2 Gasp Oxygen

Welcome back

It is time for another instalment of ‘A Gasp of Oxygen’ folks and I am writing to you two weeks after finishing the filming of ‘Lowlight’. As always the filming was extremely fun and challenging in parts but that’s what it’s all about, sometimes coming up with quick solutions on the day because no matter how much you plan, there will always a be a curve ball. So you have got to stay on your toes!

In case you did not know us here at Oxygen Films we have been filming our second series titled, ‘A Series of Light’ which is exclusively on Amazon Prime and the episode we just filmed is called ‘Lowlight.’ It is a continuation of ‘Whitelight’ from series 1. So if you have not seen the first series you should stop reading and go watch it now!

Back On Set

I really enjoyed being back on set with all the amazing crew, it is always an absolute pleasure working with them all. On this episode I was doing a different role on set, on most of the other episodes I was Assistant Directing but on this one I was the role of the Production Coordinator. The role allowed me to work on the preproduction of this episode, which was a lot of fun. I particularly enjoyed finding and sourcing the props for the shoot and I was really happy with how they looked. We were also lucky enough to have a heat wave on the days of the shoot which is always better than the cold and the rain especially when it comes to equipment.

Day 1

On the first day of filming I introduced myself to the cast and to any new crew members too and made sure everyone was happy and ready to go. The first day was really exciting for me because the last time I was on set was December 2020 and it felt like years. The day went smoothly and everyone’s faces lit up when I brought the pizzas back from collection.

Day 2

The second day of filming was particularly a challenge as we had a lot of unit moves and we had to try and figure how to transport the equipment and props to the other locations, as well as keeping track of which equipment and prop went in what car. The most difficult location to film in was the woodland location because there was a heatwave and it made it harder to move the equipment and props within the location we were filming at. It was a bit of a struggle getting the petrol powered generator into the woodland location we filmed at but we managed to get it working in the end and because everyone is amazing we managed to get it all there and the scenes we filmed in the woods looked awesome!

Day 3

The third and final day was a lot easier than the other two days because we didn’t have any unit moves throughout the day and the location we filmed at was perfect for a heatwave as it was really cool in the basement. I was really happy with how it all looked and I was sad when the shoot ended.

Overall I feel the shoot went really well and as always we worked legendary together as a team. It’s always nice working with people where if you need any help with anything they always have your back because if we all didn’t work together as a team it wouldn’t have been possible to do.

Interview

Now it’s time for me to interview Jackson Castillo Evans who is our second Production Coordinator and the person I work alongside with:

Hi Jackson, how are you feeling after the shoot?

“I feel very positive about what we have created as a team and proud that I could be a part of a project that I can stand behind as he develops further. I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say we were knackered by the final day but raring to go for the next project now after a nice break.”

How did it feel to be on an Oxygen Films set for the first time?

“Being on a set in general after so long with a full team of filmmakers was exciting. We had a great opportunity to work and discuss with different departments, so it was lovely to see everything clicking together.

What’s so great about Oxygen in particular is that you can see the love for the craft that is just more evident here.”

What was your favourite part of filming Lowlight?

“I think every day had its perks but I have to say being in the restaurant triggered a great glee as it was somewhere that I was able to acquire thanks to some lovely local talent. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves when the chef whipped out his eggs and started to juggle them. The unexpected things elevate the experience that much more.”

Was there anything you found to be easier or more difficult than you imagined?

“I have to say the working with specialist equipment became a challenge because it’s a whole process of understanding what you need down to the T and then putting all together. I’m referring mostly to the generator which we managed to power up after a few moments of anticipated experimentation deep in the dark woods. And also the rain machine which we’ll need a few moments of silence for as it didn’t quite work but I know for the future it just comes down to a suction hose!

I think what made it really easy was the crew and cast who were all so friendly and willing to help out.”

Last question, has it helped inspire any of your own filming ideas?

“100%! The reason why I wanted to work with Oxygen in the first place was because of the sensitive and important themes that they inject into their work and it’s already inspiring me and I’m sure the rest of the SIGN team with the blogs that we upload onto the website. But also, I love the way they are experimenting with the medium and the ambition that is growing with each project. I think that’s something that will rub off on me.”

Lowlight

We all hope you enjoy ‘Lowlight’ when it’s released as it was a lot of fun to work on and we can’t wait for you to see it!

This been Alex Bamford signing off without a pen.