Sophie On: The Stop/Eject Podcasts

Hi Guys,

   It's a little while since I've done a blog post purely about Stop/Eject, which is odd for saying that my 2012 has pretty much belonged to that film. The latest news is that its post-production funding campaign is going well, with over £1,200 raised, which means we could finally release the Day 5 Podcast.

   Whilst it's a wonderful feeling to see all the shoot days alongside each other, I also felt a twinge of sadness when I finished the final podcast. Because, when it was done, I had completed all my official jobs as co-producer on the project. Granted, there are a lot of unofficial jobs which one has to do without being asked, such as promoting the film throughout the funding process and festival seasons, and giving feedback on things like press kits and merchandise. I've also had some cherished early glances at the film itself in the edit stages. I could technically be working on this film until 2014. But in terms of official 'assigned' tasks, I've completed all of mine.

   The thing is, creating a film is often compared to having a child, but a co-producer can never be more than a foster parent. You can nurture it, watch it grow, even come to love it like your own - but then you need to give it back, happy in the knowledge that you've helped to make it into the wonderful thing that it is today. So overall, I'm not sad; I'm privileged to have worked on such a special little film.

   So, serious part over - here are all the colourful, crazy, condensed shoot days for you all to enjoy:

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 DAY ONE - The River Gardens, Belper

 BTS Videographer: Brett Chapman

    In the first podcast, we are introduced to the crew, and the efforts taken to assemble the all-important alcove set, in Belper's scenic River Gardens - which is the location for the flashback scene where Kate first meets Dan. This podcast also features an interview with co-writer, Tommy Draper.

DAY TWO - Magpie, Matlock

 BTS Videographer: Brett Chapman

    This was an evening shoot, and I feature quite a bit in this one - mostly teasing Neil for the difficult task of fitting an alcove into a quirky, cluttered little shop! It also features an interview with camera operator Rik Goldsmith, and it showcases the main location of the film for the first time.

DAY THREE - Magpie, Matlock

 BTS Videographer: Dale Murchie

   I had the most footage to condense for this podcast, because we spent the whole day filming in our main location. So all the crew features quite prominently, but none more so than the hilarious, scene-stealing Therese Collins!

DAY FOUR - Strutt's Mill, Belper

 BTS Videographer: Dale Murchie

   This podcast is a little different to the others; it was all hands-on deck, so we didn't have as much b-roll footage as previously. Therefore this podcast features an interview with yours truly, to narrate and tie all of the footage together. It also shows you the efforts went to with our infamous tape cassette props, and the old Victorian mill in which we filmed the basement scene.

DAY FIVE - Magpie, Matlock

 BTS Videographers: Kurt Baker & Laura Iles

    The official 'final' shoot day was another manic one, so rather than showing you the scenes being filmed (although you do get a bit of it), today gives you a warm-hearted look at the crew through a series of talking heads interviews.

 DAY SIX - Willesley Castle & Masson Mills, Roseley

  BTS Videographer: Sophie Black

    This makes me laugh every time I watch it. We we're supposed to be filming on this day, so there's only the cast and skeleton crew left, and no cameras left to get b-roll footage. I happened to have my stills camera on me, which gets a lo-rez video of the exact moment we go down to our wier location... and find out that it's flooded...

   So, there we have it. Every single shoot day from Stop/Eject, on YouTube for the world to see. You can even watch them back-to-back to have a taste of what it was like to be part of the crew. But you won't have the same mixed feelings of exhaustion and wonder at the end of it!

Sophie x