Actor Andrew Futaishi raising a symbol of hope in the aftermath of the atom bomb.
These last two weeks we’ve been getting more scenes in the bag and with filming both in the green-screen studio and at various locations; it’s been our busiest and most grueling shoot yet.
Most of the time on location meant putting up with the bitter cold, wind and rain (despite it being almost summer!) we got some great shots though. As always, our cast and crew were brilliant, running up and down mounds of rubble and dirt, and in the case of the actors, often dressed only in torn rags!
With the focus on the immediate aftermath of the bombing, our chief make-up artist Vera Fenlon was, once again, ably assisted by students from Birmingham South and City College.
“ We’ve just finished filming some of the most dramatic scenes in the entire movie,” explains co-director Ian Higgins, “and the shots couldn’t have come out any better.”
“The locations were perfect, even the weather, horrible and cold though it was, actually served to enhance the scenes,” adds co-director Dominic Higgins. “There was one scene for example, where Leo (Takashi Nagai) finds his wife’s melted rosary in the burned out remains of their house and he’s sitting there, holding the rosary in his hands crying, and suddenly it starts to rain, we all got soaked, but it looked amazing and the timing was perfect, no one cared about how wet and cold we were!”
In the studio, we also shot the first scenes set in “Nyokodo” – the tiny hut in Nagasaki that Takashi Nagai spent the remaining years of his life, with his family, after the atom bombing. For these scenes we re-created the interior of the hut in the corner of our green-screen studio.
“It was a bit strange to sit with Leo in the Nyokodo set,” says Ian, “having sat in the real Nyokodo with Takashi’s grandson, it felt a bit unreal to be now sitting in a re-created version with our Takashi. But it looks great and it’s really nice not to have to worry about adding the background later!”
The next couple of weeks will be editing, grading and FX work on these new scenes and preparation for what will be the final 6 days of filming which will take place in June.
Special thanks to Coppers Farm for allowing us to film on their land!
Medical Team on location – we raised a couple of eyebrows on this location shoot! (Picture credit: Monica Price)
Actress Kimberley Wong keeping warm between takes. (Picture credit: Chris Willmore)
Hair stylist Nikki giving Leo some support before filming a scene. (Picture credit: Chris Willmore)
Last minute direction before a take. The cast braved freezing weather! (Picture credit: Stephen Green)
Chief Make-up artist Vera keeps a close on eye on her work. (Picture credit: Stephen Green)
Lighting up “Nyokodo” (Picture credit: Chris Willmore)
Co-director Ian Higgins and Leo Ashizawa check an archive photo of Dr Nagai in Nyokodo before going for a take.
Leo Ashizawa in Nyokodo.
Leo getting into character (with false belly) while Wardrobe wiz Monica watches on. (Picture credit: Chris Willmore).
Below are some graded stills from the recent shoot…
All That Remains 