Filmmaker completes new coastal short in central Worcester
A roguish lightkeeper. An ineffectual bureaucrat. A council meeting that devolves into chaos.
These are the key ingredients in Neil Evans’ new short film, Henry - The Eighth Lighthouse Keeper. In the middle of October, a handful of actors and a group of willing volunteers (this writer included) descended on the Kiln in Worcester to make the film.
The room presented a few technical issues. The hot desking room isn’t exactly designed for 30 people crammed inside, so wide angle lens were key, and some clever blocking was required – especially towards the end of the day when some volunteers had to step away. There was a risk of seagulls being heard as well, although given the film is focused on a lighthouse keeper, some non-intrusive coastal ambiance wasn’t unwanted.
Anthony Webster, who starred in Neil’s previous film Artificial Insanity, returns to play the council leader trying to quell the controversy. He’s joined by Shropshire actor Theo Lewis, making his film debut, Shaun Johnson, Rebecca Sharp, Emma Fishlock and Katie Elliff, each of whom get a chance to interrupt Anthony’s monologue and argue amongst themselves.
Neil was in good spirits during the shoot. An hour of rehearsals tightened up the interactions between the characters, and it was fascinating to see some of the quirks of the script being ironed out – not through any changes to the words on the page, but through the relationships between the characters that the actors found during the preparation.
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Will Bannister stepped as assistant director, but the crew was kept purposefully tight, with Neil handling direction, shooting and sound. The shot list was also stripped back, with crowd shots, close ups on specific lines, and an introductory shot that took Anthony past the actual council offices.
Once the extras arrived, the bulk of the shoot was completed in just a few takes. Then it was time for the extras, as the council meeting devolves into a huge argument. Neil stated several times that he wanted to be respectful of people’s time, so kept group shots to a minimum so that the volunteers could sneak away as they needed to.
Then it was time for close-ups – a few shots that will aim to heighten the humour.
“I’m really happy with how the shoot went,” explained Neil. “A lot of the second takes were done just to make sure it looked and sounded right, rather than any complications as such. The cast really brought their best, which was crucial when we’re working on a tight schedule.”
Anthony was equally enthusiastic. “You don’t often work with such a well-prepared team, and we were able to bounce off of each other.”
By the end of the day, Neil only had one shot left to get – requiring a trip to Black Nore Lighthouse at Portishead. Now editing is well underway, with Neil hoping to announce a release in the near future.
Find out more about the film and filmmaker at White Tree Moving Pictures on Instagram and Facebook
