Centurion shoot: 12:00 start and a tom tom assisted car journey up to the depths of the Glenfeshie Estate in the Scottish Highlands ended in a car park full of props vehicles, Panavison vans and a large ex army vehicle with looks straight from the communist era.Arriving at "Base camp", a colony of neatly renovated cottages sitting amongst the high hills of the estate, I was to find the set publicist Ian Thompson from specialist firm McAinsh Consulting.
After fighting my way through some well armoured warriors, I came across a modern clothed lady, asked where Ian was, and was pointed toward a nice new Disco3 with a well dressed man sitting at the helm.
Ian, having worked on previous films as publicist for amongst others "Saving Grace" and "Slumdog Millionaire". Ian Thompson is a laid back yet "On the ball" sort of character, he knows exactly what he is doing and how he is doing it, and what he is going to do next. Ian was to be my guide to make sure I shoot what im meant to.
With the weather worsening, and with the Centurions, hanging props (Wait for the movie), horses and the likes in place, filming had begun!
Lights, Camera, Action, well as most of you know it doesn't exactly go like that. With one runaway horse bolting down the glen and a spate of crew trying to get it back, the filming had to go on, but the action was the horse chase.
Rain, sleet, big dark clouds, but like the rest of the crew ,director Neil Marshall was wrapped up in warm jackets all prepared, I however wasn't do prepared and realised this early on. Olga Kurylenko, the female star of the show, was very cold, what with arms exposed and the lashing rain and wind, but bravely stuck it out, for all of the minutes that she was taken out of the 4x4 each time she was required. In between her required shots, Olga would be chaperoned off of the horse and back to the jeep.
I didn't have a blimp (Big cover for the camera which stops the noise of the mirror flipping down, therefore making it possible to take pics with an SLR during takes) so had to take photos when the camera wasn't rolling, only once annoying the official set photographer during a live take when the shutter was released by mistake!
The extras, from around the Highlands including Aviemore, Kingussie, Inverness and further afield, stood straight, looked very cold and enjoyed the breaks where they could come out of position and go have some tea and food.With the weather getting worse and worse as the day went on, and everyone staying surprisingly cooperative and non irritable (Movie Camera ops were hiding under the plastic that was protecting the equipment, director Neil Marshall moving all the time making sure all was exactly as he wanted it, locations manager Matt keeping everything and everyone in place, and everyone else working together nicely, dedicated to making Centurion a hit) all went smoothly.
With Fassbender, West and kurylenko on screen, and with Neil Marshall on board as director, you can bet your bottom Scottish Pound that this is going to be one heck of a movie, not to be missed!
Aaron Sneddon, 2009. Photos by Aaron Sneddon, reproduction not allowed without express permission
No comments:
Post a Comment