'I didn't want any of the actors to leave the set. I didn't want it to end.' beams Alan Powell, director of Facilitator Films' latest project. Powell was absolutely over the moon with the talent that signed on for the project that educates on trauma and violence informed responses for police officers and senior staff.
The production was shot at the same studio that produces the TV series Private Eyes starring Jason Priestley and Cindy Sampson. Facilitator Films were fortunate enough to catch the series while it was still on hiatus. He was also fortunate enough to land some of the series crew and its production coordinator and Assistant Production Manager, Karen Doble who was responsible for pulling the whole crew together. Powell cast all 19 actors for the two day shoot with assistance from Jenny Lewis at LewisKay Casting. What transpired over the shooting days was pure bliss. Powell describes it as, 'A director's dream. Every actor was on target and exuded the persona I had imagined for each character. And to have a crew that have been working together for several years just added to the fluidity of the experience. Everyone had a shorthand for communicating including me and the Director of Photography, Jesse Kellestine, whom I've had the pleasure of working with a few times already." And it doesn't end there. The shorthand started in the development phase with Margaret MacPherson who wrote the incredibly authentic scripts. Powell felt the ease of communication between them had to do with the common vision they shared.
So what does this all add up to? Once all eleven videos are complete and added to the pilot toolkit, it is the intention of the London Police Services and of the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women Children that the program will enhance awareness and deepen the understanding of how trauma impacts its victims. It will help officers to respond to domestic violence situations internally and with the public more effectively.
A special shout out goes to Angela McKenna for her on set police consulting services and creativity and the London Police Services for their support during the production and their generous donation of police uniforms and police cruisers.
