Major Project: Filming Review

FILMING DAY 1: 17th February 2016

Today we filmed the flashback scene between Bethany, Francis and Julie. My job as producer was to make sure everything was all prepared for the shoot, along with setting out the set for the day and making sure all cast and crew knew what they was doing. The actress who is playing the younger Bethany, Saoirsa Addison's guardian Jillian Addison came along to look after her.

We began with setting up the room which we was filming in - which is a living room that we made to look 90s style. To do this we took out all modern equipment that may get in the way such as laptops and modern film photographs on the wall. Next, was to double check all the actors felt comfortable and make sure the costumes and mise en scene looked perfect.

Adam brought along a few different jumpers, along with a denim jacket and denim jeans with a plain top. I'd asked him to clean shave so he will look younger, and we planned to have his hair put fluffed forwards instead of gelled back (as it usually is) which made him look younger too.Saoirsa is wearing a pink leotard with a pink tutu and her hair tied up, which is quite straight forward. And Thea's outfit was perfect too Saoirsa was feeling really excited and confident and we made sure she was comfortable and talked through the scene with her first. As she is quite young and it was her and Adam's first time meeting each other we talked for a while before to make sure she was fully comfortable.

We began the scene and Saoirsa did great, she was really confident and took Vic's direction extremely well. The day was only a few hours long and everything went according to plan. Considering it's our first day i'm really please as we've been nervous about the flashback scene due to making the characters look younger and hoping that Saoirsa and Adam would perform well together. Adam did great which was really comforting as our actor change made us nervous but Adam performed the role of Francis perfect.

Problems We Had? What would I change?

Today we didn't have any problems, everything actually went to plan which made me feel confident that I'd planned the day out fully. Also, Vic did really well considering he was nervous as it was the first day.

Update:
After filming, Vic and I looked over the footage, it was all great and we are confident with what we have. However, unfortunately Lawrence messaged us saying he is no longer available - which is unfortunate as we'd already gone over the dates, but we have Chris as a backup camera man and Sam will now be doing sound instead which we've all agreed upon.


FILMING DAY 2: 24th February 2016

Today was quite a big day for us. We have 2 locations which means we have to move half way through. I made sure I had all the props with me at all times so that we was prepared for each shoot. We all meet in town which was myself, Vic, Sam, Chris, Amy, Joseph and Georgina. We began shooting the outside scene where Bethany is walking down the street and see's Georgina and George together. We had the tracks booked out, however, we had to return them by half 10 as the second years was using them. Some problems occurred during filming which set us back quite a while, even for the rest of the day. The zoom recorder stopped working and the audio only came in properly a few times. We could hear it in the headphones but every so often it would either cut out or a loud noise would interfere. Recording sound for this was really hard and because it was taking up so much time we decided to record the scene the next day instead of wasting more time. We headed to our next location which was a 10 minute drive away. There, we met actor Julian and Lawrence (who was there to take behind the scenes pictures)
The problems continued with the zoom recorder it was really frustrating with what to do. At one point it completely stopped working for a while and Vic and I was stressing out as we had 4 actors and crew to try please. Eventually, the zoom recorder started working again and we just went with it and recorded what we could whilst it was working. The dinner scene overall as a shot went really well. Vic got lots of different angles for us to work with and we lit the scene in a way (along with turning on the lamp) to make it have a warm tone effect. Finally, we shot the last scene which is Lucy and Bethany in the dining room after work.




Problems We Had? What would I change?

Overall, it was such a stressful day and we went over the schedule very much. Vic and I did our best to work with what we had and I knew that Vic felt extremely pressured which was hard for me to help with due to us not being able to record anything at all until the audio was working. If the audio would of been working, the scene would have been perfect. All the acting I felt was great for this scene, and the lighting worked really effectively. This day really did knock my confidence as we'd had a smooth plan that went really wrong and although it's set us back with having to re shoot the outside scene again, hopefully the rest of the days will go a little more planned.




