TEST SHOOT

Test Shoot.

Our first, edited test shoot:

PLANNING A TEST SHOOT

Planning a Test Shoot.

Today, we planned the execution of our test shoot to ensure ease during tomorrow's filming process. This included organising who is bringing what props, what equipment, and the different jobs. We also sketched an overall idea of our wide shot on my iPad so we had a brief concept as to what the wide shot would be, establishing the characters of the sequence and the narrative. 

After discussion, we decided to allocate roles:

Me

• Bring my Canon EOS M50 DSLR, vinyl, ribbon/rope (substitute for handcuffs), a kitchen roll tube (substitute for funnel), tape, tweezers, pestle and mortar, medical gloves (as a day house student, I have easy access to props)
• Will edit and act 

Lila

• Will direct and film (as Matthew and I are acting)

Matthew

• Will act and take behind the scenes pictures 

As a possible shooting location, we thought of using the Hurtwood House lounge, and if that is not an option, we could use our media classroom as the only key pieces of furniture needed are a chair and a workspace. 

This process will be carried out in order for us to gain practical experience, and learn the solutions to the issues that we will naturally encounter with our first experience filming.

26.01.22

Post test shoot.

We started with shooting our wide shot of Matthew pouring the poison into my mouth to gain an understanding of the space that we were working in (we used the classroom as the Hurtwood lounge is girls-only) so that our 180 degree line rule was not crossed - I explained the concept to Lila before we started filming as she had missed the camera workshops that we had done the previous week. I also showed her how to put subjects into focus, and the different lighting settings. Following this, we filmed the close-ups of my wrists and legs, then shot Matthew preparing the poison, each step in order and done from a different angle. Unfortunately, later on in the day, I realised that we had completely forgotten to film establishing shots for the first few shots of the sequence, so I used my phone (my camera had frustratingly run out of charge and I had brought the wrong adapter - my plug was Thai from back when I bought the device) and filmed outside of the main Hurtwood building as the view looks over Surrey, and has a few plants around.

Though our test shoot went relatively smooth, we did encounter a few issues. We managed to film within the 45 minute time limit we were given, shooting the key scenes to our sequence that added structure to the narrative. There was good communication between us, Lila taking a lead role in directing Matthew and I in regard to our positioning, pace etc. as she was viewing us through the camera; this was because it was clearly established before our shoot day that she would be taking this role. However, I personally found that our order of shooting things could have definitely been improved to maximise our time. We had not planned well enough as to what shots we wanted, so a lot of time was spent experimenting with what we found interesting. As a result of this, we didn't have enough takes of the different shots, leaving me with little footage to edit with (some of which had to be rid of due to continuity errors and sound).

This could have also been avoided if we had followed the proper protocols (stand by, standing, roll camera etc.) as after going through the footage, I noticed that the camera wasn't left rolling at times when it should have been, or it started recording too late and the scene had already started, causing us to lose a number of possible shots.

MY MOOD BOARD

 My Mood Board.

Overall, the aim of my mood board was to capture the themes of our concept. As a thriller following a man poisoning his sister in order to gain her share of their father's will following his passing, then discovering a deep liking for inflicting harm on others and becoming a serial killer, I ensured that all images used were either relevant to the opening sequence or the plot. Throughout, I used a background of ripped, yellowed letters to mimic that of his father's will, indicate that their families wealth goes back many years, and to present the idea of morally tainted 'truth'. There is also blood dripping from the top of the page to indicate a murder based plot and to illustrate the thriller genre.

I attempted to draw the most attention to the centre of my mood board; here, a screaming woman (the largest image used), figuratively his sister, can be seen. This was to depict the theme of torture and pain, as well as the thriller genre. Above her, I placed duct tape, money, and a funnel. The duct tape and funnel play significant roles in our opening sequence as they are the tools used to kill her - I specifically placed them above her to represent how these things are looming on her mind. In the centre of them, the money can be seen. I placed this amongst the tools to illustrate how money-driven the family are despite the crimes that they have to commit to attain it. 

A pair of gloved hands cover parts of her face as well; similarly to the duct tape and funnel in our opening scene, the man uses gloves before preparing the poison. They are on her face to portray the power he has over her. 

