SHOT LIST

A shot list is a document that lists all the shots needed for the film in the most convenient order and not in the chronological order of the film narrative. I drafted the shot list needed for when I shoot on all 3 locations.

EQUIPMENT

For the shoot, I will not require a lot of equipment as the shots I'm thinking of are simple but also connote some form of meaning in order for me to maintain my project goal. The only problem I'm facing is what type of lights I should use. Lighting may also be an issue as I will be handling the camera and possibly the sound kit so I would need another person to help set up the lighting kit. All of the equipment are accessible through the college.

DSLR CAMERA W/ STANDARD LENS

This is the Canon 1200D. It is a starter camera that records at a reasonably good quality. (1080p) The lens is good but could be better if I want to get more of a cinematic shot. This camera does not work very well at low light situations which is a problem as 2 of my locations will have very low light.

The camera has interchangeable modes, but for this project, I will be using the video mode.

This camera is fitted with the standard 18-55mm lens which makes a content shot if used properly and effectively.

During the shoot, I will switch the lens to MF which means 'Manual Focus' so I can change focus at will when shooting a scene that needs dynamic change.

This is the settings menu for the video mode of the camera. I will be referring to this most of the time for the shoot to get the appropriate shots needed.

This is the white balance feature, which changes the camera's colour on the image. All of the shots I need are all indoors so I will refer to the Cloudy mode or the Indoors mode.

This is the frames per second menu. I prefer to use the 1920x1080_24fps_29:59 setting as it records in high quality and provides a cinematic shot.

The ISO setting provides the balance of brightness in the camera. I plan to go strictly only up to 1600 as the higher the ISO is raised, the more 'noisy' the image will be. The 'noise' is the random variation of brightness or colour information in the image which is unwanted.

TRIPOD

This can be obtained from the college and provides me with stable shots which are key for cinematic shots. I plan to book the tripod after the holiday right before filming.

PROP DESIGNS

PROPS

Iron Bar/Murder weapon

This is an actual rusted iron bar. This poses health and safety risks as it will be used for a particular scene where the killer repeatedly hits the victim's head. I have two options to make sure the actors won't get hurt. The first option is to make a replica out of foam and paint it with the similar colour. The second option is to rehearse with the actors and practice with them where the actor who plays the killer must hit the other actor just at the side of his head in order to avoid getting hit. This option is more riskier and requires a lot more effort.











Student's apparel and equipment

Every actor that plays as an extra should have a notebook open or closed along with pens. This prop preparation is specified for Isaac's character. I chose this to show his organisational skills and how tidy his desk is.

As for bags, it should look something similar to this to clearly suggest that they are students and are in college.

TEST FOOTAGE

I am doing these test footage as it will help me prepare with what I have to do for the actual shoot. Here, I can identify whether the shots from the storyboard can actually be done on the location and will help me think of more shots as well as avoid further complications and delays for the actual production shoot.

TEST 1

On this video, I am testing out the framing of the camera, lighting and movement. I have found that this shot (illustrated in the storyboard) does not seem to work with the lens I have as it is at an awkward position and doesn't seem to capture the action I want the killer to have. Furthermore, the framing is poor and the camera is too close to the door.

TEST 2

This is the second test of the same scene. For this one, I changed the framing of the camera to a wider and higher shot but also maintaining a claustrophobic feeling to the shot. I think this shot works better because the killer can be seen better but the mystery is still maintained. I also added a placeholder prop to check if the prop works in that shot and also see how the actor should behave with it.

TEST 3

For this shot, I turned the lights off for a more realistic Noir feel. Using low key light is also conventional for crime and thriller genres which is what I'm aiming for. Adding less light also makes it more mysterious and also uncomfortable as it makes the room very insecure and vulnerable. I am happy with the framing of the shot but not with the lighting composition. The camera does not perform very well in dark situations and needs to have more lighting for the audience to know what's going on.

