No matter where you are in the world, every film location scout has a certain rhythm and shape and tropes familiar to anyone in the business. The beautiful island of Guadeloupe was no exception.
Here is a little photoblog of some iconic moments from our preliminary look-see for your enjoyment.
The driver is usually one of the most important local members of the team, and often the coolest dude. We were blessed with a father and son team, Max and Patrice, whom we dubbed Mad Max and Danica Patrick for their mad skills behind the wheel. You never knew which one was going to show up each day.
On any scout you will almost invariably find someone pointing a finger. Usually it is the director, but it can also be the location manager, or in this case the local guide to the city.
More often than not, when you see the most beautiful location and fall in love with it, you will be told that it has poor access, no place for a base camp, is too steep, or otherwise massively unfriendly to production.
This can lead to another trope - the look of consternation exchanged between bottom-line oriented producer and artistic-minded filmmaker.
It can be an amazing and wonderful thing when people generously open their homes and share their interior worlds and lives with you. Taking the time to hear their stories invariably enriches your own understanding of the world, and seeps into the DNA of your film project. This woman was a cook, and one of the greatest organizers to maximize the use of a small space that I have ever witnessed.
This woman had come to Guadeloupe from Algeria, and lived in an old 1930's wooden beach house that was as weathered and experienced at survival as she was; only when her daughter arrived did we discover it was also her birthday!
Snack food is an inevitable part of driving around in a car all day. There has been a movement over the years away from loading up on donuts and other junk and towards providing the team with some healthier options.
This cassava or manioc had a thick texture with some kind of brown sweet syrup inside made from local sugar cane. Not bad.
Why is it that Directors always feel that they have to have some kind of special chair to sit in?
The Film Gods are always prone to laughing at our futile efforts to impose our organizational will on nature, so it is not a bad idea to light a candle and say a prayer wherever you go. As they say, the quickest way to end a drought is to take out your film camera and set up for a shot!
If you see a location you like during the day, it is usually a good idea to go back and take a look at night, too. Or if you visit a place in the winter and it has a great view, try to imagine what it will look like when you come back to shoot six months later, when it has been completely blocked by foliage, or even worse, torn down and paved over by new construction.
Finally, make sure to ask your local guide to suggest the best place for dinner, and take your team out for a delicious last supper!
At the Kote Sud, the house special ravioli stuffed with conch was delicious.
But the local aged Rhum Vieux was to die for!
Enjoy!
william
Thank you for this wonderful tour--so interesting!--you are a terrific sharer, Bill!
Posted by: Betty | June 10, 2011 at 05:26 AM
Yay Billy!
I loved this post so much!
I wish that I could be with you whenever you're scouting locations.
It's such a great experience.
Thanks a lot for all the pictures!
Elsi :)
Posted by: Elsita | June 10, 2011 at 12:48 PM
What a wonderful trip. What project is this for?
Posted by: Diane | June 11, 2011 at 03:11 AM
when scouting, my advice is let three people walk in front of you. looked fun
Posted by: MH | June 13, 2011 at 06:20 AM
ЎHola!
En esto algo es. Gracias por la ayuda en esta pregunta. Todo genial simplemente.
http://www.elcoru.com/
DingoDogg
Posted by: DingoDogg | August 07, 2011 at 03:30 AM
I'm a location scout too :) I used to live / work in South Florida (now NYC area)and worked in the Caribbean a number of times, but I never visitied Guadeloupe - it looks lovely :)
Posted by: R. Richard Hobbs | August 31, 2011 at 02:08 PM
Making the effort to listen to their accounts always improves your own knowing on the planet and seeps into the DNA of your movie task.
Posted by: אחסון אתרים | December 03, 2011 at 10:23 AM