Below her, I positioned the only image (suit) I used to illustrate the man. It is the only image ripped, with rips around it on the letters, and this was to capture how the family's external image are charming and put-together, but ultimately false and deeply flawed. I kept it faceless as his face is not revealed in the opening, and also to support the mystery/thriller element of the plot of our film. Next to him is a blood-shot eye, and I chose it specifically as it's appearance was unsettling to look at, and again crafted the sense that there is an element of torture and observation in our narrative.

To the right, I focused on the location and background of the characters. The leather sofa and antique lamp are just two of many pieces of furniture in the lounge of our opening scene that indicate the wealth of the family (or the man, in this scenario). Behind them are woods; this was to signify that the opening scene is set in the country side, and to emphasise how isolated the characters are. Below, I added silhouettes of a young boy and girl, as well as a Love Hearts wrapper and sticker. Though his relationship to his sister is bad, this captures the innocence of childhood and how money has corrupted them morally, adding more substance to their characters and relationship.

On the left, I added elements of the soundtrack. The non-diegetic cello music is introduced through vinyl on a record player, so I wanted to capture it on the mood board through images of the items as it heavily adds to the menacing, uneasy tone of the sequence. A fireplace in the top left hand corner can also be seen; this is because of the nature of their lounge, once again emphasising how wealthy they are. 

MAKING MY MOOD BOARD

 Making My Mood Board.

1) PREPARATION 

As I didn't have a piece of card large enough, I glued together 4 pieces of A4 card to allow myself an appropriate sized space to work on. Then, I gathered the images I wanted to use for the mood board through the internet; I mainly used Pinterest, but occasionally used Google. The only physical item I used was a Love Hearts wrapper that I happened to have after snacking on some during this process, and a sticker.

2) CUTTING OUT PICTURES

The next step was to cut out the images after printing them out. When adjusting them on my Word document, I used the A4 measurements to roughly estimate how large my pictures needed to be.

I cut them out completely, not leaving any white spaces as I wanted to achieve a 'collage' appearance.

3) CREATING MY BASE

I then ripped the edges of 4 sheets of 'yellowed' letters to represent the will, and how deeply morally corrupt the family are. This also provided more depth to the overall board.

Once I finished ripping the sheets, I positioned them on the card until I found a combination that allowed for the maximum amount of images whilst still remaining aesthetically pleasing and glued them on.

4) POSITIONING + GLUING MY SUBJECTS

I decided on the art work as my main subject as it differed in terms of its realism, and it captured the essence of our opening scene. 

I glued the image in the centre of the mood board, and decided to glue all the other aspects of the piece around her. 

I was eventually met with an issue; I had printed 5 of my main images too large, and they wouldn't fit in the way I wanted them to. So, I reprinted them.

As my final step in this process, I cut out the unused card to create a rather immersive mood board, making whoever holding it feel as if they are viewing an actual piece of the will. I contemplated on using a Sharpie to draw things on the sheet, but ultimately decided not to as I didn't trust my artistic skill well enough! Instead, I added extra, small pieces of white paper and glued them to my board to craft the effect that there were even more rips. 

5) FINAL PRODUCT

After 3 hours of work, I completed the mood board!

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (2): Forensics/Poison

 Independent Research (2): Forensics/Poison.

forensic

/fəˈrɛnsɪk/

Learn to pronounce

noun

plural noun: forensics

1. scientific tests or techniques used in connection with the detection of crime.

   • INFORMAL

     a laboratory or department responsible for forensic tests.

     adjective: forensic

   
   
2. (sourced as google's definition)
3. 
   

Forensic scientists, at a crime scene, collect human cells from either the hair, saliva, clothing fibres, tyre marks, glass fragments and/or blood. From this, they extract DNA, analyse it, and create a DNA profile (a way of determining an individual's characteristics, identifying its origin or parentage). 

Post-mortem usually takes place within 2-3 working days of one's passing.

Within forensic science, there are multiple sub-fields. These include:

Source - forensicsdigest.com

--> Fingerprints; the lifting, development and preservation of them (used to discover source and compare)

--> Ballistics; examines samples of anything in relation to firearms/projectiles.

