Major Production: Are We Ready? Producer Research

In the final days towards the filming, I've decided to look up some extra further research and inspiration into producing to get me fully prepared and inspired. I thought it would be nice to see how everyone works on set together, and see the film come to life.

I decided to look at the making of Wolverine as it's an extremely action packed film - and although we are working on a drama, it would be great to see how all the team pull together to create such an amazing fast paced film.

It's really inspiring to see all the different equipment they have which makes the film come to life in such a way, it's so different from what we are all used to filming with and seeing all the passion from the director, actors and crew makes me really excited to want to get further into the industry.

I found some extra tips and hints on how to become prepared for the shoot. Below, I have written the tips, along with where I am up to in terms of production before we begin shooting. With some extra time before we film, it will allow me to make sure I am ready and not forgetting anything important!

Keep a Positive Attitude. Lack of experience makes it difficult for beginning filmmakers to assess their day-to-day preproduction progress. There are so many elements (cast, crew, locations) that have to fall into place that you might sometimes doubt that so many tasks could possibly be accomplished by the shoot date; perhaps you have one part still uncast, there is no sound mixer, and the key location has not yet been secured. Don’t panic.

Living with uncertainty is part of the process. Professionals understand that things can come together at the last moment. A positive attitude is as important as efficiency and organization. The producer situates himself at the middle of all the activity and keeps the production team focused. He must inspire confidence that all the elements will come together in time, no matter what the obstacles.

Vic and I have been supporting each other throughout the story idea, script process, and planning for the shoot. We will both make sure we're okay if any of us needs the other for a little extra support! 

Allow Enough Time for Preproduction. How long should it take to prepare a short script for production? Answering this question is difficult because much depends on the experience of the creative team and the complexity of the script. A story set in one room with two characters is easier to preproduce than one demanding 10 different and unique locations. However, any short project can seem overwhelming to the first-time filmmaker.

Aside from the time spent securing the financing, a workable formula is to allow one week of preproduction for each day of principal photography. This step might take less time or more, based on script complexity and the director’s experience. In the end, you will do it in the time that is available.

Set a Preproduction Schedule. Use your shoot date as the final target. Create deadlines for securing cast, crew, and locations, and strive to follow them.
Thankfully, everything came together in the end (pre production wise at least!) and we have finally found the best character for Lucy possible - Georgina Leigh Patrick. I've worked with her before and she is very strong actress and versatile in what she can do. We also secured the theatre which is something I was concerned about, but i'm definitely 100 % happy with it.

Email and text messaging are efficient ways of communicating with cast and crew. Alerting them about a change of time or venue of your next production meeting can be handled in seconds. In addition, Cloud-based systems such as Google and Dropbox can also be utilized for crew members to communicate and collaborate remotely.

I have made sure that I have been always communicating with the cast, no matter how small the role. I have double checked everyones costumes and checked that everyone understands the call sheets. Vic and I met up with Thea, Saoirsa and Jillian (Saoirsa's mum) a few times to make sure everyone was comfortable and knew what we was doing. This also allowed us to get to know Saoirsa a little more which will make everything run much more smooth. 

Never Assume Anything. Double- and triple-check everything. If the producer assumes that the location manager has checked the electric supply of an apartment location, chances are only 50–50 that he did. Do you want to take that chance?

I have made sure to check things that are appropriate to our production with all the people who work at the location, and I have been given a code for the door as Alison won't be in as early as we are. I am confident that everything location wise is planned out and i'm happy that i've had constant communication with all the owners.

Remember that All Things Change. The process of preproduction is an evolution. The script, schedule, and budget will go through many changes before they are finalized, sometimes right up to the shooting date. The essential caveat is that once shooting begins, changes cease and you must concentrate on fulfilling the script, schedule, and budget.

Stay Healthy. Putting together all the ingredients needed to create a film or video can be exciting but stressful, especially if you’re doing this for the first time. The daily stress makes demands on the body. You want to be healthy when you are in production. This means taking care of yourself during preproduction and staying at your peak. You cannot slow down production because of a cold or postpone it because of the flu.

Source: http://www.masteringfilm.com/how-to-run-an-efficient-feature-film-production-meeting/

I'm really looking forward to filming and I've tried to make sure I am fully planned out and have everyone on board to help out.

Major Project: Casting Updates

Through a tough few weeks of two of our main actors dropping out - I finally managed to find 2 people who I think fit the roles of Francis and Lucy extremely well.

