Indie Life: The Eye of Praxos

It's been a funny couple of months since I was last able to post something for Indie Life. My whole routine went out the window. I was supposed to be writing my next YA book and my next Chick Lit book (I have started both of them though, so don't worry!) but then I was completely sucked into a whole different project. I've mentioned it a few times already but it's a movie based on one of my books. Well, based on my series, The Morgan Sisters. It's meant to be a short movie (about 15 to 20 minutes long) and we're making it here in the Algarve - which in itself has given us some challenges considering the books are set primarily in or around London! But we're coping okay. So far we've shot quite a few scenes in the back of people's gardens - wild gardens, I might add! Everyone involved in the project, which now has a name by the way - The Eye of Praxos - is offering their time up free of charge which is just amazing.
We have some really talented people on board - not just the actors (who are AWESOME), but those people behind the scenes too, music, sound, camera, assistant directors, extras - the lot! And then of course there's the awesome locations we've been lucky enough to have. The local private hospital allowed us to shoot several scenes within one of their rooms (as well as the corridor). We are so very lucky and very excited about it all!
I feel truly blessed at the moment, to be able to work on something like this. I mean, this is a movie! And it's based on my books! And I wrote the script! It can't get much cooler... can it?
For now though, we are taking a break for Christmas. We'll be resuming filming towards the end of January and I'm pretty excited about that too! I can't wait.
For now though, here are some stills from The Eye of Praxos (oh, almost forgot, do come along and 'like' our FB page to find out more as we progress).

Huge thanks to:
Cindy and Paul for offering up their garden for some of the scenes. Check out their amazing holiday villa: http://www.algarvehomes.org/
The Hospital Particular do Algarve for allowing us to shoot an important scene there.
The owner of Quinta das Quatro Abelhas for giving us his awesome garden for some of the creepier scenes.

Pedro Frias for being such an awesome director and musician.

Sammy Sheehan for her amazing makeup and prop-making skills!

Emma Rossi for her beautiful voice - for flying all the way over to Portugal help us create the music!
Everybody else who has helped out in some way with the movie. I'm looking forward to working with you all again in January :)Sign up to the Indie Life newsletter here.

I'm back after six weeks of filming The Right Juice!

It's been 6 weeks of over 12 hour days working behind the scenes of a movie but I have admit it: I had a whale of a time. It was awesome, just awesome. I met some amazing people, people I hope to stay in touch with for the rest of my life. It's true what they say: working on a movie is just like working with a little family. Since filming wrapped last Friday, I have found myself missing them all tremendously.

Being the film's Script Supervisor has enabled me to learn so much about how a movie is made. Actually, when I watch a TV show or movie now, I find myself looking at it with a different eye. I'm spotting things that I wouldn't have before, like how a certain scene was filmed, where the camera is located and how it is being moved, how shots are put together and so on. There is a heck of a lot more to making a movie than I could ever have imagined. 

I should also add that making a movie is so not glamorous! Contrary to popular belief, the hours are long and exhausting (even after filming wrapped each day, as Script Supervisor my job wasn't over because I had to write up all my notes and email them to the Editor), and we often found ourselves stuck in the middle of a muddy field in the cold rain or out in the middle of the night where temperatures dropped dramatically (I know, surprising for the Algarve!). It's hard to believe now that just a few weeks ago I was huddled up in my thermals, coat and hat, crazy considering the heat wave we're experiencing at the moment!

But I am thankful to the people behind The Right Juice for giving me the opportunity to be involved in something so awesome. I firmly believe that this movie is going to be a success and the lead actor, Mark Killeen, is destined for huge things. Early on in filming, there was one scene where he looks out onto the fields beyond and it was at that moment when it hit me: I'm working with someone who is going to make it big. He's a lovely, lovely guy and I wish him the world of success. He deserves it.
I've now got some awesome memories and I will never, ever forget this amazing experience.
Check out a few photos from behind the scenes...(for more, come on over to my facebook page where I have over 500! Suzy's Facebook photos of The Right Juice )

Lucia Moniz, you may recognise her from Love Actually

Image courtesy of Eduardo Pinto, Algarve Film Commission

Image courtesy of Eduardo Pinto, Algarve Film Commisssion
 

The two main actors, Mark Killeen and Miguel Damiao, with me