--> Forensic biology & serology; examines biological samples (bones, fibres, hairs, diatoms) and serological samples (semen, saliva etc.)

--> Forensic DNA analysis; analyses DNA/tests paternity in biological evidence

--> Forensic toxicology; identifies poison, drugs, alcohol (particularly poison)

--> Drugs and narcotics; examines narcotics/psychotropic substances which fall under NDPS act 

--> Questioned document; evaluates documents for authenticity, studying handwriting, ink, stamps etc.

--> Explosives; chemical tests for explosives/explosive residue 

--> Physics; footprints, glass fragments, tyre marks, cement etc.

--> Digital forensic; analyses mobile phone/DVD/hard disk/any memory device

--> Photography; takes photos at the crime scene

--> Forensic psychology; polygraphs, personality assessments, criminal profiling etc.

The three sections of forensic toxicology are: postmortem, drug testing, and human performance.

The chemicals that forensic toxicologists look out for are: alcohol, illegal or prescription drugs, other chemicals, poisons, metals, gases

The most common forms of poison used in homicide are: arsenic, atropine, strychnine, cyanide, and thallium.

In our opening sequence, Daphne Mezereon will most likely be our poison. The toxic diterpene is Mezerein found in the sap. 

Severe symptoms can occur within hours, such as; choking (usually upon first consuming), difficulty in swallowing, abdominal pain, headache, nausea, bloody diarrhea and muscular twitching.

SYMPTOMS

Warning signs that someone has been poisoned (sourced by medlineplus.gov)

--> Very large or very small pupils

--> Rapid or very slow heartbeat 

--> Rapid or very slow breathing

--> Drooling or very dry mouth 

--> Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea 

--> Sleepiness or hyperactivity 

--> Confusion 

--> Slurred speech

--> Uncoordinated movements or difficulty walking

-->Difficulty urinating 

--> Loss of bowel or bladder control

--> Burns or redness of the lips and mouth, caused by drinking poison 

--> Chemical-smelling breath

--> Chemical burns or stains on the person, clothing or around the person

--> Chest pain

--> Headache 

--> Loss of vision 

--> Spontaneous bleeding 

Upon research into poisons that are overlooked in an autopsy, ricin, extracted from castor beans serves as very possible option as to a substance that can be added into the berry mixture as the berries alone would not prove strong and quick enough to cause fatality. Examples of symptoms include: fever, cough, nausea, tightness in chest and heavy sweating. However, it does take 36-72 hours to work wholly. 

Below is a video briefly explaining the process of an autopsy as a summary:

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (1): Restraint

 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (1): Restraint.

PHYSICAL RESTRAINT METHODS

Handcuffs:

--> Hinged handcuffs; good for arrestees who are aggressive and are attempting to fightback, these are typically considered to be stronger. More painful to wear. 

--> Chained handcuffs; similar to hinged, but allow more movement and are still sturdy. As the name suggests, they are attached by a chain.

--> Bar handcuffs; are similar to hinged but attached by a bar, and offer even less movement. 

As a group, we will most likely opt for chain padded handcuffs as the sister will be restrained in other aspects of her body anyways, and this will still offer her a good level of mobility without leaving marks on her skin. 

Rope: researched on buyrope.co.uk

--> Cotton rope; soft, natural fibre. Light, low tensile strength. 

--> Jute rope; soft, natural fibre. More flexible than natural sisal and manila rope, but less durable.

--> Manila rope; durable and flexible with low stretch.

--> Natural hemp rope; used predominantly for decorative purposes and outdoors.

--> Nylon rope; good for shock absorbency and strength.

--> Polyester rope; low stretch, commonly used for boating.

--> Polyethylene rope; good for outdoor and marine activity where high brea
king strain is not required.

--> Polypropylene rope; versatile rope used for for everyday activity.

--> Polysteel rope; tough, durable and strong.

--> Sisal rope; used commonly for crafts, gardening, bundling and cat scratching posts.

--> Synthetic hemp rope; soft and easy grip.

