Tuesday 29 June 2010

Shoot three: Adam Rutherford

Our third shoot was with Adam Rutherford, at the lovely Rio Cinema in Dalston, re-creating a scene from Donnie Darko.

Adam describes himself as a "professional geek", so obviously we had to ask him to be in our calendar. He has a PhD in the genetics of the eye, and now works as an editor at the ultimate* science journal, Nature, running their (awesome) podcast and video department. You might also have seen him on TV, heard him on the radio or read some of his pieces at the Guardian. Here's a pic of Louise interviewing Adam for our video, just before the shoot.

Interviewing Adam

As well all his science-ing, Adam is also a not-so-secret ginormous film geek. He even admitted to having watched Gus Van Sant's shot for shot remake of Psycho alongside the original, just to check.

So, Adam insisted if he was going to be in Geek Calendar, it had to be a film-themed shoot and that is why, on one of the sunniest days of the year, we all spent several hours in a darkened room, inside this gorgeous building, rather than out of it.

Our location

Just the six of us amongst rows and rows of empty seats, a flickering screen at the front and the sound of a projector running echoing around us (a sound that was ever so slightly like a waterfall, I was pleased I'd gone for a wee before leaving home).

It was lovely and cool in there though. Well, at least for those of us not wearing a bunny costume.

Between setting up shots topic we compared notes on Ang Lee's Hulk (under-rated, no?), Watchmen (the bunny had been to the Secret Cinema premier showing, jealous much?), Psycho (apparently that's chocolate sauce in the shower scene) and Lord of the Rings (a film mainly about going on a walk?). We also discussed some inventive ways to stop bunny ears going flaccid, but that's probably best kept between ourselves.

The bunny gets a bit overheated getting dressed up

Despite a few fits of giggles, at least from me**, and Adam constantly being told he was "too happy" for the morose teenager role, not to mention poor Mun Keat nearly fainting in the bunny costume, we did get some amazing shots for the calendar. We were really lucky with the Rio's red seats which made a lovely contrast with the Bunny's grey fur. You can sneak a (v blurry) peak over at our flickr page.

I leave you with a shot of the rest of the group as I left, sitting in the cinema checking film clips on a phone.

Watching a movie

* Sorry, Science. We think you are cool too.
** What is it about a bunny costume that makes anything the person in it says or does funny?