Filming Journal - Main Task

In this blog,  I will explain how the day went when we filmed our main task, things that went well, any problems we encountered and how we solved them. 

The day we filmed our production was on Sunday 14th January. Filming so early on in the year meant it was cold and dark which would of made a good contribution to the theme of our film as it was horror based. We started filming around 3pm. We brought our storyboard and shots list as a guideline on the day. We also brought with us a tripod to film still shots. When filming we managed to get a variety of still shots along with some panning shots. During the day we visited different areas of our location to film the shots we needed. We filmed our shots in chronological order starting off with the shot in the car park. We thought that this would make it easier when it came to editing and it would of looked better as it got darker through our scenes. We took several shots of the car turning in because we noticed that our first shot was to blurry.  After filming in the car park, we then walked into the woods to film our next set of shots. Our next shot started off with our characters walking towards the camera. This was a straightforward shot as no movement was needed with the camera and our actors  were well prepared and knew what they need to do. However, the next shoot we filmed was a panning shot where dog (buddy)  was chasing one of the actors (Evangeline). This shot was harder to film than we expected as the dog did not to what we asked it to do. This also meant that Macy had to go on set.  Therefore to overcome this problem we bought with us some dog biscuits to bribe buddy to move where we wanted him too.  This went well as we finally got the shot we needed.  Our costume plan went really well as our actors had no problems getting the costumes they needed as they already matched the type of costume they would wear on a daily basis. Also, we were unable to film at the top of the hill as one of our actors playing (Patrick) was unable to climb the hill therefore Macy went up with our other actor to film the shots we needed. 


We were very productive in filming our main task as we got all the shots we needed in the one day and therefore didn't have to plan to film another day. It went smoothly and there were no big problems that we encountered which would of stopped us from filming certain shots.

When filming our Main task, we realized that it got dark to quickly, and therefore the shots we filmed were to dark to be able to see what was going on. However, this only affected one of our shots at the end of the scene where one of our characters were tied to a tree. We solved this problem when we came to editing our film and used a tool to lighten up the shot so it was easier to see. In the future, to improve I think it would of been better to film earlier on in the day as it got dark to quickly and this affected one of the important shots we were meant to film. Also, this would have given us more time to film more shots of the area to add into our main task.

Overall filming took 3 hours.

Talent Release Form - Main Task

Risk Assessment - Main Task

Old risk assessment


Final risk assessment

Cast Research - Main Task

In the opening sequence of our film only two characters are used.

      Patrick-




Name: Keith Todd
Age: 71
Height: 5'10
Hair colour: Grey
Previous experience: Extra in films and TV advert roles.
Reasoning for choice: We chose this person to be our actor for Patrick as he has previous experience with acting for camera. He also fits the description of the character and the age of the actor helps to create a sympathy for him.




Evangeline -

Name: Evangeline Hayward
Age: 10
Height: 4'6
Hair colour: Red
Previous Experience: Attends a drama school where she has learnt about acting on camera. She has also been in theatre productions and undergone LAMDA examination.
Reasoning for choice: We chose this person to be our actress for Evangeline as she has previous camera and acting experience. She also fits the description for the character of Evangeline as she has curly red hair. Finally, the age of the actress helps to show the theme of childhood innocence.

Costume and Makeup Research - Main Task

For our opening sequence of the film  there is only two characters shown; Patrick and Evangeline. Both characters have modern clothes on which confirm to their stereotypes.

Patrick -

  

Patrick wears stereotypical clothes for a man of his age. As we can see from these photos the colours worn are all earthy and plain. When planning a costume for this character we will take this into consideration in order to portray an accurate representation of the elder generation and make the film more realistic. Flat caps are often worn by older men. "In British popular culture, the flat cap is typically associated with older working class men, especially those in Northern England, and the West Country". Therefore it could be classed as a symbol to suggest the age of the character.

Flat Cap. In Wikipedia. Retrieved 1/11/17. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_cap#British_popular_culture

Evangeline - 

 

Evangeline is an average 11 year old. She is more of a 'tomboy'. These photos show different styles of outfit for young girls. The first outfit has very 'girly' connotations owing to the fact there is a lot of pink and the girl is wearing a skirt. However, the boots show a more 'tomboy' aspect to the outfit. The second photo is a mixture of both styles of outfit. It has a 'tomboy' feel to it but uses the colour pink to make it appeal more to the female gender. Lastly, the final photo shows a very 'tomboy' outfit choice. The colours used are stereotypically associated with the male gender. The checked shirt is often associated with cowboys suggesting a male influence. When considering our costume choices we need to take into account that Evangeline has been living outside for up to 5 months. This means she will have dirty, ripped clothes and messy hair. She would also have very dirty skin and cuts and bruises on her face and body. This will make the clothes appear more dull in colour and she will blend into the surroundings more.

Props Research - Main Task

For our main task we will be using props to help create a realistic feel and atmosphere. We will need to research our choice of props in order to have a clear understanding of what we will need.

Car-

 

We will be using a car in the first two shots of the opening scene. In order to use this prop, we will need a licensed driver to film this scene, as this is a legal requirement.

Rope-  

We will be using rope as one of our props towards the end of the opening sequence. We will need to use it to tie one of our actors to a tree, which creates a tense atmosphere at the end of the opening scene.

Dog Lead-

We will be using a dog lead briefly at the beginning of the scene where the man takes the dog out of the car. The lead will be held by the actor throughout the shots 3-7.

Storyboard - Main Task

Location - Main Task

For our Main Task we have chosen to film at Cookham River, specifically Cock Marsh for the majority of the scenes. In order to have a good understanding of our filming location we have done some initial research in order to get a feel for the environment to help us with the planning of our film. 

Map Of Area - 

Terrain - 

• "Most of the walk is on level grassy footpaths with no stiles. There is one short, steep climb up Winter Hill which can be avoided if required" 

• "Walking boots are strongly recommended and some parts of the route are prone to flooding in the winter."

Cookham and Cock Marsh Walk. Retrieved 4th January 2017. From https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/maidenhead-and-cookham-commons/trails/cookham-and-cock-marsh-walk#Terrain

Images - 

The area shown above is at the top of the hill. We will use this area when filming shots 10, 11 and 12. We chose this location for these scenes as it is enclosed when dark will give an authentic creepy feel to the scene. 

This a long shot of the hill where we will be filming the majority of our opening sequence. The chosen location for filming is at the top of the hill in the heavily wooded area.

At the very beginning of our opening there is a scene where a car drives along the road and into a carpark. This section will be filmed at Cookham Moor Car Park. We chose this location at it is often quiet giving the scene a more eerie atmosphere.

Shot List - Main Task

Costume and Props list - Main Task

Props List - 

When filming we will require very few props.

• Rope - To tie the man to the tree.
• Dog Lead - For the man to use when walking his dog.
• Car - For the man to drive at the beginning.

Costume List - 

• Patrick (Old Man) - Flat cap, Coat, Trousers.
• Evangeline - Dirty and ripped clothes (Jumper, Leggings, Gloves.)