--> Staple spun rope; easy grip and handling 

Out of the list, the natural fibres are softest on the skin, but do not guarantee whether or not they cause rope burn. Due to this, we will most likely opt for a different method to avoid complications within the accuracy of our narrative.

Zip ties

--> Zip ties only hurt when the person tied attempts to move; this causes the lock to tighten thus making the grip tighter.

--> Zip ties are an inexpensive alternative 

--> The tighter the zip tie is, the easier it is to break out of them 

--> To release them, you must stick the tip of a sharp object into the head.

Zip ties could be a likely option for the other limbs on the sister's body due to its efficiency, however, if we were to use it we would have to ensure that the actor doesn't move around too much so marks aren't left on her.

TYPES OF TAPE

--> Duct tape; can cause bleeding, redness, rashes and pain upon removal, and is not suitable for sensitive skin. Is extremely strong and waterproof.

--> Adhesive tape; most common type available. Can appear glossy, matte, double-sided etc. Somewhat strong.

--> Cloth tape; tears easily and is used mainly for medical purposes.

--> Surgical tape;

--> Double-sided tape; has adhesive on both sides, used commonly in crafting.

--> Electrical tape; insulates wiring and other electrical items.

--> Masking tape; mainly used in painting, not practical for most activity.

--> Packaging tape; seals somewhat permanently.

Duct tape would be the most suitable for our sequence as it appears to be the only waterproof one, allowing for liquid to overflow in the funnel without ruining the strength of the tape. Additionally, it is the most painful to the skin, serving as a good element to the torture aspect of our piece.

BREAKDOWN OF OUR DEVELOPED IDEA

 Breakdown of our Developed Idea.

1) The scene will open with the man starting to play vinyl on a record player (an isolated classical cello solo. CARMEN, Act I: V. Habanera, Bizet? style) which will shift to a non-diegetic soundtrack through either a rest in the music - this could also alternatively start from the beginning digitally should editing be an issue. 

2) The man then walks over to the plants in his greenhouse , pours hot water from a kettle into a tea cup.

3) He puts on nitrile, medical gloves. He then proceeds to pull out a small zip-lock bag containing many holly berries (20+ are the amount that are required to cause fatality). 

4) He uses tweezers to place each one into a mortar and uses a pestle to crush them. 

5) In an addition shot it can be seen that the man drops water using a pipette into the crushed berry mixture.

6) A different shot then reveals the woman tied up to a chair with zip ties and padded handcuffs with a funnel duct taped to her mouth (this can be done through a pan). She is struggling.

7) The man pours the mixture into the woman’s mouth. She chokes on it.

8) The scene finishes with her frothing at the mouth, and her body/hands going limp after struggling.

DEVELOPING OUR IDEA (2)

Main idea.

After presenting our ideas to Luke, the creative director at Hurtwood, and Mike, we as a group discussed the feedback given and adjusted the aspects to our concept accordingly. 

The feedback given, noted on my laptop during our presentation was:

• Who is the man? What are his intentions, and why is he doing this?
• Who is the woman? Why is he her victim?
• Consider different methods of poisoning other than a tea cup to maintain a serious tone throughout.
• Think of possible shooting locations.

In response to this, my group and I decided on the details. 

The man is the son of his wealthy father who has recently passed, and is murdering his sister in an attempt of gaining her share of his will. This is his first time murdering someone, so he is extremely precise and intricate as he has researched methods beforehand due to his neurotic personality. In the plot, this killing is what triggers his realisation of the fact that he thoroughly enjoys inflicting pain on others, and turns him into a serial killer. 

In regard to the way he poisons her, we are ridding of the tea cup idea, and instead will use a liquid of a combination of berries and chemicals (the specifics have yet to be researched), and will be fed to her through a funnel duct taped to her mouth. 

As a possible shooting location, Luke suggested the Beatrice Webb garden house as it has the appearance of a greenhouse, allowing us extra shots to play with lighting, as well as the plants. We still are considering the Hurtwood boarding lounge for the living room setting due to its antique interior, but if that isn't an option then the Beatrice Webb lounge could be an alternative.

Besides that, none of the other details of our sequence have been changed so far.

GROUP PITCH

Group Pitch.

