Camera Tests

Before going onto start the filming we first did some tests with the camera. The first one we did was looking at how Aperture and ISO effects the light in the film. 

Aperture:

ISO:

Representation

This video shows a comparison of scenes in which females are being victimised, being shown as helpless, screaming victims.

This video shows the conventions of the horror movie, whilst my own movie is not technically a horror, it is a psychological thriller that follows many of the same conventions. The video also shows how the genre follows Mulvey's theory of the male gaze in which many of these are being sexualised as well as being victimised.  In my film it opens with a woman being victimised, though it also shows males being victimised at the same time, challenging such conventions. My film, also, does not really sexualise any characters, and particularly not the female character, Sarah. Although as said by Edwards, 1997, says that "the sexual objectification of men has increased in the media" This does not directly follow what is being shown in my films as none of the characters are particularly being sexualised or objectified, and my film is not, primarily, targeted towards women and homosexual men and so this is not really a requirement. Hugo being victimised by his murder, and Edward/Peter arguably becoming victimised by his weak mental state and Hugo's use of him.

Whilst my film does also include homosexual characters, it does not really follow any of the 'queer' theories. None of my characters are being portrayed as 'screaming queens' as talked of by Medhurst, 1998.

Shot and Lighting Research

Before I can actually begin filming, and before I had written up the shot list and storyboard, I had to do some research into the different sorts of shots that are used in my genre of film. Before beginning filming, I also need to research the sorts of lighting used.

I first looked at camera angles and setups in filmmaking in general, at first not restricting myself to any particular genre. In Shot by Shot, by Steven D. Katz (1991) the range of shots used are discussed, as well as why, in general, they are used. He first describes the use of Close ups:

"The close up can bring us into a more intimate relationship with the subjects on the screen"
"Not only can the close-up reveal the intimate, it can make us feel as if we are intruding on moments of privacy or sharing a moment of vulnerability- as if the person on screen has opened himself up to us."

This is something I feel may be very important for my film, particularly as it is restricted to only five minutes. Because of having such a short run time, even with only a couple of characters, I will not be able to add lots of explicit characterisation and character development. This is where close-ups will become important, showing the the subtleties of the character, particularly if we get strong actors.

Katz also describes what he calls 'The Medium Shot';

"The medium shot captures and actor's gestures and body language, but is still tight enough to include subtle variations in facial expression." It is "combining valuable qualities of the full shot and the close-up". 

This is a shot that I feel will often be used to bridge between a long shot, or a 'full shot', and the close-ups, and also to break up the close-ups where needed and help to lead into other shots. This follows what Alexander Mackendrick has said, (On Film-making 2004) "each angle should be significantly different in a way that adds or subtracts to the pictorial narrative."  However, this should all only be done when there is a reason. A cut should only be done when required , it "should have a purpose , that it follows the momentum of the viewer's interest, that each shift of angle is motivated by the audience's desire to see something that has been promised to them." This is something that I will try and follow when shooting the film and putting together the shot list and storyboard.

Katz then goes on to talk about 'The Full Shot';

"One of the full shot's most attractive qualities is that it allows the actor to use body language. This type of physical expression has all but disappeared from the movies since the silent period."

My film does not often require the much use of body language. This is because a lot of the film is dialogue and subtle emotion. I think I will try an incorporate a couple 'full shots' in order to show the power of murder. However, it is likely that my film will mostly consist of close-ups and medium shots.

In my genre of film, shots are the same as commonly used, however they are all used for specific reasons.

Quite often in this genre, close up as used to show emotion, often fear or anger, or some other related emotion often experienced in this genre. One example is this shot from Silence of the Lambs:

Close ups, of all kinds (MCU, ECU and CU) are possibly some of the most common shot types in a psychological thriller, because of this portrayal of, quite often, intense fear or anger, a common theme found in psychological thrillers, which can often be closely related to the horror genre.


Often large establishing shots are also used, often when there is few or even one location. This is often a dark shot not only setting up the location, but also the atmosphere. This example is from the film Shutter Island:


Although not a shot, a technique that can often be found in psychological thrillers, which could be classed more of as a movement, is the use of the long take, a continuous take that can often last for a few minutes. This can be used to create tension and fear, something that is often quite important to the themes and atmosphere of the films.

