Filming day on set

With a constant change of ideas, and the rushes do in on wendsday 5th November, it was time to film our 2 minute piece.

Myself and Kieran met up at the hallem stores ar 10:30AM to collect the equiptment, where we went through what may be needed, and got out the following equiptment breaking down itno three categories: Visual, Audio and Lighting.

- 1x Audio Technica AT8015 (audio)
-1x Canon WA-H82 Wide Angle Lens for Canon XF305 (visual)
-1x Canon XF 305 (visual)
- 2x Dedo DLH4 Extension Lead (lighting)
-1x Dedo DLH4 Kit (lighting)
- 1x Dedo Filter Kit (lighting)
-1x Mains Extension Cable (lighting)
-1x Standard Film/Video Tripods (visual)
-1x Zoom H4N (audio)

This list was to cover every lose end we needed. Me and Kieran met up with Bryony and Marcus at Hallam students union around 11AM, and following a call from Laurence arranging to meet at the quick fit on ecclesfield road, we progressed to make our way stopping at a shot to get tin foil. This was because of a trick Chris told us, about using tinfoil to block out natural light from the windows, and also doesnt make any sound, to cause problems for the audio recordists.

We got on set and firstly we dressed up the set and darkened the windows as demonstrated in the images below.

set design before lighting set up

blacking out windows with tin foil



set dressing after lighting set up



We then set up two lights at the bottom of the bed, adding 2 blue and 1 black filter to each light to create a moonlit feel for the room. This took some time as. their were shadows to incorparate, however one chadow was caused by our atrificial moonlight and the other was unavaoidable, as a bedside lamp, (crusical tothe piece) was on, hence casting more shadow. During the scene where the power cuts out, their is still a faint shadow to the characters right cause by our brighter dedo. So to incorparate this we needed to unplug the bedside lamp and turn off the problematic dedo, to cancel out these shadows, leaving the moonlight as the only source. This, before i carry on could have been avoided, if we spent more time planning the shots, but due to the directors hectic personal schedule, this meeting never took place, and the decision to change from living room to bedroom was a last minute choice made the night before. I do agree though that the bedroom was the best location as it brought a sense of personallity to the character. I would have preferred a lighting plan, however for the twon minute piece we could get away with this, and mne and kierans previous experience with lighting (mine from a workshop, kierans from a previous project) we manage to create a lighting set up, that though not perfect, looked good on camera, and allowed us to imrpovise, and use our creative skilles to get around it.

As cinematographer, I took peoples ideas into account as we went through the shoot, ensuring that we covered the scene from every angle, looking back I would have liked to have got a couple of ECU's (extream close ups) but considering we have 32 clips total, with the majority being full takes of the scene and some even being 2 takes in one shot, I believe we covered the action from enouight angles to get the point across. Obviously the soundtrack is key, and kieran will need to be at his finest to get the best possible edit, but frommy cinematography side, i believe that we created the mood well, and Bryony's facial acting was genuinly perfect.Their are two shos that stick out for me, the first being to do with bryonys facial acting where her head steps round to the sound of footsteps at the end. She has to look at me, where as I was looing at the shot, and the look on her face genuinely looked like she was staring at her killer. The other being once the lights cut out, she lights a candle, and i framed this several times, but the best I believe is a dead on close up of her face that is suddenly illuminated by the lighter. Again I praise the lighting setup for allowing this, as the moonlight added more shadows to her face, emphasising the lighter. Below are a few wtills of the set up and shoot.

the team (minus me)

XF305 on set

Lighting set up on position B

main moon light

After we wrapped shooting, the audio equiptment came out to record the sounds that we picked up on during the shoot including: heavy breathing, the lighter being clicked, phone being picked up then hung up, slow breathing, page turning, footsteps from inside and outside the room, lights being clicked, the snap of electric coing off, and draws being opened. We desire a rain sound to be in the background to emphasise the calmness of the room at first, and we want to throw in a drone, simular tothose used in the shining to emphasise fear. We also need static toplay when she awnsers the phone.

