On 3...

On 3... originally began as a feature length idea that was my first effort ever at writing a feature. When the lockdown came into effect I started to focus on the absolute essential moments from that and it became this short film.

Because I was wearing a lot of hats on this project it was very important to me to cast people who will bring something of their own to the script - actors who turn up and do what you tell them can be great for certain projects but on this occasion i wanted people to ask questions and offer ideas and feedback and they all did that which makes directing that little bit easier.

It was never my intention to be the DOP and director but because of the covid-19 guidelines we had to keep crew to a minimum and and with the limited amount of time we had too it made sense to point all questions to one place. So, it was a challenge to be two things at once but it also made me plan ahead that bit more - I knew exactly what lights I wanted in each scene and how to achieve it which was very easy to communicate to the team. Then directing on the day became more about about blocking the scene, because in terms of working with the actors, I had done 75% of the directing in the days leading up to the shoot by speaking to them online and being available to answer any questions.

Over the course of two days, two months apart we achieved something that I am very proud of. The team were excellent and all respected the guidelines that were in place and worked together to achieve the goal. Picking the right team for a project is always essential but there are times when you can take your time and teach people as you go - this was not one of those occasions however so the crew had to be on it and they really were. They are all very talented and wonderful people.