I woke with very serious pain in my leg. At 5.15am, I wasn’t sure I would get through the day. But I knew I must.
At 7am I hobbled onto location to find a largely new crew, reduced in size and looking at me slightly bemused – who was this guy hobbling onto set? What have they let themselves in for? Crewing up was so tough that producer Ivan Clemmenst stood in as a grip for the day and did a great job.
Simon Cox also returned to shoot second unit, and thank goodness he did, as he was able to crack through a huge number of simple close up shots without actors, something main unit had been unable to do as it was a poor use of our resources.
Mid way through the day my energy slipped. My girlfriend, Lucia, made the mistake of calling the NHS helpline and they suggested I should be hospitalised immediately. There was no doubting, I was in serious pain, but I also knew I could get through the day – and I MUST!
We shot the final scene of the story, with glorious sunlight, and I knew we had it cracked! It was a very long day at the lake, and when we wrapped, I hobbled back to main unit, a five minute walk normally – this time it took me fifteen minutes, and during that limp of a walk, I broke down and sobbed, overwhelmed by the pain of my leg, the emotion of getting it completed, but mostly because of the amazing team who chose to chase this dream, my dream, alongside me. They had no concrete evidence that this film was going to be amazing. But the believed it would be. And that just swept over me like a tidal wave. I felt humbled that so many of my old friends, some from as long ago as 15 years, chose to make an effort to help, and also overwhelmed by the new family of film makers I could now call friends. No, brothers and sisters. I am welling up again as I write this now.
The drive home was one of elation and sadness – our six day adventure had drawn to a close. Together, we made something magical. And now all I can think of is getting it onto a cinema screen to share with the world.
When I finally got home and saw the state of my leg, it was immediately off to A&E where I got medicine. It turned out I was bitten by Horse Flies and after chatting to my mother, it appeared that her mother was allergic to the bites and I have inherited that recessive gene. What a time to find out!
Onward and upward!
Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]
