Production | Shoot Day 6 (Scene 2 and Promo Photos)

Carrying the weathered old doctor's bag, Tim walks down the alleyway and smiles as he comes across a small white van with a logo on the on the side with an inscription...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - Aidan Robinson-Jones
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Luke Lucas' - Daniel Hemsley

The agenda:

• Shoot scene 2:
• This scene involved driving the van, so we had to take extra precaution to ensure we were being safe, as we have done in previous shoots. The key with this scene was ensuring that we reveal the slogan on the side of the van effectively.

• Then shoot promo photos:
• Once we had wrapped shooting, we will need to capture some photographs to be used for any promotional material, such as the poster and social media accounts.

What went well:

• Today ran very smoothly, we got all the coverage we needed to, we bounced a lot of ideas back and forth with the cast, and the overall mood was positive and jovial. This morale helped to ensure the day flowed well and we ended up finishing earlier than planned. It was nice that the atmosphere on our final shoot day with the cast (not including potential reshoots) was so nice and it made eased the stress of having to complete everything on time.
• Katie captured some very nice photos from the shoot. I asked them to do a variety of different poses in slightly different outfits against a white background. I had an idea in my head for how I wanted the poster to look, and so I we were able to capture exactly what poses we wanted and experiment with different ideas. They looked very professional and I look forward to seeing how we can use them for the poster.
• The sound we captured sounded clear and consistent.
• The props - the drugs - that we had prepared were effective and realistic, and played well into the comedy of the scene. This boosts the production value of the film, along with the van and animals we have used.

What didn't go well:

• The lighting became a minor issue as the sun changed positions as the day went on. Thankfully Katie had prepared for this when working out the lighting for the scene, nevertheless it was a bit of a hindrance as we had to move the van to account for the the light coming from a different direction. It may have helped if we had some more diffusion to aid with the lighting of the scene but I feel we made the best of what we had available.
• We struggled a little with making sure we did not cross the line - Katie and I had already planned this through the shot list, but when it came to shooting with the van in the way, this became difficult. We were able to overcome this, however, and we will be able to choose what works best in the edit.

What did I learn:

• I found that the most successful factor that made today run so smoothly was the rapport we had developed with the cast. This is important for any production, but I feel that since we were making a comedy, it was important for the cast and crew to be in a jovial mood to make them more comfortable to provide the performances we needed them to.

Production | Shoot Day 5 (Scene 1)

We open the scene in a dimly lit and well-kept house...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - Alix Mottershead
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Tess Connelly' - Skevy Stylia

The agenda:

• Shoot scene 1:
• This is one of the few scenes that takes place inside and it involves some interesting blocking which we will have to bare in mind as we shoot this scene.

What went well:

• As this is the first scene of the entire film, it is vitally important that we utilise what we have available to introduce the main character, Tim. I believe that we achieved this well today through how we shot the close-up shots and Ed and Skevy's performances.
• Since we had so much time available, we were able to get plenty of coverage and ensure that we captured every shot we needed. This will be immensely beneficial for when Katie and Mel are editing the film.
• There was a lot in this scene could be tricky when it comes to the continuity of the scene but we were able to ensure that we maintained consistency throughout the scene. 

What didn't go well:

• Whilst filming Tim reacting to Tess' entrance, he is supposed to flinch and throw the photo frame he is holding in the air out of surprise. We were using a glass photo frame and when Ed was performing the scene, he accidentally dropped the frame and it smashed. We made sure that we dealt with it safely and that all the glass was cleaned up, however this was a waste of time and could have been avoided. We also did not have any spare glass to go in the frame so we had to improvise and use a clear plastic folder to act as the glass. This worked better than we expected and is not noticeable in the footage. Nevertheless, it would have been preferable not to have happened in the first place to avoid the hassle of clearing up the glass and delaying the shoot.
• Due to the nature of the scene, we did not have a huge amount of space to place artificial lighting or diffusion, therefore it was difficult to balance between lighting the scene in the room without there being a heavy contrast with the window. This is something that could be tweaked in post-production, however it would have been ideal for the lighting on the shoot.
• We found that we finished the shoot early, which was a positive thing as it gave us more time to get extra coverage, however I did feel as though we were repeating ourselves a little too much as I was worrying we may not have enough coverage for the edit.
• Tim and Tess' dad's bag of tools is perhaps the most important prop in the entire film, and in this scene we needed it to be placed somewhere that enshrined their father to an extent, but was also not in plain sight so Tim would not immediately find it. The only place I felt it could really go was on the window seal, which looked a little bit awkward and out of place. If I could go back, I would try to work out somewhere that would be better suited to store the bag.

