I'd Kill Rayne...

Dinner parties with a lot of guests are fiddly. Especially on a continuous drama schedule and, if you're lucky, two cameras. They are also challenging as your cast is static - sitting down for the duration. This works well for Downton Abbey - but I needed some movement.

This particular dinner party was made more complex by being part of a murder mystery, so everybody had to have their beats. I did this scene with a track laid on each side, and camera angles that followed the dialogue. The dialogue dictated the seating order, and I moved people around so the 'I'd Kill Rayne' line worked sequentially around the table. This also helped build the tension.

Inevitably, there were lines I needed to go back for, and I always prefer when speakers are revealed rather than conveniently placed in the frame - it helps the scene of essentially stationary seated people feel alive.