Twisted is a grad project by a third year Media Production student. The film was shot over seven days, though I was only brought on for three.

This is the account of Day 5, the first day I was on call.

Being on this shoot was not an enjoyable experience. The days were long, the crew were unorganised, and there was no respect between people. It saddened me that this is what I have waiting for me in third year, that this is how people could behave on their graduate project. Of course one can change that, it doesn’t have to be like that, and it may have only been those people that were not good to work with.

What were the reasons for the disastrous approach to making their film? I believe it was down to three factors; BU’s Teaching, Money, and Scope.

How it all began.

March 2nd I was messaged by my friend Bethany Westwood with a dilemma wondering if I would be able to help. The request was simple enough, Beth was on a shoot that was using the Sony FS5 and the camera operator didn’t fully understand how to use it, so Beth messaged me to see if I could help knowing that I have used that camera before. The conversation was then cut short when Beth said the camera operator knew someone who may be able to help. I thought nothing of it and wished all the best for Beth’s shoot. Maybe half an hour later my friend Dan Tonkin called. He too had a dilemma he thought I could help with. He needed help understanding the Sony FS5. It took a while for the penny to drop as I just thought it was a happy coincidence that two people I knew were using the FS5. I thought Dan was maybe doing some wedding film, and Beth’s operator was a student of kinds.

March 4th, Dan phoned me again. I can’t quite remember the conversation, but he called me asking if I would like to step in as his camera assistant whilst his current one had other duties to attend to. Something along the lines of “Hi Will, I’m working on this student short film and I could really use a hand. My AC has left for a couple days and I need someone to fill in. You came to mind first. Would you be interested?” Naturally I said yes. He then went on to talk about the project itself. He said the short was called Twisted and that it has some really cool filming locations. And he asked if I had heard of it. I had to interrupt him, I had heard of Twisted. For that short was the film Beth was working on. And that’s when the penny dropped. It was Dan who couldn’t figure out how to use the FS5 on Beth’s shoot. Secretly I was kind of jealous of Beth working on this film – it had gained a lot of hype around our circle of friends. And to be offered a role filming it whilst others I knew were just helping with the paperwork was an added intensive.

Dan asked what days I would be willing to help out. The film was to be shot over the entire March reading week (06/03 – 12/03) but I had other commitments during that week so I replied saying I could only do the last three days; 10th, 11th, and 12th. I was emailed the script and waited until the shoot day. Since then, I had been wanting to keep my involvement on Twisted a secret so that when I magically appear on set I surprise Beth. But March 6th I was sussed out I would be working on it.

I know Dan, and if you don’t treat him right, or a film set with respect, he can be difficult to get along with. So I messaged Beth to touch base and see how he was getting on. Beth confirmed my speculation that things had not gone too smoothly. This should have been the first alarm bell. I was then asked if I knew everything for the shoot day I would be joining. I had been given nothing. Not even by Dan. That should have been the second warning.