All posts by SunshineDNA

Blog

Top Secret

The note at the top of the daily call sheets:

…Note that no personal camera and camera/video phones are allowed on set. If any personnel are found in breach of their confidentiality undertaking or if they are found removing any part of the set/props/wardrobe or images thereof from the set that they are not authorised to remove, it can lead to dismissal.

As you would probably imagine there are a lot of things about this film that everyone wants to keep quiet- bits of the story, bits of the design, bits of the costume, bits of the sets. Everyone working on it knows the story and has seen the sets and the costumes and has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement so we’re all sworn to secrecy. I’m not *entirely* sure from day to day exactly what I can tell you about or what photos I can put up on the blog, so if one day I just disappear, you’ll know I overstepped the boundary…

Usually though everyone can come and go more or less as they please on the sets during filming. Danny prefers not to have extra cameras on set- he wants to make sure that the actors aren’t under any pressure or get distracted from their jobs- but he’s not bothered if we watch.

Today, however, it is a completely closed set. No cameras, no visitors, no non-essential crew. They are filming some of the most top secret bits of the film, the most exciting scenes and I can’t even go in to watch!

Instead, I’ve been bugging everyone to tell me what’s been going on. I was told that they were shooting a particular bit with two cameras from exactly the same angle. One of the cameras was shooting a typical Alwin Kuchler shot and the other was “unlike every other shot on this film. It was nothing special… just… normal.”

The most amazing and interesting news from today is not that they are filming the most important scene in the film… but that Alwin has shot a normal, average shot…

Behind The Scenes, Blog, Images

Lord of Darkness

Leave a comment

I might go on about Danny’s brilliance as a director and, yea, sure, I probably fawn over Alex and his brain a lot, but do you want to know who blows my mind? Alwin Kuchler the Director of Photography (DOP).

There are a very few films I’ve seen where I am awed by or even notice the DOP’s work. Every shot Alwin does, however, is a piece of art. I’ve been on set when after Danny calls ‘cut’ there is this murmur that spreads ‘how does he do that?!’ ‘that was remarkable!’ ‘Alwin is amazing’. Sometimes after watching a shot on the monitor I’ve actually been left speechless.

WhatCanYouSee

Apparently, the company who process the film got in contact to say there was a problem- the shot was all blurry and burnt-out or something – and were taken aback when they were told ‘no, there’s no problem, that’s how it’s supposed to look.’

There isn’t a single shot I’ve seen that can be called ‘normal’. He’s using and playing with light in such a way that it distorts the shots. He’s shining lights and lasers directly into the lens. He’s shooting through warped glass. He’s using reflective materials and shining extremely bright lights into it. There are flares and burn-out and over-saturated colours. Yet still… it’s dark…

Alwin Kuchler, the Lord of Darkness.

Behind The Scenes, Blog

Icarus and the Gang

Leave a comment

Today was the last time all the actors appear in a scene together. They only have about three scenes in which they all appear during the film and today’s was a really joyous and fun scene. The best one to end on.

After filming was finished, they all shouted ‘Icarus!’, the name of their spaceship in the film, and had a big, loud group hug. They’ve really become a bit of a gang over the past couple months. Before filming started, they did all kinds of different things in order to help them bond- scuba diving, flight training, stunt flying, they even lived together for a while. That was so successful that it’s now a bit sad that so early on in the filming they will no longer all be working together again.

Blog, Video

Troy Garity

I bumped into Troy Garity wandering around the lot today. I’ve only seen him once before when he wasn’t on set, but this is the first time I got a chance to talk to him. He was with some other people on his way somewhere, but I had to take a moment to tell him that my husband, Dr. Brian Cox, thought Troy was very clever.

Brian came in before filming started to do a science talk for the actors. Troy asked a lot of questions, more than anyone else, and every one of his questions was exactly the right question to ask at exactly the right time. Troy would ask a question and Brian would say, ‘Actually, the answer to that is on the next slide’. Brian was very impressed as being able to ask the right questions is equally as important as knowing the answers.

Troy is a nice guy, a talented actor, has been in all kinds of films that everyone thinks are really fantastic and even a high-energy physicist from CERN is impressed with his intellect… But do you want to know the most amazing thing about Troy? His mother is Barbarella!

Update from 2014: The photo and videos were not in the original blogpost

Behind The Scenes, Blog, Images

Craft Services

Mike and Andy from Natural Addiction are the heart and soul of this shoot. Everyone from Andrew the Producer to Phil the Floor Runner has praised them. The other day I was talking to Benedict Wong who singled out Craft Services above everyone and everything else for their complete and utter brilliance.

Not only are they always ready with a joke, but they never seem too busy to make you that much needed cappuccino. They specialise in the dreamiest fresh fruit smoothies which is exactly what you need when your blood sugar starts to dip at about 4pm. People are always milling around their van, having a chat, drinking a coffee, answering their ridiculous daily questions. Last night they even had a barbeque right outside the Flight Deck set.

Everyone loves Andy and Mike.

2209_01

2209_02

2209_04

2209_05

Behind The Scenes, Blog, Images

Detail

Every single time I go on set I’m struck by the detail. The tiniest little things that surely won’t show up on camera are everywhere. Little inspection stickers on panels as if they had gone through stress tests before being sent up into space. Instructions on how to open the airlocks and who to ask for help. Warning labels in English and Chinese. It makes me feel like I’m actually on a spaceship.

Detail1

Detail2

Detail3