Following the first round of feedback process, we worked as a group to put together our second pitches of our improved ideas:

I worked on slides 1, 4, 8 and 12 mainly.

CAMERA WORKSHOP 2

Camera Workshop 2.

In our second workshop, we continued to learn how to use a camera. The first thing we did was the 180 degree rule; the rule follows the idea that the camera must be remain behind or on one side of an imaginary line, free to move anywhere (within the 180 degree angle) in order to not confuse the viewer. 

We then learned about rules of three which follows the idea that within a frame's composition (where the different subjects within the frame are placed/located), it should be divided into 9 parts equally by 2 lines horizontally and 2 lines vertically. 

We then began shooting the scenes. The importance of call outs were explained to us - the call outs being 'stand by' (ensuring everyone is ready and in the positions they need to be in, called out by the director), 'standing' (the response to 'stand by', letting the others know that you are ready, said by members of the crew), 'roll camera' (instructing to press record, said by the director), 'camera rolling' (meaning that the camera has started rolling, said by the camera operator), 'action' (instructing the acting/scene to start, said by the director), and 'cut' (instructing the camera to stop rolling, said by the director). The camera starts rolling before the action takes place to ensure that the record button has been pressed, and continues after the action has finished in case any new shots can be found.

We put this into action later on, and attempted making our own, simple sequence of Matthew walking over to a stool, grabbing the hard hat off of it, putting it on, and walking off again. We learned that wide shots are what should be shot first in order to gain an understanding of the overall scene, the actors, the space etc. The same action was carried out for every shot. In order to ensure continuity (the
idea that details in a scene/film remain consistent for audience clarity), we also used marks on the floor to act as a marker for where Matthew had to walk to and do his action for absolute precision.

We also learned to not watch footage back on set to ensure that the actor doesn't become self conscious, and also to quicken the film process as studios tend to cost money to rent, as well as the need to pay staff by time periods.

CAMERA WORKSHOP 1

 Camera Workshop 1.

The first step of learning how to set up and use a camera was unboxing the equipment itself initially, the equipment being: the camera (Black Magic 4K mini URSA), a tripod, the lens cover and battery. 

The first thing we learned was that we need to state "yours" or "mine" depending on who has a hold of the camera (passing it) and who will be receiving it. 

We then learned how to set up a tripod; the instructions were to work from bottom to top in terms of adjusting the height, ensuring that the clips are locked in when need be for ease and safety with the weight of the camera. To put the camera on the tripod, we had to ensure that the device was held close to our bodies, then hold onto it with our right hand whilst the left pressed the button to allow it to slide on. Then, our hands needed to change over to do it to the other side.

We also practiced how to take a v-mount battery on and off of the camera, which was a simple sliding mechanism, ensuring that the 'v' was lined up with the camera. When taking it off, one of our fingers had to hold down the button. 

Before using the camera, we learned how to check the bubble/spirit level; this was to check if the camera was stable or level. In order to do so, the gear underneath the tripod had to be turned by quarter rotations to tighten or loosen the grip whilst trying to ensure that the circle was within the outer circle.

Then, we practiced focusing and zooming; to do so, the ring (zoom ring) closest to the camera body had to be turned, and then to focus the ring further away (focus ring) had to be as well. When filming someone, we learned that you have to zoom in as close as possible into the subject's eye as a focus point (this is because eyes are the most detailed part of someone's body), and adjust the focus until the image was sharp. Then, you can zoom out again; this ensures that the subject is in focus. 

Lastly, we learned about white balancing on the camera. White balancing adjusts the colours of the shot depending on the lighting in the area to ensure that white subjects look white. This could be easily done by clicking on 'WB' and choosing one of the settings such as daylight, shade, cloudy, and florescent.

To finish things, we were told to 'strike the kit'. This essentially meant that the equipment had to be packed up. This included; turning off the camera and closing it, taking off the battery, adjusting the tripod to its shortest height, folding it, and placing it all in the box to ensure easy access for next use. 

