Filmaka member Tansy Wong visited the Tucker and Dale set for a few days. Here is her first harrowing tale but be sure to stay tuned for more!
Tucker & Dale vs Evil – Day 5
June 16, 2009
Tucker and Dale in the woods
It’s Day Five of filming, and the first day at a new location, several kilometers northwest of Calgary, for the new horror comedy, “Tucker & Dale vs Evil.” Produced by Deepak Nayar, Albert Klychak, and Rosanne Milliken, and directed by Filmaka member Eli Craig, the movie is, as the writer, Morgan Jurgenson puts it, the perfect love story, except for the wood chipper incident.
I will be on set, throughout filming, to bring you an insider’s look at the making of a feature film.
Today is my second day on the set of “Tucker & Dale vs Evil,” as I was able to work on the production as a Location Production Assistant yesterday.
As I left my house this afternoon, a sudden thunderstorm had hit the Calgary area. It took me a while to get to the location as I had missed the turn off several times.
When I finally got to the set, the storm had already past and the rain turned into a drizzle. I find the cast and crew, in the middle of the woods, setting up for the next scene. The camera crew had rigged the camera upside down on a pulley system for a POV shot. The film is shot on a RED ONE digital video hard drive camera.
Cast and crew rehearses a scene.
The crew.
As we waited for final blocking to be completed, a couple of crew members told me about the thunderstorm that had just past. The cast and crew tried to work through the roaring thunder but things became way too dangerous when a tree, located close to set, was struck by lightning. For safety, everyone was evacuated from set and waited for the storm to pass. Thankfully, no one was hurt and filming continued.
Director Eli Craig and Director of Photography David Geddes checks the shot on the monitors
After a several takes of the POV shot, the crew removed the camera and attached it to the dolly. The stunt coordinators then hooked one of the actors up in a harness for the next shot.
The cast and crew rehearses a scene.
Poor guy, he had to hang upside down for this scene and the next one, only finding relief when he was lowered in between shot changes.
At this time, Deepak and his family had arrived on set to watch the filming. He’s a friendly and approachable guy, chatting with cast and crew between takes and shot changes. I was able to talk with him briefly. Hopefully, I would be able to speak with him again soon.
Producer Deepak Nayar chats with 1st AD JasonFurukawa.
Eli Craig and Deepak Nayar chat.
In between each shot set up, I was also able to chat with the crew members. Everyone was very friendly and willing to answer any questions I had. When I spoke with Chris Duesterdiek, one of the sound mixers on the film, he showed me the one concept that all filmmakers should keep in mind when making a movie, and the other crew members I spoke with agrees. It is called The Triangle:
Whenever you make a film, ideally, you want to get it done quickly, inexpensively and at a good quality. Unfortunately, things don’t work that way. You can only choose two of these three elements. If you want the film to be done well and fast, it won’t be cheap. If you want it to be done good and cheap, you will need the time to do it. If you want it done fast and cheap, the quality will be bad.
Keep in mind that this concept applies to ALL departments in filmmaking.
It’s been a pretty tough day, working through rain, lightning, and bugs. There were tons of mosquitoes, black flies, and other bugs in the area and the rain made it worse. The crew had gone through several cans of bug spray by the end of the day, and they will go through many more in the next seventeen days at this location. Although, the cast and crew worked hard and quickly, the atmosphere on set was quite laid back. Eli kept things light and fun. He even joked about having the past five days of directing go to his head, when he accidentally told the crew to “hold the plane” when one was passing by overhead right when they just started rolling.
Eli Craig chats with Script Supervisor Marion Milner
DOP David Geddes checks the framing of the camera.
Overall, Day Five went by quite smoothly. There were a couple of hiccups, other than the lightning, along the way. The Props Department had a prosthetic arm with fingers missing all made up and ready to go, but was unable to use it in the end. The fake arm was a right arm, but when they shot the scene, the fingers on Tucker’s left arm was “chopped off,” not the ones on his right. So for continuity reasons, they could not use the prosthetic arm. The actor had to keep the fingers that were “chopped off” hidden from the camera’s view.
The Make Up Artists Sharon Toohey and Joanne Jacobsen work on the prosthetic arm.
The other snag in production was when the crew was setting up for the last scene of the day. As they were setting the shot up, the crew noticed a root sticking out from the ground at the area where the stunt double, Christian Fraser, will land when he falls. We all had to wait while a couple of crew members work to remove the root.
The Stunt crew hoists Stunt Double Christian Fraser up for a stunt.
Once the root has been removed, the crew quickly set up the camera for the over the shoulder shot of Christian. The stunt crew had to coordinate dropping Christian to the chopping of the rope that was used to “hang” him up. They had to do a few takes because the rope would not break properly when the machete chopped at it. The cast and crew wrapped for the day once this shot was completed.
Eli Craig takes a look at the shot on the monitors.
Eli and Director of Photography David Geddes discuss possible camera angles.
Tucker & Dale has been kicken some…tail…at Sundance this year. Take a peek at some of the amazing reviews we have received.
“The title, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, makes me laugh with its emphasis on the twist of this romantic comedy horror genre that can be anticipated but not predicted and like a good joke, well-told with punchlines perfectly-timed, keeping the audience howling with surprise at the unexpected results.” Christina.k Eye on Indie Films
“Does for massacre flicks what the 2004 spoof Shaun of the Dead did for zombie movies.” Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY
“As a horror-comedy send-up, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil hits all the right notes that make for a potential cult fave; … The plot’s greatest conceit is so sublimely genius, you could almost hear all the frustrated screenwriters in attendance texting themselves ‘Why did I not think of this first?’” IMDB Blog
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