Francis Delagarza (played by Adam Jarrell)

I reached out to Adam on Casting call after desperately looking for the person I wanted. It felt like I couldn't find the right person anywhere, and the ideal person had just dropped out. I finally found Adam, and was deciding whether he looked old enough, but also looked young enough to change for the flashback scene. I want someone who is in their 30's, but I can make look early 20s. I looked at his photographs and found he had lots of varieties, some with suits, some casual. This really helped me in deciding if he'd fit the role or not. Adam contacted me and was really interested in the project, he quickly sent a video audition and asked for any notes we could give him. We was really happy with the audition and soon after we rang him and after a long chat, he had the role. I honestly am very happy with Adam and for the representation of the character I have wrote, he fits the role very well.

  

                                                                   Lucy Tailor (played by Georgina Leigh Patrick)

Back in the pre production stage, I considered Georgina for the role of Lucy, however, I didn't contact her due to already finding someone who I thought was great for the role. However, after around 4 people for the role of Lucy dropping out due to commitment issues, I decided to contact her. I knew she was a great actress as i'd worked with her before and so had Vic, but I didn't want to reach out and then drop her if she didn't fit. However, I decided it needed to be done and I shouldn't let doubt get in the way. Georgina got in touch straight away, after a few conversations and details over the project, she was cast. Although this was a hasty decision to make as we only have a few days before filming, I am confident she will fit the role as she has the look, and I know she can act well.




Daniel McCarther (Michael Martin)

Michael was a much more appropriate fit for our film and i'm really glad we decided to cast him. At first glance, I wasn't too sure as i'd be so used to seeing Doug as Daniel. However, I decided to atleast try as his showreel was really good. We initially skyped him and he did an audition which we was really happy with. Michael gave a different perspective to the character yet still fit him very well. We decided to cast him immediately and i'm really glad we gave him that Skype!














Overall, I'm really happy with the current cast we have and although it was very stressful, it was worth the wait for the people we have. I have learnt a lot through the casting process such as trying to audition as many people as possible, as some may not seem like they fit - but through an audition you can see a different side to the actors.

Major Project: 90s Research

Through our film, we have a scene in which we are flashed back to the 1990s'. Whilst writing the script, I know a few things about what people wore back then, however, it would be extremely beneficially to get it exact, and I want to do that by doing some research and looking at some pictures.

I read an article which says a little about filming in the past;

''The past is a foreign place, and a film's portrayal of the past depends upon thousands of choices about the physical, behavioral, and cultural details of the period and place being presented. Being authentic or truthful about the past involves much more than getting the costumes and the architectural details right.''

http://dohistory.org/film/process_preprod.html

I want to make sure we get the style the best as possible, as not only must we establish that the scene is a flashback of Francis, Julie and Bethany when they were younger, it also must be able to establish to the audience that was are in the 90's, not just a few years ago. Although this also comes down to the actors shaving and hair styles - it also is important that in the scene the actors are dressed appropriately. 




I first began thinking about the character Francis. To establish that he is in his 20's, he must not just be wearing 90's clothes - but wear clothes that a young person would wear in the 90's.

I began googling images of young men in the 90's and found a lot of similar things, baggy patterned jumpers, double denim and baggy shirts. 

I remember watching a show when I was younger called ''Saved By The Bell''

All the actors dressed 'typical' in double denim, high waisted jeans and baggy tops. However, the character Zack, would always have fluffy styled hair, jumpers tucked in and patterned tops. He also wore denim jackets which are a 90's icon and instantly recognisable. I want to base Francis' younger self around Zack as it would be a great example. 

Next, I wanted to move onto Julie's character. I did the same and looked at what women was wearing in the 90's. A lot of what I found was young girls, and Julie is a mum, however, she's a little older so I want her to also be established as a mum not just a young girl. I looked at some images and found the similar things to men. Double denim, baggy tops and jackets. 

I think i'll definitely have Julie wearing high waisted denim jeans, but I aren't too sure about the top yet, maybe double denim. The actress Thea luckily has quite thick hair, which was very stylish in the 90's so her hair is fine for that.

I decided to ask Thea for her opinion, the actress who is playing the mum, Julie. She grew up in the 90's and gave me some further ideas on double denim - however she also has a bodysuit that she said she would often wear so I asked her to bring it along the next time we meet up to get a more visual idea for the look we want. 

For Bethany's costume, it's not going to be so important, as she is going to be wearing a ballet costume! 

I feel quite confident right now, as mise en scene is a huge important part of the film and I want to make sure it's all perfect! 

Major Project: Extras

I decided to read some books to find out some more information and any tips I could get about casting extras on set. They are extremely important as they add realism to the background of scenes to make it seem more 'real'. Extras are very much needed for our film as we have an audience scene in a film and a small on stage masquerade ball scene.