Storyboard

As Steven D. Katz states in Shot by Shot (1991) "Storyboards serve two purposes: First, they allow a filmmaker to pre-visualize his ideas and refine them in the same way a writer develops ideas through successive drafts; secondly, they serve as the clearest language to communicate ideas to the entire production team. ... Even small, dramatic films can benefit from storyboards, helping the director to refine mood and dialogue."

This is the storyboard for Deluca. A Storyboard is something designed to show the plans for the flow and look of each shot in the film. Whilst they do not need to be perfectly drawn, they do need to be able to show the flow of the film. This is something I feel that I have achieved, particularly in consideration to what Katz had said.

Next to this is a video. I put together the opening of the film as a video to get a feel of it's movement, length and how it would fit with the music that I desired, and what effect it would give.

Later into production, another person produced a storyboard, which is much closer to the final film:

Shot List

Here is the shot list that I have composed for Deluca. This one has changed a little from the original (below) as I decided to make a few changes in shot type and sequence when creating the storyboard.

Shot no.	Shot	Shot Type	Angle	Movement	Notes
1	1-1	WS	‘Eye level’	Pan	Support- Tripod WS of street
2	1-2	WS	High	Still	Support- Tripod WS of murder
3	1-3	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on rock
4	1-4	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on apple
5	1-5	ECU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Looking up to Ed’s face
6	1-6	ECU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Looking up to Cain’s face
7	1-7	WS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS on Cain and Abel
8	1-8	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on rock
9	2-1	WS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS of Sarah’s murder
10	2-2	CU	Low	Tilt	Support- Monopod Cu on phone out of pocket
11	2-3	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Ed talking
12	2-4	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod Ed looking down at body then walks away.
13	2-5	WS	Eye level	Pan	Support- Tripod Same position as 2-4, pan to see Ed talking on phone
14	2-6	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed on phone
15	2-7	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod OTS looking at phone
16	2-8	MS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Ms of Ed, putting phone in pocket
17	2-9	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS looking at body. Wide angle
18	3-1	MS	Eye level	Tilt down	Support- Tripod Tilt down to reveal Ed
19	3-2	CU	Low	Pan	Support- Tripod Pan to show Hugo walking
20	3-3	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Hugo
21	3-4	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod OTS of Hugo looking at Ed
22	3-5	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Looking up at Hugo
23	3-6	WS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Show both
24	3-7	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed
25	3-8	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS Ed looking to Hugo
26	3-9	ECU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod ECU on Ed
27	3-10	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Tripod MS of Hugo
28	3-11	MS	Low	Pan	Support- Tripod Pan from 3-10 to look to Ed
29	3-13	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Hugo
30	3-14	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Ed
31	3-15	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS over Ed to Hugo
32	4-1	WS	High	Still	Support- Tripod WS of Ed with body
33	4-2	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on hands
34	4-3	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed
35	4-4	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod OTS Ed looking to body
36	4-5	OTS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod OTS Ed looking up to Sarah
37	4-6	MS	High	Still	Support- Tripod MS of Ed shuffling back
38	4-7	MS	Eye level	Pan	Support- Tripod Quick pan from Ed to Sarah
39	4-8	MCU	High	Still	Support- Tripod MCU on Ed
40	4-9	WS	High	Pan	Support- Tripod Pan from Sarah, past Ed to where body was
41	4-10	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed
42	4-11	CU	Eye level	Still	Support- Tripod Cu on hands
43	4-12	MS	Low	Pan, track	Support- Tripod MS of both
44	5-1	WS	Low	Tilt up	Support- Tripod WS of house
45	5-2	WS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Same shot as 5-1, Ed and Sarah walk in.
46	5-3	MS	Eye Level	Still	Support- Tripod MS of both
47	5-4	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Sarah
48	6-1	MS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MS of Ed, Ed in deep right corner of shot, Hugo sits beside
49	6-2	CU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Cu on Ed
50	6-3	MCU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MCU on Hugo
51	6-4	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS Hugo, looking to Ed
52	6-5	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MS of Ed grabbing Hugo
53	6-6	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Ed pulling Hugo up
54	6-7	WS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS of Ed throwing Hugo down
55	6-8	CU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on rock being picked up
56	6-9	ECU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod ECU on bloody rock being lifted up after hit
57	6-10	WS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS of murder
58	6-11	CU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Hugo dying, last hit
59	6-12	WS	Eye level	Still	Support- Tripod WS of Ed standing over body
60	7-1	MS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod MS of Cain, drops the rock
61	7-2	ECU	Low	Pan-tilt, zoom.	Support- Tripod ECU on Cain’s eyes, pan down to apple. Zoom in.
62	8-1	WS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod WS of Ed walking towards house.