The shoot finished around 4:50PM and we packed up, confident that enought had been recorded to make the rushes next week. The next stage of our production is to obviously get the film cut togeather (Kierans duty) and put togeather and record extra sounds that we are all looking to put our hands in.

I leave this post with a still of the team taking the tinfoil off the window, as I find this techniques both genius and simple; it completely cast us into night, even though it was around 11:30AM we set up, and the effect really helped us enforce the piece, and it will definately be something to use in future projects.

Removing tin foil

Cables used during lighting set up

Last two meetings

On Saturday 18th October, our group met to further discuss the two minute piece. In it we decided to pick up with the fear aspect, and I put forward my framing ideas, due to watching the opening scene of the CSI episode 'stalker' from season two, where the victim is in a similar situation to our main character. The framing and soundtrack both emphasised the character fear, using high angles and wide shots to emphasise the characters body language and the fear of the character. I found the use of the phone sound highly effective as well as its the first thing you hear even before the visuals of the scene appeared. We all came together and agreed on this general framing. Lawrence had to leave at 3 (the meeting starting at 2) and Marcus the director arrived shortly after his departure. We had a conversation on what order to shoot the piece  and how to build it up. their were some disagreements, like he kept asking me to break 180 degree rule, and to go crazy with the shots. he also said we should have some ripped cushions at the end, but I brought up argument that it signifies anger, and he said why not use multiple emotions. This I argued went against the brief of focusing on one emotion, and his argument was that just cause the brief said it does not mean we have to follow it. It got heated some of the conversation, and all the information was beginning to stress me out, mainly due to the constant wave of information.  I left with a plan of structure in which to film this piece. I did like Marcus's enthusiasm for the characters backstory. I originally just thought it would be ambiguous on who the stalker is, but Marcus wanted to know who this character was, and came up with idea that it may be her long lost father. I thought it could work, if it was an abusive, neglectful father, as his voice on the answering machine would instantly terrify her. We had some really good ideas to work with by the end of the meeting.

I remembered late Sunday, that we needed an idea to pitch for the 5-10 minute piece, so I posted on the group on Facebook that we needed to come together and get the 5-10 minute ready. Bryony wasn't able to make it due to the weather conditions but the rest of us met today at 1PM, and Lawrence came up with the idea of a man who cleans crime scenes and finds a photo of the victim with him in it. For nearly an hour before we tried many ways to incorporate where to take it. We went from him being framed for a murder, but this was to similar to a film staring Samuel L Jackson called ''Cleaner'. I suggested that he is the killer, but blacked out so he can't remember doing it, and through the film he gets flash backs on things he touches, but again, this needed more structure. We decided in the end that their would be two cleaners. One being a rookie and the killer being a veteran with the beginning being them in the car, the middle being in the house cleaning and the ending being the rookie finding the veteran in the photo frame.

I have a floor plan of Lawrence's living room to help me create a shot list for the piece.

research reference for 5-10 minute idea

Floor Plan

Lawrence has typed it up in the following breakdown:

5 Minute Film Idea Premis

 

The short 5 - 10 minute film includes 2 main characters, Abe and Duncan. Both of whom work for a niche cleaning company that deals with cleaning murder scenes after forensics teams have taken vigorous evidence. Abe is an older character who has a substantial amount of experience working for the firm and has an almost methodical approach to the daily workings that the job entails. This experience in the particular field of work makes him an ideal candidate to pair up with Duncan. Duncan is brand new to the firm and has an lot of anxieties about the job, it seems an extremely unlikely career choice for him considering his weak stomach. The duo have a list of properties they are supposed to attend and clean extensively on this particular day in time for the families to return and feel less distressed as a result of the cleaning.

 

Duncan is holding the list as they wait is their van suggesting they attend, whilst Abe is engaged in a menial phone conversation with their supposed boss. As he finishes the conversation he informs Duncan that the Boss needs them to urgently attend a property not on their list. Duncan being new to the job accepts this change immediately.