I gathered some information from the book 'Foolproof Filmmaking: Make a Movie That Makes a Profit' by Andrew Stevens and found this quote which is helpful in describing the importance of extras;

'Also known as ''atmosphere,'' these people give real-life credibility to scenes in your movie' (206, 2014)

Unfortunately, due to the budget price, we are unable to pay for travel for the extras as it would mean having to pay around £30 VERY minimum travel to around 20 people. I only know this as I did research and found that I wasn't actually allowed to post an advert on Castingcall.com or total talent.com (specifically for extras) without paying a minimum of travel expense. I did however, post the advert twice, for people only in Kent and then one for people within a radius, to see how much the travel would be, and the majority of applicants was from London and turned me down once I discussed travel with them - even after offering a different type of payment / reward.

I still definitely wasn't going to give up as I am extremely determined to find extras!

Another article I was reading about the importance of extras was on http://www.projectcasting.com/news/background-extras-in-atlanta-why-background-actor-are-so-important

A few of the writers have started a series which entails interviewing filmmakers and discussing tips and the importance of extras. I read a short interview with two filmmakers who have given their opinion on why extras are essential!

Jamie Lynn Catrett: Background actors are imperative to the industry because most of the time, without background actors, production doesn’t have a shot. As more productions come, we will need more and more background players to fill the needs for scenes. We’ve seen an increase in productions, and are always looking for new people!

Heather Taylor: –I truly feel as if background actors are literally just as important as every other department that makes up a tv show, movie, or any other production. Some shows rely more heavily upon background performers than others. The shows that I have worked on I can honestly say – they make our scenes complete. Without background performers a scene is incomplete. Incomplete in the same way as if the scene called for a light to be on and there was no lamp – there would be no shot. There’s no way around it, without BG most all scenes wouldn’t work or make sense. Having BG especially the right looking BG pertaining to a scene can make or break the whole moment.

I agree completely with Heather on what she has said, some scenes completely fall apart without extras, and I definitely do worry that if we don't have at least a few people sat in the audience then it will fall apart as it will look completely unrealistic. So, no matter what, even if it means having lots of runners and crew having to sit in the audience so be it! But I am determined to do my best to get extras to fill out the scene.

Initially, I decided to think outside the box, to really get the word out what could I advertise on that is popular, local and low in price? Immediately I thought I'd start with the basics of social media. 

First off I decided to post on my person Facebook page and my Twitter. I then moved on to posting on our films Facebook and Twitter page. Next, I wanted to try on Star Now - although this is the website I like least, I felt like it would be the best to get local people, who may not have the most experience, but would be good enough to be extras at a low price. I Also did try posting again on CastingCall, however, It would  not let me post without a min pay of travel, so I wrote that I would pay travel and only offered it to those who lived in Kent / within a short radius.

Next, I thought a great place to advertise would be in the Sittingbourne Newspaper. I figured as we are filming in Sittingbourne, all the locals would see it and it would be a great place to advertise. I found a section which was under the volunteer / charity work events section - which is where I posted the advert. I could post for free for 2 weeks so I opt for this option and have decided to keep re posting right up until the last week up until we film for extra exposure. 

UPDATE: Whilst posting on various sites, I have decided to create a personal email address for people to contact us about our film as I have began to receive a lot of emails and it would be great to have all my emails in one place so I can keep up with everything and not accidentally miss something important.

I have also decided to post on GumTree.com, Indeed.com and Reed.com. Both sites, especially gumtree - are great for posting local jobs that may need doing. I posted both as voluntary with food and drink provided and a copy of the film on to both sites.

Next, I decided to try another alternative way to get people looking at our advertisements. I asked Alison (who runs the theatre we are filming at) to see if she could spread the word to any actors she knows. Alison works closely with volunteers and the theatre is ran by only volunteers so I thought it would be really helpful to look for people who are already doing volunteer work. Alison was extremely helpful and even made a small poster which she put up on various doors in the theatre.

Another way I advertised for extras was through emailing LOTS! of schools, colleges and performance schools/academies about any students or actors that would be interested in the opportunity.

I went through every college/academy I could find and explained the film along with what else I could offer them.

So far, I've emailed and rang a lot of people, however, it's extremely difficult to find people to help out for free - so I'm going to advertise more, and try see if theres any budget I can put towards extras, as I wouldn't want the film to get let down by lack of extras.

The final way I have found to advertise is through other students. I have been helping out on Tekkers Tv's production, along with Sam and Kate's, and decided to try get some help. Myself and Vic was acting as extras on Aimee's set and we began chatting to another extra called Bernard. He was a really bubbly, upbeat man who is retired and does volunteer work for fun. He was really interested in helping out as taking part as an extra for the audience scene. He also gave us tips and places to find extras including AgeUK at Sittingbourne - who I did actually email and offered to also make any promotional footage they may want, however, I haven't currently received a reply off them.

Oh, and I've also emailed previous people I have used as extras which hopefully will get back to me!