What did I learn:

• I learned how important it is to have backup props in case of breakage - particularly if I am working with breakable props such as a glass photo frame. It seems so simple looking back at it, however I can see how we overlooked this and how we could have avoided it. Since we cannot see the floor in this shot, we could have placed something soft on the floor to absorb an impact, or even simpler, we could have replaced the glass in the frame with acetate or something similar to give the impression of glass.
• Due to the various props involved in this scene, this showed us a lot about how to maintain continuity in the scene. Myself, Katie and Mel were each checking and double-checking where these props were in each take so that we could ensure we did not make any mistakes which was immensely beneficial for the continuity of the film.

Production | Shoot Day 4 (Scenes 12 and 13)

Tim and Luke are sat around a table in a pub. Luke has a mostly full half pint of fruity cider, Tim has an almost empty pint glass in front of him and a black eye...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - Alix Mottershead
• Runner - Katthaliya Cahalane
• Makeup Artist - Beth Ashby
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Luke Lucas' - Daniel Hemsley
• 'Tess Connolly' - Skevy Stylia
• 'Sheila Hodges' - Susan Baskerville
• 'Mark Hodges' - Al Sawyer
• Location / Pub Landlord - Nigel Williams

The agenda:

• Shoot scene 12 first:
• This was the largest scene of the film, in terms of people involved, however the action should be fairly straightforward. We were also limited with the time available for this scene, as the pub we were shooting at was open for business at 11:30.

• Then shoot scene 13:
• The action in this scene was mostly linear so it should not be that complicated, but as with all the scenes we have shot, we will need to establish the timing properly.

• Shoot GVs / establishing shot of owl academy sign
• If we have time, we may shoot some pickup shots of the Kent Owl Academy, such as the welcome sign and other parts of the scenery.

What went well:

• We got most of the coverage we needed to with the time we had available which should hopefully give Katie and Mel enough to work with during the edit.
• This scene had the potential for some continuity issues - particularly with the drinks that would be on the table and in shot. There were no noticeable issues with continuity in this scene so I am happy that we were able to keep on top of the continuity in this scene.
• The authenticity of the scene was boosted by the use of background extras - combined with the pub atmos buzz track that will be added in post-production, this will create a realistic ambience for the actual scene.

What didn't go well:

• We had to rush the pub scene as Nigel had kindly allowed us to film before customers arrived, however this was only until around 11:30 and so we had a very limited amount of time to shoot everything we needed to. We ended up having to wrap before we had all the shots we wanted to -  we were able to shoot almost everything though, the main shot I would have liked to film that would could not was Mark's reaction shot as he stood up to Tim, which we will have to work around in the edit stage.
• We had some trouble dealing with the sunlight whilst we were shooting in the car park. The weather fluctuated between sunny and overcast several times from the various different camera angles, so we essentially ended up filming all the shots from the final scene twice so that we had two versions of each shot - one sunny and one overcast. This was not necessarily a bad thing as we had plenty of time to do this and we would ensure that the continuity played out well in the edit. Nevertheless, if we had a larger budget we may have been able to invest in some better light diffusion which would have helped a great deal with the weather.
• We were interrupted on the shoot several times by things such as deliveries coming to the pub. This was out of our hands and it certainly was not our place to complain about it, therefore we just had to make sure that we worked around these interruptions as and when we needed to. This did end up eating into the time we had available.

