VIDEO BLOG: Episode 3

How to get free and natural looking wardrobe for your cast, secure and liaise with good locations and the importance of rehearsing key scenes and communicating via detailed call sheets using free production software.

All this and more, including rehearsal footage and an interview with a restaurant manager about how to approach business owners when location scouting, in 'How to Make a Next-to-Nothing Budget Feature Film' exclusively on YouTube..

Tip #25: Keeping Production Design Costs To A Minimum

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

While there are always ways to keep the production design budget down, where possible you want to do so without limiting the creative choices that will visually enhance the story.

Samantha Bolter and John Hayden
on location in the village pub.

The best locations for production designers on a limited budget are ones that come predressed. You then may modify the layout and enhance or change the dressing with a few limited items. This may not be possible for all locations. However for sets that get a lot of screen time putting in the extra work and effort on finding those ideal locations, can in the long term, save considerable expense and work down the line.

To avoid the mistake of spending time, effort and expense on details that don’t end up being in shot, or on details the camera won’t see, good communication with the director is essential. Put all the money spent on production design on the screen, always concentrate solely on what is within the camera frame. Plan and think before you spend any money, question every decision. You may have an idea that will look great but cost a lot, so you must search for alternatives that will get the same results without costing an arm and a leg.

Low-budget production design is adjustable to the needs and resources at hand. So use what you’ve got, then beg, borrow and steal. OK I won’t go so far as to recommend stealing, but
you get the picture! You would be amazed at the amount of wardrobe, props and so on you can source from those directly involved in the project like cast and crew, not to mention family and friends, even those “friends of a friend” can be invaluable.

Actress Judith Ellis-Jones on location

in the village store shoot.

Remember that low-budget independent filmmaking is a philosophy in itself. So if you keep your mind open and the integrity of the film forefront with the right attitude and a bit of creative thinking there is no reason you have to settle for anything less than the best when it comes to your production design.

Tip# 24: Visually interpreting the characters

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

As a production designer you must create a breakdown of the characters, in the spirit of the screenwriter who created them focusing on how the aspects are translated visually. What we wear, where we work and where we live is a reflection of who we are. Therefore we must apply our understanding of the characters to order to create their environments. Each location is an environment that reveals the lives of the characters and provides an environment that surrounds and embraces the characters as the story unfolds.

There is a direct relationship between the environment and the characters. Every space has its own nature and character. One of the primary locations in the film is the restaurant and this is the environment that reflects John and Kate personalities. The “Amble Inn” while traditional and old, obviously steeped in history, also possesses subtle modern and contemporary touches that reflect and project that a younger couple lives and works there and has had a hand in the decor. The warm, inviting and comfortable atmosphere of the restaurant is also a direct contrast to the Kitchen John’s workspace ,which is almost clinical by comparison. Stainless steel abounds and it is very much a functional space, everything has its use and its place, it’s ordered and practical. The kitchen like John has a cool exterior however once you get to know them, you find that beneath that cool exterior, they are both warm and creative.

Another point worth mentioning is that not every character lives in a contemporary time frame some remain in the styles of an earlier era. As seen in Chris’ grandmothers house, in particular the living room where the colour scheme, furniture, soft furnishings, ornaments and plentiful doilies are quite dated and are reflective of the tastes of an older generation. Chris’ bedroom is also a reflection of Chris’ confusion over who he is.The room itself suggests it has remained relatively unchanged since he first moved in with his Gran as a young boy after his parents passed. We see their picture beside his bed, we see drawings he did as a teenager and a keyboard.Yet in the mix there are hints of what he aspires to be,via movie posters, a camcorder and filmmaking books.

The colour palette of the film and production design, is inspired by the village and Mother Nature herself in the surrounding landscapes. Colours abound in the English countryside. You see everything from, rich autumnal colours, piercing sky blues,stormy grey clouds, green rolling hills to the muted earthy tones of rustic lanes.

But how can you keep the design costs down to a minimum? In my final post on production design I will tell you how we did it.

Tip # 20: How to get permission to use a location

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

This is part six in a seven part series on finding the right locations.

Here comes the difficult part, finally finding your locations is one thing, getting permission to use them is another thing entirely and isn’t always particularly easy. In securing a location no matter how small and incidental, never underestimate how important it is to be sincere, enthusiastic and passionate about your film. It’s contagious and can often be the tipping point. It can be the difference between getting that important location or losing it. The genuine and friendly approach has yet to fail me. Be upfront, clear and honest when you approach the owner and tell them exactly just what filming on their premises will entail.

