Gearing up to shoot a feature film...

...has been made so much more enjoyable this week thanks to the teamwork of not only the cast and crew but also the whole of York, who are providing services, power points or themselves as extras to help us make this film truly awesome.

Paul and I are at the shot list stage now, which means the shoot is close enough to smell. Or that could be me. Shot lists and camera/lighting diagrams are the director's best friend, something that help you plan shots and work out with the camera crew where everything's going to be, but also utterly invaluable when you're on set, tired and anxious and wondering what happens when and in what order.

That's when things like this come in handy:

The more work you do at this stage, the more you'll thank yourself on set. Stick to the plan and nothing can go wrong.

HA! As if. Shot lists are great though, they're a cheat sheet your past self made for your future self. Crib notes. Idiot boards. I read that Edgar Wright was up most nights during shooting Spaced making shot lists for the next day's shoot. Which prompted Simon Pegg to quip; 'Edgar Wright has no life'. I can relate! Although, I'd choose the life of a filmmaker over anything else, anyday.