What did I learn:

• I learned how to coordinate a relatively large number of people relative to what I am used to. I have worked with a small cast and crew for a number of shoots but this time there were some fifteen people following my direction which was a fun albeit daunting challenge. I made sure that if anybody had a question, I was able to answer it and I ensured that everybody was on the same page when it went came to blocking the action in the scenes we shot.
• This was also one of few times that we were shooting in a time-constricted location that we did not know the owner very well and so we had to be ready to shoot and ready to leave under a very tight schedule. Coordinating with the landlord, Nigel, was vital for this as myself and Melissa could explain everything that was going to happen and what we needed for that to happen. In return he told us what was possible and not possible (which we had already established through email communication and recces) so that shooting the scene ran as smoothly as possible.
• Whilst pacing and continuity is vital for every scene, the pub scene in particular was a test for this and I was able to develop this through rehearsing the scene with the cast. Details such as how much liquid is in a glass and at what point actors enter the scene were refined through rehearsal and communication with the cast members.

Production | Shoot Day 3 (Scenes 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Luke knocks on the door, holding a bin bag with the dead dog inside over his shoulder...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - Alix Mottershead
• Make-up Artist - Beth Ashby
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Luke Lucas' - Daniel Hemsley
• 'Sheila Hodges' - Susan Baskerville

The agenda:

• Shoot scene 5 first:
• This scene was very straightforward, it is essentially a shot-reverse-shot from the doorway so this should be finished quickly.

• Then shoot scene 4:
• This is one of the most complex scenes in the entire film and so it was vital that we made the most of the time we had available.
• This scene also involved makeup and costume changes, and importantly, only one shot to get the blood splatter from the dog correct.

• Then shoot scenes 3 and 6:
• These scenes would be fairly simple to shoot, but it was important that we gave of the impression that the van is moving in this scene.
• Scene 6 also involved a moving vehicle so ensuring the safety of the cast, crew and public was also something we had to consider throughout.

What went well:

• Scene 5 went very smoothly and we were able to shoot it quickly and efficiently. As planned, this was mostly just shot-reverse-shot so we ensured we met the right beats throughout and we were able to get into the next scene very quickly.
• We shot scene 4 as quickly as we could as we would be losing a cast member at 12 o'clock and we were able to get most of the coverage we needed.
• Scene 3, which was just Tim and Luke in the van, also went very quickly. We tried shooting using several different methods, including using a GoPro camera to film the inside of the van as Ed was driving the van. It is unlikely we will use the footage as we will not be using fixed cameras for any other scenes, therefore it may not fit comfortably into the edit with the handheld shots. Nevertheless, it was good to get the coverage and to experiment with different shots in case we could use it.
• Scene 6 went very well as we ran through the exact timings and blocking beforehand. We chose to shoot this scene in one shot, so timing and blocking were especially vital to the success of this scene.
• Even without the time limitations of Sue leaving early, this was still set out to be a jam-packed shoot day and I am happy we were able to get through every scene we needed to.
• Today we were able to have Beth on-hand to apply makeup to Tim as he was covered in blood. It was very useful having Beth there as it meant that we could all focus on our own roles without worrying about applying and re-applying makeup as we shot the scene.

What didn't go well:

