SHOOT THE DJ - UK Movie in Production

[psycosean]

Hi all

Just introducing my film - 'SHOOT THE DJ'.

It's an indie UK feature telling the story of Sonic-Hub Records and UK dance act 'The Long Firm'. Tony Hadley debuts in his first screen role as does Kim Wilde and several other big music industry figures.

We're shooting the final scenes this summer and we expect to wrap shooting in September. We're aiming for a December premiere.

The soundtrack will be available on Sonic-Hub Records and features some rare and exclusive tracks.

You can check out some preview trailers and video blogs on our myspace here: www.myspace.com/shootthedjfilm

Hope you like..

Sean

 

[Cop]

I've just checked out the trailer, where did you shoot it?

 

[psycosean]

It was (is being) shot all over the place. Northampton, Stevenage, Hitchin, Welwyn, London, Manchester...wherever we can find the locations we need. We just did the nightclub-set shoot last night. We converted an industrial unit into a club with a dj booth, full lighting rig, chill out area and lots of food and drink for the extras.

Only about another 6 day's shooting to go. 1 today....4 next month and 2 days in Septemeber. Will post some more production stills soon.

S

 

[Dave Laurie]

Food and drink for the extras! Hope none of mine read this, they'll be giving me grief at missing out. Not that any of them are greedy or anything. Should I stop digging now?

 

[Booth]

Good luck with it psycosean - keep us posted about how you get on with it

 

[Cop]

We converted an industrial unit into a club with a dj booth, full lighting rig, chill out area and lots of food and drink for the extras.

That sounds quite an achievement, well done. How did you get on with extras? For Bar Stewards we did a four day shoot in a nightclub, certainly the hardest task was filming was filling it with people.

The first day was alright, coming to day 3 and 4, a lot of people lost interest, we got there in the end though

 

[Dave Laurie]

I think part of the problem is people will turn up to do it once for the experience, when they have it's a case of "been there, done that, got the t-shirt, AND been in the movie!" Maybe posher sandwiches on days 3 and 4?

 

[Gorf]

When I brought Charlotte to Liquid & Envy for the BS shoot, I warned her in advance that it was 95% waiting around and 5% action. She already knew that she couldn't come for the next two days' shoots - but was prepared and so she wasn't phased by the way it worked. If she'd been available for the other days, she'd have come.

I think as long as people know in advance that they will spend a lot of time standing around, and you do something to try to minimise that, you can get your extras to be available for more screen time. For example a day of "dummy runs" with no extras present, to establish camera settings, compose shots or tweak dialogue is much better than doing it with a few dozen slightly bemused people present...

 

[Booth]

I think part of the problem is people will turn up to do it once for the experience, when they have it's a case of "been there, done that, got the t-shirt, AND been in the movie!" Maybe posher sandwiches on days 3 and 4?

But that's not true, just because you are an extra on day 1 doesn't necessarily mean you will end up in it. When you're editing the main focus is the scene, you aren't trying to make sure everyone gets adequate screen time. Obviously if you turn up one day, you appear in only a small amount of the footage so have less chance of actually being in the movie.

My advice to anyone being an extra wanting to get some screen time is that to maximize your chance of appearing, to turn up every day.

Even people with lines sometimes get cut out.

 

[Dave Laurie]

Yes, you know that, and I know that, but a lot of them don't. I had a day trip to the Isle of Man for costume fitting, 2 days filming (involving 4 nights stay due to ferry sailings not tying in with being at the Studio from 7a.m. to 8p.m.) and still not ending up in the final edit of The Libertine. I was in the "work in progress" screening in Quebec, but the cinema distribution version lost 25 mins. But I do have a wage packet with 3 days pay in it, and I'd probably have done it for nothing. Any excuse to go to the Isle of Man.

 

[Strawbs]

But that's not true, just because you are an extra on day 1 doesn't necessarily mean you will end up in it. When you're editing the main focus is the scene, you aren't trying to make sure everyone gets adequate screen time.

Very true. I'd been an extra for a Soulwax video before doing the BS shoot so already had an idea of what it would be like. For the Soulwax video we spent the whole day walking around in the background, occasionally stopping to wonder what the band were doing and then got into a mass brawl. We were all in suits, looking like city folk in the middle of London, having a massive fight with each other. You see me for maybe a split second and that's it, but it was still great to be part of the filming process and you still create something for the screen even if it's only fleeting. That's what extras are for.

At Liquid & Envy I was joking with Curtinparloe going, 'Hey you're in my shot!' or 'This is all about ME!' but I absoulute knew there was no guarantee that I'd even get a shoulder in shot. Being part of it was what I went up there for.

Ahhh you guys...group hug.

Except Cop.

 

[Booth]

Hey but Strawbs, I think you will make the final cut - unless Camp David is cut out of the film.

And Dave you are in there too, a couple of times, in probably the filthiest scenes in the film - as both man and woman!

 

[Strawbs]

Hey but Strawbs, I think you will make the final cut - unless Camp David is cut out of the film.

Honestly, at the time, I really thought I'd screwed that scene up with my gormless looking around. But I'll happily take the title of 'dizzy fag hag' if it compensates.

 

[Dave Laurie]

At least it shows my versatility!

That is all it shows isn't it?

To be honest, I'm too old to care anyway, and if I'm really lucky I'll get type-cast.

 

[Booth]

At least it shows my versatility!That is all it shows isn't it?

That and a large tattoo on your backside.

 

[wiggy]

Hey but Strawbs, I think you will make the final cut - unless Camp David is cut out of the film.

this just gets better and better! do i still get a credit for the behind the scenes stuff or have you got some kid down from the college to do it instead? i could always make the sandwiches

 

[Booth]

Good lord no. We don't want you ruining the sandwiches!

 

[wiggy]

well if i had to wear that god awful dress for nothing then i'm holding all my footage to ransom!

 

[Booth]

What the dress that you insisted on wearing?

 

[psycosean]

Man, did this thread go off on one! Anyway... thought i'd fill you in on where the movie's at. We're only 2 day's shooting away from having it all 'in the can'...the edit is 3/4 done. Now we're planning the week long foley dub, the 2 weeks of ADR...(we're replacing about 70% of the dialogue) and then about another 2 weeks to do the final sound mix... Then it's just the grading and colour treatment. We're running about 3 months behind where we thought we were 6 months ago. There's some behind the scenes pics and video blogs here: www.myspace.com/shootthedjfilm.

With regard to the nightclub shoot...we blagged the empty unit from a friend, borrow 50% of the lights, bought the other 50% as well as buying a load of tri-lite truss to hang it all on. The plan was to sell it all immediately afterwards...but we've still got it all... We built a DJ booth from various bits of junk then filled up the room with only 10-15 extras who we found on a casting site. We didn't pay anyone, but we did provide a lot of food, alcohol and we agreed a back-end deal with everyone based on a profit share...the same thing we did with all the cast.

All the wide shots in the club scenes are shot in real clubs full of real clubbers, but we knew that for the close-ups, real clubbers would look at the camera, so we had to shoot those bits on a set. We did a really simple 3 colour lighting plan for it which gives it a real sense of depth. Hopefully, when it's all cut together, no one will notice it's been pasted together.

We've got to shoot a helicopter taking off for the final scene. Any tips? We've only got one go at it...too expensive to redo it. Gonna get everyone i know with a half decent camera to come and film it too...just in case.

S