Shooting - Day 2

Setting up a shot

We arrived at Pizza Hut with all the equipment and began to set up. Luckily the restaurant was quiet meaning that we could set up in the back and have a controlled space. We first discussed how we were going to set up the tables so as to have the most freedom around the actors positions to get the shots we needed.

We decided to get the footage with just Laura first because that was going to be the easiest stuff to shoot. We then got the stuff with Tom and got the all important wine spilling. We used two cameras for a fair few sections so that there would be more to work with in the edit.

Again my job was made easier because of how professional and comfortable the actors were and how everyone worked as a team. For the main part Paul and I discussed with the actors what we all thought would be best and what they thought would be most natural for them. Shot wise I pretty much just used to storyboarding and shot list as an indicator and then Lucy lined up the shot as she saw fit within the space.

As we were working through the essential shots we also all came up with different ideas throughout to make the shots more interesting. Certain shots which were separate in the storyboarding ended up being achievable in one shot using a dolly or shoulder rig to track the actors and these longer takes should hopefully up the production value and aesthetic of the film.

Overall I think the shoot went well and look forward to seeing the footage in edit.

Shooting

The crew on set

The first day of shooting went well. We met before hand to set up and go over the storyboarding and shot list and then began. The pace was slow to begin with as we were all getting used to the process again and the actor was getting into his role. I found it a big learning curve to be the one in charge of the set but everyone really took care of their own roles really well and we worked as a team. We were very lucky with the actor because although we had met him previously and we knew we wanted him for the part we didn't really know until he was in front of camera. He was very instinctive, responded really well to direction and was not afraid to amp up his performance for comedic value.
The only had a few minor issues on the day. The sound system in the toilet was playing for the first part of the shoot but then we got the sound turned off. Joe was confident he had got the sounds we needed and that he could make up any others through foley in post.
One other issue at times was the matter of mirrors and space, this meant that some shots were not exactly as we had planned and some had to compromised but we managed to get the shots in different ways in the end. After the shoot we were all quite pleased and we seemed to have all the essentials and more for the edit.

Phone Call

Danny wrote up a phone call script which we will be recorded and edited as needs be for the time constraints and then added over the film in post.

For the recording of this phone call script our lead actress Laura has arranged another actress from the drama course to play the Friend role. We asked Laura if she could get a friend of hers to do this so as to make the conversation sound as natural and relaxed as possible.

Pre-Shoot

Our first shooting day is Tuesday 4th March so we have picked up the props and signed out equipment.
Our art director Tony had a lot to consider with the logistics of costume because of the wine spilling and pants ripping scenes. We have two shirts so that we do not have to shoot in order and do the wine stained sections last but with the ripped pants we plan to frame it so as there is a reveal of the rip at the end. We also picked up a watch to hopefully get a couple of point of view shots of the character realising that his date will be there any minute. If done right this could look really good and add to the tension and anxiety.

The equipment has been taken care of and for shooting we have signed out:
2x Tripods
2x Canon 60D
2 Lenses
Dolly Track
Shoulder Rig

We will most likely get a lot of use out of the shoulder rig to film the point of view sections and the Dolly Track to take care of some of the movement around the sets and getting characters from one place to another fluidly.

For sound we have signed out:
Boom Pole
Zoom H4N Recorder
Rode NT4 (stereo microphone for all diegetic sound except dialogue)
Sennheiser 416 (mono microphone for dialogue)

As we do not have any dialogue to record on set we should only need the Rode NT4 although after the shoot we will need to record the phone call and therefore need the Sennheiser.

Storyboarding

With the script finished except for the phone call I drew up some rough storyboarding to give us an idea of how the film will play out visually. We plan to adapt the drawn shots as best we can to the location on the shooting days. Storyboarding really helps me understand how the footage will fit together and if it will run smoothly so as this is my first time directing I will use storyboarding and shot listing as a go to aid when on set and in the edit.

Shooting Style and Aesthetics

As this 2 minute project can't have any synch dialogue we have been thinking about ways to best get the viewer to empathise with the protagonist and one very straight forward way is to shoot some of the film in point of view.

From a physical shooting perspective and aesthetically Peep Show has a lot that we can learn from and work towards. It seems to use mostly natural lighting which gives it a very 'real world' feel and much of it is shot as if it is the character's perspective. We plan to utilise this technique only to create empathy with the character but as a device for exposition i.e. when shooting point of view you can dictate very easily where and what the audience's eyes should be drawn to, you can also inter-cut this with shots of the character to show reaction. In Peep Show this is all tied together by the mixture of inner monologue and dialogue and hopefully we can achieve a similar thing through our phone call and music.

