Shooting Scene One and Two

Unfortunately I did not manage to complete all of the filming for both scene one and two of Duality. The day started as expected, my group and I were all on time and had spent the hour before it was free preparing all of the propositions we had collected from both the school and home in the drama hall, ready to move into the room when it was vacant. However it took longer than expected to move all of the school furniture such as tables and chairs out of the room as it took around twenty five minutes to clear out. As soon as it was cleared I started to move in all the propositions into the room.

The class had been left in a state due to previous lessons in the room during the day therefore I also had to take time out of this process to clean the room's floor which could have posed as a safety risk to the actors. As I was doing this, my new actors for the press roles revised their lines until they felt comfortable with the position they were given. It also took a while masking all of the room's posters with pieces of art as many of which kept falling down however this was only a very minor issue. Looking through the shots of scene 2, I'm content with the majority of the shots however I feel that I should have gotten tighter in on the close ups of both the detectives talking. I feel one positive of today's shooting was the close up of Hudson getting infuriated by the reporters which clearly represents his anger and how he finds it somewhat comical that he is been mocked by the press for a job they cannot do themselves. The majority of the problems I encountered were minute and quickly resolvable such as struggling to keep the blinds down to make sure there was no sunlight entering the room, this was of course quickly resolved but, when combined with other problems, wasted around five to ten minutes of valuable filming time.

This picture shows my group and I in the process of clearing the room.

After shooting, I feel that the acoustics of the room were pretty poor therefore I will have to overdub the sound, including the dialogue, of the shot over myself with my actors to ensure that the dialogue is clearly and the ambience represents a busy crime scene to suggest to the audience that this is a high profile case before the two detectives have even been introduced. Despite the number of problems I encountered, I feel that I have overcame these quite well and, like scene three, will have to shoot some shots again but these will not take long and the room will have to be set up anyway in order to shoot the first scene therefore Adam will be available to record the shots that I need. I was also very impressed with the acting abilities of Jack Stiff who plays Detective 1 who talks to Hudson; beforehand I was a little concerned that he may not take the filming very seriously but his performance was the highlight of the whole scene as he clearly presented the frustration that the police force feel that Hudson has not yet solved the case, highlighting the pressure on the protagonist.

After doing some basic editing of the scene, it is clear that some changes are necessary, especially the sound which has been taken out of this clip, but there are a number of small errors which need to be addressed. One error which means we need to re-shoot is in the close up of Hudson talking to the press, you can see a poster saying 'London 2012' at the back, this is an error I should have noticed during the filming process however this shot would not take long to film again and would not necessarily require the two press members to return for the re-shooting. Overall I am pleased with the lighting of the scene but during the close up of Hudson talking to Detective 1, his face is quite dark therefore I also plan to re-film them two shots. Watching the silent clip, I am quite happy with how the room looks, especially in the pan across the room in the opening shot. I feel that the lighting and the mise en scene of the scene successfully represent this dark, dingy hotel room and I feel that I have masked the true purpose for the room well.

Here is the silent, very rough edit of scene two. It must be remembered that this is nowhere near completed and was recorded off of Final Cut Pro X with screen capture to make the file smaller in order to send to my media teacher, hence the icons which appear in the top right hand corner.

After I had completed filming all of the shots for the second scene, I managed to film the opening two shots for the first scene including the killer's walk through the corridor and kick of the door. The corridor scene took a while as I had to ensure that the killer's walk had to last around twenty one seconds, including time spent filming the wall for superimposition's, to ensure that he kicks the door exactly as the heavy chorus of Tame kicks in. 

I plan to complete the filming of scene one and the re-shoots of scene two in a fortnight's time on the final week of term as this will be the next time that all of the actors required for the shots I need will be available.  

In order to see what others felt could be improved in the re-shooting, I presented the rough edit of scene two to a number of people in my class to gather their thoughts and opinions.

Final Planning for Scene One and Two

The Use of Music in Film

Music is a crucial element to film since its birth, in the days of silent film, music has played an intricate part in representing the mood of a scene as well as the mood of the character's. Many thriller openings which I have analysed when researching the codes and conventions of the thriller genre use tense orchestral music such as Se7en and Black Swan. Music in thrillers often indicate to the audience that something terrible is going to happen to the protagonist and can also represent the end of a tense moment, showing the start to a lighter part of a film. However because of the limited amount of time I have for the project and the lack of resources to do this, I feel I would be better using an existing song to add to the tense atmosphere of my thriller opening. Through using an existing song, I also have the opportunity to show the audience that the film is set in the 1980's. At first I thought it might be a good idea to use an iconic song from the eighties by artists such as Michael Jackson or Prince. I soon realised that this is also an opportunity to the dark personality of the antagonist and still make the audience feel uncomfortable without using orchestral music. This lead to me finally choosing Tame by Pixies, which was released towards the end of the 1980's in 1989.

