Editing Session One

 09/02/17

For the first day of editing we uploaded all our footage onto Final Cut Pro. We also watched through all the footage we had taken from the two shooting days, as not everyone in the group was there for both of them. Once we had watched through them we deleted any footage we didn't need. Not all footage would have been usable as there were mistakes, better shots or the narrative changed slightly.

Phoebe and Leah ( the sub group in charge of the females sequence ) then began to focus specifically on their own footage and me and Liv observed. We decided that we would always watch each other edit even though we all have our own sections This is because we want there to be consistency in terms of the style of editing and it means there is always someone there for a second opinion. Therefore, we will all always be there as reference points.

In terms of Liv and I editing our sections, we have decided to wait for the other sub groups to be finished so we can cut our narrative in-between theirs. We think it would be harder to put both narratives in chronological order separately and then put them into each other rather than do one and insert the other as we go.

Filming Day One

05/02/2017

On day one of filming Olivia, Phoebe and I went to the farm with Joe. We were lucky because we had checked the weather forecast and it was meant to be raining which was an issue. It meant that there would have been a continuity problem as it wasn’t raining the day before for Leah and Phoebes filming. However, the weather was very similar so it didn't affect us.

The first thing we did was style Joe ( the male actor). He brought a selection of turtle necks and black and grey trousers as well as beige and black shoes. As these are the types of clothes we have planned for him to wear, we just had to decide exactly which ones would be most suitable. We ended up choosing the red turtle neck as it has connotations of love, passion and danger which are all relevant. He also wore his black trousers and shoes as the black also has connotations of danger and isolation.

When we got there and set up we instantly had to change our initial plan. We had planned on filming in a certain room in the farm however some of the people who live there were using that room which meant we couldn't film there. So, we improvised and used another room with features we needed eg somewhere to sit down, a window and a sink. The only difference was that we had to change the position and angle of the camera to suit the layout of the room and the actor would have to walk through a doorway rather than just around one room.

When I began to film my section of the narrative, I realised we had not got the props we needed that we thought would have already been at the farm. For example, we had no milk to make the cereal with so we decided to change from making cereal to making toast as it is still the same concept and the male character could still 'carry it to the female'. Also, because I decided to change eating cereal to toast I decided it would not be efficient to put the plate in the sink but instead to keep both pieces of toast on the same plate. This meant we removed a bit of the narrative but it didn’t make too much difference.

When it came to filming the rest of my section, it all went relatively smoothly and to plan. However, I did deviate from our planned story board and shot list when it came to filming him walking up the stairs. I realised that it would be beneficial to shoot a bigger range of shots and shot types than I had originally planned.  For example, I shot: birds eye views, low angles, high angles, close ups of the feet and long shots. Therefore, I decided to make Joe walk up the stairs many times but filmed each one differently. This is so when I am editing my section and it is cutting in and out of the female’s narrative, it isn't just cutting back to the same shot each time. I thought that would help to build tension as it would look more disorientating to the audience.

The only extra bit of filming I did was of Joe walking across the courtyard from Olivia's perspective. Although this isn't technically my section of filming, the group had filmed it differently the day before and when we looked back we realised the previous way wouldn't have worked. Therefore, instead of missing this out of the narrative altogether I decided I would film a part that could be inserted into it.

Overall the filming went well and I think the content is all valid and consistent. I found it surprisingly difficult to try and voice and explain what I was visualising in my head to Joe (the actor). I think that was the most difficult aspect of it. Although, we had to change some parts of the sequence, I feel it will all still be usable as I thought it through logically with the rest of my group that were there.

Risk Assessment Of Location

To make sure we are safe when filming, i made a risk assessment of our location.

Dialogue Planning

In our narrative we plan on having minimum dialogue. This is because we want to represent both characters as isolated: the male by choice creating an emotional enigma as to why and the female to by choice making the audience empathise with her. The lack of dialogue throughout the opening sequence can suggest the lack of relationships they both have and how alone they really are.

Furthermore, the lack of the alternative narration/voice over can suggest that no one wants to interfere in this situation as no one has any information or suggestions to offer. This also makes the audience feel uncomfortable as there is no comfort offered in a voice to make the situation seem bearable or normal.

Therefore, we decided to include one line of dialogue at the very end of the opening sequence as it is the climax to the building tension throughout the opening sequence. We have decided the female will say 'good morning daddy' to the male character when he enters her room.

We have decided to say this as it has interpretive connotations. 'Daddy' has connotations of a loving father figure which the audience has not seen surrounding the male character. Instead they are seeing a situation where the female is tied up in a room which is not what a father would do. Also, the fact the female is saying 'Daddy' instead of 'Dad' suggests she has a loving daughter relationship with him which the audience are confused by as they struggle to understand how she could.  Furthermore, the fact she says 'good morning' suggests she has been waiting for him and it is a routine for him to greet her in the morning as its almost as if she was expecting him. This again is confusing and unsettling to the audience as this dialogue is consistent with a normal father daughter relationship and it is clear this is not a normal relationship.

Makeup Update

In terms of makeup, we had previously planned to have hand cuffs on her wrists we have now decided to use rope as a prop instead. Therefore, this has changed the way the makeup will have to look on her wrists, instead of it being bruises as if they've come from metal, it will now have to look red as if it’s been irritated by the friction.

Here is my practice makeup:

First I added a layer of red eye shadow onto the arm to make the redness and harshness of the cuffs. I then added a small layer of purple to create the bruise.

I then added a small amount of green and yellow eye shadow around this to make it seem as if it was a maturing old bruise.

Although I will not be there on the day that we plan to film the female narrative, I decided to practise anyway. This is because we may have to re-film the female’s narrative when we plan to film the males, so it is useful to know how to apply the makeup anyway. I also know the bruise will be on the wrists rather than the arm but it was easier to practise the makeup on myself on my arm than my wrist. 

Also we originally planned for Joe to have a perfectly kept beard and dishevelled hair. However, after considering the codes and conventions of the thriller genre and the feedback from our focus group, we decided to change this. Instead we will now have his hair perfectly styled. This conforms to the binary opposition of the pride in his opinion and lack of pride in his actions. 

Story Boarding

To help us plan our filming, we have done a storyboard for our sections we will each be directing. To make sure we split the work equally we decided to aim for a total of two minutes for the final product. Therefore, we decided to split each narrative into a minute each. We assigned two people in our group to each narrative and considering Liv will be in the female’s part, we put her as a director of the male’s narrative.

The groups were decided on who worked best together, so me and Liv are one group filming the male’s narrative and Leah and Phoebe are filming the females as a group. We then split off and worked together to specify the narrative of our own sequence and story boarded 30 seconds each of that narrative. We also then made a shot list as a reference point for the day.