Filming Day 2

We have finished our second day of filming.

Video Diary


Scenes filmed

• Scene I — Opening scene
• All shots
• Scene II — Phonebox scene
• Scott's dialogue, in office
• Scene VIII — Searching scene
• All shots

Characters & costume

fig. 1

Robyn is focused on in this first scene before Scott arrives. She is wearing her signature red patterned coat over glamorous clothes (fig. 1). We shot a large number of shots with part of her obscured or with her face not visible (utilising shots such as over-the-shoulder, and techniques such as fragmentation) to keep some distance from the viewer. 



fig. 2



Scott is wearing a white shirt and loose tie (fig. 2). We dressed him semi-formally as we wanted to get across Scott's eagerness to please and fit in during his internship, but that he feels out of his depth. We aimed to apply these character traits to Scott to endear him to the viewer as the protagonist. 



fig. 3



In Scene I, Robyn interacts with the unnamed head of the newspaper agency (played by Lauren). We wanted to keep the viewer at a distance from this figure, so we framed her with her face obscured in certain ways, such as keeping her out of focus when talking to Robyn. We shall also attempt to darken her face in post-production. We took a few shots of this character for possible poster ideas, including fig. 3, which we shot through the grill of a desk fan. Different posters of single characters are often featured in marketing campaigns for films in large or important regions, eg. in America, where the budget for advertising would be larger than in smaller territories.

Scenes & issues

We had originally wanted to film this scene in the basement of our friend Dominic's house, as it was relatively dark and was conducive to a noir atmosphere. However, we couldn't manage to get the desk down into the basement successfully! We relocated the scene to Dominic's bedroom, moving his bed and some of his belongings out of the way (fig. 4) to get the desk in the right places. We used the same desk in two different locations, one for the boss of the agency and another for Scott. This led to a lot of moving around (fig. 5) but we feel the shots we took paid off.

fig. 6

After we finished filming I applied some of the filters we have looked at using in our final edited short to a couple of stills from the day, perhaps in use for posters as mentioned above. Fig. 6 is an altered version of fig. 3, and more closely reflects what the image for one of my final posters might look like.

Filming Day 1

We have successfully completed our first day of filming!

Video Diary
We decided to do some behind-the-scenes filming to help us document our thought processes, what worked and what challenges we faced during filming.



fig. 1

Scenes filmed

• Scene II — Phonebox scene
• Robyn's conversations
• Scene III — Meeting scene
• All shots
• Scene IV — Office reflection scene
• Shot I only 

Characters & costume



fig. 2

The characters featured in filming today were primarily Scott and Robyn, shown in costume in fig. 2. We wanted Scott to look semi-formal, dressing him in a monochrome outfit, with a shirt and loose tie. Robyn we wanted to look sophisticated, and we adapted the trope of dangerous women in red by dressing her in a red patterned coat.





fig. 3

Jade features in a single shot, and she is shown in costume in fig. 3. We dressed Jade in a dark coat so as to keep her character mysterious, but we also gave her a hat with a flower to convey innocence—although the hat and flower are also dark in colour, to convey perhaps innocence lost or tainted. We leave this ambiguous for the time being in the narrative, further fleshing her characeter out in later scenes.






Scene II


fig. 4

Our shots for the phonebox scene were filmed at St. Mary's Court, Cambridge. Ellie took a photograph of four phoneboxes on the street (fig. 1) while doing a bit of location scouting in Cambridge before the day we went out and filmed, and we liked the location very much. In the background was a church with cobblestone walls, which is very indicative of Cambridge architecture and contrasts more traditional cityscape backgrounds nicely.




fig. 6

fig. 5

The shooting for the scene went well, and we managed to get a few nice-looking stills which we could also use later for posters (fig. 4). However, filming in a phonebox did give rise to some issues (fig. 5 & 6)!
In addition to occasionally cramped filming conditions when trying to get good shots, the cable for the microphone we used did not reach very far, so we had to reframe a few shots to take this into account. We are happy with how the scene turned out, though.



