to make up for losing one. Phew.
I shot it on the Canon 7D, I lent the camera from a friend. Same with the sound equipment and lights. I had pretty 2k lights on my set, it made me smile. Apart from a hard drive and some memory cards I got all of the equipment for free. Thank you Rick, Aidey, Owen and Adam!! My boyfriend, cameraman Ste Webster was my DOP.
Production was not easy. I hadn’t made it easy. I have this saying I say to myself based on my experiences on film sets– ‘what can go wrong will go wrong’ – and things did go wrong.
The first day and my first mistake came clear. Previously when I’d made films I didn’t have a crew, I didn’t have so much equipment. I didn’t realise just how long it takes to set up for every shot. It takes a very long time. My production plan fell apart – I needed at least 6 days of filming not the 4 I had. Filming days where long, too long to make an unpaid crew work on, and since my original caterer was gone I had get up every morning and go to the supermarket for food for everyone. And I can’t cook so the food was cold and bad.
My overall mistake was not hiring a production team. I needed help I needed a 1st AD and a Producer. I couldn’t take on so many jobs at once, there were too many people to talk too and I couldn’t spend the time I wanted with the actors.
Half way through the first day my phone rings and someone says ‘We’ve rung the police; you have to stop filming now!’ What, why!? I was filming a scene set in a school toilet with school girls. I was filming it in some officers instead of a real school. One of the office workers had seen me go into the toilets with four school girls, a camera and load of men; they took it the wrong way.
Over the next week I had to explain too many people, mainly social workers that the girls weren’t real school girls and just actors. One of the school girls was 16 – a friend who is studying acting – I got into so much trouble just for giving her the role – she was a bloody brilliant actress though. The stress I got on the first day of shooting was unbelievable. We wrapped late and I still had calls to make and emails to write for the next day, that and I had to clear up my name, I was 20 years old at the time. I needed a production crew so badly. I barely slept for four days.
After the first day of shooting, through stress, through illness (It was December 2010, it was cold outside and
people got the flu) my crew was drastically cut in half. I originally had around 15 crew members booked, on the first day around 6 showed up, on the second day I had 5 and on the last two days there where 3.
Half way through the second day it snowed – a lot! Take that continuity! We were not filming chronologically so some pickups from outside had to be done in January when the snow had gone. However it looked pretty and overall I think the snow looked great on camera – we made it work. Filming with Conor Ryan was great. I got my chance to direct a professional actor and I learnt a lot.
Through all the stress we managed to make a film. It took me a while to edit it since I didn’t have my own computer. The music was composed by my good friend Stu Cowley (Who has composed music for many of my short films) he’s brilliant and I owe him a lot.
I came up with the idea for ‘Killing off Eve’ in October 2010 and completed it in August 2011. In the end it cost me £700. It shouldn’t have taken so long; it should have gone a lot smoother. But what I’ve learnt from it is priceless. I’m happy with the result; I’ve made the best short film I’ve ever made. I’m proud to say I made Killing off Eve. I’m currently entering it into film festivals and will be doing so over the course of the next year.
Here’s what I learnt whilst making my film.
Have a production crew – a producer, a 1st AD to help you out on set – If you want to direct actors then you need people to be by your side to help you out on the day.
Hire a crew in advance, make sure there involved in pre-production and have serious belief in the project.
Storyboards are over rated – a waste of time, id only use them again for tricky scenes or action
Feed your crew well. Food is the key to a crew’s happiness.
Sound is such an important part of a film – if you can get a sound engineer
Pub function rooms are a good place to have crew meetings
Plan festival distribution in advance
Things always go wrong on films sets but the show must go on
I’m making currently writing my next short film ‘Feather’. I have high hopes. You can follow my progress on my website – www.amyclarkefilms.com.
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