Shooting 4: Lizzie's House and Campfire Scenes

Our next shoot was a main one, located in Lizzie's house and garden, we planned to shoot a lot of different parts. Iain, Clare, Same and I all made our way to Lizzie house on the morning, ready for a long day of filming.

Here is a rough script we made for the shoot, but we didn't really stick to parts:

First part- Mum vanishing:

We first set up in the kitchen to film the mum disappearance scene. Lizzie had already debriefed her mum on what exactly she would be doing in this shot, so everyone was prepared. We then recorded the sound of the spoon hitting the floor, during which we experimented with which spoon sounded better, and we went with the more clashing sound (as this would be edited together to give the impression shes vanished). 

Then we shot Alfie, walking in the kitchen and finding it empty (known as the spoon shot because the spoon is on the floor in the frame as Alfie walks in). This took some getting because we wanted Matthew's dialogue to be the right tone to suggest mystery. We finally got it and Lizzie was so enthusiastic that Matthew got it right, that she said 'yeah yeah yeah' so quick after him, we were worried it would cut too soon.  

Second part- Haden and Selene's (magazine):

After this, we went upstairs, and Lizzie did Clares make-up, making her into Selene, ready for the next shot. (in terms of wardrobe, we agreed that both Haden and Selene should wear what they wanted but to make sure it was dark. In this scene, to help identify their wealthy background, we used Lizzie's living room, due to the grande furniture (not that it was focused on in one shot). This brought other ideas, so we experimented with different angles in the room to capture this shot. Clare also had to say 'who cares?' a few times as we needed a careless tone, rather than an accent (a problem that seemed to pattern in acting) but we demonstrated to her and she got it right. We were story boarded to get an extreme close up reaction shot of Selenes face after Haden had attacked her almost, and then one of Haden apologizing. But we thought it looked weird and shouldn't be used as that add's too much contradictory depth in their characters for a trailer- we didn't want to show a remorseful/emotional side as that would cue the audience to sympathise or feel confused by their identities. Here's a video showing the different 'magazine slap' shots. 

After this we took a break but then we went on with the 'the folders gone scenes'. We decided to locate ourselves in the sort of spare room because it helped create the idea that the bad group had been in their rummaging through all the good groups belongings and found the folder. We used the storyboard to guide us, but mainly I think we improvised (in terms of framing and camerawork), given the choice of location. I made sure that we used handheld and tracking shots to capture Haden finding the folder, Selene approaching him and asking what it is, then (at a later time in the film) Eve discovering that the folder had been taken. We moved the camera up from the view of the folder, with the government logo in sight, to his face showing a reaction for a subtle dramatic effect. We captured Selene walking towards the camera (as I moved backward) to represent her force. We had to shoot Eve's part a few times as it was difficult to get the acting right, since it was meant to be dramatic, it was almost funny 'the folders gone!'. For this, Matthew and I were walking behind her holding cardboard boxes (in case we were full in sight of the frame) to show how we were getting supplies. After this we had a break and waited for Same to arrive, as our next scene was the campfire. 

Third part- Campfire scene:

We went into Lizzie's garden and found a suitable spot (under trees). We then gathered lots of rocks to create a generic outdoor fire. Karen brought out lots of old paperwork and things to be burnt on the fire, while we searched for logs to sit on, we gathered two. After we got all that sorted, we thought that the lighting was too high key for a campfire, so we waited until it got slightly dark to set up the fire. 

Despite how it kept going out, we managed to gather what we needed. Hannah couldn't make it, but it was okay since we gave Eve her lines because it was more important for her to be established in the trailer. My line 'we can survive this' aims to portray my leadership and strength to keep the group going. Looking back, I think it also served our aim to be 'Hollywood' and dramatic, because I think it was unrealistic to talk about not surviving, though it helped characterise Eve as dependent on Micheal while also highlights the threat to the group. Our original lines talked about Micheal being the leader 'they look up to you Michael', but we all agreed before the shoot in our script, that it was too cheesy and badly scripted. The dialogue between me and Lizie was rather distracting in a way because it sounded just over the top, but we needed it to communicate our ideas in the plot. We ended up laughing when we tried to be serious, so instead to avoid this, when we face one another to do our lines, I suggested the one who isn't facing the camera should close their eyes so the other could focus- and it worked. 