Overall, the response has been absolutely amazing! I have been constantly receiving emails off couples, students and young people wanting to participate voluntarily, I have even been texting people as it gets closer to confirm costume and times etc. I was really surprised and happy with the amount of replies I was getting who people was really interested about getting involved. The sites which have been especially helpful are Gumtree and posting in the Sittinbourne Newspaper which I am very happy with!

Heres some of the emails I have received so far..

UPDATE: With the final few days to go until we film, and with a lot of extras to hand, I have decided to also email students at the Rochester campus to see if anyone would be interested. I emailed Laura Isaacs and asked her to send out the following email to all students, which she did and I am grateful for! Hopefully we will receive some more extras.

So far I have emailed the following to advertise:

• Message to all rochester students
• Newspaper
• Messages to theatre schools and colleges
• Reed.co.uk
• Starnow.com
• Castingcall.com
• Gumtree.com
• Indeed.com
• Advertise in The Avenue Theatre
• Contact voluntary websites
• Meet extras through student jobs.
• Talk to previous actors.

Major Project: Costume, Hair and Makeup

The costume is a very important aspect in our film. As the characters are meant to be at a masquerade ball, it's a scene in which they will be dressed up and covered in masks which will slightly hide them. This is the perfect opportunity for the character Francis to take advantage of, and be able to go extremely overboard with the masquerade idea - and hide himself, pretending to be someone Bethany trusts - Matt.

MALE COSTUME

I have researched into masquerade balls and the male attire side of it to see how Francis would dress, he is definitely going to be wearing a white shirt and tie, however I want to make sure the mask he is wearing will not show who he is.

During the test shoot, Adam (playing Francis) tried on the mask we had got, (which is very over the top and covers the full face) however, it was still possible to tell who he was. This is such an important part of the film which will either be done very well, or very poorly and show who the man behind the mask is. After the test shoot, we got another mask which has a long pointed nose, and covers the head more, however, the bottom of the face is very visible. I had an idea to have Adams face painted white behind the mask, but this would take away the dramatics of when he takes off his mask and reveals himself to Bethany. I decided to look into any accessories that Adam could wear which would hide his identity more. The problem with the first mask was that Adam's hair is very fluffy and thick when he doesn't have it gelled back, and it's clear that it would be Francis. I decided to get a top hat for Adam and see what difference it would make. Surprisingly, it helped a lot and we decided to go back to using the first mask which i'm very happy about as it's very creepy and fits very well with the top hat.

FEMALE COSTUME

The costume for Bethany is going to be a very long ball gown styled dress. She is also going to have a mask, however, she throws it down on the floor at the beginning so we don't actually see her wearing it. I think either a gold or red sparkling dress would fit very well with our actress Amy. I want a dress that is very 'out there' and over the top as she is going to be the main star of the theatre show. Her mask will be red if the dress is red, or silver if the dress is gold.

 

I have placed out an advertisement for a hair and makeup artist to arrive on set on the theatre filming dates and also the studio filming dates. The main reasons I want someone, is for the bruises and cuts which will be on character Bethany's face from the slap and cuts on her arms from when she is dragged off the stage. There will also be a red mark on her wrists from where the rope has been hurting her wrists.

I also would like to see a very big difference in Bethany's appearance on stage to show how she has changed as a character. I don't want her to wear much makeup at all at first, and have a very 'angelic' look to herself. As the days go by I want her to begin to wear darker clothes, showing how she is changing, and when the theatre show day approaches, obviously she will be dressed up anyway as she's at a ball - however, I want her to be wearing a lot more makeup and her hair done nicely. 

Below, I sent the makeup artist a rough and brief idea of the makeup and hair that i'd like done, however this can be changed and she is going to send me feedback on what she can do. The bruise on Bethany's face won't be as bad, but since she is getting slapped quite hard and forceful on the stage I want it to be visible that she is hurt. 

Makeup and Hair Ideas

Major Project: Flashback Research

An important aspect in our film is the flashback scene, it is set in the 90's with a young girl and a man and women. To build up to the flashback may either be as quick as fading it in, or as unique as creating a fractured time and having the flashback added in randomly. 
The classic flashback is often shown through a use of fade or dissolve, along with music over the top. However, there are other ways to cut into a flashback which I want to look further into. 

''By suddenly presenting the past, flashbacks can abruptly offer new meanings connected to any person, place or object'' (Turim, 1989:17) 

Turin states an interesting point, as the scene in which the flashback occurs is going to be quite powerful and emotional. It's the turning point in the film where everything almost comes together. The audience find out answers, whilst still trying to put together everything that is happening. Flashbacks can have a powerful effect on films and I don't want our flashback to not give any meaning, I want it to be portrayed in a way which adds to the film and lets us see further into Francis' life and Bethany's. 


Sid Field states: "Flashbacks are a tool, a device, where the screenwriter provides the reader and audience with visual information that he or she cannot incorporate into the screenplay any other way. The purpose of the flashback is simple: it is a technique that bridges time, place and action to reveal information about the character, or move the story forward.''