TEST 4

This is the 4th test for the Murder Scene. On this test, I added a secondary light source at the left side of the screen which is the torch on my phone. The shot looks better already, however the light coming from my phone is too harsh against the wall and looks greenish, which is not the look I'm going for. I'm thinking of adding a different coloured material to change the colour of the light and also to diffuse the light to make it less harsh on the shot. I am also thinking of adding a tertiary light at the end of the room just beyond the door to show the silhouette of the killer and a bit of Pierson's face to add more emphasis and character in the shot as well as to highlight the victim and the killer. Lighting wise, I am thinking of blending white light and warm light to illustrate warmth and comfort which I can juxtapose once the killer arrives to unsettle the audience slightly. I also added some movement in the camera to make it look as if the camera is almost peeking into the room and that the audience are the witnesses.

LOCATION SCOUTING

My initial plan is to check and ask if I can use the Long Road Sixth Form College Drama Stage and any appropriate classroom for the scenes required in my film. I hope to get photos of the location and draft risk assessments and health and safety files once I am allowed to film there. I hope to film at these locations after the Christmas break. If I do not get access to any of these locations, I will immediately have to come up with a contingency plan.

LOCATION SCOUT - PIERSON'S ROOM (10/12/16)

I will be filming Pierson's Room in my house, mainly because of the budget restrictions I have. The advantage of filming at my house is that I can have full control over designing the set and also lighting the room. It will be easier as well as I won't need to fill out as much paperwork regarding to the permissions to use the location.

The door next to the set can provide natural light for the camera to pick up on which may be useful because of the camera's technical limitations.

The room is quite small which is good as it is the right sized room that I wanted but will be difficult to include and set up some lighting equipment. I will be able to move some materials however to free up some space. There is also an extended plug for any lighting equipment to be attached when needed. Raising the blinds can be good to let some natural light in as well. However, it may not be necessary as I plan to film at night to reinforce the low light scenario.

This is where Pierson will be lying down. The windowsill can be used to place the picture frames of Pierson's relatives which would be good as it will help fill the room and add more characteristic and insight to Pierson's life. 

This shot can be used as another cinematic shot that might be used for any other recreations of the same scene.

These items can be moved out of the room to free up some space. This would be a great area to place any further lighting equipment or sound equipment. Getting closer shots of the Killer and Pierson would also be easier by freeing up this space.

This is a storage room where I can move the camera back to if needed to get the right angle and framing of shots. This will also give the actor more space when entering the room as there won't be much disruption in the corridor.

LOCATION SCOUT - CLASSROOM (19/01/17)

The classroom is necessary for the short film as it is the scene that kicks off the story. It also establishes the characters for the audience and lets them get an impression into the story. The classroom is part of the college and comes with a projector, tables and chairs. The room also has posters and pictures which is helpful as it already paints the picture of a classroom for the scene.

The windows provide natural lighting which is good as I would need it to create a naturalistic look of the classroom where it is almost creating a mellow mood to portray a lazy or saturated afternoon. I plan to add some sort of harsh light that shouldn't look too obvious to still fit with the conventions of a crime thriller.

LOCATION SCOUT - ISAAC'S MIND (23/02/17)

I managed to book the stage at college, which is a large performance room that's part of the drama studio. It comes with large black curtains and spotlights which is exactly what I am looking for to replicate a scene where the character Isaac, solves a crime scene in his mind.

The stage is a perfect location for shooting wide shots and establishing shots because of its large space, so it is good for creating shots with a large amount of negative space which is what I am aiming for in a particular scene in the script.

The stage comes equipped with spotlights that can be controlled through a panel at the side of the room. I will most likely end up using LED lights instead as they can be easily moved around and can increase the brightness at a strong setting.

There are also electrical outlets behind the curtains of the stage so I can plug in the LED lights when they run out of batteries.

ART DIRECTION

COSTUME DESIGNS - 06/12/16

ISAAC

For Isaac's costume design, I've thought of representing him as a highly intelligent young individual. But I also want to make him seem slightly unstable due to his high intelligence. He is a quiet individual who listens attentively to every small detail. His time management is precise and usually keeps to himself. His appearance is smart, clean and casual and also possessing high organisational skills. Isaac is a college student studying psychology and criminology.