Scene III (and IV)


fig. 7

We filmed scene III—and had planned to long before filming started—at the 'Reality Checkpoint', or the lamppost in the middle of Parker's Piece in the centre of Cambridge (fig. 7). It is a rather recognisable place within Cambridge and, being the only light source in the park at night, conducive to a noir look: they create great low-key lighting and appear in many classic noir films. We had hoped to film right underneath the lamppost, at the intersection of the park's two large paths, but there was a consistent heavy flow of pedestrians (and bikes!) so we decided against it, instead filming on a corner of grass next to the intersection. You can get a sense of how busy it was in the video diary.




fig. 8

Aside from the occasional interfering passer-by, we had minimal problems filming this scene. We did film at dusk, and the shoot went on for a good hour or so, so we may well need to rectify this in post-production for the sake of continuity. The shot of Robyn smoking at the beginning of Scene IV we managed to quickly film right underneath the lamppost. Again, we took some stills that we may be able to use for posters (fig. 8).

Film Poster Research

As part of our coursework alongside our final film noir short, we have to complete two ancillary tasks related to our film. I have chosen to produce a film poster promoting the film as well as a film review in the style of a well-known publication magazine/website.

In light of choosing to produce a film poster, I have analysed some posters of both classic- and neo-noir films. (click to enlarge)

Scene VI — The Handover Scene

Pivotal scene of the short, in which Scott comes face-to-face with the leader of the drug racket (known only as "K") that Robyn has asked him to hand a suitcase back to: she told Scott that the suitcase was full of money that the drug lord was owed, but unbeknownst to Scott, she has given him an empty case, hoping that he will be the scapegoat for the money she has stolen.

1. Possible ext. establishing shot of the two through the bar window, before cut to profiles of both Scott and "K". Scott sits down, entering the frame, significantly more visible than K.
2. We initially planned for the following few shots to depict conversation immediately after Scott is seated, possibly using a split-screen effect to show over-the-shoulder shots of both characters, similar to those used in films such as Tarantino's Kill Bill (see right). We have since discussed this decision and, while we are fond of the split-screen effect, we think that withholding conversation for as long as possible would be conducive to building tension, and we want this scene to perhaps be the most tense scene in the short.
3. ECU of Scott's hands clasped together on the table, fidgeting nervously. The use of extreme close-ups would help raise the tension, a technique often seen in noir films, thrillers et cetera to do so.
4. ECU of a glass of water for Scott, possibly with a drop of water running down the side. We have discussed the so-called 'strudel scene' from Inglourious Basterds, and like the effect that extreme close-ups in silence have on the tension level of the scene.
5. OTS mid shot of Scott picking up his glass of water to begin to drink.
6. Match-on-action mid shot of Scott drinking to alleviate his dry throat due to his nervousness. We hope that this shot, by highlighting how out of his depth he is, will serve to humanise Scott and endear the viewer to him.
7. Mid shot of Scott over-the-shoulder of K. K addresses Scott with a simple "so?", and Scott remembers the briefcase, fumbling to pick it up from his feet and put it on the table.
8. Slight zoom/jump cut to CU on empty suitcase as K opens it. Scott is oblivious to the lack of money in the case, making the viewer fear for him.
9. CU on a very worried Scott, asking K what is wrong.
10. Cut to K (keeping 180-degree-rule in mind), reply: "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

Scene V — Prelude to Handover Scene

These shots lead up to the "handover" of the suitcase. Scott arrives at the bar where he is to meet the drug lord/dealer, and his girlfriend warns Scott, trying to tell him to leave while he can.

1. Mid establishing shot of bar interior, Scott at bar smoking. Good hit point for music?
2. Pan up to profile CU of Scott smoking. He turns his head worriedly towards the camera: somebody is approaching him.
3. Back to original mid shot, into which Jade (the girlfriend of the drug lord) enters. She sits at the bar next to Scott, but does not address or look at him.
4. Long shot from end of bar. Jade receives a martini, aware of Scott's presence but still says nothing.
5. CU of bar. Jade places martini glass back down in front of her, having taken a drink, with a lipstick print on it. Jade begins to speak off-camera to create emotional distance.
6. CU of Jade, continuing to speak. She warns Scott not to go through with the handover if he values his life, and to get out as soon as possible.
7. Cut back to bar shot. Pan and focus shift to shadowy figure at table. Ominous music would be effective here to highlight the danger of this character.