Reference: https://www.writersstore.com/the-use-of-flashbacks/

An interesting flashback scene is in the film 'Oldboy'. The man is stood in the lift as some music begins playing. He then almost steps into the flashback as he reaches his hand out to her and then we cut to the flashback where she is in the same scene. The scene then begins jolting from his point of view to what he currently looks like now, in the flashback scene. The music builds up to help lift the message behind the flashback. And then a juxtaposition almost occurs, the music has reached a point of 'happiness' whilst the man shoots himself in the lift. 

I looked at a really interesting video which informs filmmakers on the different types of flashback styles there are; some are new to me and very creative ways of showing a flashback. Whereas some are very simplistic as to fade into a flashback which if done right, still has a powerful effect.

VideoEssay - "Flashbacks in Films" from Hauke Sterner on Vimeo.

Different styles of flashbacks.

Subjective Flashbacks
Allow the audience to look into the mind of a character, it looks into a personal memory and represents a subjective 'truth'.

Example:
In the film Citizen Kane, 1941, a group of men are talking about the life of one of the characters in 5 separate flashbacks. They all have their own personal memory which means it is subjective to them.
Objective Flashbacks:

Objective
When it's clear that the characters mind is not entered, or entering through an object, the flashback is distinguished as Objective.

Example:
Lost - The Greater Good, 2004.
There are men are all talking amongst themselves, but it is not them who are physically telling the story - the director/editor has pushed the flashback in during the scene so that we are watching a completely different timeline. 'For the duration of this flashback, the past, simply becomes the present.'

Internal
Internal flashbacks are flashbacks which are shown that fit into the timeframe of the movie. So, we will have already seen the scene, however, the audiences' memory is being refreshed.

External
These flashbacks are scenes which have happened before the plot of the film. This can provide a backstory.

Example:
Something which could fit this example, is in The Notebook. The old man is reading a story to the old women, which is actually the whole story of the film.

Oral Flashback
This type of flashback is sound only, no visuals. The character may be doing something in the present on screen, however, we hear noises from the past over the top of the clip.

Flashbacks are presented through visual, oral or verbal queues. This could be through someone showing something and it triggering a flashback, or through pulling a face in the present, and it being the same face in the flashback, through music which is a queue that there is going to be a flashback, or through someone saying something.

Some other ways are for the character to act as the narrator over the top of the flashback and talk us through what they were up to, instead of allowing the audience to be put into the flashback and letting the person from the flashback tell the story. The voice over bridges the gap between the past and the present.

An example of this is in Wild At Heart - the film fades into a flashback, however she is still narrating over the top of it which almost shatters the flashback illusion as we don't hear it for what it is, however, for some films this works and creates a really great effect.

In the video below, from the film 'The Usual Suspect' they use a mixture of narrative and oral queues in the flashback. Whenever the flashback is approaching, the music increases and becomes very creepy and distorted. As well as this, he narrates over the top, which works really effectively in this film as the scene is very creepy and he adds to it with his deep voice and slow paced voice. 

Sometimes, the film doesn't use queues in order to make the audience think and work it out for themselves. This could be cutting straight to the flashback and eventually the audience will notice it's a flashback.

An example of this is in the film 'Don't Look Now'. The film often has a lot of random flashs' of flashbacks and they are very jolty and random. This makes the style and time of the film very fractured and distorted. I think this fits really well for this style of film and adds a unique effect to it.

Looking at the first video I watched really helped me see flashbacks in different ways. There's so much room we have to work with and if we film it in the right style and tone, I think we can work with the flashback in different ways to develop it further into the story and create music and visual queues to enable us to cut to the flashback. I also think it's quite interesting in terms of what type of flashback ours is, to me, it feels like a Subjective flashback to both characters, as although it may seem like we are just looking into Bethany's memory - it could also be Francis' too as towards the end he is the one speaking in a more intimate moment with Bethany's mother.

Major Project: Test Shoot and Readthrough

Today I had scheduled a read through for our cast and also it doubled as a test shoot and rehearsal for the cast as we was going to be on location at The Avenue Theatre. 

The cast who was able to come along was Amy Floyd as Bethany, Joseph Kane as George, and Adam Jarrell as Francis. I also wanted to do a test shoot to enable Vic to work with the cast and the DOP so he can prepare for the shoot. It will also allow us to see how Lawrence controls the camera at a more detailed approach and allow him to get a more in-depth feel of the look and camera movements we want.

First of all, we all went into the dressing room and we did a read through of any key scenes which anyone was struggling with and so that the actors could feel more comfortable working together. Overall, it went quite well and it enabled me to make any slight changes to the script that needed to be changed to fit better with the actors way of speaking and acting. The read through also went well as the actors could bring up anything that they was struggling with and we could go over the scenes further.

