A Day in the Life of Midlands Actor Tim Watson
midlandsmovies • August 23, 2019
A Day in the Life of Midlands Actor Tim Watson
Midlands Movies has a brand new 'Day in the Life' feature series compiled by guest contributor and Leicester film producer Kelly McCormack. Each week we'll be looking at a different local person and their daily role within the Midlands film community.
With a host of productions regularly taking place at any one time, we hope to give you an insight into the world of local filmmaking - and the more often than not long days on set - to help raise understanding of a specific role during the production process.
First up is Birmingham actor Tim Watson who explains below his processes on a typical - and sometimes not so typical - day on set:
06:30. I wake up, get dressed, ensure that I get a good solid breakfast. After eating, I make sure that I have packed everything I need for the day ahead. I’ve been asked to bring a selection of different clothes for potential costume, so I make sure I’ve packed it ready.
07:15. I head to the gym for a quick 30 minute workout. I like to use this time to clear my mind, and to work out any stress I have before the shoot. After this, I have a quick shower, get dressed, and walk to the train station.
08:55. I arrive at the venue, about 35 minutes before the call time. I like to make sure that I’ve got to the location early, in case of any trouble on route. I use this time to grab a sandwich to eat later, fill up my water bottle, and about 20 minutes before my call time, I arrive on location.
09:15. I go and speak to the director and producer, discussing the schedule for the day. I’m told that there are no issues so far, and am shown to the room we’re going to use as a dressing room. We agree with the costume director on which pieces I would be wearing, and I change into my costume.
09:25. I sit with the make-up director, and get a moment to relax and run through the scene we will be shooting in my head. There is not much make up to be done for today, mainly on my hands and a small amount on my face, so I take this as a good chance to relax and do a few vocal warm ups.
09:30 The other actor arrives in the dressing room, and we have a brief conversation while we get ready for the shoot. Once we’re both ready, we begin to run line together while we wait to be called onto set. We also both do a couple of quick character building exercises, to get ourselves into the roles for the shoot.
09:50. We’re called onto set, and have a meeting with the director and producer. We’re told the shoot is running to schedule, and are given approximate times for breaks. We have a quick discussion with the director about his vision for the scenes we’re going to shoot today, and get ready to be on set. We’re then fitted with our microphones, and do a quick test shot to make sure they’re working correctly.
10:15-13:15. The shoot begins. I’m on set for most of the scenes being shot, so have to constantly be on my game. Even if I’m not in the shot, I try to make sure my delivery is the same as when I am, to give the other actor as good a performance as they are giving. After each shot, the director will discuss the performance and share their thoughts with us. I also have a couple of ideas on the shoot, and I discuss these with the director and we try these out as we film. When we’re not shooting, or I’m not in shot, I make sure that I have plenty to drink, and express any needs/concerns to the team, and work with them to ensure that I don’t delay the schedule. I also take the chance to watch the other actors working on their own scenes, using their performances to help build my characters and reactions to the scenes.
13:20. We break for lunch, having 40 minutes until we’re needed back on set. I sit down with the actor and the crew members, eat my sandwich, and discuss other work we’ve done. I use this time to build connections and help to understand more about their different roles and experiences. I find this really useful, and a great chance to improve my work in the future.
13:50. I quickly nip back to the dressing room, to check my make-up and costume before returning to the set. I also re-fil my water bottle, and run a quick vocal warm-up before the shoot restarts.
14:00-15:20. We get back to shooting. We’re running a little behind schedule, but have a plan to make up time in the later scenes, cutting a couple of angles on the next shots. Once again, I try to make sure that I give my best performance at all times, whether I’m visible to the camera or not.
15:20. There’s a quick scene change needed, and I need to have my make-up re-done for this scene. The other actor is finished for the day, but asks if he’s alright to stay and watch the rest of the shoot. We talk briefly, until I’m called back by the director.
15:45-17:00. We shoot the final scenes for the day. This time I am in every shot, so make sure that I am ready to give the best performance of my scenes. As before, after each shot the director discusses the shoot with me, and we work to get the scenes exactly right. This involves repeating the same actions many times, to be captured from different angles, so I am focused on performing my actions with the same precision and consistency each time.
17:00. Filming is finished for the day. I head back to the dressing room, to change out of my costume and get out of my make-up. I then go and have a chat with the crew, especially the director, to discuss the day’s work and note anything else which needs to be done in the future. I say goodbye to everyone, taking some contact details for potential future work, and head off to catch my train home.
Kelly McCormack
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