I plan for the audience to initially hear the intro of the song through the headphones of the killer as he walks through the corridor. As he reaches the door and kicks it down, the music will then intensify and become diegetic as the song goes into the heavy chorus. The fierce chorus will highlight the brutality of the whole scene and make the audience feel like they are in the killer's position as it will be supported by a shot from the killer's eyes of his victim. Using a rock song carries many sinister connotations and makes the audience see the killer as his evil person who thinks he is a rock star. I thought of this after reading about the 1980's serial killer Richard Ramirez who used to listen to ACDC's 'Highway to Hell' in his car before taking another victim, that part of the book stood out to me as it showed that Ramirez thought what he was doing made him a rock star, as if he were unbeatable.

The quiet opening of the song will create a level of suspense as the audience wonder where the killer is going and why the music is so quiet. Tame includes elements of aggression which will support the brutality of the murder of this innocent blonde woman who appears to have done nothing wrong. Even lyrics within the song such as 'hips like Cinderella' and 'talkin' sweet about nothing' may be seen as a link to the appearance of the blonde victim as she will be presented as quite ditsy as she fails to deal with the dangerous situation. As the song draws to a close, there is the sound of the singer panting, this may be seen as a break for the audience after the distressing murder they have just witnessed; it may also be seen as the killer's creep breathing and a sign of sexual desires being fulfilled, supported by the stroking of the knife in a previous shot.

Scenes One and Two Extensive Planning

I have decided to film the first two scenes of my thriller opening in a classroom in the PE area of my school. This area is often unused as the classrooms are only used when teachers are not in therefore we will be undisturbed during shooting, I have also decided to use it on a Wednesday in the afternoon, when sixth form have PE therefore the room will be completely free. However there are drawbacks to using a classroom as I will have to take out all of the tables and cover up posters which surround the room to disguise the fact that it is a classroom.

The classroom itself was chosen after reccying the whole school. It is essential for the classroom to have a corridor outside which has predominantly bare walls to make the corridor appear to belong to a dull, dingy hotel. It was also necessary to have the ability to control the lighting in the room, this made the PE class a perfect choice as the blinds drowned out all of the room's light allowing me to use lights to find the right lighting for the scene and set the thriller opening in the dead of night. The classroom I have chosen also has plenty of room outside to store the equipment which belongs in the room such as tables and chairs. The only drawback of the PE class is the size of the room which is quite large, however I believe that through closely following both the protagonist and antagonist I can make the room appear smaller to the audience than it actually is.

There is another room in the school which meets the same requirements as the PE room however has two corridors which would be needed for the length of the walk at the very beginning of the opening. This classroom is based in learning resources on the other side of the school and may act as a backup location just in case anything unexpected occurs and I am no longer able to use the room in PE.

An issue with using the PE classroom is unmovable objects such as projectors and whiteboards which would clearly indicate to the audience that this is in fact a classroom and look very unprofessional. Again, similar to the issue with the size of the room, I will have to use tight, close shots of characters to ensure that I mask the fact that it is a classroom and make it appear to be a hotel room. It would be easier to film in an actual hotel room however this would include transport difficulties for both actors and props as I would still have to dress the room with typical 1980's props.

Transforming the room 

Before shooting even begins I will have to completely transform the room from this PE classroom, covered in sport posters into this dark, dingy hotel room which looks perfect for a murder scene. The first thing I will have to do is clear all the school equipment into a rarely used classroom opposite. The posters on the other hand cannot come down as they are stapled into the wall therefore I plan to cover these with pieces of art from the art department which I feel resemble typical cheap motel art.

List of items needed to disguise the room as a hotel and where I will acquire them:

• Television - School - Science block
• Fake cigarettes - Myself
• Mugs - School - Sixth form
• Pillows and blankets - Daniel Comley
• Coffee table - School - Sixth form
• Artwork - School - Art block
• Sofa - School - Drama hall
• Lava lamp - School - Drama hall
• Typewriter - School - Drama hall
• Cabinet - School - Drama hall
• Pot - School - Drama hall
• Radio - School - Drama hall
• Clock - School - Drama hall
• Rug - School - Drama hall
• Kettle - School - Drama hall
• Chair - School - PE classroom

The classroom is free from 1:40 until 4:00 therefore I do not wish to spend any more than twenty minutes clearing and decorating the room to ensure that I can film both scenes one and two within the two hours I have available. After 2:40 the school will be considerably quieter as many of the students will have left meaning there will be very little in the way of disturbances.

