Stories of shooting
2 days a bit too intense...
Saturday november 19th:
9hAM
- We're a bit tired but Guillaume Cholette, the actor playing Mathieu at that moment, and me (Olivier) are starting the shooting with a couple of stunts. It's snowing a lot and it's cold. On the spot, I revise the scenes we've shot only to discover that we see the green rain cap on every sequence at the top of the frame. I suppose I'll be able to remove it in post. Stupid idea.
10hAM
- A couple of friends playing the agents arrive and we go straight outside to shoot the first sequences of the chase scene. Right there a woman gets in her car and waits for the car to
heat. Her and her car are straight into the shot and we can't risk starting to shoot and then having to reshoot because she finally gets out of the way. We wait for 10 minutes.
- We shoot 2 other chase sequences that are too long for nothing and everyone realise at the same time that running like a maniac + the morning cold + a small breakfast or no
breakfast + a lack of exercice does lead to immediate pain.
- Actors need a pause and my hands are already frozen.
- Guillaume, the main actor, nearly passes out in his bed.
10h30AM
- We are abandonning, it's not worth it. The main actor is totally out of order and I can't see how we can shoot all these complicated scenes before sunset.
11hAM
- Alexandre Gauthier, how was playing an agent, improvise himself as the main character, Mathieu. Christian Rondeau thinks that his girlfriend would do a great job to replace him as the boss agent. We go on.
- Outside we reshoot everything in no time but after 3 sequences I pressed a button by mistake and fail to realise that everything is heavily tinted blue.
12hAM
- We shoot like crazy, it's going well.
1hPM
It's cold and we have to eat. On our way to McDonald's we shoot the car sequences.
Fast forward to the evening since we're doing fine for the rest of the afternoon.
6hPM
- Jules Saulnier arrives and we install his spotlight for the living room scene.
9hPM
- We shoot the scenes while some people already had lots of drinks.
10hPM
- Hard liquor and beer are flowing.
2hAM
- I'm drunk like there's no tomorrow and I hear Alexandre Gauthier, the main character, barfs in the bathroom.
4h30AM
- I'm going to bed
Sunday november 20th:
8h45AM
I'm truly in a bad shape. The shooting was supposed to start at 8h with Alexandre, and I'm just dead.
9h15AM
Christian Rondeau and Isabelle Marcotte, disguised as agents, show up and we start with the morning scenes. In the scene they have a conversation with Alexandre but he has yet to show up. We shoot without him. I'm wondering if he's not wasted like I am now. While I'm the cameraman, I hold the microphone with my feet. No joke.
9h30AM
My head is turning and my hands are shaking. I tell myself that I'll feel better if I eat something strong like the biggest frozen meal I have available.
9h45AM
I'm sick. I spend the next 5 minutes in the bathroom vomiting.
10h00AM
Alex joins the party and seem not to feel sick at all.
10h15AM
Guillaume, who's feeling better comes and do the job my foot was doing.
12h15PM
The agents show up for the rest of the exterior shoot; final sequence, gunfight etc.. I'm feeling sick.
3h30PM
I'm taking the car for the first time today. Suddenly, I get out of the car and walk my way home vomiting at every street corner, camera and tripod in my hand. What a charming scene.
4hPM
We shoot the helicopter scenes. Only Alexandre is needed.
5hPM
We shoot slowly the last scenes and arrange the furniture in my living room so that we can shoot in front of the pale green wall.
9hPM
Order and capture all the footage so I can bring the rented camera back monday on my work lunch break.
So, that was a charming shoot, full of adventures, challenges and surprises.
The moral is: the drinking must be done after the shooting, not right in the middle.
Olivier B.
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Recon pictures
For the chase scene
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