Making of the DVD
I thought I’d share with you a little of the exciting journey we’ve just been on making our first DVD.
Lorraine & I thought we had this sorted when we engaged Pieter Willemse to do the filming. Little did we know.
Several meetings followed during which we learnt a lot about the filming process and what we could and couldn’t do – a remake of gladiator or a james bond style stunt were out then.
There was an outdoor sequence which we filmed first. It was done one summer evening in a local park in natural light. After a couple of takes I forgot we were filming. I was so relaxed it was as though I was on my own and enjoying my exercise, I had quite a shock when Pieter said ‘cut’.
For the main filming it seemed that a hotel conference room or church hall wouldn’t do, so we had to find A STUDIO. Sounds simple enough but even in the centre of London this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Eventually we found a place, smaller than we expected but a studio.
Next came the interior design – almost a hundred metres of white cloth, all of which had to be pressed and hung. I think I can safely say you won’t find me working on Extreme Home Makeover. I’ve had a loathing for ladders since I decorated my daughter’s room a few years ago and fell off one – result a broken elbow and a lot of jokes at my expense.
Then the props - just a pot and a plant. But which pot and which plant? Can you believe that we auditioned at least half a dozen different ones!
At last the big day arrived, my students turned up as promised and Pieter arrived – on a bike. This was a little worrying – where were the cameras? the lights?
One by one he pulled bits from his bike until there was a big pile on the pavement and his bike was half the size – somehow he’d managed to get a complete studio set up wrapped around him and the bike – what a sight.
Lorraine ironed all the clothes, made innumerable cups of tea and ‘directed’. Pieter did mysterious things with cameras. The room got hotter and hotter under the powerful lights as the day wore on and I was surprised and delighed that my students didn’t give up.
Wow! But you know what? it was great fun.
Filed under Barry's Blog by on Sep 15th, 2009. 
