Nine Filming Days to Shoot a Movie Called… “Not Ready”

 Nine Filming Days to Shoot a Movie
Called… “Not Ready”

On the Movie Set of “Not Ready” Being Shot in Southwestern Ontario.
[Photo by Louise McBride]

The summer of 2019 will be known as a very hot summer in Ontario. When the day that school got out for the summer, a band of grade-school and high school children, together with youth from college and university, who were out a month earlier, ramped up the actor and crew roster on a film being shot in London and St. Thomas, Ontario.

Dylan Maczko iFilmGroup’s Student Cameraperson.
[Photo by Louise McBride]

The auditions were held earlier in the year during the cooler weather. The cast and crew, being very excited, received their casting calls and the dates for each of the nine days of shooting. For some, this will be their first time in a film as an actor, or working as a crew member on a movie set. But, all will remember that this movie has a cast of two Toronto actors. The excitement level peaked, when on the first day of shooting the crew and the actors met both of these seasoned actors.

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“Over 130 Actors Required For Scenes”

— iFilmGroup Production Team

• Day one, 11 scenes shot the first day with 5 actors, along with crew.

• Day two, 4 scenes were shot at two locations in London with 13 actors along with crew.

• Day three, 10 scenes were shot with 10 actors, along with crew.

• Day four, 7 scenes were shot with 12 actors, along with crew.

• Day five (on another week-end), 10 scenes and 10 actors, along with crew.

• Day six shooting, had the biggest youth cast of the movie with 7 scenes. Over 50 actors were called for these scenes.

• Day seven, 8 scenes, and 7 cast members along with crew.

• Day eight was shot on Saturday, August 17th. with over 15 extras and 4 principal actors along with crew.

  This makes 95% of the footage shot in eight days.

  One more day will be required for shooting this film.
  This last day of shooting will be in the Fall of 2019 when the leaves change to their autumn colors and will only require 2 actors and a small crew.

This movie production was partially shot during one long week-end in the summer of 2019. This was the Canada Day weekend. Four days for Canadians to enjoy a long weekend. It was estimated that 45% of the footage needed for the movie was shot during this weekend. All the people on set chose to work on the movie knowing they were giving up their Canada Day week-end 2019. Another week-end in the summer and a single Sunday was also required to shoot 55% of the movie.

Matthew Marshall, director on set of “Not Ready”.
[Photo by Louise McBride]

Matthew Marshall, director and co-producer of this movie, worked under his production company- m & s Marshall Productions. Marshall said, “These actors and crew were outstanding in committing their personal lives for this production. As I got to speak with them on set, each one, either actor or crew saw the script unfold… “putting to flesh the scripted scenes”. As we shot the footage they each spoke about what they each were contributing to the final product.”

Director Matthew Marshall with youth actor Max Steinberg.
[Photo by Louise McBride]

Forty actors where required for this first weekend shoot. Then, along came a second week-end. Don Hickey, co-founder, along with Matthew Marshall, the other co-founder of iFilmGroup were buzzed by people in the film industry who were amazed about the tight schedule of this movie. Marshall realized that the summer was the only window of opportunity for most of the actors and crew. Some of the youth actors are moving on to college or university and they had great desires to be in this movie. iFilmGroup actors and crew and their families banded together to make this movie happen. The family in London that offered their home for the shoot, (after they read the script) knew the importance of the film’s story line and they wanted to be a big part of this production.

A local London magazine featured the filming of the movie, “Not Ready”. This home in old north London was the “cardinal point” of all scenes of the movie. Don Hickey, the Community Engagement Manager with iFilmGroup said, “That using a home in old north London established a “community value” that was required to authenticate to the audience the “real” feelings of a warm, safe neighborhood. The script also called for the home to be near the university and the college.

In the hot summer of 2019, actors and crew contributed to the successful filming of this movie. Giving up 8 days total of their summer break, the youth, with adults, mastered their delivery of talent with skillful grace and merit. It’s a summer that a lot of them will never forget.

The Hickey, O’Leary Sound Crew Team with iFilmGroup’
[Photo by Louise McBride]

All Photos by Louise McBride

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org