(Photo above left: Lead actor Jos Lawton on location
during the kitchen shoot at the Master Mariner,
with the production team consulting behind him.)

Admittedly it’s tempting to gloss over things to get permission, but don’t compromise your integrity and be anything less than truthful and respectful. Give the person the common courtsey of your honesty and allow them to make a well informed decision. Your honesty shows you are trustworthy and in the long run this is important. I formed good relationships especially with our two primary locations in particular Ed at The Rainbow Inn and Asher in The Master Mariner. Truthfully it wasn’t all that difficult as they happen to be very nice guys and I genuinely like them.

Top: The Rainbow Inn manager Luke,
with actress Verity Marshall.
Above: Rainbow Inn manager Ed
observes the crew in action during the night shoot.

Our two main interior locations were working restaurants and pubs. Now convincing someone that it’s a good idea to allow you to bring actors, and a film crew with lots of equipment traipsing in and out of their premises can be a little difficult. Also as they are working restaurants and pubs they are obviously in use all day. Our small budget meant we couldn’t pay to shut them down, meaning that they would also have to be willing to allow us on their premises overnight. Thankfully they did and so all filming that took place in these locations were night shoots. Not ideal to say the least, I know the cast and crew weren’t overjoyed by the prospect and neither were we. However they were all good sports and on a low budget some compromises have to be made to get what you want and this was one of them. Plus Dan, Itsuka and I were confident that the end results on screen would be worth those long and mentally exhausting night shoots.

Master Mariner (Brighton) manager Asher Burman on set
during the kitchen shoot, speaking with director Dan (left).

Tip # 19: The unorthodox approach … Finding the flashback locations

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

This is part five in a seven part series on finding the right locations.

During the course of making Ambleton Delight we filmed in lots of different places like restaurants, gardens, in alleyways, in the beautiful countryside, car parks, a kitchen, a farm, in the streets, in an apple orchard and so on.

However perhaps one of the more strange or unusual locations we shot in was for one of the flashback scenes. We needed a room that John in a fit of rage could completely trash to pieces and so put the word out. Surprise , surprise..... we didn’t get many willing volunteers.

Then one day we happened to meet some real characters who as it turned out were squatters. We got talking, they were the first squatters we had ever met and I have to say I was fascinated by their stories and this lifestyle they had chosen. So of course, I bombarded them with questions. It soon transpired that they were living in a place other squatters had passed on to them. Apparently that’s what they do and they offered us an empty room to use in the place they were staying.

Above: The room to be trashed.

A little dubious at first eventually curiosity got the better of us so Dan, Itsuka and I checked it out. On first impressions the exterior was very run down and just creepy with boarded up and broken windows, it was like something straight from a horror film. Itsuka and I agreed it would make a perfect" haunted house". This was confirmed when we went inside, it had broken windows, creaky floorboards the lot, weird bits of dolls and children’s toys lying around just added to the eerie vibe and this was during the day. I swear you couldn’t have paid me to stay in that place over night.

Above: The room with props
strategically placed for destruction.

Then the guys showed us the bedroom and it honestly surprised me, someone had gone to the trouble of painting it, there was a bed and some furniture -it was perfect. We left and came back a couple of days later armed with our props and the guys just left us to it. We did our trashing, well Dan and Ben did most of it, and I had a feeling that they had a great time doing it. When all props were destroyed the place was a mess, but of course even in a squat we felt compelled to tidy up after ourselves and in the end, sure we left the place cleaner than we found it. Now admittedly it was perhaps an unorthodox approach to solving our problem, but you do what you have to do and we happily left with the shots we needed.

Above: The aftermath...filming is complete.

Tip # 18: Seamless locations… Finding the kitchen

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

This is part four in a seven part series on finding the right locations.

Right so we had found our restaurant now we needed the kitchen. Considering we used three separate locations in Lewes, Brighton and Alfriston to create “The Amble Inn” (an exterior scene was shot at the Moonrakers in Alfriston) it was vital that all the locations were seamless. Finding a kitchen that would fit and be believable as the kitchen of The Rainbow Inn proved to be immensely difficult. The kitchen at the Rainbow Inn although quite big had incredibly low ceilings and narrow spaces, and the set up meant that unfortunately we couldn’t use it. So we had to find an alternative. We visited kitchen after kitchen and they all were either too large or industrial, too small with the wrong equipment or logistically just impossible to film in.

The kitchens at The Rainbow Inn.