• We were very limited with the time we had available today as one of our cast members had an important arrangement on this day. This meant we only had Sue (playing Sheila) up until about 12 o'clock. As we were shooting such a complex scene, this put us under a lot of pressure to shoot it as quickly as possible without rushing. Unfortunately, we missed out on some essential coverage which make some of the visual gags fall flat. For example, as Sheila acknowledges the slogan on the side of the van, we do not see what she is looking at, so whilst the actors are reacting to this, the audience will not see it so this feels quite clunky.
• We had several issues with the practical effects for the blood splatter, so it did not turn out as well as we had anticipated. The fake blood I was going to use had actually turned green as it had been in the bottle for so long - the last time I had used it was for our Transitions unit last year, and it had changed colour in that time. Luckily our makeup artist, Beth, had a backup on-hand however even with the correct colour blood, the splatter effect did not look very effective on-screen. It did not have much spread over Tim's face and the lighting did not illuminate his face as much as it should have for us to see it very well.
• The natural light on the day looked quite bad on camera which was down to the angle at which we were shooting. This meant that for some shots, the actors had streaks of sunlight across half of their face which just was not very aesthetically pleasing. Obviously we cannot change the weather, but it would have been nicer to shoot on a more overcast day so that there was more natural diffusion with the lighting.
• A lot of things did not go to plan on this shoot, it may be worth considering a re-shoot in future if we cannot salvage it in the edit.

What did I learn:

• I learned that fake blood turns green over time which taught me that we need to check and double check things like props more thoroughly before the shoot days. As I mentioned, this was not a huge issue as Beth had a backup, therefore having alternative solutions on-hand is also ideal, particularly when using practical effects.
• As Sue had to leave early, I learned how to best utilise my time on a shoot to prioritise which scenes to shoot first before she would be unavailable.

Production | Shoot Day 2 (Scenes 7, 9 and 10)

We see the van parked in a space in the car park as Tim and Luke get out, Luke opens the side door and gets out the bag...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - Alex Baldwin
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Luke Lucas' - Daniel Hemsley

The agenda:

• Shoot scenes 7 and 9 first:
• These scenes are fairly straightforward, so we should be able to shoot them quite quickly.

• Then shoot scene 10:
• Since this is a night scene, we had more to consider when shooting this scene, especially with regards to lighting.

What went well:

• Scenes 7 and 9 went very well. Ed suggested more changes to the dialogue and actions which he felt fit the character better and built on the humour - as I was quickly learning from the first shoot day, input from the cast was becoming vital to create more natural dialogue and a more authentic atmosphere to the film.
• We ran into some issues with the night shoot, which I will go into further detail in the next section, but I was very happy that we were able to adapt to these difficulties and change the scene for the better.
• We had time to spare between the scenes so we were able to shoot some photographs to use for social media promotion etc.

What didn't go well:

• The location we used for scenes 7 and 9 was closer to a river than we had realised. This had an effect on the quality of the audio that we recorded and possibly could have been avoided had we shot these scenes in a different location.
• Whilst I was glad we shot the first two scenes very quickly, this left us with a lot of spare time to the point where we were not doing very much for several hours before we could go shoot the night scene - however this did allow for some time to shoot some photographs for social media and time to run through the night scene with the sunlight so that when it did come to shooting, everyone would be on the same page and we could shoot the scene as soon as it got dark. Nevertheless, it would have been preferable to not keep the cast and crew waiting for too long.
• Once it was dark and we started shooting the night scene we quickly became aware of an issue with the location as there were motion-activated flood lights right in the middle of where we wanted to shoot. We were unable to turn them off so we had to drastically change the scene to overcome this issue. We were able to make these changes with the help of the cast who suggested changes we could make to incorporate the light. Nevertheless, it would have been preferable and more efficient to shoot the scene as we had intended to.

What did I learn:

• The most significant thing I learned from today's shoot was how to adapt and overcome to the limitations of the location we were using. We drastically diverted from the script due to the complications we discovered with the location, however we were able to work out solutions quickly. I would go so far as to say this was a blessing in disguise as myself, Ed and Dan came up with more visual gags because of the limitations of the location.
• I also learned how to make the most of the time we had available. As I said previously, it would have been better not to spend so much time waiting around, however this gave us time to rehearse and plan out the evening scene better, and also gave us valuable time to chat to the cast and get to know them better which made working with them a lot more comfortable and enjoyable.0

Production | Shoot Day 1 (Scenes 8 and 11)

Mollie is holding the owl as it is wildly flapping its wings and screeching, desperately trying to fly away...