The part between Eve and her brother, Alfie, we managed to frame it well with the fire disrupting their visual relationship, however, an issue came from sound. The camera picked up to much ambient sound, and Matthew was mumbling a little (to sound afraid of what the answer might be) 'when's mum coming back?' so we thought we can just dub it later if we felt it was still important. And finally we got Sam (Luke) to say his line. Lizzie and Iain wanted it to about beans or something (when scripting) to have something funny and light hearted, but we had to push forward this idea of planning to fight back, that when we scripted him saying 'we're gonna have to fight for it' -talking about surviving against the bad group. 

Fourth part- Imagery shots for copy:

After the campfire, Lizzie put out the fire and I remembered the gate shot should be done before it's too dark. So Lizzie, her brother and I ran down to the gate and quickly got it, because we were under pressure and there was no serious dialogue, it was done quickly and successfully. The low key lighting was enough to see what happened and perfectly connoted fear because of the darkness and content of Eve and her brother running into her home.

 In continuation from the context scene, we went inside and got the 'torch' and 'match' shots done. This was my favourite part of filming because we had gotten comfortable with filming. For the torch shot (a new idea) I hid under Lizzie' bedroom desk and we turned all the lights off, while Haden came in with the torch to show that the bad group were looking for the good group. We liked the light hitting the camera lens for a weird flare effect, as it looked quite sci-fi to me. Lizzie had some idea about hiding in the cupboard and getting an improvised shot but the lighting was too abstract and dark. I also pushed for other shots with the torch, which included Haden walking up the stairs with the torch (to secure the idea that it is Haden because the other shot was just light confronting the lens). While playing around with light and dark, we went back downstairs into the bathroom for the 'match shot' to occur. Iain filmed this, while Clare and I waited outside because there wasn't space. We had problems with the lighting affects the focus on the camera, and one time I accidently switched the bathroom light on during a take (Lizzie was not happy). 

Final part- Introduction of the trailer:

We then planned to film the 'goodnight' scene between Even and her mother. We adjusted the lighting so that it was warm and not too bright so it appeared relaxing, while Lizzie got into her pyjamas and Karen put on a gown to show normality. We set everything up and gathered the props (laptop and folder). Karen had rehearsed her lines to perfection (tone) and we began using the storyboard to guide us. The scene was well acted and done within minutes, but the only problem for me was Eve's POV shot of folder. The folder was laid on the table it looked like a weird angle to capture the folder, while the lighting dimmed the colour so it wasn't very conspicuous. Every other issue was minor and overcome.

In conclusion, this was a big day of filming which had it's highs and lows. I think the most successful parts were the acting, the handheld shots and  the imagery shots. I'm not sure what was least successful but I think, in reflection, we should have planned it slightly differently (focusing on dialogue) to communicate idea and establish the main characters more. We agreed that we can decide which shots are useful in post-production because we got more than planned.

Below is a gallery of photographs from the day:

Shooting 3: The Forest and Chase Scenes

This was our first main shoot as it required almost all of the teen cast and we planned to film different scenes within the forest/beck location. We first organised it with the supporting cast to see which days everyone was available. We borrowed two bats from the PE. Department, as props for the antagonist group. I then also went to the town to buy our main baseball bat; I got a wooden one so that I could hammer nails into it, ready for this shoot- the hunt. 

Lizzie slept over at Clare's house so that she could style Selene's character before filming, while she done this she kept us updated through sending us pictures of the process, asking us whether she should darken the eye-shadow more, etc. I stayed over Iain's house because I didn't want to deal with travelling to his on the morning before the shoot, and we also modified the bat on the night before. We agreed that Iain's house was the base for the day because it was closest to the location. The other cast made their own way to Iain's and we set off around 1pm. 

We first filmed the farmer field part of the hunt, sticking to the storyboard, we ensured the long shot was in place began. This took a few takes because people were running at different speeds and then didn't look like a realistic chase. After this we moved onto the different angle of the field part and my shoe fell off once but we got what we needed quite quickly. One thing I really didn't like was the weather because it was so sunny that it looked too nice for a chase scene, so to me the mise en scene didn't correspond with the nature of the film, but my other group members really liked the high key lighting. 