Another key thing I wanted to make sure we do on the day, was do some rehearsals for key scenes between George and Bethany and the important stage scene between Francis and Bethany.

There is going to be a kiss scene between Amy and Joseph, and I want it to look as natural as possible; this worked quite well and i'm glad we went over the scene as the actors was a little awkward at first and didn't kiss properly, which made the scene look really strange. After a little direction from Vic, the two became more comfortable and confident in when to lean closer in together.

Here is a little snippet of the rehearsal from the day.

The second half of the rehearsal was dedicated to Amy and Adam. During the filming days at the theatre, we won't have hours of time to practice and go over the stage scene, which involves some stage combat, so I want to make sure that the two actors are quite confident before hand, which will allow more time on production days to be filming instead of practicing the stage scene over and over.

Amy Floyd has trained in stage combat and had agreed to help bring the scene to life with her knowledge and skills. We ran through the scene with the two, however, when it came to the way the actions were done and the more combat side to it, Amy led on how Adam should hold her arms, and how she will take control when being 'dragged' off stage. 

The first half of this was a little daunting, as when acting the scene in real it's hard to know if it's going to look good on the shots, however, we did a lot of run throughs and eventually the actors had choreographed a short 'fight' scene which would work well on the stage. We decided to shoot this as part of our test shoot which also enabled Lawrence to practice with the camera and get more of a feel for the way it would be shot. It was also helpful for Adam to do a few practices with the mask on as when he is actually in the scene, his view will be weakened as the mask will take his peripheral vision away.

Here is a test shoot for the fight scene at the beginning. 

The last thing I wanted to get done in the day was a photoshoot for the poster for 'I Pull The Strings' which will be stuck up in the background of the theatre. It was also a good chance for Amy to try on the dress I had go for the final scenes. Unfortunately the dress was quite tight fitting so did not fit, and the sequins also looked quite tacky in the light, which would ruin the style of the scene as Bethany is meant to be dressed up and looking very glamorous.

A lot of ideas was flowing about the different angles we could take and if Amy should be wearing the mask or not, so we have a lot of pictures ready to look at and decide over for the poster.

Finally, we took some photographs of Amy and Joseph together, acting as a couple. This is to be printed for some photo frames in their house, and for on a mug that is smashed.

Overall, the day was a success and i'm glad we had a few rehearsals and run throughs of some scenes which has made myself and Vic more confident about the theatre scenes especially as we do not want to waste any time on the day.

Major Project: Psychological Writing Research

In order to develop my script further and be able to create a psychological film that is believable and rich in character personalities - I have decided to research further into how to write psychological films/books.

I decided to look at the website Writers and Artists and found a really interesting article on writing thrillers.
Here are some of the main points I found that really got me thinking more about the story and how to make Bethany's actions have consequences.

• You must lead your readers to anticipate something
• You must make your readers understand that the outcome will have powerful consequences.
• Make sure the readers care about the characters to whom the consequences may occur. The more the character interests readers, the more they identify with her struggles, the sharper the suspense and will be when she is faced with a menacing situation.

''Suspense depends on much the same qualities as does good writing in general: that is, on vivid characters with whom readers can empathize, on a keen sense of what those characters are aiming for, and on understanding the consequences if they fail to achieve their ends. ''

The tips that I found are really helpful towards not only myself but when Vic is directing the characters. When writing the character Bethany, I tried to make her a sweet, young girl who is innocent and has one real dream in life - to perform on stage. I feel that Bethany is a relatable character as that's all people really want in life, to be happy and secure in what they do. I do want to try make her further relatable to the audience by showing she isn't in the best financial situation and show that she desperately wants to get out of her small home. I feel like I can also push the relationship with herself and her sister further, as not all people feel they are at the same level as their siblings and often have to prove themselves. I think all these problems in Bethany's life will make her much more of a relatable character and the viewers may care more about her as she is seen as the protagonist throughout the film. 

However, the tip about making sure the viewers anticipate something definitely needs to be worked on. I need to make sure that something is always happening through the film and that it's building up to the last scene more. I can do this by changing some parts so that the show is mentioned more and that Bethany is really excited for it, if she's so excited for a show the audience must wonder why and expect something big to be happening.

I also found some more tips which are really useful and may help further develop the characters and script.

• Feed in necessary information about the characters or their world before a suspenseful moment arrives- and when it does, keep information to a minimum.

• Introduce will he/ won't he situations: will the boy from the Indian slums be able to answer the quizmaster's question, or will he fail? 

• Sprinkle a hint, for readers to pick up, of danger ahead (the shadow at the window, the unlocked door, the blinking answering machine) 

• Set up two courses of action, where the neglect of either could have dire consequences; then force your character to choose between them. Should she rush to collect her child from pre-school, or make a dash to intercept a killer?

