With the Paralympic Games fast approaching, Channel 4 sought an engaging opener to kick off their coverage of the games. The challenge was met by London-based production company, Whisper. Tasked with delivering creativity under pressure, Whisper’s team devised a dynamic concept: a narrative-driven road trip featuring charismatic Paralympian and TV Presenter, Ade Adepitan. The twist? Formula 1 legend David Coulthard would ask Ade to drive to Paris. Of course, there was a little more to it and it would not be quite that simple.
Translating the fully developed concept to screen would demand multi-disciplinary collaboration, and technical craft skills from all involved.
Film Crew
Whisper asked TV and Film Director Richard Gort to drive the project.
Chris Hyde, an acclaimed Director of Photography (DOP) would be responsible for the photography. He is known for his expertise in high-stakes shoots and has shot many sports-related films.
The ambitious schedule included filming on location in Paris, and a London greenscreen studio. There was a great deal to shoot in the studio and just one day to complete the work. Chris would need a Gaffer to take responsibility for the lighting so that he could focus on the many complexities of the camerawork.
After a search of the Sab Network database, he asked me to Gaffer for him, to provide my lighting skills and the lights.
The Creative Concept
Having invited Ade to drive to the Paralympic Games, David would provide him with a vehicle, and then things would get interesting.
Gaffer on the Job
Once the studio booking was confirmed with Malcolm Ryan Studios in Wimbledon, London, I contacted the studio management to arrange a pre-shoot visit, to familiarise myself with the studio and its facilities, and to meet the team in the lighting store. It is always good to have friends on the inside if more equipment is needed or if any technical issues crop up.
On the morning of the studio shoot, the call time was 8 am but I was there early to meet the guys in the lighting store when the studio opened at 7.
By 8 o'clock, when the rest of the team was arriving, I had unloaded my lights from my vehicle and was preparing them in the studio.
By mid-morning my prep was done and Chris and his assistant had prepped the cameras.
The talent and our hero vehicle arrived about then and we were good to go.
Lights, Camera, and... Action
Filming Ade's journey to Paris would involve many shots, and all were carefully planned to ensure; that they would cut with the graphic element, and several other complications were also addressed.
There was a huge amount of meticulous work ahead of us.
Being a chromakey shoot the footage would be composited with animations, so the Design Director, Rod Jorge was on-set to ensure our shots would work with his visuals.
We had an excellent team and everyone was completely focused.
Chris used 2 full-frame Sony cameras, a PXW-FX9 tripod mounted, and a PXW-FX6 employed on a Ronin gimbal.
In addition to the almost GV type of vehicle-on-the-road shots, and the shots of Ade driving, we filmed dialogue setups with Ade talking with several people. Just to make things interesting, none of the other people were present that day, so they were filmed at other times and in other places before being composited by Rod in post-production. Their heights were checked so we got Ade's eyelines and the camera's heights for POVs, right.
The Magic Moment
The pivotal scene, the first setup of the day, was a conversation between Ade and David Coulthard, at Silverstone Race Circuit. David was not available, so Richard played his part and presented "car" keys and the hero vehicle to Ade.
Ade was behind the vehicle, facing camera left, in profile, and looking somewhat up to a carefully defined eyeline. Richard spoke David's lines so the timing was correct. After Ade delivered his last line, "Is it a racing car?" and David's response, "More a classic", Chris who had a camera on a gimbal tracked back through the vehicle to reveal the black Citroen 2CV van with Channel 4 branding.
Smoothly done, Chris.
Film Studio Lighting
My core lighting setup was the studio's permanently installed cyc lights and lanterns, that lit the cyc and floor. Occasionally, I would kill one of the lanterns or use scrims and nets to avoid problem reflections.
For my creative lighting, I used an Aputure Light Storm 600D Pro as my key light, mostly with a 150 cm light dome, another 600D with a 10" fresnel or Hyper Reflector often through a 1-meter square silk was my fill, then for kickers etc., I used LS60X lights with and without softboxes, and a Fomex FL1200 2x1 with and without softbox.
Shots were made from the left side of the vehicle, from the right, from the front, and one was shot from overhead. So, I was kept busy relighting throughout the day.
For Ade's close-ups in the van, I used a Light Storm 600D Pro with a 150 cm Lightdome with an egg crate as my key light. I needed additional lighting inside the vehicle, so I used a trusty little Dedolight for this. We were filming at 5600k, so I gelled the tungsten Dedolight with a Full CTB correction gel. I used an LS60X as Ade's backlight/kicker as it can be spotted precisely, to hit only what I want it to illuminate. Another 600D through a 1-meter square silk worked as the master key for the van. I used a Fomex FL1200 with a softbox as my main fill light for the vehicle. Naturally, I used diffusion, flags, and nets extensively.
When lampstands were in shot, I masked them with chroma key textiles. To help the editor, I lit and metered them to ensure the reflected luminance levels closely matched the level of the cyc.
Scene 1 - Take 1
Finally, we filmed the opening sequence. Ade is at home, answering his phone. 'No, I don't want to drive to Paris, are you mad? A favour? for who? I am on my way."
"And that’s a wrap!"
The entire team was brilliant, the atmosphere was highly professional and energized.
At 10 pm., by the magic of television, Ade was in Paris. Nous sommes arrivés, et bonsoir à tous.
FIN
Roll Credits: Ade Adepitan, David Coulthard, Billy Monger, Ellie Simmonds, Vick Hope, and Rose Ayling-Ellis.