We went to a footpath area with tress, like we imagined in our storyboard. We achieved some improvised shots that featured Haden and Selene parting as the henchman ran through them after the protagonist group. I managed to pull together some other improvised shots of Fiona running (which we plan to use) because it involved movement, adding to the pace and involvement. We also found that one of the planned shot (the one where I laid on the ground and filmed the trees as I rolled over) didn't look as good as planned, and wasn't very trailer worthy either. 

I think we did better through improvising some shots, like when Haden grabs the bat from a Henchmen, as it helped communicate the narrative and identity Haden as the Patriarch of the bad group. For example, in a shot we used Dan (Jake Fletcher) because he is the tallest, as this allowed me to frame the shot so that his face wasn't visible. This had the desired effect to depersonalise the henchman because he thoughtlessly obeys Haden. It meant the camera could focus on Haden as the main subject in order to exaggerate his growing identity. I must say, I was most impressed with Fiona's fall because we weren't expecting it to be so realistic and dramatic, but it was and one the first take. I gathered all the bad group for another improvised shot, the POV of Fiona as she looks up to find the group surrounding her, appearing like silhouettes arching over into the frame. This was the end of this section, people were ready to get more McDonalds (our trusty caterers), but we made sure we got one more shot locked down.

So we went to the nearby tunnel beck location for the shots of Haden's group emerging from the gutter. I took some navigating but when we found it, we had to beg the cast to walk through the beck water (it didn't take much begging, but people were not that satisfied as you can imagine). Lizzie and I composed the group, set up the tripod called action. We had to try two times because Iain almost tripped, but our second time was good enough. We then captured the mid climax part, when Haden says 'Find them' in his sinister toned voice- the rushing water kind of dominated the sound, so we decided we might have to dub him saying it again another time. I framed it so that Selene and the henchman, Alex, were lurking behind Haden, this was great because Clare's miserable expression matches her character perfectly, and it looked well-acted.  We took the opportunity to achieve another bonus shot from higher ground, peeping around a tree to look at the group as they had came out from the tunnel, we thought this might be useful to create a POV effect from the good group. Here's the beck tunnel we used.

We decided to call it a wrap after this and in reflection it was a success with no major or unsolvable issues. 

Here is a small gallery of photographs from the day:

Shooting 2: The Empty Motorway and The Town Skyline Shot

Since some of our establishing shots weren't really tied to any scenes we plan to film, we had to organise minor separate shoots to gather what we planned to film. We had a scheduling problem with this shoot, evidenced in out two shooting schedules below.

THE EMPTY MOTORWAY SHOT:
We originally planned to film on the 6th of October, but in that weekend I was in hospital unexpectedly so we had to cancel the shoot. We rescheduled it to the 20th of October (on the weekend again) this is because we didn't want college to interfere with filming, and we could go home for a rest after. 

Iain stayed over at my house (because it was the closest to the A66 location) and we thought it would be okay for just us two to get this shot (just like I wasn't there for the corridor shot, Lizzie wasn't here for this shot). We woke up around 4am to get ready and we left my house at 5am to walk from my house to the A66 motorway, which took about 45 minutes. I knew where abouts it was and which bridge to film from so we didn't have any geography issues. Here's a picture of the bridge we used.

This particular shot caught our attention as we knew it had to be captured at a certain time in the day, for both lighting and traffic technicalities. When we arrived, we knew it was going to be difficult to capture what we wanted as it was still rather low light and cars would pass every 5 or so seconds. But this was not the only issue- it was our first time filming with the new tripod, and for some reason we just couldn't get the tilt to work (we should have checked how to use it before we came to film but we had to over come this) The tilt wouldn't adjust very well and I suggested that we try hand held to get the right amount of tilt from down to up. We tried many times for about half an hour, so we got some okay shots and some tragic ones due to either traffic or my hands stability. 

We even tried both sides of the bridge, and I forgot to mention the maintenance van on the road that disrupted our initial shots (so we waited until it reached the end of the road). Thankfully we achieved some usable shots, but at the time we felt it was a disaster and Iain volunteered to try using the main road near his house (because of the bridge too). 