DEVELOPING OUR IDEA (1)

Developing Our Idea (1):

MAIN IDEA

Before we began to develop our chosen ideas as a group, we took into account the feedback from the initial pitches we did. For Lila's, the main feedback was: accuracy for the poison had to be researched, think of a practical location, and a higher sense of tension had to be created. Lila pre-researched the berries, and decided on Holly berries due to their toxicity, and I further read up on them to understand the symptoms created from them (vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration and drowsiness - source www.poison.org), and the amount needed to cause fatality (20+ - source askinglot.com). Lila also chose kitchen/living room instead of a greenhouse, and as a group we brainstormed ideas and the best location was the Hurtwood boarding house due to its classical interior and accessibility. For tension, as a group we developed the following things: ominous isolated cello non-diegetic soundtrack, tweezers + ziplock bag + medical gloves to portray the toxicity, and a moment where the man hums contrapuntally.

BACKUP IDEA 

For Matthew's idea, he was given a list of things to develop in the pitch. These things were to: keep the cast limited, get into the kill straight away, choose a more isolated location, have the victim alone, and find a way to stretch the duration of the scene. Matthew decided to keep his location the same but changed the circumstances to there only being 2 girls, and placed the kill being at the beginning of the sequence. I provided the idea to place birthday balloons in the hallway and to have a shot of a birthday cake with people singing Happy Birthday contrapuntally in order to provide context, and to also add an even further sense of unease. 

We didn't do as much research into the possible location, actors etc. as this is our backup idea.

CHOOSING OUR IDEA

 Choosing Our Idea.

In order to decide on an idea, we looked at 2 factors: practicality and enjoyability. Lila's pitch, out of all of us, followed that of a title sequence rather than action which we all favoured, but was also very doable and interesting to research. 

For our backup, we chose Matthew's idea as it was the opposite end of the spectrum; it is an action based sequence whereas mine wasn't, and was also doable. 

We also took into account the feedback that had been given to us from Mike, our media teacher, from the previous week. 

During the development process, we used the group chats created earlier to communicate the
changes we had made, as well as assigning roles on the powerpoint depending on who had the clearest vision for certain aspects. We also used it to send pictures of our blog posts to gain a deeper understanding of Matthew and Lila's thought process.

GETTING INTO PRODUCTION GROUPS & EARLY ORGANISATION

 Organising the Group.

On the 14th of January, we were allocated our coursework groups (mine being Matthew Iveson, Lila Sturgeon and I). In order to ensure ease for our communication, we exchanged emails, and set up a WhatsApp and Snapchat group. These can be seen below:

On these group chats, we also exchanged our timetables to allow us to organise meetings based upon our free periods. 

CONCEPT IDEAS FEEDBACK

CONCEPT IDEA #2.

On the 11.01.22, we presented our concept ideas to our peers in order to recieve feedback from both Mike and others to improve and work on the details of our pitches.

 STUDENT FEEDBACK 

What psychological issues does the man have?

Now adding, post-research: Schizophrenia. 

(https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/mental-illness-and-violence)

TEACHER FEEDBACK

There needs to be clear signifiers as to how the man is mentally ill - small details that are extremely disturbing within the first three shots and create tension. 

- Ragged Barbie dolls in the drawer of his vanity

- Writing the same words over and over in the journal, he flips through them initially and in scribbly, deranged handwriting disturbing things can be seen. Children's doodles. 

- When mouthwash is spat into the sink, blood can be seen in the liquid

- Playing contrapuntal music (most likely classical) 

- Voicemail can be heard when he checks his answer phone/machine once he wakes up asking where he has been and that his family are worried for him (mother's voice). Asking if he has taken his medication.

Make a list of enough activities that the man could be doing within his morning routine.

-  Shaving

- Mouthwash (could be blood in the liquid when spat out into the sink)

- Flossing/brushing teeth might take too long

- Brushing hair

- Cologne/deodorant 

- Writing in his journal. Sharpens his pencil beforehand 

- Smoking

- Stretching

- Drinking water 

- Turning off alarm (the sound of the alarm is the first thing introduced in a black screen)

- Watering succulents (rubbing the dirt in between his fingers)

- Making his bed (neatening out the creases etc.)

PERSONAL ADAPTATIONS 

To avoid cliches (post- editing introduction workshop):

- Removing the medication (pill) aspect of the sequence