This weekend, part of our principal crew (including director Jonathan Howells, producer Rob Fletcher and director of photography, Rollo Hollins) had the pleasure,and benefit, of spending some time with one of Warren Rushton's beautifully restored 1930s Austin taxis (almost identical to Alfred's).
We were able to determine our main camera angles, plans the mounting of the cameras off the taxi's roof rack and front fenders, as well as develop a lighting plan for the interior of the taxi. This was valuable access in advance of our filming of Alfred's journey in October in his 1930s Austin taxi.
We are now less than 4 weeks until production (ahh)! If everything goes according to plan, we'll all be arriving in Taos, New Mexico around Oct 10th, rendezvous with the rest of the crew, and will start the journey with Alfred cross country, 2500 miles to Oneida, New York to find Jakobine, Alfred's once wife.
A wonderful new dimension to our story is that Niels, Alfred and Jakobine's son, will travel with his father all the way across the country to Jakobine's. After Oneida, we will continue on Providence, Rhode Island so Alfred can pass the taxi on to Niels.
Here are a few shots of our prep day with a "brother" of Alfred's taxi.
Rollo Hollins (left) our Director of Photography, and Producer Rob Fletcher with Warren Rushton's Austin taxi
One of the Sony EX3 cameras we'll be using on the road.
Planning the roof rack camera mount, allowing us to shoot from outside the taxi, looking in.
One of the fender mounted camera positions. We'll mount on both left and right fenders.
The rear camera position, behind the driving cabin, where Alfred and Niels will sit.
The front hood camera position. Seen reflected in the glass is director Jonathan Howells.