 

The next scene see’s the two characters enter the house and view the murder scene which is truly horrific and becomes unbearable for John to handle. After attempting to stay in the room, John has to leave and it is suggested that he goes to the other room where the struggle started. This allows Abe character to truly express the complexities of his character to the audience. He puts in his headphones and begins the process of applying his gear. This approach to cleaning is methodical and precise there is purpose behind every movement Abe makes his performance suggests a personal fulfilment with seemingly repulsive task.

 

As he is cleaning the remains of the deceased girl on the floor, Duncan is wandering about almost aimlessly. He looks in the fridge and draws attempting to avoid the mess that surrounds him. Items in the fridge have a strong resemblance to Abe’s pack lunch he was eating in the car prior to entering the property. He finally attempts to starts cleaning, wiping up splashes of blood. He is drawn to a picture frame of the deceased, she is with a male figure who cannot be distinguished due to the blood that has hit the frame. Duncan wipes away the blood slowly with his thumb the sound of the rubber glove against the glass screeching and filling the scene. As it is slowly uncovered there is a clear image of Abe with the young girl. The sound of music subtly enters from a pair of headphones as John turns around Abe is behind him with extremely intensive eyes made out through his cleaning suit.

 

Abe - mid late 30’s

 

Duncan - Early 20’s

 

Girl - Early Twenties/Late teens

 

Boss on phone - 40’s

That is Lawrence's breakdown of the idea, it is now down to Marcus to get these characteristics for the characters. We will be pitching the idea to Chris tomorrow.

New additions and ideas 15/10/14

With out meeting on Saturday cancelled due to half of us either being away or ill, this was the first time we had met since last week. a new addition has been added to the group , Laurence Mcwhinnie who has chosen to take on the role of producer.

While I am talking about roles, it is good to point out what the people in our group are doing. The roles are as follows:

Joshua Prentice (myself): Cinematographer
Marcus Owramenko: Director/ Sound Editor
Laurence Mcwhinnie: Producer/Sound recordist
Kieran Woodhall: Editor (2 minute piece)
Bryony Rogers: Actress/ rotation

What I mean by rotation is that Bryony only wants to have a go at editing and directing and cinematography, and we have met her in middle and decided that she can come and bounce off assisting the rest of us in our roles, as she hates sound recording.

We had to summarise our final idea for the 2 minute piece today, and our previous plan of portraying isolation and depression, with a schitsophrenic protagonist has now been scrapped. In lesson I was worried as the idea would have been to complex in a 2 minute piece. Kieran suggested having 'fear' as a backup emotion. Taking into account the emotion also has to transfer to the 5-10 minute piece I cam up with an idea. This sudden brainwave occurred when the group were shown and asked to analyse scenes from Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shaning'. I have never seen the film, apart from a few small clips, and the style of how it builds tension in the audience surprised me, as I am to used to todays predictable Hollywood methods to incorporate fear in the audience.

The idea I have basically takes the skits' protagonist and turn is it into someone being stalked through phone calls. I again feel I have taken inspiration from a CSI episode in which a stalker calls up a woman. I explained that I pictured this starting with a couple of phone calls that at first irritate the protagonist, but as the short goes on, the film gets more personal, as eventually the stalker knocks at the door, thereby taking an easily ignorable phone call in to a terrorising moment when this caller is outside the door. My only negative will be that its been done several times, but I feel that with the right direction, we can break away from cheep Hollywood tricks and install a genuine fear in the audience, thereby fulfilling the brief. The brief says we need to enforce this characters world, so a dark tight space in which the protagonist (whom we have called Megan for the time being) where she can experience panic and fear will ensure we fit the brief. I also took this idea and moved it into the 10 minute piece in which a girl and a guy are on a date, and it all goes so well that she tells her lifelong male friend about it, after which the boyfriend gets suspicious and reveals himself to be a crazy obsessive person. In that I have incorporated the stalker aspect the fear and the phone.

We have decided to break until Saturday in which we will come together and decide how best it is to shoot on this exercise, and how we can make it unique and not another, 'we have seen this before scenario'. In the meantime I shall continue to research fear and I will be starting with the CSI episodes opening and look at how its shot and staged.

