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.