''At the same time, don't over do it. Recognise that suspense depends upon fluctuation in the mood.''

''There's nothing less exciting than non-stop excitement'' Guy Saville

Reference: https://www.writersandartists.co.uk/writers/advice/788/dedicated-genre-advice/writing-crime/thriller/

I also decided to research further into some more writing lessons which I found also very useful, I found an article online which gives examples of the technique from feature films.

1) Keep us with the story - no matter what.
This is something i've been struggling with as a writer, I get so into the story that when telling it to people not everyone understands, and when I have to explain it, I know that it can't be used as it's obviously not a good idea if it has to be explained. I need to try slow down the pace of some of the ideas in the story and allow my character Bethany to live in a normal world. So far, I have done this by adding in the breakfast scene to show a normal life with herself and George, however, I think I can do this a little more as I've realised some parts in my story are a little complicated and need to be softened out to make more sense.

2) Surprise and challenge the audience from the offset
I want to do this by showing the teaser of the film at the beginning and then switching to reality by cutting back to '48 hours earlier' or something similar, which I think will surprise the audience as the film starts very creepy and then goes back to a 'normal world' I also think I can work more with the ending of the film to make Francis look more strange when he is sat in the audience starring at Bethany on stage.

3) Make sure your secondary characters are memorable
I've tried to make sure all the characters in the film have a purpose and all have a different personality. However, I feel the role of the husband, James, isn't as fulfilling as the rest of the characters - which I could change. I will try to make him more active and suspicious in the final audience scenes and have a little more of an impact on the scene or he will basically look like hes been put there as a prop.

Reference: http://www.bang2write.com/2015/03/7-screenwriting-lessons-from-crime-movies.html

BUILDING SUSPENSE

I also decided to watch a video in which screenwriter William C. Martell shares some ideas and tips on screenwriting which I found particularly helpful.

William discusses about how to build suspense instead of just throwing it all in and getting excited. William uses what Hitchcock said as an example

There could be a bomb in a room during a meeting under the table, and you could just show the bomb and surprise the audience and it scares everyone for 5 seconds, or you could show the bomb, allow the viewers to see it and build up the suspense, show two people laughing and talking about something else, and the anticipation is building through the audience as they are waiting for the guys to find the bomb. 

I think this is a really interesting point to make, and William says to draw out the suspense, not to rush it. I really want to make sure I do this when developing the script as it will really help to build the tension. William also talks about suspense being built around dramatic irony - the idea that the audience knows something that the characters don't, which draws out the suspense even more as the viewers are curious as they know ahead of time. 

William also says that when writing the script you should be writing something that you would want to see - which may seem obvious but it's really important. I'm glad that i'm writing a mystery drama because it's a genre I really like and I am definitely trying to create something which I would want to see. For example, when receiving feedback when I first wrote the script, I tried to make sure that when writing the changes, I always put my own twist on it, even if it was just changing something slightly, if I enjoyed it and made sure that I liked it, I would feel more passionate about what I was writing. 

I next watched a video on Suspense and Tension and the women states that suspense and tension is like pulling a huge elastic band out infant of an audience, they are all on edge because they know at any minute it's gonna snap, you pull it out further and everyone is more tense, and then you bring it back in - which relaxes everyone. And finally, you pull it back out twice as far as before - she says that tense and suspension. 

Finally, I've decided to look into another article about screenwriting and looking at other techniques to create a great story such as the importance of misdirection, which is important in swaying the viewers into thinking something else. 

The Importance of Misdirection

Finally, I've decided to look into misdirection in writing which is important in swaying the viewers into thinking something else. 

'A psychological thriller needs diversions to lead the reader off course and obscure the identity of the perpetrator or at least, to create a surprising outcome. The villain often hides in plain sight as an unassuming secondary character or someone close to the protagonist, perhaps her husband, best friend, or even herself'

The article I read mentions the importance of suspects, to introduce secondary characters and give them motive and opportunity. To do this, i've tried to make changes to make Lucy look more suspicious, as we see her in the street giving something to George. Also, I've decided to change her actions towards the end of the script, I will make her look a little more suspicious at the end by putting something into her bag. I've also done the same with her husband James, instead of being sat in the audience, he will walk in through the side door and sit down, shuffling around his tie a little.

The article also discusses about us trusting the protagonist, could they be the one in the wrong? This is important in our film as the ending is quite open, we don't know if Bethany is crazy and has made it all up, or if any other characters was the ones stalking her, or if it was Francis.

New revelations in each scene.

''Each scene should reveal something new to advance the story.''

In the script i've tried to make sure something new is happening in every scene, and that everything in the scene is pushing the story forward in some way. If it's not I will take it out, or see how it is done on set incase it may appear differently.