Cast / Crew:

• Director - Alex Hargood
• Director of Photography - Katie Joslin
• Producer - Melissa Moore
• Sound Recordist - George Wing
• Runners - Jack Whiteley, Aidan Robinson-Jones
• Photographer - Gina Riley
• Cast
• 'Tim Stewart' - Ed Allenby
• 'Luke Lucas' - Daniel Hemsley
• 'Mollie Jackson' - Becky Black
• Owl handlers - Mollie King, Scarlett King
• Owls - Dawn, Merlin

The agenda:

• Shoot scene 11 first:
• This is a complicated scene for a number of reasons; the main complication being the use of an owl.
• We would need to ensure we got the most out of the owl as early as possible so we did not wear it out by over-flying or over-feeding it - this meant that we would need to liaise with the Kent Owl Academy team before and during the shoot to ensure the owls were being treated well.

• Then shoot scene 8:
• This was not as complex but had other obstacles to deal with
• This part of the KOA was open to the public - although not very busy - therefore we would need to be conscious of that whilst shooting.

What went well:

• Since this was our first day on set, it was important to build on the rapport we had already began building since the auditions. This meant that we needed to make sure that they were happy throughout the day and that we did not leave them standing around for too long etc. Therefore we decided to shoot the most complex scene of the day first so that everybody was involved and we had as much time as possible to get it right.
• I found that working with the owls went very well and having Mollie and the Kent Owl Academy team on hand was very beneficial to ensure that we were not demanding too much from the birds. We had discussed the scenes with Mollie before we began shooting and we ensured that she was well aware of what we were doing during the shoot as well.
• I was previously intending to use creative cuts and sound effects to give the impression that the owl was 'freaking out' and flapping its wings in scene 11, however Mollie advised us that we would be able to achieve this by simply tilting the gauntlet as Becky and Ed held them which caused them to want to balance themselves by waving their wings in the air. This was a much more believable way of making the owl look like it is freaking out, whilst also remaining humane and not mistreating it at all.
• We got a lot of coverage of the scene, including close-up shots of the owl, the needle and some reactions as well. This will be massively beneficial for Katie and Mel as they edit the scenes.
• I feel the day was well structured thanks to Mel's planning. Once we were happy with scene 11, we broke for lunch at the nearby Beefeater which everybody was happy with. This also allowed for some time to informally chat with the cast and crew which made shooting scene 8 feel much less pressured. We were also able to finish on time.
• Before both scenes that we shot today, Ed came up to me with suggestions on potential lines of dialogue and action during the scene. I liked his suggestions and we implemented them into the scene. From my research into directing comedy, I found that input from the cast is vital to provide a more natural performance. I was also very happy that the actors were getting into character to the extent that they were coming up with their own lines from the character profiles I had written and the original script.

What didn't go well:

• Unfortunately we discovered whilst assembling the rough cut that some of the audio from scene 11 was lost. We are unsure why this happened, there are some corrupted files from the Tascam but there are also far fewer audio clips than video clips so it is also possible that some of the sound was just not recorded. Regardless, this means that we will either need to cut around the missing audio or record some ADR at some point down the line. The visuals are fine, so re-shooting would be unnecessary if we can work around it.
• Even though we were on schedule the entire day, it did feel slow at points. 

What did I learn:

• I learned the importance of keeping the cast engaged and interested in the project, especially in terms of keeping them involved in the script. This has allowed for the cast to give their input on potential gags and alterations that allow for more natural performances. This has reinforced what I learned from researching writer/directors such as Armando Iannucci, who received a lot of input on the cast to give their own material, sometimes improvised, which opened the door for more spontaneous and natural line of dialogue.
• I had worked with animals on previous projects and during the test shoots however working with actors and owls together relied on a number of aspects of the shoot that we needed to tread carefully with. We had briefed the cast on what they would need to do and also liaised with the experts we had on hand to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Therefore I also learned more about the pressures of directing a larger group of people from the cast, crew and other contributors, with animals in the mix as well. Ensuring I took the time to speak with everybody and make sure we were all on the same page proved a vital skill for managing this many people.

