READY FOR ACTION
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Never is this axiom more relevant than when you are asked to shoot an action-comedy road movie in just 15 days. The US-funded feature film Reckless, starring Scott Adkins, Vinnie Jones and newcomer Nicole Deon, gave exactly that challenge to DP Stuart White and his team.
Shot in the winter of 2024, the film has just had its UK release on Sky Movies Premiere in February. With a script of 96 scenes, multiple unit moves, martial arts choreography and tracking vehicles spread out over 91 pages, it became evident that thorough preparation for each and every day was paramount. Once the aesthetic of the film had been discussed with director Elliott Montello, White set to work with gaffer Daniel Svilenov to ensure as smooth a shoot as possible.
“Dan and I had shot a similar schedule earlier that year when we made Blockhead, a proper indie micro-budget film which had minimal unit moves but a number of times, looks and emotional shifts,” White explains. “We planned that film together in pre-production (mostly sat in my kitchen) and due to our budget we simply couldn’t have any unnecessary kit at all, it had to be all wheat and zero chaff, so that laser-focused our decisions.
“We took that same principle into Reckless, and Dan made most of the decisions in regards to the brand and model of lamps and fixtures and also textures, silks and cloths – about which I was ecstatic, as he studies these aspects way more than I do! We would talk through each and every scene, ascertain whether we were lighting faces or backgrounds – negative to camera – accented, key-lit or skip-lighting the actors – things like that. We would discuss references for lighting using either films we knew – True Romance (1993) was a favourite and the comedy colour palette of the Coen Brothers was addressed too – or source visual material via ShotDeck, and then we made lists for the kit we would need to make it happen.”
“The kit choice was driven by what will work for the schedule and the look of the film, really,” adds Svilenov. “We needed lights that can do more than one thing so we can keep the package more or less the same for the entirety of the shoot, as the shoot didn’t really allow for day to day kit changes.
“For the broad strokes, we went full LED with brands like Nanlux for our bigger heads – often using multiple 1200s and sometimes 2400s for sunlight on exterior shots – they are really handy as you can exchange multiple modifiers to have hard light to push through windows, or soft bounce in mirrors or fabrics. For night scenes, we would attach big gem-balls to the LEDs and send them up high on tall stands for moonlight, as there was no budget for anything chunky like cherry-pickers and moon-boxes. The same idea goes for the smaller units that we used for shaping the scenes.
“Stuart is a fan of the Nanlux Forza as it is so versatile and can be fixed into the tightest of spaces yet has multiple accessories for a multitude of textures. We found battery-powered heads with interchangeable modifiers extremely beneficial. We would always have a ready-built small gem-ball, fresnel and spot mount adapter on standby, so we could run it in and add detail and shape. We’re lucky to work in this era where we have equipment that can be so quick to set up and adjust.”
White was recommended as DP to director Montello by the film’s line producer Tiernan Hanby, with whom White has worked for the best part of a decade, and it turned out to be an easy introduction for all parties. “Our director, Elliott Montello, knew what he wanted and his background is a mix of camera department and SFX, so he had a way of presenting thoughts and ideas that hit me straight – no lost words – and that helped us prepare our camera department.
“It was decided that certain camera applications would probably slow us down and with our tight schedule we forewent with drones, jibs and cranes and rather had a second camera body on a balanced Ronin 2 and ReadyRig GS, which would be ready to go in minutes. We had some grip equipment including sliders and a spider dolly on track via our grip Callum Hammett, and being an action caper there was a lot of handheld with an Easyrig for support. A ladder pod was also great for finding some important elevated views for our wide angles and larger locations where a bit of grandeur was needed.”
The amount of location moves across the limited timeframe meant a few problems were encountered, including a day where a real obstacle arose. Having spent a considerable amount time rigging 20ft sq cloths across the outside of a two-storey south-facing building, White and Svilenov were belatedly informed that the permit issued did not include blocking the pavement, which had previously been discussed and cleared for usage. Pivotal scenes, including blood SFX and fight choreography, were scheduled that day at the location with hard sunlight crashing through the windows – the exterior light control was an absolute necessity and a solution had to be found with the clock ticking dangerously. Svilenov recounts that day.
