Kirsty MacDonald reports on her experiences on the set of The Vintner’s Luck in France, funded by WIFT Auckland. Read about Kirsty’s time in the northern hemisphere here ...

Greetings fellow WIFT folk,
I write to you at the midway point of Niki Caro’s “The Vintner’s Luck” shoot in France. I am part of this amazing project thanks to the support of WIFT’s Mentorship programme, so HUGE thanks for this chance. Through this scheme I am here as Niki’s assistant, I am also shooting the “making of” and working with the publicity folk from London to shoot the EPK materials. This is an extraordinary vantage point to observe the great team Niki surrounds herself with on both sides of the camera, and it has thrown up many opportunities to witness and sometimes participate in the making of this film.

I arrived in early March when the film was in the final hectic weeks of pre-production. Among other things I was fortunate to chase around after Production Designer Grant Major, my camera in hand as he oversaw props and set building, and also sat in on a number of rehearsals with key cast as they trained with the aerial choreographer from Cirque de Soleil. I helped Niki audition a young girl who is the daughter of the film’s main character: peasant wine-maker Sobran Jodeau, and I now accompany her whenever she is on set, acting as translator. Since then I have shot auditions for several small non-speaking roles, helped audition a folk dance troupe, and interviewed and shot stills of a potential body double, as well as helping find some of the child extras.

Much of the shoot takes place on a vineyard, and the day before principal photography began our acres of gnarly vine stumps were blanketed in a thick creamy whiteness for the first time since our arrival. I was unable to make it up my own driveway (surrounded by vines in all directions) until a plough arrived, while up on set props and tools were carried in by hand as trucks could not pass the narrow one-way road up to the exposed vineyard ridge. Since then the shoot has moved from medieval castle courtyards and attics, to blue-screen sets in the studio, and we will soon return south to shoot on the vineyard again as Spring tentatively inches it’s way towards us.

I assist Niki in various capacities, and she has allowed me generous access to observe her at work. In between I have had numerous informal talks with folk from Continuity, Editing, Camera, Producing, Script-Writing, Art Department, Costume, Make-Up, Greens, Props Building, Locations, and Animal Wrangling. I have also interviewed and filmed the work of the amazing folk from the Wings team, led by New Zealand’s Harry Harrison, as well as talking to Guiliano Peparino the extraordinary aerial choreographer. I have observed and filmed the work of Chris Fitzpatrick who is responsible for prosthetics, Denise Kum, head of Make-up, and a crazy interview with George Port (Visual Effects), Harry Harrison, and Laurie Parker (one of the Producers) perched on a huge artificial rock, just before we all raced off to toast the farewell of one of the Wings team with far too many bottles of red wine.

Last week I started working with the publicity people from London to help create the EPK, and in this capacity I recently shot interviews with principal actors Gaspard Ulliel and today, Jeremie Renier. I did both interviews twice – in English and in French, and shot today’s interview myself as well, so it’s a great sense of relief to arrive at the other side of our talks in one piece with tapes in hand. Not having a production budget, I first have to sneak into the “Vintner’s” set during a break and enlist the help of several of the French and Belgian crew to run me some lights, sound and heat. Then they run out in between takes, set me up in an unused room of the Chateau and leave me to it! This New Zealand, French and Belgian team are all working very hard at a feverish pace and I look forward hugely to the results. Thanks for bringing me here and I’ll be back with more news before the final “Cut!”