Production | Final Shooting Preparations: Production Design and Test Shoots

There are a large number of elements that will play into the success of VET-MAN, and one of the key principals that we have strived for since the start of the project is the realism and authenticity of the film. As producer, props, costumes and locations largely come under her role, and she has put a lot of effort into ensuring that these factors will work well as we head into production. Whilst Mel was taking on the bulk of organising these, there were some elements that we agreed to share for various reasons.

The Van

The van is integral to the entire plot so it was absolutely vital that it looked authentic and I am very happy with what I have been able to achieve with the production value that is added by having the van in the film. Since we would be using my grandad's van, we agreed that it would be best for me to be in charge of applying the decals and driving the van to and from the locations that we needed it for - therefore if anything went wrong with the van, it would be my responsibility and it saved going through renting or even buying a van which would have had a large impact on the budget. To save money, I decided to only apply the sticker to one side of the van therefore, in my blocking, I have planned to only shoot the left side of the van with the door on the side.

I expanded on the design that I produced during the pre-production unit and worked out the exact dimensions that the graphic would need to be to be printed for the side of the van. Here is the first decal I ordered:

I made a mistake whilst ordering the decal and the one that arrived was slightly too big for the van. The slogan fit in fairly well, but I did sacrifice the ellipsis in favour of a full stop, however I did need to order a smaller version of the logo. This was a blessing in disguise as it meant I could use the now-spare larger logo to put on the front of the van, adding to the authenticity of the van's design. I also ordered the phone number to go on the side of the van along with the slogan and logo:

I am thrilled with how the van has turned out and I feel it will really help to sell the authenticity of Tim's mobile vet business. I added in the line "it's a bit... small" to the script to account for the size of the van. When writing the first script, I had a larger van in my mind, but I feel that with a smaller one, that will highlight the dubious nature of Tim's vet business.

Props

We had a lot of props left over from the Transition unit, including various medical equipment, blue scrubs, face masks and more, so we decided it would be best to reuse them here to save on the budget. Mel was in charge of sourcing any props we did not have, and she has done a great job in achieving that. I sourced some myself though, again, to save on the budget we any props that we could source ourselves were preferable to buying anything that would have an impact on the budget. For example, I provided some photo frames, the printer and Katie and I put some laundry detergent, pills and herbs into small bags to look like drugs.

I felt it would be nice to have a small nod to the original VET-MAN film that we made in the transition unit. We did this by using a still of Aidan, who first played Tim, and using it as a photograph of Tim and Tess' father. Katie edited it so that it the photograph looked more aged as if it was taken in the 1980s. I am pleased with how it looks and I feel it is a nice reference that does not distract from the tone of the scene.

Practical effects

We had already prepared for a lot of the practical effects during the pre-production unit - the two main effects we had planned are the owl punch, and the blood splatter - and we were happy to use these in the actual production, also saving on the budget.




Test Shoot: Van

Again, we carried out a lot of test shoots during the pre-production unit and so a lot of this had already been done. However we had not yet tested how we would be filming the sequences inside the van, including when Tim runs over the dog, so that became a priority in the build up to shoot day 3 when we would be shooting scene 3 which takes place inside the van.

The two main issues with shooting in the van are space and safety. There is very limited space in the cockpit to allow for any cameras to fit inside with the actors and so we would either have to shoot through the windows or in the back of the van. We would also not be able to shoot anything inside the van whilst it is moving as there is nowhere for the camera operator to be safely secured whilst it is moving. Therefore we must shoot all the cockpit scenes whilst the van is stationary and we will need to utilise sound effects and visual effects to give the impression.

Ideally we would shoot the shot-reverse-shot as seen below, behind the grate in the van, however if we want to give the impression that the vehicle is moving, this cannot work. Therefore, we will need to shoot this through the windows instead so that Katie is safe when she is getting the shots, and so we can realistically portray the van as moving.