First Version

Below is a shot list that I created originally. This was changed when I had some different ideas, simplified some things and also when the script changed, the shot list had to change a little also.

Shot no.	Shot	Shot Type	Angle	Movement	Notes
1	1-1	WS	‘Eye level’	Pan	Support- Tripod WS of street
2	1-2	WS	High	Still	Support- Tripod WS of murder
3	1-3	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on rock
4	1-4	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on apple
5	1-5	ECU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Looking up to Ed’s face
6	1-6	ECU	‘Eye level’	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Close up on hand/rock
7	1-7	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MS on Cain
8	1-8	WS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS of Sarah’s murder
9	2-1	MCU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Ed standing from body.
10	2-2	MS	Low	Tilt	Support- Tripod Ed takes phone out, tilt up as he answers
11	2-3	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Ed talking
12	2-4	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod Ed looking down at body then walks away.
13	2-5	WS	Eye level	Pan	Support- Tripod Same position as 2-4, pan to see Ed talking on phone
14	2-6	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed on phone
15	2-7	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod OTS looking at phone
16	2-8	CU	‘Eye level’	Still	Support- Tripod CU on pocket
17	2-9	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS looking at body. Wide angle
18	3-1	MS	Eye level	Tilt down	Support- Tripod Tilt to reveal Ed
19	3-2	MS	Eye level	Pan	Support- Tripod Pan to show Hugo walking
20	3-3	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Hugo
21	3-4	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod OTS of Hugo looking at Ed
22	3-5	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Looking up at Hugo
23	3-6	WS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Show both
24	3-7	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed
25	3-8	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS Ed looking to Hugo
26	3-9	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Cu on Ed
27	3-10	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Tripod MS of Hugo
28	3-11	MS	Low	Pan	Support- Tripod Pan from 3-10 to look to Ed
29	3-13	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Hugo
30	3-14	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Cu on Ed
31	3-15	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS over Ed to Hugo
32	4-1	WS	High	Still	Support- Tripod WS of Ed with body
33	4-2	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on hands
34	4-3	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed
35	4-4	OTS	High	Still	Support- Tripod OTS Ed looking to body
36	4-5	OTS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod OTS Ed looking up to Sarah
37	4-6	MS	High	Still	Support- Tripod MS of Ed shuffling back
38	4-7	MS	Eye level	Pan	Support- Tripod Quick pan from Ed to Sarah
39	4-8	MCU	High	Still	Support- Tripod MCU on Ed
40	4-9	WS	High	Pan	Support- Tripod Pan from Sarah, past Ed to where body was
41	4-10	CU	High	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Ed
42	4-11	CU	Eye level	Still	Support- Tripod Cu on hands
43	4-12	MS	Low	Pan, track	Support- Tripod MS of both
44	5-1	WS	Low	Tilt up	Support- Tripod WS of house
45	5-2	WS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod Same shot as 5-1, Ed and Sarah walk in.
46	5-3	MS	Eye Level	Still	Support- Tripod MS of both
47	5-4	CU	Low	Still	Support- Tripod CU on Sarah
48	6-1	MS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MS of Ed, Ed in deep corner of shot, Hugo sits beside
49	6-2	CU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod Cu on Ed
50	6-3	MCU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MCU on Hugo
51	6-4	OTS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod OTS Hugo, looking to Ed
52	6-5	MS	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod MS of Ed grabbing Hugo
53	6-6	CU	Low	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Ed pulling Hugo up
54	6-7	WS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS of Ed throwing Hugo down
55	6-8	CU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on rock being picked up
56	6-9	ECU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod ECU on bloody rock being lifted up after hit
57	6-10	WS	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod WS of murder
58	6-11	CU	High	‘hand-held’	Support- Monopod CU on Hugo dying, last hit
59	6-12	WS	Eye level	Still	Support- Tripod WS of Ed standing over body
60	7-1	MS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod MS of Cain, drops the rock
61	7-2	ECU	Low	Pan-tilt, zoom.	Support- Tripod ECU on Cain’s eyes, pan down to apple. Zoom in.
62	8-1	WS	Low	Still	Support- Tripod WS of Ed walking towards house.