The first segment of ‘The Summoning’ was shot over the weekend: Martin Kemp directed, with Gary Kemp and Adele Silva as the leads. Here was my view of the filming:
If you look really closely at the left hand side, through that wall and then about 540 miles due south you might just be able to see it.
If you’re lucky.
Okay, I admit it. I wasn’t there. This was for two reasons:
- Being on set is quite dull. Being on location is even worse because there’s nowhere to sit down.
- They, rather selfishly I thought, scheduled it on a day when I already had other plans.
For me, being present at the filming breaks down into three phases, probably best characterised as Wow! Oh. and Hang on! Let me give you an example, from one of the first shoots I attended:
- Phase 1: Wow! People are saying my lines!
- Phase 2: Oh. People are saying my lines wrong.
- Phase 3: Hang on! These aren’t my lines, some bastard has re-written them.
Or even worse, people start improvising. Don’t do that, please don’t do that. When actors start improvising, what they’re in effect saying is: ‘I can think up a better line off the top of my head than you can if you spend several months thinking about it.’
The defence is: some of the best lines in movie history were improvised.
This is true, but so were most of the worst ones.
Honestly, I did want to go and see at least one little bit of the shoot; but it just didn’t fit in with my schedule. It’s not a major worry, I’m sure I’ll be able to see one of the other segments. And even if that’s not possible, I’m not going to get upset about it.
I am itching to find out how it went though. The sketchy reports I’ve had say it went really well. I’ve been sent a load of stills which look fantastic, but I’m not allowed to show them to anyone yet.
So don’t even ask.
Regardless, the film is off the ground. It’s officially moved from pre-production into production, and that can only be a good thing. There were a couple of the obligatory last-minute disasters to do with personnel and locations, but apart from that it apparently all went very smoothly.
One down, five to go.
The Jobbing Scriptwriter 
Hi Phil
I was at the shoot on Sunday afternoon, mainly for research purposes, you will understand so that I would have something to write for Gary’s website, The fact that Gary was there had absolutely nothing to do with it. (Ok I lied it did). From what I saw everything went pretty much according to plan until the light faded, but I suppose that’s just one of those things. Shame you wasn’t there I would have liked to have said hello, but never mind maybe next time.
Heather
Well done, Phill. Here’s hoping everything goes tickity-boo for the rest of the segments. Personally, I love being on set. For some strange reason, I lose all sense of ownership when I’m watching my work being acted out. I mean that in a good way. Except, as you say, when they muck it up. Which is when you start reaching for the meat cleaver and preparing your alibi.
Heather: I didn’t know you had ‘official’ fan status, what’s the website? Gordon: I kind of know what you mean, but I still find the actual film making a bit dull. Although I’ve been reliably informed there were places to sit.
When actors start improvising, what they’re in effect saying is: ‘I can think up a better line off the top of my head than you can if you spend several months thinking about it.’
Very true, sir! My favourite quote of the day thus far.