Firsts - Take Two

Firsts Take Two

The Danish/Scottish co-production “Hidden Flaws” provided another first for me. They say never work with children or animals… well, I actually had to train a seven-year-old actress to fire a shotgun onscreen. That sort of thing doesn’t happen every day!

Filming “L'île au Trésor” for a French production company in Cornwall was yet another unusual experience. It was one of the most relaxed, laid-back productions I ever worked on; so laid back, in fact, the first and only time a production has under-shot the wrap deadline. Ten days of filming took only nine days with this relaxed bunch. Mind you, this may have had something to do with the French crew’s penchant for quaffing wine at lunchtime. They weren’t exactly paralytic, of course, but we were filming on the harbour side, at Charlestown, and catering was a short hike back through the little village.

I was a little bit surprised on the first day to enter the catering marquee: because there, laid out refectory-style, was our impeccably presented lunch - with bottles of wine on every table! Being an armourer – and a consummate professional at that – I obviously never touch any alcohol while there is (relatively dangerous) work to be done. The French cast and crew didn’t seem too bothered about the health and safety ramifications, however – but it was no wonder they were so chilled out.

This shoot also had some of the worst weather I’ve ever experienced. They say it is impossible to shoot a film in Scotland, but the rain was unbelievable in Cornwall: it was defying gravity, and coming back up the way! In fact, the weather was so bad we only managed to get two shots knocked off on that particular night shoot. Wouldn’t have been a ‘first’ on Scottish terrain perhaps...