The Protector

One night. Every move mattered.

The entire short had to be filmed in one night. Two days of rehearsal gave the team time to work through the action before arriving on location, preparing for a shoot where camera movement and choreography needed to work together.

A compact camera and lighting setup kept downtime low. That approach supported both the schedule and the naturalistic look, allowing the team to work with the underpass rather than repeatedly rebuilding its lighting.

Make the reversal visible.

The visual intention was to show Jo Rolinson’s character as powerful and formidable. Roan used framing and different focal lengths to let her fill the image, supporting the moment when the expected protector becomes the person being protected.

The aim was entertainment first: a forceful fight sequence in which the camera supports the performance, the choreography and the story’s reversal of expectations.

Let the underpass lead.

Visual references shared by director and producer Bruce Chong included Top Boy: Summerhouse. Roan also drew on Fish Tank and I, Daniel Blake, looking to British social realism for its naturalistic light and grounded sense of place. The underpass’s concrete textures and contrast became part of the film’s atmosphere.

The shoot relied mainly on the existing underpass and street lighting. Gaffer Tinashe Mupfayi held a Godox LC500R tube light off camera to add a small kick when needed. Shooting on the Sony A7S III at ISO 12,800 and around f/4 helped preserve that approach without a large lighting setup.

Move with the action.

A DJI Ronin RS2 handled longer travelling moves, giving them a smooth tracking feel. Handheld, shoulder-rig and Fig Rig work offered a more responsive way to frame the choreography and vary the camera’s angle and energy.

Working with Daniel Blackburn, Bruce Chong and Jo pushed the relationship between camera and performance. The tripod was reserved for the establishing shot, timed with a passing Tube train to place the story unmistakably in London.

Through to the final frame.

Roan also edited and colour graded the film, extending his involvement from cinematography into the finished piece. The emphasis on action, performance and a cohesive naturalistic look connected the shoot to the final film.