Actors required for scene one (final):

Adam Canning - Serial Killer

Costume: The same killer outfit from the filming of scene three only this time with big, typical 1980's headphones.

Props: Fake knife

Shornie Britton - Blonde Woman

Costume: Blue top, skinny jeans, leg warmers, converse

Actors required for scene two (final):

Adam Canning - Hudson

Costume: Open white shirt, trench coat, smart trousers and black shoes

Props - Fake cigarette

Jack Stiff - Detective 1

Costume: Open white shirt, braces, smart trousers and black shoes

Props: Fake cigarette, lighter

Shornie Britton - Blonde Girl

Costume: Same as in previous scene

Zoran Micic and Daniel Comley - Detective Extras

Costume: White shirts, black trousers and smart shoes

Harry Denley, Samuel Godwin and Aaron Gough - Press Reporters

Costume: White shirts, black trousers

Props: Notepads and pens

Scene Three Shooting - 13/02/13

Today I completed the shooting of the third and final scene of my thriller opening 'Duality'. The majority of things went to plan as I had hoped however I did encounter a number of minor problems. One problem that I encountered was the stabbing shot towards the end of the scene. In this shot, I had planned to show the killer stab the tramp from a wide shot, as I could not take a real knife on to set for both safety and legal reasons, I realised that I would have to make the audience believe that this tramp has been stabbed without showing an actual knife. I feel I have dealt with this problem after a number of takes as I attempted to show the killer stabbing the tramp without a knife being visible. I feel that I have done this well and shows I have overcame problems I had not expected as the first couple of takes of this shot clearly presented the killer without a knife.

One problem which I had anticipated early on but could not control was the weather. The day of shooting had started cloudy but the ground was completely dry for some of the early shots. However the weather rapidly changed and both rain and snow fell making the alleyway progressively damper throughout the course of the day. I fear that this will raise continuity issues when it comes to the editing stage of the process however many of the later shots do not show much of the ground as they focus on the murder of the tramp, only the wide shot of the murder and the killer picking up the wallet will clearly show the wet pavement. Another problem that I encountered was the use of theatrical blood as I was unable to use any of Tordar's clothes, however through using a tracking shot of his leg with the theatrical blood dribbling down the side of the alleyway underneath, the audience will have a clear understanding that he has been murdered and will be supported by diegetic sounds of both the stabbing and the tramp's pain after he's been struck.


After looking back through today's shots, I feel that the audience will feel too distant from the scene and everything that is going on. This is due to the use of wide shots and I do not believe I have used enough close up shots of the scene to make the audience feel uncomfortable close to the murder. This is an issue that can only be resolved through re-filming certain shots in the scene. There are some shots that I plan to keep from today's filming such as original wide shot of the killer entering the scene and the pan up of the killer's legs from the perspective of the tramp. However I will post an extensive shot list featuring the shots which I intended to re-shoot to ensure that my third and final scene follows the typical codes and conventions of the technical structure of the thriller genre.

Organisation for Shooting Scene Three 11/02/13

Scene Three Shooting Plan

Location: Leonard Lane, Bristol

Date: 13th February 2013

Time: 09:00


Actor: Adam Canning

Costume: Black suit, blue tie, sunglasses, black shoes and slicked back hair

Propositions: Brown leather wallet


Actor: Tordar Tommervik

Costume: Chelsea boots, black jeans, parka, beanie and fingerless gloves

Propositions: None


Propositions for scene: Theatrical blood

Equipment needed for scene: Nikon Coolpix L120, tripod, sound recorder, digital camera, tape

Costume and props provided by:

• Nikon Coolpix L120 and tripod - Zoran Micic
• Sound recorder - Daniel Comley
• Digital camera, fingerless gloves and theatrical blood- Myself
• Tape, wallet and sunglasses - Jake Kardasz

List of takes:

1. A wide shot showing the whole alleyway which the killer walks into from the right side of the frame. This wide shot will cover the entire scene.
2. Followed by a mid shot from the tramps eye line of the killer walking past panning with him. Tramp says 'change?'.
3. Then a mid shot of the killer stopping, the wallet falling to the floor and the killer looking down at it.
4. An over shoulder shot from the tramp reaching for the wallet with killer's foot stamping down on it.
5. Close up of the tramp's face showing that he is afraid and aware of what will follow.
6. A wide shot of the killer stabbing the tramp multiple times, picking up the wallet and kicking the tramp.
7. Close up shot of the dead tramp, tracking down his body showing blood.

