nailing the box
June 2007
We have now finished filming 'The Box'. It's been an
all-consuming experience (shooting has usually
started at or before dawn, and work has often
continued into the evening) that has been hugely
enjoyable.
Everything has been made so much easier for us because of Seb's friendships with many of Zanskar's inhabitants; this has been his fourteenth visit to the region in as many years.
I've been astounded at how well our 'actors' have responded to the challenge of appearing in front of the camera for the first time in their lives. Al took great care with the script to ensure that we only ever asked them to do things that they would normally carry out in the course of their day-to-day activities, and this tactic paid off during filming.
Even so, it was often necessary to re-shoot scenes several times - a member of the public would unexpectedly walk through the shot, or we would need to capture the same event from multiple angles - and there was always a risk of a thespian's patience wearing thin. But not once did our cast baulk at having to re-enact a scene for the sixth time, or drive back along the road for 15 minutes to capture a spellbinding landscape shot that we somehow missed first time around.
Now the hard work begins in earnest, and Al has returned to the UK to begin editing the footage. Seb and myself have a few days in hand before our international flights depart. So we have decided to change our plans and visit a place I've waited years to see.
Everything has been made so much easier for us because of Seb's friendships with many of Zanskar's inhabitants; this has been his fourteenth visit to the region in as many years.
I've been astounded at how well our 'actors' have responded to the challenge of appearing in front of the camera for the first time in their lives. Al took great care with the script to ensure that we only ever asked them to do things that they would normally carry out in the course of their day-to-day activities, and this tactic paid off during filming.
Even so, it was often necessary to re-shoot scenes several times - a member of the public would unexpectedly walk through the shot, or we would need to capture the same event from multiple angles - and there was always a risk of a thespian's patience wearing thin. But not once did our cast baulk at having to re-enact a scene for the sixth time, or drive back along the road for 15 minutes to capture a spellbinding landscape shot that we somehow missed first time around.
Now the hard work begins in earnest, and Al has returned to the UK to begin editing the footage. Seb and myself have a few days in hand before our international flights depart. So we have decided to change our plans and visit a place I've waited years to see.