Stranded by a volcano eruption
Whilst in London I have tried to make the most of my days off by organising few meetings and catching up with my growing number of UK friends. It was a pleasure to see Jim Loach again, busy in the editing suite with Oranges and Sunshine. My timing was good in that I was able to view an assemblage of one scene from the film, absolutely beautiful and very emotional, that confirmed my feelings that this will be a stunning film.
Jim Loach in the editing room at Air Post.
It also proved to be a good time to be in London in that I was able to pick up 2 extra days work on The Eagle of the Ninth which had 3 days of re-shoots at Shepperton Studios. With very little preparation time an amazing Roman era set was constructed and busy actors Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Mark Strong were secured. It was fantastic to catch up with the cast and many of the original crew members, and the filming went well, director Kevin Macdonald being able to polish what I am confident will be beautifully shot and epic adventure film.
Director Edgar Wright visited the Attack the Block set, emerging from the editing room where he has been putting the finishing touches on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Part of the Big Talk Productions family, we worked together on Hot Fuzz, and he is good friends and occasional collaborator with my current director Joe Cornish. I was delighted that Joe asked me to take a snap of the two of them together which saved me the embarrassment of having to ask. It appeared on Edgar’s web site a few days later with a very complimentary thank you.
My snap of Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish as it appeared on Edgar’s site.
The Infidel, a film I worked on in 2009, also had is premiere over this period and I was fortunate to get an invite. Although it was a small budget comedy by a first time director and a young international crew, the massive opening at The Hammersmith Apollo, with celebrities walking down a red carpet flanked by a pack of screaming paparazzi made it seem much bigger and more important than I was prepared for. With my friend, singer Alison Limerick as my date, we fought our way into the huge, but totally packed theatre. After a passionate organ recital and a comedy session by my hacky sack team mates, writer David Baddiel and lead actor Omid Djalili, we were treated to what was indeed a very funny and well made film, my cameo as a press photographer even made the cut.
The Infidel premiere at the Hammersmith Apollo.
Attack the Block has finished its night shoots and moved into the studio and my 5 week stint has come to an end. It was a brilliant film to have worked on, a fantastic cast, crew and aliens. With the weather just starting to warm up, I now head back to Australia for my next film project, Fred Schepisi directing The Eye of The Storm, with Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis and Charlotte Rampling in the leading roles. The film shoots in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland and I will be doing stills intermittently over 2 month shoot. The beautifully written script, based on the Patrick White novel, is set in 1970′s Sydney, an intense drama demanding some amazing performances from its fantastic cast. I am nervous as usual but delighted to be going home and being able to spend time with my family. My bags are packed, and if it wasn’t for a volcano erupting in Iceland, and all flights being cancelled from Heathrow, I would be leaving London tonight!