Don't dwell on clues.

''Don't dwell on clues. Instead treat them lightly, interspersing them with red herrings. In The Good Neighbour, when the neighbours house is on fire, the protagonist tries to call her husband in his hotel room. He doesn't answer. In the first draft, Sarah thinks too much and wonders why he's not answering, drawing attention to her husbands absence. However, in the revised draft she simply calls the hotel and leaves him a message. Even though I, the writer, understand the significance of the telephone call, the protagonist would not dwell on the phone call in this situation''

Make sure characters respond in believable ways.

''Think about how the particular character would believably react in each situation.''

I've tried to shatter George and Bethany's relationship a lot during the film, but gradually. I want Bethany to stop being so trust worthy of George, so gradually, she begins to question his actions. I only do this as he lies to her on the phone when she can clearly see that he is not where he says he is. 

• ''All of these elements – believable events and characters, misdirection, subtle clues, and a story question that remains unanswered until the end – work together to create a compelling novel of psychological suspense that we hope readers won’t be able to put down.''
  Reference: http://manhattanbookreview.com/book-reviews/crime-thrillers/five-tips-for-writing-a-psychological-thriller/

Major Project: Production Meeting & Research

Production meetings are an important part of the preparation for production and shouldn't be overlooked. They enable everyone to be sure on their roles, and listen to any ideas anyone may have - as well as letting the crew know more about the story so they can have an idea of the tone and style. 
Vic and I wanted to get together with our crew to make sure everyone know what they was doing so we arranged a meeting at our house. Prior to this, I wanted to do a little research to see if there was anything extra we should be discussing with the crew. I found http://www.masteringfilm.com/how-to-run-an-efficient-feature-film-production-meeting/ which had a full list of helpful advice which I have written below.

• Schedule regular production meetings and stick to them. Don’t rely on ad hoc gatherings to keep everyone informed. Events happen too fast and plans change too often for everyone to be kept abreast via casual chats. Keep in constant touch with the key creative staff. Learn to work in a nonlinear fashion. It is a juggling game. The production team needs to work on many things at the same time.

We had been emailing back and forth production schedules, however Mastering Film mentioned that you should be keeping everything formal, therefore this is another reason why we should have meetings, so no one can miss and email or forget to reply to anything. 

• Production meetings are opportunities to brainstorm ideas and to solve problems. The key to running an effective production meeting is to be organized and to stick to the agenda. Maximize the time you spend with the crew. Respect all points of view, but don’t linger too long on one issue with the whole crew present. Deal with a particularly thorny issue later with only the appropriate crew members. You might have to set up smaller meetings with individual department heads—art, camera, sound, wardrobe, props, hair, and makeup—to deal with specific issues in their respective areas.

Here are some additional suggestions:

• Hold the production meeting at the same time and place each week.
• Have refreshments available.
• Before the meeting, make sure everyone has a copy of the script.
• Set a time limit for the meeting.
• Publish and hand out a written agenda if possible.
• Moderate the meeting, keeping everyone focused on one topic at a time.
• Deal with one department at a time.
• At the end of the meeting, summarize the points of agreement.
• Assign tasks to appropriate crew members.
• Set an agenda for the next meeting.
• Distribute follow-up notes of decisions made (via email).

Throughout the meeting there was Vic and I, Chris, Patricia and Lawrence. Vic and I made sure to have production schedules printed so the crew knew the initial dates (whilst I was working on call sheets) and we had a few copies of the script printed ready for the crew. 

We made sure to follow the suggestions that I researched such as going through each topic one at a time and not getting too confused in what we was talking about. We also went through each persons role along with what additional tasks they may need to do and how they would be working, ie. if the cameraman would be working on a tripod or not, and if the sound technician would be working from a boom all day or not. Patricia's role was also especially crucial to talk about. She would be Vic's assistant on the day, along with helping me out with anything I need. We have runners ready so she shouldn't have to help with too much however she will be doing the clapper board for Vic, along with saying what shot we are on (to enable us to sync the clip and sound together) and making sure everyone is quiet on set. Patricia will also be there to look after the extras on the day we have the ball scene and audience scene as the theatre is quite small and we need someone to be making sure they are quiet when needed, but also available when we need them. 

The meeting went really well, we first went through the entire story and let everyone ask questions and know what it was about. They all know the theme and tone and feel confident. Next, we went over everyones roles, everyone was pretty confident, however, Chris is our back up camera man as he is most confident doing camera rather than sound.

Finally, prior to the filming we asked everyone to bring along their schedules for the month we was filming, this would help us to decided if everyone was definitely available for filming. Everyone said they was available however we had a couple of maybes with Lawrence, which needs to be sorted soon! 

The next step for our team is to receive more paperwork (call sheets) and make sure everyone is up to date all the time and knows whats going on.