“That day was a bit of a curveball, because we only had basic tools like frames and stands for putting fabrics up. Oh, and the entire schedule for this day was basically that particular scene, so no pressure! The ultrabounce that we had put up worked both as a block for the sun to the south-facing windows of the scene, but also worked as a bounce for our fixtures that were on the pavement. We had to figure out how to have the fabric blocking a first-floor window which took up the entire width of the building – without using stands – and keep our bounce lights (Nanlux 1200bs) hitting the fabrics without having them on the pavement! Luckily, our Luton was parked right outside the location and there was a safety railing on the flat roof of the building. So we decided to use rope and suspend the fabric from the roof railing and then secure it to our Luton to keep it at the right angle.
“For the light fixtures (again, it was very lucky), there was a recessed doorway at the location entrance where we could put the lights and still have the same lighting quality for the scene. Yeah, not the prettiest of rigs, but it solved all the issues and we could complete our day. I have to give a shoutout to the best boy Bert Hurtado and sparks James Griffiths and Piotr Tomasikiewicz for the hustle and quick turnaround that day.”
White adds, “I remember our locations manager Charles Lawrence nervously pacing the street as he expected a film office person to arrive and kick up a storm, but Dan and his team really did pull a rabbit out of a hat that day. I was asked by production whether I could light the scenes internally but it simply wasn’t possible with the low ceilings and multi-person fight scenes kicking off. What could’ve been a total nightmare of a situation had been saved in quick-smart time. The team earned their spurs that day.”
The choice of lighting and camera equipment repeatedly proved itself throughout the shoot and Svilenov and his electrical team would, where able, set up two or three scenes ahead with actors and crew able to step on set and begin blocking straight away. The high number of short 1/8 & 2/8-page scenes meant there were always multiple areas within each location being utilised and the lighting team were always on point and rarely needed extra time. Quite often there would be small sets being readied just outside of a larger scene and actors and support actors would buzz around from set to set.
White would sometimes ask 1st AC Manu Amler and 2nd ACs Yared Stephenson or Maria Mölsä to set up the second camera and swap from A-cam to B-cam on gimbal and back to A-cam within minutes. Production designer Blair Barnette and her art department were dealing with spontaneous changes and creating incredible sets in alleyways and empty offices, and even building a fully-stacked shop storeroom, the scene of a spectacular martial arts fight scene, inside the main studio’s loading corridor. The schedule was RECKLESS!
White considers his experience of working within tight timeframes invaluable for this particular production. “When you’ve shot a few independent movies, you get used to an undeniable fact – there’s rarely enough time for multiple takes where the actors and director can experiment with performances. So if we can be ready earlier than anticipated then our work can sometimes offer up that time, and working with Dan in pre-production allowed us that.”
The film’s director, Montello, adds, “For me, the biggest challenge on Reckless was always going to be the schedule. Fifteen days for a film with that many action beats, locations and set pieces meant we had to rely heavily on preparation and trust between departments. Stu and Dan were absolutely instrumental in making that possible. They came into prep with a clear plan after we scouted, but they also had the flexibility to adapt when the inevitable curveballs came our way.
“What I appreciated most about their approach was the efficiency of it. They never overcomplicated anything, but the results on screen still feel cinematic and intentional. Stu has a great instinct for storytelling through the camera, and Dan and his team were always thinking two or three scenes ahead with the lighting setups. That meant we could walk onto a set and start working with the actors immediately, which is priceless when your schedule is that tight because there were days where we were moving incredibly fast, but Stu and Dan never let the pace compromise the quality of the images. They kept the crew calm, kept the setups efficient, and made sure we always had the coverage we needed for the action and comedy beats to land properly. I’m incredibly proud of what the team achieved under those conditions.”
White is adamant that his long-standing relationship with Svilenov was a factor in the successful completion of the principal photography. “Having known Dan for eight years now, we definitely have a shared and similar aesthetic – we know that too, so when we discuss an idea for lighting and mood and feeling, I don’t have to oversell it to him. We’re basically two arms of the same body. We found it on Blockhead and brought it onto Reckless pretty smoothly. I can’t wait for the next chance to do it again.”