Scene IV — The Office Reflection Scene

This scene follows the meet-up, and Scott is sitting alone in the office waiting for the phone to ring as the signal to meet with the drug lord. The shots planned are as follows:

1. CU of Robyn still in park, taking a drag on a cigarette.
2. Match-on-action of a nervous Scott exhaling. We decided to use a match-on-action to link the two scenes together, and to highlight the change in setting. Office is darker than in previous scenes, keeping continuity with earlier scnee of park at dusk.
3. ECU of Scott's watch, just before 10pm, in anticipation of Robyn ringing the office.
4. 'Horror shot' (low, distorted shot) of phone on office desk; silence.
5. Off-kilter ECU of phone beginning to ring multiple times.
6. Cut to long shot of Scott leaving the office, leaving the phone to ring. Robyn said she would only let the phone ring three times, but the phone does not stop ringing...

Scene III — The Meeting Scene

This third scene follows Robyn and Scott having planned to meet. This scene fills in more of the plot, although Robyn is an unreliable source and so is not telling the absolute truth. In this scene, Scott agrees to meet up with the drug lord that Robyn is supposedly tailing, as she says it is 'too dangerous' for her to make the meet herself. She plays on Scott's gentile manner and feigns innocence. She tells Scott to wait for her signal by phone back at the newspaper agency office.

(in chronological order from left to right)
           1. Static long shot of a lamppost in a park later at night. The scene, as with all our 'night' scenes, will be filmed at dusk and darkened in post-production: we learnt last year that this method leaves picture quality much higher than having to lighten shots that are too dark. Robyn enters the shot and leans against the lamppost [location: Cambridge].
            2. Fragmented shot of Robyn, and we see Scott walking up the path to meet her. She stays still as he approaches, suggesting resolution in Robyn and naïvety in Scott.
            3. Close-up of Robyn's face, staying still and listening to Scott approaching. We initially had this shot placed before the shot of Scott approaching her, but we felt that the new order established events more concisely and allowed for smoother transition, into...
            3a. Pan round to profile view of Robyn, who addresses Scott.
            4. Cut to profile view of Scott. The conversation that follows will continue to use these, or similar, shots.

Planning - Colour

From the outset of planning our film noir short, my group and I had decided that experimenting with certain traditional aspects and conventions of film noir—in other words, creating a neo-noir—would be more challenging and rewarding than creating a simple pastiche of classic noir; we subsequently came to a conclusion regarding time setting, deciding on approximate time period of the 1990s.
 
We also discussed experimenting with colour in post-production, to reflect the more contemporary time setting: we did not want our short to simply be black-and-white. We had discussed the possibility of altering our film footage in various ways and wanted to see whether desaturating images and increasing contrast would give an atmospheric look. Here are three stock images similar to locations that we intend to shoot in, comparing the unaltered image with a desaturated, high-contrast version. 
 
We like the effect produced by this, and think we will eventually use it in our short.

Planning Miscellany: The Disruption of Compositional Balance & One Point Perspective

In looking for inspiration for our short (as well as in more general terms), I am of the belief that looking outside of the genre we are working in can be just as beneficial as drawing from similar films.

