Editor: ‘Stone Age Tours’

Editor - 2017 London, U.K.

Benita completed role as Editor in Stone Age Tours short drama/comedy film set in a future time. Filmed in 2017 on location in London, U.K.

This is a story in which tourists of the future are given the opportunity to travel backwards through time - touring a world as observers only - with specific instructions not to interfere.

When a guest violates the rules and makes his presence perceived by a prehistoric man, the consequences quickly end the tour with ramifications that might ripple through time and change the course of history.

When I was called away on a sudden urgent matter, I missed the very day we pitched our scripts for our first group Black and White silent Aaton films (using four hundred feet - 10 minutes - of raw footage). Having already abandoned my first film Reflections during the Film Challenges, I felt confident my new film A Walk in the Park - now well revised and ready for shooting following extensive review during directing classes with tutor (also Director) Rafael Kapelinski – could be successfully pitched for filming. I felt confident in the character development, a conflict resolved, a believable story, a protagonist to embrace and outdoor shots both in a park and in front of interesting architecture that would bring out the best of the black and white slightly grainy format. Although I sent my script to be read aloud and pitched on my behalf, I could of course not promote it as I had intended. Alas, my fellow classmates made powerful pitches for their stories and two others were the winners: Stone Age Tours and Three is Company (formerly Man on the Move).

*Stone Age Tours* (Veloz, 2017)
Discovering a time travel guest has broken the rules

I procured free meat and bones in advance from a local vendor to be used on set for the cave people, and assisted with set design as needed to ensure items remained or were replaced exactly as before over the two-day shoot. I ensured the set was protected from the ongoing threat of dogs passing by and wore a fluorescent vest each day, keeping park walkers from walking across the set. I bought and carried hot lunches to the talent, and assisted the set designer with the elaborate fur caveman costumes requiring stitching and ongoing adjustments.

On the second day, and with only several feet of footage left, I assisted with a difficult final shot using the 50mm lens for an extreme close-up of a cigarette being lit. This turned out to be the key shot for the film as the Camera Operator insisted it would be (I opened the film with this shot as Editor). As well, I am credited with the role of Tour Guide which I played on Day 1 of the shoot.

*Stone Age Tours* (Veloz, 2017)
A great reaction shot by the Smoking Time Traveller at the end of the Caveman’s spear

Although in editing I would like to have added perhaps a little more footage of some of the caveman interactions had there been more time, I felt the film in its final form was nicely edited, simple, clean and strong. I chose multiple specific powerful shots of the cavewoman eating a piece of fake meat made from edible dough, intercutting it with shots of her holding the real meat to create the cringe-worthy illusion of tearing off and consuming the real thing.

I worked closely with our Director, lining up the shots to create the illusion that the cavemen could not see the time-travellers watching them, but the time-travellers could see them – all the while remaining subject to their behavior - though invisible to them. I found this to be an interesting piece of filmmaking using no special effects whatsoever.

Another great natural, not special effect used in this film, was the throwing of leaves, followed by a shot with no actors in the same spot, to give the illusion that the time-travellers had been suddenly transported away and back to their time. Coupling this with a shot of the cavepeople getting up as though having just fallen from the blast, was ingenious. It was a clever idea devised by the Director and Cameraman which worked beautifully. Several stock shots taken by the Cameraman earlier of the forest with no actors or activity were effectively added to fortify the sense that all was as it had been before in the woods. It was a pleasure working with my team, despite the climate, and having the responsibility to edit this first ‘real’ film. I was lucky to be able to work closely with our Director whose hands-on computer skills exceeded mine, and with whom I could collaborate on this job.

16 mm Aaton Camera - Black and White Film (400 feet / 10 mins)

Learning the use of this camera from famed cinematographer Philip Sindall -The Hours (2002), Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Jackal (1997) and Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) et al. - has been an exercise in his tolerance, his kindness and generosity of spirit, and an incredible introduction to the practical world of real filmmaking. After the introduction by Harriet Cox to Camera terms and concepts - learning the theory and use of exposure and f stops, shutter speed, lenses and using the light meter – my understanding of film reached a different and multi-faceted level of understanding.

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0801762/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

With the introduction of the Aaton camera by Philip Sindall who encouraged ‘hands-on’ learning with as much time spent by each individual as needed, everyone was afforded the opportunity to learn and practice camera operation - whether already skilled with cameras, or seeing this large manual camera for the first time (the case for me). I had used mounted cameras, but they were operated in a sound booth on equalizer-type boards with joysticks. I had never stood behind a large camera, leaned into this impressive machinery and felt it to be an extension of me as a camera operator. It had always been something outside or away from me, something to be controlled from a distance.

I will always remember Philip demonstrating the correct use of the camera: a kind of unabashed embrace, feet firmly planted, almost a domination of the machine wherein the user and the tool become one. His skill, comfort and confidence were apparent and deeply inspiring.

Stone Age Tours

This was the first film I had worked on using a manual camera of this kind, working as a team with designated roles in this way. My real work as Editor had not yet begun (during filing - the obtaining of the footage), so instead of merely observing, I made myself indispensable to the team during the shoot (with the Director’s advance and onsite approval).

The filming was outdoors in a public park during chilly London fall weather. In addition to transporting major pieces of filming equipment, I also purchased and transported two large hot water dispensers, warming pads for the talent, coffee/tea/condiment items and other food items I anticipated would be necessary under the sparse and chilly conditions. This proved to be right, and I managed the snacks and hot drinks during the shoot to keep up morale, often bringing it to the talent and crew as this location had no amenities whatsoever, not even tables or toilets.

I suggested, then printed and assembled attractive ‘Stone Age Tours’ ID tags using LFS school lanyards and replacing the ID cards with commercial looking IDs for the ‘time travellers’ to wear on their adventure into the past. I

I chose the font Cooper Black which I later used again in an Avid font version for the title STONE AGE TOURS. It had a strong simple ‘in your face’ kind of quality about it which the Director and I thought perfectly suited the overall look, feel and subject of cave man life and time travel.

Fonts add a key identifiability and quality to films – something I noticed was often overlooked by students – and a pleasing and congruent look was achieved in the title and credits for this film.

*Stone Age Tours* (Veloz, 2017)
The caveman smelling the unfamiliar cigarette smoke, not able to see their audience

I was pleased with the outcome of this short film. Most of the shots had even greyish lighting, with some chance sun breaking through just at the most opportune time to give depth and interest to the shot where the cavewoman finds a lighter and holds it up to the sky. Overall we shot at about T2 or T4, with a handful of shots at T5.6. Lenses were mid range (usually 12mm or 9.5) except for the last shots using a longer lens for the cigarette lighting shot and for where the caveman and woman fight and the caveman smashes the lighter. This was a strong ‘up shot’ looking from the perspective of the ground where the lighter now lay to the cavepeople ready to smash it. The shot was strong and effective, like the entire film. The shots were well executed overall, with many well composed clear stationary shots of the action.

Stone Age Tours (Veloz, 2017)

WORK / OTHER FILM WORKBenita von SassDecember 21, 2021Benita von Sass, stone age tours, philosopher fox films, film work