This was a valuable test to carry out for myself and Katie to establish the best way to shoot scene 3 and we will take these notes forward when we shoot this scene.

Production | Scene-by-scene Blocking and Action

I had blocked through each scene very roughly during the pre-production unit which had given me a basic understanding of how the actions would play out for each scene. For reference, the latest script can be found here.

I read chapters on directing in Christopher J. Bowen and Roy Thompson's 'Grammar of the Shot' for ideas on how I should block my scenes and how to best utilise the camera. They cite that creating interesting blocking can "engage the viewer's eye and keep them involved with the imagery and the story" (pg.166). This seems fairly straightforward, but it can be easy to overlook blocking as a creative aspect of a film rather than just a practical one. The positioning of our cast, props and camera can have a profound effect on how the scene is translated from the script, therefore it will be important to keep the viewer engaged through this. Bowen and Thompson also explain that creative blocking adds "dynamic physical energy to your shots" and that simple things such as the direction of movement can add "meaning within the narrative" (pg. 168).

I devised a key for the blocking so that I could easily distinguish which icons represented what. I also colour-coded each of the cast members so that I could distinguish between them easier. I did not go into much detail on camera movements etc as Katie was focusing on this for her work as Director of Photography in the shot list and story board. It is important to note that we will be shooting on one camera through multiple takes so whilst the diagrams may show an overlap of the camera positions, these will not actually overlap.

Scene 1

Characters involved: Tim, Tess.

Location: Tess' House, interior.

Scene 1 required a lot of movement as this was Tim's introduction - my idea was to involve lots of frantic cuts as he searches around various parts of the living room and so there would be a lot of movement here. This was to create a sense of mystery and confusion around Tim's character before revealing what he is really like once Tess enters the scene. This would form the first comedic beat of the film - this is not to say this is a particularly humourous but this would be the first instance of subverting the audience's expectations toward the tone through contrasting the fast cuts and close-up camera angles with the style of the rest of the film. Whilst the scene is in a fairly small location, there is a fair amount of movement and so I will need to ensure that the cast are properly briefed and aware of when and where they are for each beat.

Katie and I will need to be wary of crossing the line in this scene as it could be easy for Tim to break the rule as he crosses over to the other side of the room and passes Tess. This will require us to shoot this movement as a continuous shot so that the audience will see the line changing. This will establish a new "axis of action" so that the line is not crossed (Bowen and Thompson, Grammar of the Shot, pg. 216).

Scene 2

Characters involved: Tim, Luke.

Location: Alleyway, exterior.

Scene 2 is relatively straightforward compared to the first scene in terms of its movement, however another factor we had to bear in mind here was the use of the van. This will require us to take extra caution when shooting, which I have taken into consideration when blocking so that nobody is in the way of the van as it is moving.

Something that I will have to consider through every scene involving the van, including this one, is that the decals will only be visible on the left-hand side of the vehicle, therefore it is vital that my blocking accommodates for this so that the wrong side of the van is not shown when shooting.

Scene 3

Characters involved: Tim, Luke.

Location: Van, interior.

I opted not to block scene 3 as this scene was just showing Tim and Luke in the drivers and passenger seats of the van respectively with no drastic movement. I have discussed with Katie how to approach shooting this scene so I do not feel it is necessary to block such a basic scene.

Scene 4

Characters involved: Tim, Luke, Sheila.

Location: Road, exterior.

Scene 4 was not massively complex in terms of movement, however this included one more character than the previous scenes, so it was a priority to ensure that timing was worked out well so that we were all on the same page. This scene will also involve a practical blood splatter effect which will only allow for a limited number of takes - again, this made it vital that everybody was on the same page so that we get it right as earlier as possible. In a similar way I chose to shoot the first scene, I wanted to involve close-ups and fast cutting in a diversion from the style of the rest of the film. This is to show that - in Tim's head - he is in his element so that when we cut back to the wider shot, the audience is taken back to the reality that Tim is not the vet he thinks he is.

