PRODUCTION

Ferryman is an award winning independent movie that was made under the radar in the UK. The tiny crew was made up of recently graduated students gaining valuable experience under the guidance of more experienced heads of department.

Ferryman was filmed with a Canon 5D DSLR camera shooting RAW footage using Magic Lantern software to bypass the camera’s compression settings. This created much more detailed images, but unfortunately this route turned postproduction into a complex and drawn out process and is not recommended to others. The shoot was 11 bitterly cold winter days of break-neck chaos, creativity and occasional crew mutinies. Everything that could go wrong did, but collaboration and 14-hour days got the film to the finish line.

During editing, it became clear that the tiny screen on the camera had made it impossible to ensure the shots were always in focus. This also meant an opportunity to expand the middle of the story. Screenwriter Chris Mander came on board as Executive Producer to help and it was decided to plan a partial reshoot. As soon as the season matched, the cast reassembled with a new mix of crew. Out of focus shots were recreated, and a few new scenes were added. One of the benefits of making films using locally accessible tools and locations, is that whatever doesn’t work can be remade better, as long as everyone remains on board and makes themselves available.