FILMING DAY 3 - 25th February 2016

Prior to filming, we headed back to Uni and spoke with Ferg about it and he confirmed the recorder wasn't working. This was really irritating, however, he quickly gave us a knew one and after we tested it a few times we felt much more confident. First, we booked out the tracks again and went back to the first location which we are re shooting from yesterday. After a long set up process and Chris planning the movement on the tripod, it was finally time to film. I felt very confident with the team as Chris and Vic were always working closely together which put me more at ease as Chris understands what Vic wants and we are confident in his camera skills.

I made sure that I was always keeping an eye on the time and we was running to schedule. This day was especially important as it wasn't planned out till yesterday and we still had another location to go to. However, Vic worked really efficiently and got all the shots done that he liked. We did stay at the location slightly longer than expected but the reasons was to practice the camera movement and get additional takes to make sure we had enough coverage, so it was fine to do so. I was really pleased with the shots and the tracks definitely helped create a more professional look.

Surprisingly, the sound we recorded for this day was probably one of the best, and we was outside - so i'm very happy with that as I was worried that there would be too much wing.


Next, we moved to Charlie's house once again to film the breakfast scene with Amy and Joseph. With all the props to hand, the set up for this scene ran quite smoothly, we had a number of angles filmed which we was confident about. However, in the edit we noticed the angle of George was out of focus so this was unusable - to fix the problem Vic changed to a two shot so we still had coverage of him which worked well. The scene took a little longer to film than expected, however we didn't finish too late and the extra time was definitely needed.



Finally, we headed to Rochester to film the argument scene,
this was was challenging to film as the lighting seemed to be hard to set. Some shots worked really nicely, however some were a little dark and I worried about the grain that may show up. I tried my best to help with the lighting, however, it was hard to get the middle stye we wanted - so decided to try darken it in post production.
The scene worked really well and the actors was always wanting feedback especially Joseph as he was really into the scene and enjoyed doing it.



Problems We Had? What would I change?


Overall, this day was quite challenging. We had a lot of location movements which meant I never felt very settled as I was trying to make sure we wasn't running over time. However, if I was to change anything about the day, it would be more lighting planning in the room we filmed the argument scene in. Only because, it would of been nice to have a more set lighting tone, instead of it always changing when we moved the equipment. Also, I wish I'd decorated the room a little more as I think it looks a bit TOO empty (the walls aren't decorated). I am happy with today though and am excited with the rest of the filming days in the theatre!




FILMING DAY 3 - 29th February 2016

Today was our first day filming at the theatre. We set off at around 8am and arrived at 8:30. Today was the day we had around 9 cast and crew in total and was quite nerve racking as it was a huge day. I was a little nervous incase my schedules didn't work efficiently, however, they proved to be scheduled perfectly as we had enough time for each scene without worrying about time at all. First, we shot the scene where Lucy is stood waiting for Bethany on the stage. We had a lot of variation of shots so that we had more of a variety. The lighting also worked really well as we was using the stage lighting and had full access to what we wanted which was really helpful. I was glad that we had prepared with our test shoot as it allowed us to pre prepare the lights and make sure they would fit with the scene, along with knowing if we would need any additional lights - which we did as it was very dark and we needed to light each individual person.
We also shot the scene where Lucy meets Francis which I think worked really well. After a while of practicing a three shot, Vic felt much more confident and shot lots of angles which meant much more room to work with in post. The lighting was also great in this scene and I think the shots with Francis are the best.
Finally, we shot the scene where Bethany, Daniel and Francis are all talking together. This worked really well and i'm happy with all the actors performances' - especially Michael as he brought such a great performance for Daniel. Once again, the lighting was really great as we tried to light not only the characters, but the background so that the red tone of the seats would fit nicely in the shot - which worked really well.





Problems We Had? What would I change?



Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the first day at the theatre, and very glad with the support we had off everyone. I was really happy with the actors costumes that we'd planned out and think it definitely helped bring the characters to life. I was really glad Patricia was there as she was really helpful with anything we needed, and helped out with the clapper board and saying the shot name for the camera and audio for post production purposes. Patricia also managed the amount of people well and was always saying 'quiet on set please' to make sure there was no one talking when we was getting ready to shoot. I think the day went well and we used our time wisely, we didn't go over any time at all and I'm very happy with the shots that we filmed.



FILMING DAY 5 - 1st March 2016

Today was a very daunting and stressful day for myself as a producer and Vic as director. The first problem literally started from when I woke up. I received a text from the makeup artist mentioning she couldn't make it which just started my day off really bad. I was looking forward to having hair and makeup done professionally for Amy when she is on stage, and also when she comes back on at the end and has bruises over her. I was a little worried already as the previous day I'd called the courier who was delivering the cloth as asked where it was as it was meant to arrive the previous day to the call. I asked for it to be delivered straight to the theatre (as it was so heavy and came on a palette).
They said they would send it there instead but couldn't guarantee it would arrive before lunch. This really daunted my confidence as at 9am we was meant to be filming the masquerade ball scene and I would have so many extras waiting around, plus the time it would take to put the cloth up. When we arrived the cloth was there which I was SO relieved about. The next step was to put it up which definitely wasn't easy. Luckily that day we had myself, Vic, Chris, Sam and sound op Tom Fishenden to help out. Everyone really pushed together to get the cloth up and although it was too big, once it was up I think it brought the stage to light so much better as the colours worked really well. This took about an hour to set up, and throughout that hour I was wondering where the extras were. I received a phone call to the theatre from an extra expressing he was sorry but couldn't come due to illness, and an email from an extra mentioning she couldn't come any more due to personal issues - however, everyone else just didn't turn up. Honestly, I was so upset because we'd spent ages putting up this cloth, had the helium machine with us, balloons bought, ribbon ready, around 15 - 20 masquerade masks ready and lots of props such as glasses and a small tray with nibbles on it for one of the extras to carry round as a waiter to set the scene of the ball. Anyway - there was nothing we could do as there wasn't enough actors on the day to try create a different type of ball, so after a while of waiting, I decided we just needed to move on and do the next scene.

We moved on to film the next scene which was the stage scene with Bethany and Francis. I really enjoyed this scene as we'd already done rehearsals for it so the cast was confident with the movements and what they was going to do. We'd also done a test shoot so we knew the types of shots that would be filmed which helped a lot. I think Vic directed the scene really well and we had a lot of wide shots, mid shots and close ups to look through. The lighting worked perfectly and I'm really happy with the way the scene was filmed.

Finally, in the afternoon we filmed the audience scene. Due to no extras, we did our best with putting all the cast together in the seats and lighting it in a way so you could only see a few heads / bodies. We also tried to put some crew in the audience to create a bit of a better atmosphere. Although this wasn't the best, we did what we could with the time and people we had and I think it worked well. Once we have the stage talking in the background I think the atmosphere will feel more realistic.

Problems We Had? What would I change?

Obviously, the problems we had have already been discussed - however, if there was anything to change it would be to try fix more contracts / exciting material to keep the extras, although it was unpaid and we could only offer them food, drink and copies of the film, it's obviously not enough to keep people interested. It was such a long process to find all the extras and with the amount of resources that I used, I wasn't sure how else I could find them without a payment method. Overall, the rest of the day went really well and I'm happy with how the scenes we filmed turned out.

DAY 6 - 2nd March 2016

Today was the final day at the theatre. I think this is the day with a lot of scenes, however they are all small, therefore a shorter day has been scheduled. We arrived at the theatre and began filming with Amy in the backstage room. Although it's a used space, we decided to try decorate it a bit with clothes and props to make it seem more realistic as it was a little bare. We also put fairy lights around the mirror to decorate it a little, and added lots of makeup and hair props to the table to make it look like a space that Bethany would sit at to get ready for shows.