The idea of the 'disruption of compositional balance' is when a shot draws attention to itself as a shot in a film, deliberately used to jar and unsettle the viewer. This effect can be created by extremely off-kilter shots, shots with an object unusually-focused on or unusually-framed, et cetera. One of my personal favourite directors, Stanley Kubrick, utilised a shot technique countlessly throughout his moviemaking career that creates a similar, if more subtle, feeling of uncertainty. Kubrick often eschewed the well-established 'rule-of-thirds' in favour of the 'one-point perspective': namely, framing shots so that the lines or 'vectors' of the shot converge to a central point. Many of these such shots have been aggregated in a single video -- see below:

As the video demonstrates, one-point perspective can create perplexingly tense shots when there is nothing physically 'wrong' or 'threatening' shown. The predominant theory as to why this sort of shot incites this effect in viewers is that the converging lines that this shot creates draw the eye into the centre of the frame, mirroring how we often see things in real life. The drawing of the eye into the centre of the frame and ignoring the outer edges can, at its most effective, be rather hypnotic. I am as of yet unsure how my group and I could incorporate this into our film noir short, but I will propose we use something like this in our next lesson; we have certainly discussed previously the disruption of compositional balance and how effectively it can build an unnerving atmosphere, and this technique might be beneficial.

Scene II — The Phonebox Scene

In this lesson we continued to draft out some shots using Post-It Notes, and decided to develop further scenes involving our femme fatale, Robyn. 

 

(in chronological order from left to right)

1. Slow zoom establishing shot of Robyn, our femme fatale, in a telephone box. [Location: Cambridge] As this scene is principally involved with characterising Robyn as somebody not to be trusted, we have attempted to maintain a certain distance between her and the viewer in a number of ways. For example, she is talking on the phone to one of her contacts involved with the drug scandal she is involved with; the fact that we are outside of the phone box and looking in at her through the glass means what she is saying is muffled.
2. Mid shot on Robyn from the phone box interior. The last few words of her conversation will be clearly audible to the viewer, but she speaks using slang and codewords (taking inspiration from Brick) before quickly hanging up the phone. The shot lingers on her face, looking contemplative and malicious to further establish the type of character she is.
3. Cut back to exterior shot of Robyn in the phone box, picking up the phone again. Again the nature of the shot leaves it ambiguous to the viewer as to who she is calling.
4. Close-up of a telephone ringing. The viewer still does not know who Robyn is calling; we may experiment with the disruption of compositional balance here to jar the viewer, drawing further attention to this. (Sidenote: We found a phone befitting of the ~90s time period we want to set our short in; see right.)
5.  Straight cut to mid shot of Scott in the newspaper agency. It is now clear where Robyn is calling; the phone that is ringing is on the boss's desk, and Scott stops in his tracks as he is about to leave, considering whether or not to answer as the boss is nowhere to be seen.
6. Cut back to same shot of phone, still ringing. This repeated use of a deliberately 'awkward' or 'claustrophobic' shot we plan to use multiple times throughout our short, as it creates an intangible tension key to the atmosphere we want to create. The shot remains still (in-keeping with the long, static shots of classic noir) and Scott's hand tentatively enters the shot to pick up the phone.
7. We have yet to fully structure the conversation between Scott and Robyn, but will experiment more once we have done so what sort of shots we will use to portray the conversation best. This long shot of Robyn leaving the phone box to meet Scott will track backwards as she walks down the path, before she leaves the shot.

Scene Planning

This lesson we decided to begin planning out a few more of the scenes for our film noir short. Below is a transcript of the notes I made:

• Credits over AGENCY scene
• Post-It rough storyboard done
• Dialogue with boss needs to be sorted.
• PUBLIC PHONE
• Robyn on call to drug contact. Codenames could be used (such as in Brick) to withhold certain information from viewer.
• Robyn hangs up, calls agency and reaches Scott. She pleads for his help and they arrange a meet-up
• Post-It storyboard to be done.
• Meet-up at LAMPPOST
• [Poss. location: park in Cambridge next to Grand Arcade]
• Longer scene -- Robyn 'explains' situation to Scott. Tells him she needs to follow up a lead so as not to lose big story involving drugs; in reality she is in too deep with her contacts. Entices him by suggesting she could help him climb the ranks at the newspaper agency.
• Reflection scene at BAR
• [Possible location: Zeus restaurant, Baldock]
• Scott reflecting on what he has been told. Possible other characters -- Scott's friends?