Production Log
Over the summer holiday we had a scriptwriter assignment.
Once we did, we had to give out a pitch to the class, so that they could give
feed back on the script. Once that was done, we were given a short film
assignment to make our script on screen.
On September 12th
– 19th, I used StarNow to find
actors. Most of them were from London and Birmingham but they were able to travel to Lichfield . Once I picked all my seven actors, I send them
the script three weeks earlier so they can learn their lines, so we can film on
the actual day without any mistakes.
I needed a crew so I chose Chevy for Cinematography, Josh
Coleman for second camera unit, Keilan for sound and Duane for assistant
cameraman as it's also for our own production 'Miscellaneous Films'.
I bought the gun lighter as a prop and had my own hats to
see what looks good for the detective. I got an old clock by my neighbor.
During the summer holiday, August and start of September, I
got the location which is a dining room in 'The George Hotel' in Litchfield City
On 5th
October the equipment we took out was the
DLSR Camera, Zoom Mic, Boom Pole, Lens, and Dolly which was very important
to use as they were the intro and ending shots.
On 8th
October, I told the crew to be hour and
half earlier so we could set up the props and equipment. Duane and I
got their first at 9am. We talked about where we should place the crime
scene/dining table and the suspect circle. So we decided to set up the dining
table in the centre of the room, above it is a chandelle. We made a suspect
circle as we took the six chairs down the end of the room where there is a
fireplace and mirror. We discussed about how we should use the lights in the
room, how the short film should begin to have the detective to say his lines at
the start while his walking to the suspects circle.
10.30 am, Josh, Chevy and Keilan came on set. Then I had a
text from Will playing the Detective saying he missed his train and will be
late. Between 10.30am to 11am the six actors arrived. We were hoping to film at
11am but we couldn’t start because Will is in every shot. So I decided to go
through the script with the actors, to see how they do and to see if I had to
tell them, If it was good or not. I told my crew to set up the equipment and
test out some shots on the dolly.
Once I finished rehearsing with actors, gave out pointers
to them, I went to Cinematographer to see how the dolly shots looks for
following the feet of the detective. But the shot didn’t work because we
couldn’t go low enough to get the feet in so Josh and Chevy came up with a
different shot. The shot was a wide shot, where the detective comes out from
the door, we see his silhouette, where the dolly starts from one end of the
dinning table we also see a wine glass. Then the camera follows the detective
walking beside the dining table without seeing his face.
Then I told the actor to get chance in their costumes. We
set up the lights to make it noir lighting and we dimmed the lamps and
chandelles, to give that noir and coldness feel to it. Then hour and half later,
12.30pm, Will finally arrive. Gave him some hats of which he thinks suits the
character. I went through the first of his lines and told him the change that
he will be walking beside the dining table to the suspects while he says his
lines. I broke up his lines where he should start and stop his lines during
different shots.
I rehearsed with Will, showing him what he needs to do.
Once he was clear what he was doing, we finally started filming. Will had a lot
of lines to learn, so he messed up a few times in shots, so we took a lot of
takes to get it right. We moved on to a mid-shot of the detective where we
finally see his face, and smells the drink and walks to the body, as the camera
follows his arms to cover up the dead body’s feet with the sheet. Josh took
extra and other shots as he was second unit cameraman, as he took a mirror shot
while Detective was walking by dining table. A silhouette of the fallen chair,
as you can see detective’s feet walking pass. Then the next shot was the
Detective walking into the circle towards the mirror. We filmed the shots in
order, so we could play out the whole story and see how it goes and to know
each action in each shot so we won’t make a mistake.
In all the shots between the Detective and Suspect we
filmed it mid-shots. We wanted to the Suspect to feel like they have been
cornered and have something to hide. With the Detective being a little away
from the Suspect, to show he is in control and that he doesn’t trust them and
he isn’t their friend. The shot changes when ‘Miss Slayer’ – Olivia is dying as
she coughs and stands up – the shot is a wide shot as she falls, Detective, Dr
Sinner and Mr. Black rush to her. Then we went to hand-held for Dr Sinner checking
her pulse to show shock and distress. Once Dr Sinner and Mr. Black sit down the
next shot was a Close-up of the Detective’s face reveling the murderer as it
was a pan, as once he said the name, the camera pans to the murderer, which was
Miss Paddington.
Then we went back to the mid-shots of Detective and Miss
Paddington to show she is cornered and unmasked. Next shot was a dolly shot as
it goes pass Miss Paddington holding her gun as there is a knock at the door.
The dolly moves towards to show the door. The shot was to show that there was
no escape and the police want to arrest her as they are drawing her in. Next
shot would be her to grab the detective, a mid shot. Then we did another dolly
shot, same shot back from the first dolly shot as we wanted to have the same
feel of coming in and out of the room. The dolly follows them walking towards
the door. When they stop, the dolly stops as the Detective opens the door.
Then we did the reaction shots of each suspect when they
are listening to the detective while he is walking, when Dr Sinner says his an morphine
addict, When Miss Slayer is dead, Miss Paddington reveled as murderer, and gun
revels. I shouted out this, so they can give me a reaction from each action.
The last shot for the five actors before they left were a hand-held shot where
they laugh as everything is reveled that it’s in modern day. I said to them
laugh and imprecise of what your saying, gave them examples of what to say. The
camera went around the room to capture everyone, included when Miss Slayer gets
up, as she is not dead. We did the last scene for Detective, Miss Paddington
and Pizza Guy.
We set the camera to film in colour for last scene. We were
in a rush to finish it as almost time to leave the room. Most shots were mid,
over the shoulder and close-ups. The last shot was a close-up of Miss
Paddington out of the room, as she turns to face the camera to wink towards the
audience to say ‘We trick you’, it isn’t a murder. We finished at 7.30pm. We
got it all filmed and done on that day, didn’t need to film the next day. I
felt it went really well, I am please with the work, actors and crew and what
we filmed.
On 25th
October, I booked out the college studio,
with the DSLR Camera, light kit and Micro Lens for an extreme close-up of the
eyes; this was for the intro/title sequence for the short film. We used two
different people one female and one male to see which walks better. We had a
pan side from one eye to the other. Then we did a shot extreme close-up of the
eye. I directed them when to wink their eye, and have their eye wide to show
shock and then I told them to wink again. All the filming is finished.
No comments:
Post a Comment