Space Chase - A British Short Film

31st August 2005 - The camera rig fitting at Panavision
In order to be properly fitted for the camera rig we'll be wearing for some of the shoot, DC and I, plus the directors, made a trip to Panavision's offices in West London.

This is not your average office. The corridors are lined with fantastic black-and-white photos of famous film stars in famous films, while a warehouse at the back is filled with every piece of camera equipment you could possibly need. Here, all focus was on the rig, which is designed to fit snugly to the human body and film what DC and I see as we clear the various obstacles in our path.

So I was strapped into the corset-style rig, which was bizarrely similar to the wedding dress fittings I'd had the day before. As the guys adjusted straps, bolts and bits of metal, it didn't feel too uncomfortable. But when the camera was fastened to the rig, the sensation changed considerably. The weight of the camera, positioned as it was about a foot behind my head, had the effect of pulling me completely off-balance. It took me a bit of time to get used to just walking around, but after a while it started to feel more natural - and i nearly beheaded DC when I turned round quickly, forgetting about the big hunk of metal on my back!

The weight of the camera and the restriction of the corset meant that jumping around was particularly difficult, and I nearly face-planted on a picnic bench. But with a bit of practise it got easier. Can't wait to see the final results...

7th August 2005 - The run-through
With the film script in place, it was time for the directors to show DC and I exactly what was expected of us. Rip, our all-knowing Parkour consultant, came along too, to advise. (Note to the novice: in parkour, everyone has weird-sounding 'street' names - except me, it would seem - must get working on that.) So it was back to the car park for a detailed walkthrough.

We started outside the car park, where DC and I will leap out of our respective cars as we race for that all-important space. My immediate task is to climb up the outside of the car park to the first level. I eyed up the climb, mentally rehearsing where each foot would go, to ensure the most fluid movement. I'll wait until a crash mat is available before practising for real; no point putting myself at unnecessary risk.

Once inside the car park DC and I were shown how where each individual move would happen; which obstacles would present themselves and how we would avoid them in our quest for the space. It was difficult to imagine how tight the gaps would be for us to squeeze between, as the car park was practically deserted. Filled up with cars it'll look a lot different. However, the competitive spirit was already there, as DC and I raced each other through the levels. The poor guy's got no chance!!

29th July 2005
First, a quick introduction: I'm Emily Rogers and I play the part of Nimble Girl in Space Chase. I've been doing Parkour for a relatively short time - since January - but I had a bit of a head start as I competed internationally in gymnastics for many years. This meant that many of the techniques used in Parkour came quite naturally to me - I just had to get used to concrete in place of crash mats! Parkour is a great alternative to gymnastics - I particularly love the freedom of being able to train anywhere and at any time.

So on Saturday it was with great excitement that I paid my first visit to Space Chase's shooting location, a multi-storey car park in the City of London. DC (aka Dane, or Smart Guy), the directors and I scoped out the place to see what could be jumped over or climbed. Loads of fun to be had, but we had to save ourselves for the main shoot. It was great to get a feel for the layout of the place, though, and to enjoy the London skyline from the top level.