Scene 5

Characters involved: Luke, Sheila.

Location: Sheila's House, exterior.

Scene 5 should be very straightforward to film as it is essentially just shot-reverse-shot. The only obstacle here will be opening the door and ensuring that Sheila and Luke do not cross over each other in an awkward way.

Scene 6

Characters involved: Tim, Luke.

Location: Road, exterior.

Scene 6 was another fairly simple scene to shoot. Katie and I decided to shoot this scene entirely in one shot with a crash zoom to reveal the cat. We may shoot more angles, perhaps from inside the van but I feel that one continuous shoot would fit in nicely to add to Luke's panic as he runs back to the van to hide from Sheila.

Scene 7

Characters involved: Tim, Luke.

Location: Kent Owl Academy Car Park, exterior.

Scene 7 does not require much blocking as the movement is fairly simple. The main aim of this is to ensure we get the impression that Luke is following closely behind Tim, so I will need to ensure that Tim moves just before Luke for each movement.

Scene 8

Characters involved: Tim, Luke, Mollie.

Location: Kent Owl Academy, exterior.

For scene 8, the main issue will be timing Tim and Luke walking down the path so that it coincides well with Mollie going in and out of the aviary. We will also need to ensure we get the shots of Merlin (the owl) eating, as we would only have one or two takes of it so we would not be overfeeding him. Other than that, this scene should play through fairly quickly.

Scene 9

Characters involved: Tim, Luke.

Location: Kent Owl Academy Car Park, exterior.

This scene is intended to bridge between scenes 8 and 10 so will not need to be very complex. The main aim will be to set up that Tim was planning to drug the owl and the night scene to break into the sanctuary. We can shoot this scene at the same time as we shoot scene 7, as they both take place in the same location and time of day.

Scene 10

Characters involved: Tim, Luke.

Location: Kent Owl Academy, exterior.

Scene 10 mostly focuses on Luke, and so timing should not be much of an issue here as we will largely be focusing on single shots. As this is set during the night, we will need to be mindful of the low lighting, not only for safety reasons, but also to ensure that the camera is in the right place to properly capture the action.

Scene 11

Characters involved: Tim, Luke, Mollie.

Location: Woodland behind Kent Owl Academy, exterior.

Scene 11 is one of the more climactic scenes and involved three cast members and a flying owl. Therefore rehearsing the scene thoroughly will be key to ensure we get all the action as efficiently as we can so we do not wear out Dusk (the owl) when flying her. This is likely going to be the first scene we shoot and so it will be the first chance to experience how I will be directing the rest of the film. This will also be my first on-location experience of directing the cast members so it will be especially important that I establish our dynamic between myself and the cast.

Scene 12

Characters involved: Tim, Luke, Tess, Sheila, Mark, Various SAs.

Location: Pub, interior.

Whilst the action in this scene is fairly linear and straightforward, I will be directing nine people as we will have four supporting/background artists, not to mention the crew as well. Communication across the location would be particularly essential as there will be a number of people relying on me for direction. The key to this scene will be ensuring that Mark and Tim encounter each other at the right moment, otherwise the scene will fall flat.

Scene 13

Characters involved: Tim, Luke, Tess.

Location: Pub Car Park, exterior.

The final scene does not rely on too much action, however this will involve the van moving again so we will need to take the usual precautions for that. Like scene 2, this will involve Tim and Luke both in and outside the van so we will be shooting from the same angles we did before for the interior van shots.

I am expecting the blocking to change to some extent on the shoot days as I aim to consult with the cast to confirm that all the action feels as natural as possible. Should we come into any unexpected issues with the locations, we will need to consider any alterations we can make to accommodate for this. If Katie and I decide that we could capture any other camera angles on the day then we will, so the blocking diagrams may not reflect exactly what we end up shooting.

Full blocking PDF: