Shoot day reflection

We arrived at school at 8:30am and made our way to the editing suit. Bashy, Neave and I then gathered all our props and costumes and sorted them out, so they were all organised. We then collected all the filming equipment (lights, camera, tripod, microphone) and went to Ewhurst. When we arrived at Ewhurst we examined the filming location to see where the best place to film would be. We then found the basement of the house which was the perfect space to film this sequence. 
 

This was an old and abandoned basement which led to a staircase which was perfect for Matilde to walk into the scene and exit the scene. This also added to the tension we want to create throughout our sequence and an eerie atmosphere. We then unpacked all of the equipment and got it all ready to start shooting. We then started filming at 9:30am which took us up to 1pm. Once we had got all of the equipment ready and organised and actors dressed and ready, we had to plan what shots we were going to do, to do this we went around the area and took photographs on Neave's phone of all the different shots we were going to do (close ups, mid shots, wide shots, over the should shots and POV shots) for each scene that was going to take place.

Once we had all of the shots ready, we began filming. The first shot was of Matilde walking through the door and down the stairs, we got a wide shot, mid shot and a close up shot. I took control of being the camera women for this shot and at first, I struggled which making sure the camera was in the right position and right height and Matilde was in the correct position, but after a few tries we got the shot we wanted, and we were pleased with it and then moved onto our next shot. After each scene we shot, we then looked around the area to see the best place to put the camera for our next shot/scene and made sure we positioned the camera correctly in order to get the best shot and best angle, this took time and we all had to be very patient and careful around the area we were filming, so that we did not knock anything over, trip over any wire or fall over and hurt ourselves.

For the scene of Bashy, who was playing the injured victim which the serial killer had attacked, we had to cover him in fake blood and pour it over him, this was an enjoyable task and we all enjoyed completing this and making it look as good as possible. Once Bashy was ready and laying down we placed Matilde to go to the same height as him so we could level the camera at the same height as them both. We learnt from previous camera workshops, the importance of levelling a camera at the same height as the actors, this can have a huge impact on the outcomes of shots and can improve final clips largely. For this scene we got a POV shot, over the shoulder shot, close up shot and a wide shot of both Matilde and Bashy.

Throughout filming this sequence we changed and adapted a few aspects of props and action that was going to take place. This improved the plot of the sequence and added to the tension throughout the sequence and story line. We changed the use of the knife to a gun. This made more sense for the overall view of the plot, so Mike (the serial killer) was holding a gun instead of a knife. This worked and looked better because as the female detective was an FBI agent who was initially holding a gun as well, it made more sense for him (the serial killer) to hold a gun too, because otherwise it would have been illegal for Matilde (the FBI agent) to shoot the serial killer.

The action we added to this sequence was an interaction that took place between Mike (serial killer) and Matilde (FBI agent) and also a quick monologue which Mike would state. This involved Mike holding a gun to Matilde's head and then Matilde turning around and 'breaking' free Mike's arm to then place the gun towards his head and her shooting. We adapted our initial idea because we wanted an interaction between the detective and serial killer to take place as this would not only create more tension but be more appealing and interesting for an audience to watch as it creates action and something unexpected, as Mike comes out of nowhere while Matilde is standing there scanning the room, looking for him.

For the majority of the scenes / clips we adjusted the lighting which matched the atmosphere we wanted to create. The only scenes in which we did not use artificial light was for the opening shots which took place outside, therefore we had natural light which worked really well. For the rest of our shots we used different artificial lights which we placed these around the area where we were filming and focused them so that they did not look as if they had been placed there but so they created a subtle light, as our main focus was to create a dark and eerie atmosphere with dim light which was subtle and not strong. 

The most difficult part of filming this sequence was making sure we got the correct shots, and the camera was positioned in the right place, another problem was all working in a tight space together. As the basement of the house was small and tightly packed and there were seven of us on set and it meant there was a lot of constant moving around so we could make space for the different equipment and each other. But this also taught me to be patient when working with other people and take my time and not rush, in order to prevent any accidents or injuries.

Overall this day was a fun, enjoyable and exciting day and also an experience. I was able to use a proper filming camera which I have never used before, work on a 'set' and act like a director / camerawoman all day. I was able to get a feel and a sense of how it may be to work on a film set (to an extent) and I was also able to learn new things and new techniques when it comes to filming, for example being aware of your surroundings is very important when filming, being patient as you sometimes need to re shoot shots multiple times in order to get the right shot and directing your actors, and telling them exactly where you want them, what you want them to do and when. These are all very important. I am very excited to edit this final sequence and see the end results as I think it will be a very successful and enjoyable opening sequence.