The first scene worked very well and was quite simple to film. Vic and Chris used a few trick shots by moving the table forward slightly and filming behind it to make the room seem bigger and have more room to film Amy.

Next, we filmed the scene with James, Adam and Amy which was the rehearsals of Bethany and Matt. We decided to extend the dialogue a little during production as it would allow to show Francis' character a little more as he's stood there pushing for them to work harder. It also would allow us to see the stress on Bethany's face more, instead of just having them chatting about the lines. I'm happy this change was made as when shooting the scene it worked really well and I think it made the scene much more interesting. I made sure that the necessary props were there and that Matt dressed appropriately. The shots with Francis stood looking at the stage worked beautifully as the light flare works well with the red seats in the background. Vic also made the decision to have Francis sat down when he's talking to Bethany - this worked well as he's very casual at first, and the placement of the characters makes Bethany look like the powerful character when she is talking about working for Daniel, however, Francis then stands up and becomes the powerful one again and she becomes little once he tries to overpower him.

Another scene we shot was when Bethany is peaking behind the curtain to look for George, and Francis sneaks up behind her. During this scene we found that it was a little awkward for Francis to just walk off during the conversation, and didn't work as well as I thought it would. Vic decided to change it so that someone calls Bethany's name from backstage, and she says 'oh, sorry gotta go, on in 5!' so she is the one that leaves the conversation and Francis is stood by himself, annoyed.
I think this works extremely well and I'm glad that Vic made this decision as a director. It also makes Bethany's character look more powerful and enables us to see the development of her character as she is getting stronger and less bothered about Francis' opinion.

Finally, the last scene we shot, was Bethany staggering back on to the stage looking into the audience. Due to having no extras, we tried to create a HUGE bright light in front of Bethany as she looks into the audience from behind her, although it was hard to do, we still managed it and I think it will work well with the applause and the music in the background. We also tried to create light flares which was hard as Bethany is spinning round and often I was in the shot as I tried to carry the light around her at an upwards angle.

Problems We Had? What would I change?

Today we didn't have many problems at all, and I think me and Vic's team work has definitely got stronger throughout the project. One minor problem was the makeup artist not being there, so I had to improvise and do my best with what I had with me as I knew I'd have to do the makeup for this scene. On the final filming day, Amy will be doing the makeup as she has the proper equipment and can do bruises better than me. I think because the scene is quite short, the makeup isn't too noticeable so it won't look too different to when Amy does it. Although I want it to look the same, we have a lot of close up shots on the next filming day, and I definitely don't want the makeup I did to be on the shot as it's not the best and will take the production level down.

DAY 7 - 8th March 2016

Final day! Today is the day we filmed a few pick up shots, the outside scene, and the big finale dancing scene in Dartford. We began by filming the scene outside with Francis and Bethany when they are talking outside the theatre, this scene went really well and we easily got all the shots needed, along with some great sounds which Vic and I were happy about.
Soon after, we went into the room we had booked out and Dan had already taken out the drum kits and extra things in there, we wanted a completely empty room. Vic and I had been busy buying props for the scene and had a car full of props which I was completely happy with. What we brought was;
-3 Clothes rails
-Black cloths to cover some speakers
-Ballet costume
-Mask
-Photograph
-Tall light
-Small speaker
-Clothes to put on the rail

It did take much longer than expected to set up, as the rails was in 3 separate boxes and needed to be put together from scratch. We couldn't of put them together beforehand, obviously because of the size so we did what we could with the time. It took around an hour to set up, although it set us back, I think it was worth it as we created a set up that looked like an old, dark backstage dressing room.

I really liked how Adam portrayed the character of Francis, he literally looked crazy - and it was such a dramatic change seeing him scrubbed up and with messed up hair, compared to when we usually see him in smart suits with his hair gelled back and looking (mostly) smiley. I think the overall costumes worked well and I'm very happy with the outcome of this scene especially.