On our way back, we ventured through a housing estate and captured some other shots looking down the road. We thought it was good because it showed all the cars still there, suggesting that there's no adults because they aren't in use. Then we went back to my house to sleep some more. 

THE TOWN SKYLINE PAN:
On that same day we organised the town skyline shot, and we planned to all do this one. We met up outside our chosen location, the Captain Cook multi-story carpark. 

First we gathered some pan shots from indoor, as we could see the towns buildings and offices. But we mainly wanted to get a long pan of the skyline, so went to the very top of the carpark and set up there. I thought the sky looked amazing with deep and heavy rain clouds which totally contrasted with the intense orange sunset sky (where clouds parted), it had a very apocalyptic sense and so we were so glad to have came at the right time. We all had a turn panning, and we got some good shots.

We were about to look at a different angle of the skyline to capture the industry and smoke, until a problem arose. One of the carpark staff approached us and asked us to leave because we weren't allowed to film on their property with a permit from the council. So we had no choice but to politely leave. We were halfway through the door and yet he continued to warn us as if we were protesting (he talked about the armed response team) but we were at least glad to get a few good shots. I suggested that we go to another carpark nearby, but when we arrived it was already closing. So we headed to McDonalds to treat ourselves and called it a day. 

When Iain went home he planned to film to the road near his way, but there was too much traffic, so instead he went into the forest nearby to see if he could get that establishing shot. Here's a video showing some of the shots:

We thought these shots were really nice but too fantasy/surreal almost, especially for our trailer, We aimed fore shots that showed negative and mass effects of the event. Although we thought it could have been nice for the equilibrium part of the film/trailer, if the teens were in the woods hanging out, maybe.

In the summer I borrowed the camera in case we filmed, but since we didn't, I went out one morning to see what establishing shots I could come up with. It was very early and I got caught in torrential rain, so it not go as planned because I was going to go to the motorway myself, but I came back, drowned. Here's a video showing some of the shots I gathered on my way. We are really considering the park shot because the weather makes it appear sad and dark. 

We had done most of our establishing shots by this point and we are relying on our other main shoots to capture the ones we don't yet have, like the beach and industry ones. So far, I think it's fair to say we were doing well, with lots of video options.

Shooting 1: The Teacher Disappearance and The Corridor Shots

We had to re-shoot the teacher shot because our first shoot wasn't as successful as we hoped. In theory the idea was achievable, but the practical side needed working on. We first filmed on the 2nd of October, then again on the 15th.

TEACHER DISAPPEARANCE SHOT:

Also known as 'the Ged shot' took place in the Lecture theatre. We selected this location because of it's set up with rows of tables which allowed the composition of shot to function correctly. 

Firstly we organised the shoot with our media/literature, Ged, while he had a class, so we asked to use his current students to come in the lecture theatre too, to fill up seats. We planned for it to only last around ten minutes because we didn't want to hold everyone back and it was only one shot. Everyone was seated and Iain put on a history presentation as if the class was being taught. From that, Ged decided his line was 'the effects of the war hindered rather than helped the economy' which was good because then that helped set the scene. We directed him, so that once he ducks he stops his line. 

In achieving the camera work, we used the very back table as a surface and a jumper to sit on the table while the camera is placed on it, we pulled the jumper along the table to create a dolly effect. It was good because there was no background sound from the movement and it was smooth.  Iain was in charge of the camera for this shoot as we thought it would be good o have Michael and Eve in the class (not that you'd notice). 

However, a problem came from our timing. We used Clare (Selene) to signal Ged when to duck based on how far along the table the camera was/whether someone head passed the frame, as that was the perfect opportunity for Ged to duck. We kept catching a part of Ged as he ducked down. So in trying to resolved this we found a point in which the camera would be on the table when Ged disappeared, we then changed peoples seating to ensure there was a head in the frame, and we told Ged where exactly to stand. But we kept having the same problem so we tried directing which way Ged should go when ducking, like towards the desk or just where he was stood. This shoot was unsuccessful because it went on for too long, so we rescheduled it. 

