Rudy Omisore is not impressed by on-set etiquette.
It was fricking freezing, and what should have been a quick trip to Costa’s had landed me right in the middle of a film shoot, just outside Woolwich Arsenal DLR station. Suddenly I was surrounded by self-important, pompous production assistants shouting their demands and ordering people about. I was herded into the crowd so that the short step to my hot chocolate turned into a long and winding road.
After what seemed like an eternity I got my drink and decided to see what all the fuss was about. There was a rumour going around that some huge star would be on set, so on the off chance I whipped out the iPhone ready to film, only to be told, “no filming!” by a goddamn crowd controller. No filming! Then why all the cameras? And then I got rained on! OK, so it was fake rain, but just as wet.
Why is it that all production assistants are blond and posh? The one who informed me it was more than her job’s worth to tell me the name of the star certainly was, anyway. And judging by her smug smile she took great pleasure in withholding the information. But why? I mean it’s not like I was going to go away and write an article about it, and tweet it for the whole world to know, right?!
Anyway, it’s not surprising that film companies shoot in the East End. It is a diverse and fascinating place, full of the sort of economic contrasts and problems that dramas seem to feed on. No wonder councils like Newham have a film office – it’s a chance to make money. On the website they list the following daily charges:
A Rate = Features/Commercials – £2,000 – £5,000
B Rate = TV Drama/Music Video – £1,000 – £2,500
C Rate = Small Scale: Stills/Docs/Other – £500 – £1,000
I never found out what the film was or who its star was. There were rumours it was a film called London Has Fallen with Morgan Freeman. If anyone knows, let us know, too!