Finally, Vic, Amy, Joseph and I all went back to Rochester to film a pick up scene of Bethany walking in the bedroom when George is asleep which was reasonably simple to film and was done very quickly! Our final scene we filmed was George 'rushing' down the street to get to the theatre. I really liked the lighting that we filmed in, it was all natural and we chose a great time to film as there was also a street light on behind which made the scene a little more golden. The scene went well however, for this scene it was just Vic and I filming and doing sound and it was very hard to walk backwards quickly in time with Joseph without shaking the camera. Vic and I switched roles numerous times to both see if either of us could do it, however the tracks were essential. This is something I should of thought about more, and should of booked the tracks out for. Hopefully we can fix this in post somehow. The sound however was recorded really clearly which I'm happy with as we kept listening to make sure it wasn't too loud from on coming traffic. We was filming on a main road and often people would walk past talking loudly or a lorry would drive past, but eventually we got there and filmed it great.

Problems We Had? What would I change?

I think the day went to plan really well, however, I think in my head when writing the script I had a much more elaborate vision of the dancing scene with Amy. I know she's not a dancer and I can't expect that from her, however, I wish there was a little more that was done to build the scene up more before Francis and Bethany begin spinning round as much. Vic knew that this was the scene I had been so excited for, so Adam and I tried to go through with Bethany some tips on what she could do to do the dancing a bit better, Adam had experience with dancers so he was helpful in supporting me in this. I know it's not the best but I was determined to make sure we had enough footage for that scene as it's such a big scene were we find out the truth and the dancing is meant to be quite dramatic. I was thinking of finding a professional dancer on Casting Call and filming some legs and arms sequences (no face) that could be edited in along side Amy. However, I'm not sure if we will have time, however, I'll look more into it. Another thing that could be changed is the makeup. Although Amy did it really good, I think it should of been darker to look more realistic. I really like the location we filmed at and it fit my vision perfectly after realising that a dungeon was a little dramatic for a small theatre. Finally, I would make sure to book out the tracks on all scenes which a character is walking fast for, this is a mistake on my half and I should of thought about it more clearly. Overall, the day went very well and I can't wait to see the edit together!

PICK UP DAY! 

Finally, day 8 was a short pick up day that we hadn't had time to shoot on the other days. We travelled to Charlies house and met up with Amy, there we filmed her reaction in the dining room when she finds that the box is empty. This was filmed quickly and Vic tried lots of different angles which worked well. We also recorded some sound separately of the noises of the tissue paper which sounded great on the recording.
The last scene we shot was of Bethany waking up in the morning and seeing the rose in the musical box. This scene was great to film and Vic tried some new establishing shots of a pan into the room instead of already being in the room, this worked effectively and I think it makes the introduction to the scene all that more creepier.

Overall, the filming has been so much fun to do, with some parts that have made me so stressed out! However, I'm really happy with the finished shots and think that something great can be created in post production. I'm so excited to see the first edit and get everything put together, it's been really nice to see my script come to life and see how working with other people really helps to create the idea you want. I'm very thankful for all the support i've received throughout from the cast and crew and especially Vic, as he's helped me throughout with the amount of work I had, he gave tips and ideas, and I tried my best to support him also throughout the filming days.

I think as a producer, I have succeeded most in the mise en scene side of things. I always did my best to look for the best props possible, and to think about all the small things in the scene and the sentimental things that can help bring the scene to life. I ordered so many dresses and we tried them with Amy to see which would fit best. Although some things was only for one scene, it was still essential that I made sure they was to the best standard possible. I think the weakest part of myself as a producer was casting. Although i'm thrilled with everyone, there are some people who I think aren't as strong as I would of liked. I did pick the best from who we had, however, I think it would of benefitted our film much more if some people were more natural to the roles.

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.