The production train is about to leave the station! All aboard who’s coming aboard! Everyone else get the f*ck out of the way. Move or be REmoved!
We’re now two days away from the start of main unit principal photography on Transporter and I feel like I’m in the heart of a maelstrom. Time to dispense with the niceties and step up. From here on in, all paths – creative, production, or otherwise – lead through us. And by “us”, I mean Alexander, Paul, and me. It’s been a whirlwind four months, but they’ll be nothing compared to the five months that lie ahead.
Alexander – Episode timing and preliminary schedule in tow, starts his pass on episode #7. Time to reconsider the B-story and streamline the narrative. Once he’s done with that, he’s got to get moving on writing episode #8.
Paul – Up to his eyeballs in prep for episode #1 (“Pilot”) alongside Stephen, the episode director. We had the read-thru on Wednesday and now it’s the final push of meetings, rehearsals, fight training, and stunt planning before this baby goes to camera on Tuesday. Paul, as the episode’s Supervising Producer, will be on set for its entirety. Hope his laptop is charged up as he’s still got the rewrite of episode #4 on his plate.
As for me – no sooner did I put out new drafts of episode #2 (“12 Hours”) and #6 than I received another batch of notes. Spent last night doing another pass on the former and am patiently awaiting feedback on the latter. In the meantime, I’m about to start a rewrite on episode #5. A pass on episode #3 also awaits. As if that wasn’t enough, prep fast approaches on that second episode which I’ll be producing. Yesterday, we got a jump on that by heading out on a preliminary location scout for “12 Hours” along with Bruce, the episode’s director.
Yes, we’re all very busy – but perhaps the busiest individual of all is series director Andy Mikita (who you may recognize from, oh, about every second or third episode of the Stargate franchise) who is overseeing style continuity for all aspects the production. He’s reading scripts, going over storyboards, reviewing second unit dailies from Europe, discussing schedules and timings, meeting with department heads, helping to prep the first two episodes, and addressing endless other issues. And he won’t be catching a breather any time soon. In a few weeks, it’ll be his turn to take the directing reins on not one but two episodes as we block shoot #4 and #5.
Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the inexhaustible Susan Murdoch who has been juggling a dizzying array of schedules, timings, budgets, and availabilities.
And then there’s everyone else in the production office: Sonia, Anna, Brenda, Mega, Trevor, Tim, Tim, Tim, Craig, Sarah, Patricia, Adrian, Ryan, Jeff, Doug, Patrick, Bruce, and the countless others who you’ll eventually meet on this blog as things move along.
It’s going to be a long, exhausting, but no doubt immensely satisfying rest-of-the-year and I know the finished product is going to kick ass.
Finally, on the heels of yet another broadcaster summit, I leave the final word (in picture) to M6 Executive Julien DeWolf –
Leave a Reply