TEACHER

The teacher plays as a side character that gives out all the clues and the information that Isaac needs. Although the teacher is barely seen, I still think that designing his costume would still be a necessary part. The teacher is portrayed to be both a smart and authoritative character. His watch is expensive and was given to him as a present. He is portrayed to be welcoming and friendly and makes sure that he interacts and engages with his students.

KILLER

The killer doesn't reveal much and is only seen as a mysterious silhouette or shadow. He wears a black rugged hood and has an outer coat to keep him warm. He used a rusty iron bar to kill Robert Pierson. Isaac makes a link from this and theorises that the murder weapon relates to his field of work in mechanics.

ROBERT PIERSON

Pierson is a university student that lives in a private accommodation housing. He wears smart, expensive clothing to reflect his affluent lifestyle and personality. He is portrayed to have a successful social life and makes people jealous of him. Inside however, he is slightly unstable and has depression. He makes a lot of jokes but never smiles.

SET DESIGNS

CLASSROOM

This is a moodboard of different classrooms. This will help me think about lighting and framing for the classroom scenes in my short film. I also need to make sure that the different cinematography techniques I use should connote some form of meaning for the audience to understand in order for me to answer the Project's Question confidently.

My intentions for the set design of the classroom is that it should look like a modern college classroom. This means there should have good open lights from windows, posters related to the subject (criminology) and students should be wearing smart casual clothes and not school uniforms. There should also be a PowerPoint presentation showing towards a white screen. The students should have bags, notebooks and pens.

ISAAC'S MIND

This is a moodboard containing scenes from 2 TV shows: Sherlock and Stranger Things. Since my film idea is heavily inspired and related from these shows, (Crime, thriller) I wanted to illustrate a visual portrayal of Isaac's Mind to show how he solves the crime scene and the clues presented towards him and show this to the audience visually rather than aurally. The portrayal of a blank, negative space is to symbolise the character's zone and his place of thinking. In this zone, Isaac can conjure up anything in his mind that can help him find other clues or solve the murder in the story.

PIERSON'S ROOM 

For Pierson's Room, I wanted to convey Pierson as a character who is successful in life especially towards people and at his job. This is so that he can become a victim of jealousy to other people. I wanted to convey his room to be the opposite of tidy. This is to symbolise that Pierson's life isn't perfect and that he is facing difficulties internally, and that he keeps it to himself. By simply hinting this with the untidiness of Pierson's room, it provides a visual backstory for the audience to interpret on and makes the story more colourful with open questions and interpretations. I also think that the room should be very small and nearly claustrophobic to symbolise the vulnerability of Pierson's state.

PROP DESIGNS

Here is a list of the props and materials that were contained in the script:

• Marker pen (Killer's Symbol)
• Iron bar (Murder Weapon)
• Photograph frames
• Photographs
• Fake blood

KILLER'S SYMBOL

I decided to go with this symbol for the killer. This is the symbol the killer leaves behind to send a message to the people. The marking inside the circle represents the letter 'K' which stands for kill, killer or killed. I decided to add a circle around it to symbolise a target to make it look like a crosshair. This is to add the mystery behind the killings.

CASTING

The film will require numerous amount of actors and extras which I will have to make sure I can actually get enough people to participate. Otherwise, I may have to undergo drastic changes to the script. The cast is shown below only with their first names to protect their identity before being credited into the final film.

CREW

DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER/SOUND/EDITOR - Francis Pesquera

CAST

ISAAC - Matthew
TEACHER - Jake
VICTIM/ROBERT PIERSON - Ian
KILLER - Lawrence
STUDENTS/EXTRAS - TBC

STORYBOARD

These will be the initial shots that I plan to execute when shooting the film.

*NOTE* Update Review, 28/11/16 - The title of the film has been changed from 'Daydream' to 'Red Herring'

SECOND STORYBOARD

*NOTE* Update Review, 07/01/17 - I've made the necessary changes to the storyboard after the script has been changed. The updated storyboard is shown below. I have labelled them with a tick or a cross to show which shots I've kept and which shots I removed.