Report from our new art department assistant;
Today is my lucky day! Tuesday 26 July 2011… it’s my first day assisting the Art Department!
Have you ever wondered what it takes to put a set together? Well that’s where the art department comes in. To start from the beginning, as soon as we received the go ahead from one of our top clients to produce three action films, the client brief was discussed with the Online Film team and the Art Department immediately took charge with tasks from casting and makeup, to props and location.
I volunteered to help the crew for one of the days, I wanted to be fully involved during the start of this production, this was essential in liaising with our client. Here’s my day…
09.00
I arrive in Bedford for my first day assisting the art department in one of our latest films for Thales. What a treat! First things first……tea and biscuits!
After being introduced to the team, I head down to take a look at the set. I was excited and passionate about revealing my hard sourced props to the professionals!
10.00
The crew must have worked around the clock, the first set looked terrific, the soldiers and their costumes were faultless, and with shot 1 and 2 of the Support Solutions film well under way, I was proud to be in the midst of this great production. These guys certainly knew how to work the magic with green screen technology.
11.00
Now I’m off to spend some time with the costume department!
It was fascinating watching the make up girls transform our actors. A few tricks of the trade under my belt now! (would you believe that clear cough medicine makes the most convincing sweat drops on a brow?)
12.00
Whilst the weather was still behaving, the entire crew went to work on helping clearing and preparing the areas for the next set. Organisational skills are at a high. Before long, the set and surrounding areas were dressed down, and the carcass of the building left to the professional set builders.
13.00 LUNCH!
Hats off to the ladies who provided the team with a splendid array of food – we were certainly spoilt for choice!
14.00
Fed, watered and happy, we arrive back to the set. Even more impressive was the genius way in which the set builders dismantled and re-built the building to provide the scene for shot 4 and 5 (when Marines leave compound in Chinook while medic treats casualty!), top marks for those environmentally friendly chaps!
16.00
”And that’s a wrap!” …… for me at least! A long journey home but I thoroughly enjoyed my day. Overall, the highlight for me was the team spirit, everybody worked so hard to achieve top results.
The crew will be filming the rest of the week, it will then be in the hands of the graphics team at Elstree Studios to do what they do best... special effects!
Time to come back down to earth and get back in the office tomorrow!