The final edit - update

Just a quick update...It is down to the final edit. From the 7 different version Emma and I came up with over a week ago I have chosen three, edited it into the existing edits and burnt to DVD.
Tomorrow David, Lara, and perhaps JC will come and give feedback. I need to decide which of the three works the best.
More when I return from San Sebastian, Spain at the end of the week.

The pickups - photos

So the shoot is done. It went very well.
My friend Morten was in London for a visit and kindly snapped a few photos of us putting it together.
I brought the footage down to the lab and it will be ready Tuesday.











JC and Boyd setting up.











Meanwhile Nichola was prepping Emma upstairs.











Emma and I discuss what we were going to do. We had a lot of material from the Saturday rehearsal.











And so we were ready to line up the shots. Here I prove to JC that I do know which part of the camera to look through.











We had the rough edit on DVD so we could match shots. And also playback the dialogue for Emma to work against.











A few more rehearsals...











JC gets his reading.











And we're ready to shoot.

Thank you Emma, JC, Boyd, Nichola and Morten for your hard work. It was a lot of fun.

Pickups

I am preparing for the pickups to be shot this Sunday, and one of my issues is the term, 'pickups'. In regards to the way I have always thought about shooting this, and Tidal Barrier words like 'pickups' and 'inserts' do not do justice to the thought and significance of these shots. (I have seen the word coda to describe Ozu's 'inserts', better).
But on...
The scenario:

She is in the living room, on the sofa, reading the paper, enjoying the weekend. He is off camera, speaking to a male friend. We do not seem him until later.
At first the conversation is somber. He is getting the friend's help in moving some things. It changes quickly. After the move? They will go out for drinks, and take up where they left off, before the relationship began it is implied. Then they begin to recount past exploits, which is of course only of interest to them.
All through this she remains in the living room, until she finally stands, goes into the kitchen and retrieves the vacuum cleaner.
So what she is doing this whole time? It is 1.5minutes. This is such as simple situation, and that is why I found so many different things I could do with it.
One idea:
She is neutral. Could be somber but from here can't be sure.
She is at the edge of the frame, extended out (her legs), looking down at the floor (which is out frame).
We hear him off camera. Low and somber.
Then his conversation changes, picks up.
She remains where she is, then leans over and picks up something. Dirt?! Is this what was taking her attention all this time? Yes, and now. At least this is what has been distracting her.
She leans back, takes furtive glance in his direction. Is this annoyance?
He carries on, boasting, and she looks annoyed.
A change of pace. She changes her position, takes up a magazine. Begins to read. For a time succeeds.
Then it is too much. He is too distracting.
The spell is broken. He crashes into some pots. She is startled, looks his way, then quickly away again. A moment she looks in front of her.
Then turns away from him.
Is she laughing? Yes, to herself, or at him.
Enough of this.
She gets up and goes off.

And I have several other different versions and and elements to explore. And only 5 minutes of film. Some hard choices...

Update

Just a quick update. The pickups are scheduled to be shot Sunday Sept. 16th. I will rehearse with Emma in the morning and JC will join us in the afternoon.
Development and transfer will happen the following Monday, and the final edit should be complete mid-week.