First Script and Tutorial

After some meetings and looking over the script outline we decide to have the film take place in a restaurant and have the protagonist waiting on his date . He then spills his wine on himself and goes to the restroom to clean off. This will be interspersed  with shots of his date on the way and then arriving. When the protagonist is in the restroom more and more will go wrong and the two minutes will culminate in him arriving back at the  table completely dishevelled.

Tony drew up a rough script of this which we brought to a tutorial. Our tutor then gave us the idea of there being a phone call going on while the main character is waiting at the table. The phone call would be between the date and her friend as she is being set up with the protagonist. We have decided to run with this idea because it is a creative way to get some exposition of situation and character.

Below is a rough script:

Idea Development

After meeting about the film again and discussing ideas, Tony put together this rough outlining of ideas and how the film could play out over the two minutes:

2 Minute Film

Emotional Need – To Make a good impression on a date, he is anxious, nervous, it will be charming and funny as we see everything go wrong as the man prepares for a date.

Opening - exterior house

Cut to Interior - bathroom - a man looks up from the sink and into the mirror, he is finishing of getting ready for a date. White shirt, smart trousers and slick hair, He looks at his watch - 18.10 

We hear the voice in his head as a voiceover:

“Okay, you got this (name) 10 minutes to get there, that gives me plenty of time.”

He takes an over big gulp from his coffee mug, choking and spilling it all over himself, the white shirt is stained. He looks in horror at the reflection.

“No no no this can’t be happening.” The man begins to panic running water and scrambling for cleaning products.

He quickly unbuttons the shirt and scrubs vigorously, eventually so hard that he rips the shirt.

“NO NO NO NO.” He tosses the shirt to the floor, his hair slightly messier now.

He bends down to retrieve the shirt and we hear a rip, his smart trousers have now ripped right on the bum revealing his boxers. We see his face reaction first and then his rear.

He screams in anguish.

He rips off his trousers and is just in his boxers, socks and a vest now.

A few moments of thought, suddenly an idea, his car has a spare pair of smart trousers, he runs outside the door slams, he tries the car but its locked, he turns and runs back to the house and turns the handle LOCKED.

He fumbles for his keys in his pocket BUT HAS NO POCKETS.

“SHIT SHIT NO NO NO.”

He rages outside at his own stupidity.

Checks his watch 18.22

He has to decide what to do, a key cutter could take hours, does he risk standing up his date or does he leave as is.

He looks at the door, and his watch again and in a burst of energy sprints down the road.

POSSIBLY END HERE TIME DEPENDING

We cut to outside a restaurant/café where we see the man sprinting from a distance (tracking shot?)

He arrives flustered and out of breath, people walk past giving him funny looks, a man with no trousers/shoes and clearly messy waits outside a posh restaurant.

He looks around, and then from around the corner a woman appears, jogging as she gets closer she slows and we see that she has messy hair, smudged makeup, stained clothes/pyjamas.

They look each other up and down, and at exactly the same time smile and say “You don’t wanna know.”

Locations and Casting

The locations we need are:

- Exterior of restaurant
- Interior Restaurant
- Restroom

We went on a recce to the showroom for a possible interior restaurant and restroom location and agreed all agreed that it would be great for the interior restaurant but the restrooms were not going to be big enough for the crew, actors and equipment, our producer Paul then contacted them but they were not willing to let us film there.

Another recce was to the hubs and we found that the toilets there were very well lit and big enough for the production and luckily they were happy to have us.

Paul and Joe at the hubs location.

Showroom Restaurant

For the interior restaurant location Paul managed to secure Pizza Hut in the city centre. Paul has organised for the shoot to be on a week day evening so as not to be too disruptive and to help this we are also going to get together storyboarding, a shot list and a shooting order.

The actors we need are:

- Male protagonist

- Female Lead

- Waiter

- Female lead's friend (Off screen role)

After discussing the look and disposition we wanted for the characters and through a contact that we worked with on a film last year Paul has now managed secure two Hallam students to play our two lead roles.

For the main role we have got Thomas Kitching and for the female lead we have Laura Betts.

We met with both, ran through the script with them and agreed as a group that they were good for the roles.

Research

I recently was shown a section of the Alexander Payne film Election (1999) and feel that it does a really good job of introducing characters and quickly creating empathy or dislike for characters. One thing I picked up on which I would like to possibly try in the edit of our film is the use of freeze frame and voice over at around 25 seconds into the below clip. The use of voice over gets you on Matthew Broderick's character's side immediately because he is addressing you directly, while the performance and writing of the voice over helps you quickly understand the character's attitude towards the character shown on screen in the freeze frame, but the main thing I hadn't seen before was the fact that the freeze frame is on Reese Witherspoon when she is pulling a very unflattering face. This, in one frame, helps establish the desired amount of dislike for her character and also shows that she is not as perfect as you have been lead to believe by the earlier few minutes of the film.