Formulationg Ideas for 2 minute piece

The second year of university has begun, and my strand choice for semester 1 is Drama. Over the last week we have been given exercises about how to tell story and to develop character.

At the end of last week we were given a character development exercise, in which we had to come up with a characters: name, age, want, and why they can't have it. We had to base it on what was written on a sheet of paper we picked at random. The one I picked was "her secret obsession". I came up with a couple of idea's, the first being a woman who sleeps with any famous person she meets because she wants to be married to a wealthy man, but she can't have it because she makes herself to easy and does not respect herself.
The other idea was someone obsessed with Leonardo Dicaprio and how he has never won an OSCAR (basically taking a play on the internet trend)and wants him to win one but can't as the academy awards never give certain actors Oscars.

I woke up today, when the assignment was due to hand in, and taking into consideration that this character may be enforcing the two minute piece, I decided to scrap the two ideas with the former being to complex to tell in 2 minutes and the latter just being silly. So, I then formulated a fresh idea, and just thought about what woman obsess over. My first thoughts were jewellery, and I drew necklace from that. My basic reason for the woman not being able to get the necklace was that it was to expensive. I then thought about how I could raise the steaks and why she wanted this particular necklace. From that came the idea of the necklace being a family heirloom that was stolen from her grandmother. Obviously antiques can go for a high price, so it made sense for me to have it sold at an auction. Looking back at the sheet of paper picked at random, only one more question needed answering...why a secret obsession?

Thinking it through I decided that this antique is a necklace with pearls and inside these pearls are hidden diamonds. In hindsight the original owner could have had the maker hide the diamonds as the family was going broke, and passed the secret to each descendent, over which time the secret was lost. Obviously with todays access to internet, my protagonist could have found this secret out online, and because she hates working, it heightens her need to get the money for this necklace, so she can own the diamonds.

We got into our production groups today and I am now currently in a group with: Marcus Owramenko, Kieran Woodhall and Bryony Rogers. As cinematography is my strand choice for this semester that was the role I instantly brought up. Marcus opted for director, whereas Bryony and Kieran are currently debating over who will be editor. We put together our ideas, and decided to go with a mixture and create this dark 20-23 year old woman who is feeling isolated and alone as our piece for the two minute project, and have come up with a concept that she is ignoring phone calls and is either waiting for this certain person to call her, (who in turn has no intention of doing so), or we go down this route that she's so alone that she has become scitsophrenic and has resorted to calling herself off a mobile at home.

We seem to be leaning mainly towards the scitsophrenic idea, and have been discussing ways to shoot it. I have suggested cold chlostraphobic lighting, and a lot of emphasis needs to be on the face. We also agreed that little sound will be needed to tell this feeling of loneliness and that the phone would be a dominant sound.

However, Marcus seems to favour a horror style, single shot piece with lots of music as a soundtrack, he is the director so I am not going to cancel out his vision, however I have said I want to show what I can do cinematography wise and while this singular shot he has in mind (phone on table, actress walks in the walks off after phone call) is good, I have made it clear that I prefer it as a recurring shot rather than a singular. And the fact we pretty much agreed in session to have almost no sound, he puts forward the idea of music. It may work, but I am worried that he is losing touch with the brief when it says focus on the emotion clearly, and I think he is doing to much thinking for it, and the fact that he's strongly hinting that he wants me to use his camera, I get the impression he's scared to try something he's not comfortable with. I like his creative vision and ideas he seems really adventurous, but I'm hoping it doesn't turn into him running away with his own ideas and forgetting to incorporate with rest of the group.

I have set up a Facebook group for us, and the plan is to meet and discuss ideas over the weekend into how to portray the emotion.in the meantime I personally will go away and look at examples of cinematography demonstrating someone's feeling of isolation and loneliness, as well as looking at scenes with phones that demonstrate the emotions as well as fear. I will bring these up when contemplation on how to shoot the film.