On the re-shoot we had the same problem until finally we captured one good shot. Before there was many almost good shots but we would see just a little bit of Geds shoulder or head move down as the camera passed. Here a video with some examples and the successful shot:

THE CORRIDOR ESTABLISHING SHOT:
After the first Ged shot attempt, my group went to film the 'clinical corridor' in gathering the different establishing shots. I had to go to an English lesson so I couldn't participate, but it was okay because this shot didn't really require lots of attention, Iain and Lizzie handled it. 

We planned to use a zoom, experimenting with both zoom-ins and outs of looking down the corridor to see which was more effective. We felt it was important to have some interior location shots for a range of different ideas conveyed- this reminded me of  a very clean version of the hospital corridor in The Walking Dead TV series, a minor influence of mine. The clinical feel accentuated the emptiness to encourage the narrative.  We had no major problems. 

Characters and Casting

As established, there are two rivalry groups so we began dividing people into those two groups with possible allocated roles. We cast ourselves too, but we planned this ages ago as we wanted to be main characters because we could rely on ourselves to be available in each shoot. We also decided to have a matriarch and patriarch in both groups, reflecting THG use of character functions in terms of tributes. Considering that we are making a trailer, we tried to add depth to the main characters by identifying their personalities and traits, as that could help the narrative grow and let the viewer identify and relate to the more. 

MAIN CAST/CHARACTERS:

Daniel Shippey (me) as Michael Lockwood (Protagonist group Patriarch)

was cast as the patriarch of the good group because my other group members liked the idea of having an 'unlikely hero' in thought of my appearance (facial piercing) and personality (not wanting to lead) as it challenges the archetype of a hero. We thought this could reflect the influence TWTWB, as a rebellious character (Homer) has to step up alongside the female leader. We decided that my character had to be conveyed as quite normal and plain so the audience can better relate to me as the hero. We tried to achieve this through my character name, 'Michael', because it's generic, while it also had a LOTF-like meaning because of the biblical connotations behind the name. Michael symbolised the arch-angel, Michelangelo, who represents good defeating evil- this was suitable because it matched the plot. We chose 'Lockwood' as my surname because it sounded strong and protective, like the traits of Micheal, while 'wood' suggests the nature of humanity will survive through the event.

We had lot's of debates about my character name because no other name, like 'james' or 'sam' felt right, but then we settled with Michael because it was most fitting to our needs in terms of character and narrative. 

Lizzie McLaughlin as Eve Formstone (Protagonist group Matriarch)

We cast Lizzie as the matriarch of the good group, naturally because of her innocent yet strong appearance. Most female leads have dark hair which connotes masculinity, but Lizzie had blonde hair and we felt the symbolism of goodness was suitable and also in a sense challenging to both THG and TWTWB influences as both female leads have generic dark hair. Lizzie and I suit being the leaders of the good group because we are of a similar height and we generally look like good people compared to the other cast members. Lizzie fought for another theme of love to be in the film like in most teen films and our influences, but we didn't want to really hint at this, so instead we made he appear more dependent on Michael, adding to his pressure of protecting the group and both their identities. The name 'Eve' like 'Micheal' is also biblical, which brought further themes of betrayal into the plot. The name matched her appearance and character, so we kept it.

Iain Guy as Haden Godfrey (Antagonist group Patriarch)

We thought Iain was the best person to play the patriarch of the bad group because of his appearence- his angular and sharp features allow him to have naturally cruel and mean expressions, helping to portray his evil personality. Adding to that, we felt he could act as a sophisticated villain in his costume, hair style and white complexion. His sociopathic streak is hidden yet reflected in his clean-cut appearance, much like Patrick Bateman in 'American Psycho'. Hadens need for control is what makes him a threat and danger to society, bringing about civilisations downfall by hunting the good group. The name choise 'Haden' came from Iains interest into greek mythology, as Hades is the God of the underworld, he said Haden was reminiscent of that God because he brings death to narrative. The surname 'Godfrey' functions to represent his power and contradict the nature of good and evil in the new society. We all agreed that it had a certain negative sound to it. 

We did have some debate about whether I should be the villain in light of my negatively viewed appearance in society, so we even asked other groups and teachers. Everyone saw a link between him and 'Jack' from LOTF because of his ginger hair and well-spoken accent, evoking characterisations of Jack- both have the same aim to seek power, an attitude that believes they rightly deserve to rule and the negative (evil) connotations of ginger hair. 

