Working the edges
The filmmaking equivalent of raiding the stationery cupboard
It's pretty tough out there at the moment. There aren’t a lot of opportunities. And funding your own work feels borderline reckless.
Which is why we have to work around the edges to turn any possible production into the chance to create something good.
What do I mean by that? Too many things, probably. But as a starting point - what are you working on that you can play around the edges of to turn it to your advantage? Do you have a job making something? Can you make sure you're doing something for yourself too?
This might be the film equivalent of raiding the stationery cupboard at work to make your collage art - it’s a little sneaky. But when you're so often fighting for resources, it makes sense that when you finally have some of those resources at hand (crew, equipment, locations, access, cast - anything!), you make sure you’re not only using them for someone else’s benefit.
I’ve not always done this as well as I wish I could have. Too many times, the sheer volume of work on the job has made it impossible. Or I didn’t have the right side project to slip in. Or I was tired. That’s forgivable - work is work, and it doesn’t always have to be a means to more. But I always try to examine the idea of doing something extra.
Because there are times when there’s the space to make another opportunity for yourself. Extra test footage. A technical idea you want to try. A director’s cut that is totally different… or a short film (Jordan Bahat shot a very NSFW one on the end of a commercial job he did).
That’s the kind of opportunity I’m talking about here. And passing up that opportunity always feels like a terrible waste to me.
I did a shoot once with the artist Mary Weatherford, and I didn't really use the opportunity to make something good for myself. I was in a great studio space, with a fascinating contemporary artist, but I just kind of did the job. I delivered what was wanted and didn't allow the space for a little extra. A piece that would show off my talents or my worldview. I should've made something, instead all I have are a few stills.
What makes taking advantage of these opportunities doubly exciting is that it feels a little bit naughty (to quote Matilda).
I was making a commercial in Florida where we were casting a lot of kids and seeing lots of dreamy locations that felt laden with a twisted melancholy. We saw so many interesting, intelligent young people down there, that I thought, “We have to make short whilst we’re here”.
It was one of those large, slightly slow moving jobs. We had lots of extras, with lots of costumes and lots of locations - which meant that moving between set-ups was slow. I knew that we could make a short in the gaps in production and nobody would ever notice.
I wrote a short story in my favorite Orlando coffee spot early each morning whilst we were prepping the job. (The attractive barista asked what I was writing as I was there every morning. I thought she was flirting with me, but then she suggested I should write my thoughts to God). When I had a structure and was convinced this could work and was worthwhile, I was lucky enough to have a producer and DP who were into the idea and didn’t tell me no…
One of the kids who came to the casting, but who wasn’t a lead role, had this great face. She had a real emotional intelligence to her and seemed so excited by filmmaking too. So I paid her to stay on set the whole time.
I scouted the locations next to and around the spaces we were using for the commercial and started visually piecing together a very simple way to shoot the bulk of the story. The environment felt heavy and oppressive - somewhere you might want to escape - which helped with the theme of the film.
Then whenever there was a location move, or natural gap, we would shoot a couple of shots with our girl. I suggested she try exploring the world like she’d never seen it before and we built out from there.
I was extremely conscious of pushing an already hard working crew too far, so we shot only three of four shots per day for this short. Each was very contained and let the action unfold in a very patient, slightly unnerving manner. I didn’t really tell any one person the full idea I had in my head about making this short while we were doing the commercial. I just said we were doing some extra little bits. I just knew we could make it happen if I was ultra decisive and we shot just what we needed.
And it worked. We did a great job (everyone was delighted by the ad we’d made, so it wasn’t like I totally abandoned that), AND made a short film. You can watch it below.
Now, whenever the job is right, I’m looking for what’s possible on the edges.