Directions | Red Riding Script Breakdown + Production Planning (14th December 2016)

Today we started to look at the process directors go through when producing a film, and we began by watching some of 'Jetsam', directed by Simon Welsford, whilst paying attention to what the director would need to consider during the production process.

I was surprised to learn that Simon was able to produce Jetsam for fewer than £3,000, and it still took about a year and a half to make - 4 months of pre-production, two weeks for shooting, and 13 months for post-production.  I knew that producing a feature film takes a vast amount of time, but 13 months for post-production still seems like an awfully long time to me.

We learnt of the two primary concerns of the director:

1. What is happening in front of the camera?
2. Where is the camera positioned?

The script is the centre of the whole production, and virtually all decisions must be based on the script - nothing should be arbitrary.  Directors will break down the script and consider:

• How? Style, mis en scéne, and mood
• Who? Cast, crew, and collaborators
• Where? Location and sets
• What? Production design, costume design, sound design, and editing

This led on to our next task, which was to think as a director, and consider these things for the television series 'Red Riding', based on the script for the opening scene.

• How? Style, mis en scéne, and mood
• "[...] red sun sinks. Darkness draws in." - Dark tone; setting sun gives the impression of an ending (death).
• Opens at night time, it is cold and icy, therefore the tone should be mysterious and unnerving.  The 'fallen angel' connotes to religious undertones as well.
• It is raining when Eddie is driving to the conference which also adds to the dark and mysterious mood of the scene.
• We are introduced to the story of the missing girl, which would suit the crime thriller genre, and the mood must reflect the tense and emotional nature of the story.
• This story is set in 1974, and so it is vital that the mis en scéne fits the 70s aesthetic to give a sense of authenticity.
• Who? Cast, crew, and collaborators
• {} as Director of Photography
• {} as Production Designer
• Cristobal "Cristo" Tapia de Veer as Composer
• Having produced soundtracks for Utopia, National Treasure and Humans, Cristo's work often reflects mysterious and controversial tones and themes.  Red Riding is based on the killings of the Yorkshire Ripper, and the world of police corruption and organised crime - Cristo's style would fit into the tone I think would fit into this world and help to create an encapsulating atmosphere that compliments the nature of the story.
• {} as Editor

• {} as Clare Kemplay, the 'fallen angel', a 10 year old girl
• {} as Eddie Dunford, youthful, ambitious and libidinous detective
• {} as Bill Hadley, newspaper editor(?) with a grey beard and grey eyes
• {} as Maurice Jobson, detective superintendent, an owlish bespectacled man
• {} as Kathryn Tyler, a journalist and ex-girlfriend of Eddie
• Alfie Allen as Barry Gannon, another detective(?), skinny and single.
• Allen stars in HBO's Game of Thrones as Theon Greyjoy, which has shown from this role that he can range from an arrogant and unsympathetic character, to a broken man - Gannon comes across as a similar character, and so I feel Allen would fit into this role well.
• Owen Teale as Bill Molloy, detective chief superintendent, in his late 50s, a big and dangerous man.
• Also from Game of Thrones, Teale has featured as Ser Alliser Thorne, master-of-arms at The Night's Watch, appearing as a cold and spiteful leader.  He gives a good air of authority about him and can also come across as quite threatening, so I feel he would be an effective detective chief superintendent.
• Olivia Coleman as POLICEWOMAN, a kind and empathetic character.
• Coleman's role in Broadchurch highlighted how well she can portray emotion very effectively, whilst maintaining the professional tone of a police officer.
• Katherine Parkinson as Mrs. Kemplay, mother of Clare, who is missing
• In Utopia, Parkinson plays a mother, she stood out to me for her emotive outbursts when her children were threatened, and so I feel as though she would suit playing the mother of a missing child, as this would require an emotional performance.
• {} as Mr. Kemplay, father of Clare
• Where? Location and sets
• 'Dawson Construction Site / Devil's Ditch' - a dark, frozen construction site - This will need to be shot on-site, in order to provide an authentic backdrop to where Clare Kemplay's body is dumped.
• M1 Motorway - In-vehicle shots of Eddie driving to the conference could utilise a green screen.
• Police conference room - This would not need to be shot on-site, this could be built as a fairly simple set with rows of chairs and camera equipment to signify that this is a police press conference.
• What? Production design, costume design, sound design, and editing
• The story is set in 1974, and so things like costume, vehicles, other technology and sets will need to accommodate for this so as to maintain the level of immersion.
• Police costumes in particular would be vital to highlight their presence in the story.