Clare Branson as Selene Blanchett (Antagonist group Matriarch)

To accompany Haden, the matriarch of the bad group, Clare functions as 'the whisper in the ear' as she would stand by him, giving him barbaric ideas and encouragement. We cast Clare because she is already close to us and fortunately available to play as a main character. But also, she is very fitting as an antagonist because of her dark hair, height and ability to pull sly expressions. She stands against the good groups matriarch, Eve, as an opponent and symbol of conflict (hair/height/expressions). Clare ensured that Iain was the villain because together they suit as villains, while Lizzie and I are similar in that respect. Also, Clare and Iain appear like conventional villains in Hollywood films because they are tall, thin and pale, which are natural qualities that can be recognised as 'evil' allowing the audience to identify the bad, which will define the good. We named Clare's character 'Selene' because it connotes darkness through Roman mythology. however, personally, I liked the sound of the name because of the 's' sound that makes me think of snakes and her sly expression, as the assonance of the 'e' sound strengthens my perceptions because the sound is pulled along.  I think this only reflects THG as some of the other female tributes were very threatening which surprised me, having as strong impact on the viewer because there are less gender stereotypes, which is now common in Hollywood productions. 

SIDE CAST/CHARACTERS:
We employed other friends to be side characters as we needed at least ten people so there would be actual groups.

Fiona Gill as Fiona Grey (Protagonist group member)

Fiona's character functions to highlight the brutal nature of rivaling groups, in reflecting the downfall of civilisation. She is Haden's first victim and dies, putting how things really are into perspective. Through her role, the film takes shape and pace through a chase scene that provokes thoughts in the main characters to add depth and realism in them and the narrative. Her name wasn't changed because the meaning 'fair' suited her, while 'Grey' indicates a lifeless turn for her and story because the goodness is lost. 

Matthew McLaughlin as Alfie Formstone (Protagonist group member)
Eve's younger brother brings elements of reality and normality to the plot because family still exists. At the same time it heightens the tension and need for protection which is good for the trailer and portrayal of Eve. 

Sam Coburn as Luke Goldwyn (Protagonist group member)

The best way to describe Luke, is Michaels right hand man. His function is to help the good group get through the problems posed by the bad group. He contributes to the decisions of the group, and his male presence adds to the balance and stereotypical strength of the group- if I was the only male besides Lizzies brother, the group would be unintentionally portrayed as weak and without a chance of survival compared to the antagonist's. 

Dan McArthur as Jake Fletcher (Antagonist group member)
After asking about for characters, we attracted some guys that looked just right for the antagonist group. Dan is very tall and therefore functions to create further intimidation and fear. We ensured to bulk up Hadens group with henchmen, they may not be lead cast, but they helped define Hadens appearence by doing his dirty work in order to maintain  his clean-cut and sophisticated appearance- as he wont be chasing people about like a child. 





Kieran Hanrahan as Kieran Stockholm (Antagonist group member)
Just like Dan, Kieran has the same role. Kieran has dark hair and a strong build, so he was suitable for the threat. We wanted both henchmen to display sadistic charateristics too, so it all pieced together. 








Extras and Other Cast/Characters:

Hannah Larkin as Lana Moore (Protagonist group member)
Lana is another character who seeks seafety in the good group, but contributes nothing major to the plot. 

Alex Sherlock as Evan Campbell (Antagonist group member)
Another Henchmen due to his broad appearance, unfortunately we don't have a picture of Alex. He supports Haden's group with his brawn. (Notice that Clare is the only female in the antagonist group, as the male domination clearly functions to communicate the dominance and power that they seek.)

Karen McLaughlin as Eves mother (Adult)
Lizzie's actual mother is there to voice the context of the plot with the goverment experiment evidenced in her work folder. She also aims to show the loss of family to add realism. 

Ged Groves as a teacher (Adult)
We plan to use an actual teacher to play the role of the teacher. He is important in communicating the actual government experiment in action. He also brings the story to a focus of school kids and shows that it happens unexpectedly to all adults.