Creating theatrical blood:

As I stated in my post on propositions, I think the use of theatrical blood will be beneficial in my thriller opening as it will emphasise the horrors that killer has caused, showing him as a bigger threat to my protagonist Hudson. Although this is a very minor prop and may not be one that can be used with the issue of actors providing their own costumes, I think if it can be used it will be very effective in giving my thriller opening a more realistic feel. This special effect has been used in a number of iconic thrillers such as Psycho in 1960 as Alfred Hitchcock used chocolate syrup for blood, as the consistency was more important than the colour. There are a number of reasons theatrical blood is used in film such as ethical concerns and the actors wellbeing rather than using real blood which would raise these issues which would only delay production.
My recipe:

Fake blood has a very simple recipe consisting of:

• Three tablespoons of water
• Three table spoons of honey
• Red, blue and green food colouring
• Flour

Here are some shots of both the production of theatrical blood, in the first two photographs, and it being used on set in the two below which have been added on the 13th of February.

Casting

Although through watching a number of AS thriller openings which have been uploaded onto YouTube, I came to the conclusion that using myself and others in my group may look very unprofessional; I understand that it would be difficult to use adults such as teachers because I would have to work around their schedule to ensure I can finish the production process of the opening. Therefore I have decided to use sixth form students, a number of which I have previously worked with in music videos for media diploma so I know they possess some acting ability. Using students means I have to ensure that I do not plan any filming for any time they will be busy with other commitments such as schoolwork and jobs.

I have decided to film the third and final scene of Duality first in the February half term. Using the February half term ensures that none of the actors required for that scene have to be in school for lessons meaning they should all be free to film.

Here is a breakdown of all the characters and who they will be portrayed by:

Hudson and Serial Killer - Adam Canning

Through using Adam, the killer will appear more menacing and treacherous through his height however will also appear a bold figure when playing Hudson. Through using Adam I can also make him look older and as if he has been physically worn down by the case. Through making him look older, once again supported by his height, I will be able to ensure my target audience can relate to him as they will believe he is of a similar age to them. I have spoken to Adam who has stated that he can supply his own costume for shooting as he already owns the clothes required for the scenes apart from a trench coat which will be supplied by myself. Adam will wear a black suit and glasses similar to those worn by John Lennon in scene one and three, this will show the audience how he sees himself as a bit of a rock star.

Detective 1 - Jack Stiff

Jack also offers the height advantages of Adam and will also appear to be older than he actually is through both his appearance and voice. As Jack is taller than Adam, in the second scene he will appear to have the higher status of the two until their dialogue begins and Hudson becomes hostile showing the detective as weaker than Hudson despite the physical advantage he has. This will show Hudson as fearless and willing to take on anyone, perhaps because of how he has been broken by this murder case. Also similar to Adam, Jack is supplying his own costume.

Blonde Woman - Shornie Britton

Through working with Shornie on previous media projects, I am aware of her acting ability which is greater than any other girl in my sixth form making her a favoured choice. Her hair colour and appearance also fit with what I desire the blonde victim to look like meaning I do not have to provide a wig for the scene to work how I want it to. There is not much acting required for this role however she will need to scream once and present good facial expressions for when she is stabbed which I am confident she will be able to complete to a very high standard.

Tramp - Tordar Tommervik

Tordar's role simply requires him to ask Adam for change in the third and final scene. His role is very similar to Shornie's as he will be required to express pain through his facial expressions when he is stabbed. The only concern I have for Tordar's scene is ensuring he falls in similar positions after he dies to ensure there are no continuity errors. A positive for casting Tordar is that he already owns a costume suitable for the role of the tramp already stated in the script apart from the fingerless gloves which I will supply for the day of shooting.

Press Members - Aaron Gough, Samuel Godwin and Harry Denley

This is a very minor role in the thriller opening and Aaron and Samuel will be given one line each to ask Adam at the end of the second scene. They have agreed to supply their own costume as well as propositions such as pens and notepads.

Police Detectives - Daniel Comley and Zoran Micic

These roles are essentially extras to make the case appear to be a larger operation and highlight the importance of finding this killer to the audience. The role requires no dialogue whatsoever, only simply doing work silently as the back of the scene.