This was the location that had us pulling our hair out, time was running out, and it seemed every kitchen we visited was just one disappointment after another. That is until just as we began to think we had exhausted all our options Dan and I saw the kitchen in The Master Mariner in Brighton. It was perfect -the right size, feel, look and layout and it was almost ideal for filming. When it came to getting permission, we had met Asher the owner before so he knew us. We told him all about our film and what we had set out to achieve, and luckily for us Asher also has a real love for film so was happy to give us permission to use it.

The kitchens at The Master Mariner, as seen in the film.

We had finally caught a break and found our kitchen. I remember at the time we had a hundred and one other things on our plate with pre production and securing our kitchen that day was a much needed bit of success and good news for us.

Vist The Master Mariner, in Brighton Marina:

http://www.the-master-mariner.co.uk/

Asher Burman, manager of the Master Mariner,
films the crew in his kitchen.

Cast and crew filming in the kitchens of The Master Mariner.

Tip # 17: Trust your instincts… Finding your key location

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

This is part three in a seven part series on finding the right locations.

So now that we had our village, our base so to speak we could start working on everything else. Choosing Alfriston as our Ambleton would colour and influence all our other choices in locations. Such as our restaurant, our general store, Chris’s home and so on. We also wanted where and when possible to have locations that were “two for ones” as in both the interior and exterior of the location were appropriate and fortunately we did just that. This logistically made filming that bit easier saving us time and extra shoots . For us it was imperative that all our locations were seamless and that even though for example Chris’s house was actually in Brighton and The Rainbow Inn, is in Lewes their interiors and exteriors aesthetically had to fit and feel like they were part of and belonged to the village in Alfriston.

Finding our “Amble Inn” was no easy task after a lot of research we had a list of 30 or 40 that on paper at least were maybes. We spent two full days driving around almost all of East Sussex.

Sinéad Ferguson (Production designer) and
Itsuka Yamasaki (writer) during the
location scout at The Rainbow Inn.

On visiting them however they just didn't fit the bill. They were either too small, the decor wasn’t suitable, they would be impossible to film in and the list just went on and on. We finally narrowed it down to two possibilities - one a restaurant in Alfriston itself and the other The Rainbow Inn just outside Lewes. I made up my mind instantly and fell for The Rainbow Inn. From a production designer point of view, in my mind’s eye aesthetically it was exactly what I was looking for. It had character, warmth and charm with its unmatching chairs and great little quirky details. It was traditional but had subtle modern touches here and there. I knew it would look great on screen and I could completely envision and believe John and Kate living and working here.

Sinéad (far left) and Itsuka (far right) taking notes in what
was to become the famous bar in the film.

I was absolutely convinced that it was perfect and trusted my instincts on this but had to a little bit of persuading. Dan (director) had reservations at first and rightly so, it wasn’t completely open plan as we had initially wanted. Also filming wouldn’t be easy and he had to rethink and work out potential alternatives. Fortunately for us though, he is a little genius and he worked out ways it could be done. Success!

Well no, there was still the small matter of actually getting permission and securing the location...

Visit The Rainbow Inn here... http://www.rainbowsussex.com/

The wonderful Rainbow Inn as seen in the film.

Tip # 15: Locations as characters

By Sinéad Ferguson (Producer/Production designer)

This is part one in a seven part series on finding the right locations.

We always set out to achieve a low budget film with a big budget feel. One way we did this is by immediately dispensing with the usual low budget approach of using minimum locations. Is it cheaper to have minimum locations? Yes. Easier logistically? Most definitely. But it’s visually boring... it’s bland, uninspiring and unimaginative. So if you’re not afraid of a little or in our case as it turned out quite a lot of hard work...the effort is definitely worth it and means that your final results on screen are something everyone can be proud of.

From the get go I always thought of the locations as characters in our film and they were as important and integral in the storytelling as our leads, especially considering their ever present time on screen. I absolutely consider it time and money well spent even if your budget is almost nonexistent like ours. I maintain that whatever your budget no matter how small, put the money on the screen, ie your actors and your locations.

Finding just the right locations can be a daunting task. From my perspective as both producer and production designer I had a very clear vision of what we were looking for. Understanding their importance I wasn’t satisfied with us finding locations that were anything less than perfect for our purposes. Get it right and the locations would subtlety enhance and compliment the storytelling, get it wrong and they would easily distract from and hinder it.

Ultimately finding and securing all our locations, involved countless hours doing research online, followed by innumerable hours spent in the car driving all over Sussex, add to that an almost epic amount of emails, endless phone calls, meetings, negotiating, compromising, and persuading, followed by even more convincing and eventually after all that rigmarole our locations were secured.

Easy peasy !

The next few blogs with give you some practical advice based on our experience with finding and securing locations...