Draft 2 PhD Introduction - ResearchSpace@Auckland

Production
149
During filming, the crew was kept to a minimum “because of the intimacy of the
situation”, and consisted of Alun Bollinger (lighting, cameraman), who was later
replaced by Leon Narbey, Stephen Upston (sound recordist, whose experience had
mainly been with Television One), Alistair Barry (production assistant with a number of
years experience working on films), and Miles Hargest (still photographer). Crew
members needed to be sensitive, dedicated, and prepared to work in challenging
conditions. Involved in post-production were David Coulson (production assistant, who
had been a fellow-student of Ward’s), Ken Sparks (assistant editor), Christine Lancaster
(editor, with some years’ experience working in British television and for TV One),
Brian Shannon, who did the soundmix, and Jack Body (music). The initial period of
shooting the film was between October 3-13, 1972, but because Alun Bollinger was not
available until the following month, Ward decided to do the first shoot himself, with the
help of Alistair Barry as assistant cameraman and Stephen Upston as sound recordist.
Subsequently, since he had found attempting to do the two jobs of directing and filming
too difficult, he decided to do only mute filming and “pick-up” shots himself. 495
There were a number of problems in filming the old lady, as Ward explains in his
dissertation. She was a determined, single-minded character with her own ways of
doing things, and in practical terms this meant that Ward felt unable to ask her to wear
the same clothes for continuity reasons, and was unable to plan from one day to the next
because she had her own agenda. Another problem was that according to her value
system, time did not equate with money, and it was therefore irrelevant if the crew had
to wait around for hours, or even days, until she was ready to participate in the filming
process. 496 Ward explains: “She was a determined old lady and did things totally as
they suited her, in her own time, so we had to mould our shooting around her needs.
We were there as guests and as such we were completely dependent upon her
goodwill”. 497 Needless to say, these are not conditions that the usual professional
documentary shoot could accept because of time and budget pressures, but Ward
seemed to find such challenges creatively stimulating.
495
Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Section on
Production: Shoot 3-13 October 1978.
496
Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Section on
Production: Shoot 3-13 October 1978.
497
Martin, "In Spring One Plants Alone: A Matter of Seeing It," 10.