by Fiona Morris Head of Arts & Performance at Leopard Films
On Saturday we ended our filming of the nationwide Big Dance Festival with a 7 camera outside broadcast in Trafalgar Square as almost 1000 people – mostly amateurs – of all ages, genders, abilities, and dance styles, took to the square to perform Choreographer Wayne MaGregor‘s dance vision in front of a packed audience.
Despite the weather nothing dampened the performers spirits as they rehearsed all together for the first time at 12 o’clock in the pouring rain – all we could see on the monitors was sea of moving plastic pacamacs – but on cue at 4.30 the weather decided to give it up and go away for the 40-minute duration of the actual show – miracles do happen! Then it was straight into a 16 hour edit to get the whole thing turned around and on air on Channel 4 at 4.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
Fast turn-around indeed but best summed up by our tired but happy online editor reading a text from his young daughter at 10am on Sunday morning ‘Daddy, mummy says you got to stay up all night – you’re sooo lucky!’ and on this occasion despite being tired I think we all agreed.