A few days ago it started snowing but nobody anticipated that it would get as bad as it is now especially because the weather has been quite good for weeks. It wasn't until the night before that I had a bad feeling that the weather would affect the day. It was something nobody could control and it was too short notice to make any changes so I decided to see how it goes. In the morning when I was getting ready for a day of filming I received a text from Nadine. She confirmed what I was dreading. The snow in Newcastle was even worse and she didn't want to risk it. She was very apologetic but I assured her that it was understandable and that safety and returning home at the end of the day was far too important.
I was annoyed about this situation but it was unavoidable. I called Peter Silk my Director and explained our position. We couldn't work around it without a MOTHER character. I suggested all the possible solutions that I could think of which were to cancel and re schedule, find anyone to play the mother or to film half today and half another day. The problems I had with re scheduling or filming half another day were that we already had all of the other actors and locations in place and we might not be able to get them all for another day. Peter was in favour of re scheduling however. In the end I asked my mum if she would play the part of MOTHER and she said yes. My mum is not an actor but my plan was to see how the day went and if it didn't go well then at least we could have said we tried and then it would have went to plan B, re-schedule.
After this bad start to the day we managed to get to our first location and I explained to everyone what had happened. I was recording the sound as well as filling in the production log and being a producer obsessed with my schedule. After that everything seemed to be going well. Until 4pm. This was the time we were meeting one of our actors called Becky and her dad at Teesside University Library. When we arrived the security informed us that the Library had closed and the staff had gone home due to the snow. The lady who organised the location for us did not call us to let us know. Kass and I went in the Student Union and asked if there was a room in the university that we could use because of what has happened. They finally sorted us out with another room. We went to set up. I explained to everyone that we have to quickly set up so that we continue to run to schedule.
In the end we finished about ten minutes before I said we would. Everyone on the crew mentioned that that was the most stress free, flowing production they have been on. I wish I could agree with the stress-free part! But I am really please about how the day went! And I am happy that the cast and crew enjoyed it!! It makes me feel that the hard work and decisions I made paid off.
Also we don't need to re-schedule because my mum was actually good. The MOTHER part wasn't that much of a big part so everything worked out in the end.
I don't think I could have done much to prepare for something like this. It is not often we get snow so it was a big shock. I am just glad everything ran to schedule for the first time!
Now just to film Steve talking on Wednesday. And edit before Christmas.
Thanks crew!!
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