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Following (1998)
Following is a 1998 British independent neo-noir film written, directed, photographed and edited by Christopher Nolan in his feature film directorial debut. He co-produced the film with his wife, Emma Thomas, and actor Jeremy Theobald. Using a non-linear narrative, it tells the story of an aspiring writer (Theobald) who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal underworld when he…
Directed by Christopher Nolan · Cut by Gareth Heal · Music by David Julyan · Ratio Academy ratio · 70 min
How it was made
- Nolan shot on Arri BL and Bolex cameras using 16mm black-and-white film stock, partly to fit the noir genre and partly because colour cinematography would have exposed the production's budget constraints more easily.
- Because the volunteer crew all held weekday jobs, filming took place only on Saturdays; Nolan and the cast rehearsed twice a week for six months beforehand so each scene could be shot efficiently using just the first or second take to conserve costly film stock.
- The film's budget was roughly £3,000-3,500 (about $6,000), which Nolan funded himself, spending half his salary on film stock and processing.
- Nolan deliberately opened the film with a controlled dolly shot and lighting setup at a police station, to establish early on that the handheld camerawork used later was a stylistic choice rather than a result of inexperience or budget limits.
- The character Bald Guy uses a hammer instead of a gun in the film because the production could not source a sufficiently realistic gun prop on its budget.
- Nolan rented an editing machine for £100 over one weekend and completed the rough cut in three weekends; the finished film was later struck onto a 35mm negative using finishing funds from the Independent Film Channel's Next Wave Films.
Behind the scenes
Elsewhere
More by Christopher Nolan
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