Shooting Scene One and Two

Instead of re-scripting for the new shot list I have compiled I thought it would be more effective to create a storyboard for the opening scene to ensure that I have all the correct the shots required so I can quickly enter the editing stage of the project. However, because everyone now involved with scene two is familiar with the plot and there is no alterations in the dialogue, I saw no need to create a storyboard for this as I strongly believe the script will be enough to ensure I get the shots I desire.

Today I came returned to school with the intentions of filming the whole of scene one and re-shooting parts of scene two like I did last week. Unfortunately, they were still doing work to the area where my set was based therefore I decided to shoot scene and the whole of scene two again in the learning support area. This change in location requires shooting the whole of scene two again as simply trying to make the room look exactly the same as the previous room I used would raise a number of continuity errors which would make the opening appear unprofessional and would suggest that I have not taken any care in the production of this thriller opening. As this is not the case, I would rather film the whole of scene two again as today both Adam Canning and Shornie Britton were on set anyway therefore I only had to make a few minor casting changes. The new location features two corridors which the killer will walk through, I predict that the split shot that I plan to use between the killer's feet and shoulders will only last until the first door, with the mid shot of the killer's shoulders being used up until the second door. To ensure that I do not encounter the same lighting problems on Hudson's face as I did before, today I used two lights on the two shot between Hudson and Detective 1 which I feel has made the important shot between the pair sufficiently light in an environment which is supposed to appear as dark and dangerous to the audience.

Casting Changes:

Detective 1 - Jake Kardasz

Detective 1 is now portrayed by Jake Kardasz. As Jake is a member of my group, I strongly believe he successfully represented the frustration of the police around Hudson through Detective 1 and even improvised on the script, allowing Hudson to push past him on his way out to show the aggressive side of the protagonist. The only difference in costume is Detective 1 will now be wearing a white shirt featuring blue stripes whereas before he was portrayed by Jack Stiff in a white shirt. Jake also already knew all of Detective 1's lines therefore I did not have to waste time allowing next actors to learn their lines and get into character.

Press - Daniel Comley and I

The press are now portrayed by Daniel Comley and I. Daniel has experience in acting and has performed in many plays such as Cats and Oliver Twist throughout his life. I feel this was a strong reason to promote Daniel from a role as an extra to a member of the press as he will have to use facial expressions in close up shots to show both his frustration and fear with Hudson as scene two draws to a close. I have also decided to myself as the other member of the press who asks the first question. I have done this because I wrote the script and feel that I could successfully deliver the press member's one line to Hudson to intensify his already hostile mood. After watching Joe Donadel and Ellen Titchmarsh's performances as the press members in scene two, I feel that they did not express their frustration with the detective, not to mention in the over shoulder shot from Ellen she kept moving back and forward making the shot uncomfortable and look somewhat unprofessional.

Seeing as the learning support room was much smaller than my previous PE room, I have decided to cut the two detective extras sitting at the back of the scene as I am only going to be using half of the small room to make the audience feel like they cannot escape the crime scene and a sense of claustrophobia. However I plan to keep the flash from the start of the original scene two which may suggest to the audience that there is another detective in the room as it will be used to mimic a camera flash.

Mise en Scene and Propositions

The mise en scene and propositions that I have used in the re-shoot of scene two and the shooting of scene one are mostly the same as they were in the original scene two. However there are a few minor changes. One change that I have been forced to make was the fact that there is no longer a television in the room as I was unable to retrieve the one I had used from the science block of the school I had used previously. The television has been replaced with a radio which now sits upon the table where the television sat in the original scene two. This is not a huge change as it is only a small part of the room and will make the hotel seem even grottier and cheap as it cannot even afford to place televisions in their rooms. I have also included a red rug on the floor of the room which will carry connotations of danger as well as sexuality, due to the colour red. This rug will also mask the fact that no theatrical blood was used today as even if I did use some, it would match the colour of the rugs.




A number of items from the original scene two are still being used such as the sofa, table, kettle and the clock. Unfortunately, I was unable to use both the typewriter and lava lamp which is disappointing because I can no longer use the typewriter as a postmodernist reference to thriller classics such as The Shining as I stated in my postmodernism post, however because I am no longer using any police extras there seemed no need for it anymore even if there was somewhere to place the proposition. I also had to find a way of masking the room's posters to make the room strike one as a hotel room, luckily the majority of this room's posters were not stapled on therefore they were simply taken down and those which did require disguising, I covered with a black cloth to resemble a dark wall. The room also featured two extra chairs, one of which held a red jacket which closely resembles Michael Jackson's jacket in the Thriller video, referencing more iconic 1980's popular culture, as well as the other chair using leopard print cloth resembling 1980's fashion.

The Days Shot List

Shot List for Scene One

1. Two split shot: mid shot from behind the killer following him through the two corridors and a close up of the killer's feet to the first door.
2. Close up of the woman looking frightened.
3. Mid shot of the killer reaching for the knife.
4. Close up of the killer stroking the knife.
5. Over shoulder shot from the killer of the woman getting up.
6. Mid shot of the killer pulling back the knife, camera panning into killer's back during throw, panning back to show woman stabbed, falling.
7. Extreme close up of the woman screaming.
8. High angle close up of the woman falling.
9. Close up of the killer's feet by body, then wipes the knife clean with red rug.
10. Extreme close up of the woman's last breath as she is stabbed again.

Shot List for Scene Two

1. Close up of the woman, tracking up her body as Hudson leans down, tracks up to Hudson's face looking at the corpse.
2. Over shoulder of Detective 1 walking into the scene as Hudson rises from the body.
3. Low angle, from the body, of the two detectives dialogue, dialogue ends with Hudson pushing past the other detective.
4. Tracking shot across the coffee table showing dead body with mugs and pots obscuring the audience's vision - to create ellipses.
5. Mid - close up shot of Hudson leaving the crime scene until doorway where he meets members of the press.
6. Over shoulder shot from Hudson of the dialogue between him and the press.
7. Close up shot of Hudson of the dialogue between him and the press.
8. Close up shot of Press Member 1 of the dialogue between him and Hudson.
9. Close up shot of Press Member 2 of the dialogue between him and Hudson as well as Hudson's attack of Press Member 2.

Overall I am very pleased with shots I have gathered from today's filming which will be the last day in the production stage as I feel I am now ready to focus all of my attention on the editing stage of the process which will be continued from what I already have of scene three in the next few days.