The door in our short film Road was more than just a prop. It was, in a sense, another character.

The film revolved around the door to drive the story, and this is why we rejected the idea to use visual effects. This is how we made a self-standing door.

So when I need something making I go to my Dad. He has over 25 years of joinery experience and I know he could make this crazy idea possible.

My original plan was to buy a new door and age it, but fortunately my Dad had acquired a bunch of really old doors which were being thrown out. Some of these doors were over 125 years old, and perfect for the film.

The door needed to stand in two separate locations, a road, and a quarry. Having the door stand independently was the easy part; being able to open, close, and walk through the door was tricky.

A supporting joist was added to help it stand; and it was positioned in a way that we were able to hide in behind the door frame. Smoke and Mirrors, as they say.

Surprisingly, the door worked on screen just as I had imagined. To be honest, the hardest part was transporting the thing!

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