Persistence of Vision

Two of the most commonly misplaced comments from lay-people on hearing a film shoot has reached completion are 1) well done; you must be relieved and 2) when will it be released? To which of course the correct responses are 1) thanks, yes but now the real work begins and 2) how long is a piece of string?

Of course, the latter may not be appropriate if we’re talking about a movie fully-financed in advance at the auspices of a studio or major production company (or Russian oligarch). It may well be possible to fill such a film with stars, secure pre-sales and an advance release date from a UK distributor before cameras roll. Suffice it to say though that, if this happens, it’s once in a blue moon and even less frequently in independent UK cinema. The rest of us are knitting our jerseys without knowing if our disgruntled, movie-jaded offspring will like, suit or even want such gifts.

For this reason, the edit can be a process where urgency flounders on shifting sands. There are desired completion dates, markets and festival deadlines to hit, but little that’s really, absolutely concrete (such as a red-carpet premiere at Leicester Square) and even such intangible deadlines can be further eroded by glitches in post-production cashflow. However, it remains vital to maintain forward momentum even in the face of such uncertainty and that’s what we’ve been doing during the edit of Sparks and Embers.

Editor Guy Ducker and I have been painstakingly cutting, re-cutting and assessing the scenes, their pacing, placement and effect, for over four weeks now (although Guy has been working since day one of the shoot in December). The film is really taking shape and we’ve enjoyed the process of sourcing band tracks (final selection to be announced soon) and obtaining temp music score tracks courtesy of our composer Dimitri Scarlato (and other sources). It’s incredible how music can lift a scene that may at first appear to be flagging or one-note. Suddenly nuances can be drawn out and changes in tempo and mood can be highlighted. We’ve even gone as far as to cut a couple of scenes to specific tracks, finding the music provided the key to the cutting strategy. The importance of serendipity in the edit process should not be underestimated.

Director and Editor at Work

Editor Guy Ducker and Director Gavin Boyter Discuss the Cut

The cut has now been viewed by producers Ben Craig and Alan Latham, who have provided vital feedback, informing subsequent cuts. However, inevitably there comes a time when subjective eyes and ears, particularly those that have lived with the film for several years, can provide nothing more of value. And when that time comes it’s time for a test screening.

We intend to run one such screening, hopefully within the next fortnight and possibly in a small town near York. That will be the film’s real first excursion into the world at large. I’ll report back on how it was received, what lessons we learned and the general process of holding test screenings and running focus groups in the next posting.

Next blog: Sparks Rekindled

Cutting the Cord

Sunrise on our final day's shooting

Sunrise on our final day's shooting (photo: Annelise Hesme)


For a first time director, particularly one without children, a debut film is rather like a 1st child. We agonise over the birth pangs, fooled into thinking that the first breath of the healthy, safely delivered infant signals success. Not so – like a child’s birth, the shoot’s wrap (which occurred for us around 4pm on the 2nd February 2012; mother and baby are doing just fine) is only the beginning of a long, strange journey from private conception to public outing.

Sparks and Embers now exists as a few hard disks’ worth of rushes being carefully, cautiously ushered into meaningfulness by editor Guy Ducker. To extend the metaphor further, Guy is teaching the film (with my help) to walk and talk. I’ve already written about the alchemical process of the edit (Can We Fix it in the Edit?) so I’ll say little more for now except to add that it’s a process of continual revelation and discovery and hopefully one in which the faith we bestowed upon the production is rewarded by a film that is funny, moving and entertaining.

Like every child should be.

Next Blog: Persistence of Vision (Completing the Edit)

Intimacy and Violence

A couple of days ago we completed a scene I’d been both looking forward to and dreading. Without giving away too much, I’ll say that this scene (the highly significant scene 42, Douglas Adams fans) had to take our protagonists Tom and Eloise from antagonism via actual physical struggle to romantic passion.

Kris and Annelise prepare for an intimate scene

Kris and Annelise prepare for an intimate scene (photo by Nathan Porter)


I’ve never really directed a fight scene before and only one other “sex” scene in all my short films, so these scenes demanded that I personally expand my palette as well as asking more than ever before of Kris and Annelise. Fortunately, three weeks’ filming undertaken over two months had allowed the actors to get to know, trust and appreciate one another and so both were able to attack the various challenges (and each other) with gusto.

We used a fight coordinator, Bo, to plot moves that were both believable and aesthetically pleasing. Our actors performed tirelessly, holding nothing back (as their bruises later testified).

For the more intimate part of the scene, a more private blocking took place with a locked set after discussions had been held with both actors. Our scene is comparatively mild but intimate scenes nevertheless require an intimate approach. Our physical blocking process was not dissimilar to blocking a fight scene – essentially it’s a case of locking down which body parts move where and when. It has to look both spontaneous and natural, whilst being dramatic and repeatable (for continuity of takes and cutting points).

The scene suited a handheld camera approach and this allowed us to cover it from many angles (see below), allowing a great deal of freedom in the edit. Fights and sex scenes are about spacial relationships, movement and rhythm and having more thorough that usual coverage allows these aspects to be thoroughly well-served.

Scene 42: We've Got it Covered

Scene 42: We've Got it Covered (each number represents one shot)

Scene 42, even in its first crude assembly edit, is energetic, shocking, funny and passionate in turn and I was delighted by the actors’ commitment level and inventiveness. I think it will be a genuine highpoint of our film.

Next Blog: Cutting the Cord

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