Shooting for January

The scenes I filmed where part of the montage scene and the bedroom scene.

• The lighting was a good start as to how to reflect the mood.
• I found the dialogue did not flow as intended. However, this can be improved by allowing the actors to improvise and feel the emotion of the dialogue.
• The montage shots have good energy and show the emotion correctly
• I am going to have to build a tracking dolly to improve the stability of the shots. 

I am going to discuss with the DT department about building a tracking rig for us. It would consist of four poles for the wheels to glide upon, with a flat wooden surface to place the tripod onto. This would allow us to get smooth tracking shots without having the wobble of handheld.

For the majority of these shots I added a lack of depth of field to emulate the pressure Stephanie, our main protagonist, is under. I would use walls to use as motifs to her discomfort, conveying the wall she must overcome to achieve her goal. I mixed this idea up with a wide shot (Shot Two, seen below) of Stephanie with a barren background, adding depth yet disallowing the spectator any comfort in the image.

The wide angle of these shots allows the spectator to feel the isolation the character is feeling. I hope to use closer shots to juxtapose these, as I still wish for the spectator to feel a connection with the character, not to just be an observer.

I originally had this take as a close up shot, but after encouraging the actor to continue doing her skills I changed to a wider shot. This helps the spectator gaige the size of Stephanie to her surroundings, as well as make her minute and small in the process.
To improve this shot I would line up the horizon line to the lower third of the shot, on the other hand I do like how the protagonist is suppressed by the image. In editing I added a cross fade to convey a passage of time, linking into my creation as a filmmaker.

I really liked this shot due to its contrast in colours. I deliberately set the camera to an interior white balance, allowing the blue hue to contrast with the green grass. The blue not only enhance the grass's colour but is also a visual to the suppression Stephanie is feeling during the course of the film. My plan is to add warmer tones in during the end football scene because of her enlightenment of finally doing what others said she couldn't.

This is a shot I recreated from my test shoot. I made subtle changes to the shot to balance the framing of the character, as I felt the desk to confine the protagonist to the left hand side of the frame, making her suppressed in her own environment. I continued to add the blue colorization by adding blue lighting to define the actress from the background, acting as both a mood setting and depth to the enclosed space.

I wanted to create loneliness in the visuals, not just through the framing, but through the framing also. I used a window, revealing the dreams and aspirations of the character, whilst restricting the character from what she wants most. The tacking shot to reveal the empty pitch imply that Stephanie is her own block to her goals, and that is what she must overcome in order to score achieve her goal.

Throughout the film I plan to use the colour as a key to Stephanie inner conscious and mood. But in some shots, I indicate to good morals and characters that Stephanie can look up to. Stephanie's sister, Jane, is a positive influence on the protagonist, however the spectator and the protagonist both learn through this encounter that Stephanie has to make choices on her own, even though she has the backing of others who support and love her.

I am also going to put up a plan for shooting over the next month. This will include meeting with the football team in school to shoot the opening and the finale shots. 

Hallway Shots- Thursday 7th January 2016

Montage Scene- TBC
Walking Home- Monday 

Bedroom scene (Re-shoot)-Friday 8th January 2016

Football Match Opening-TBC

Football Match Free Kick- TBC

These will be shot over the next month. The hallway shots can all be done in one afternoon (Lunch and Break Time) as well as the Football Opening and Ending can be shot on the same day.

• Football Match Opening

Total Amount of Shots needed: 10

• Montage Scene

Total Amount of Shots needed: 20

• Bedroom Scene (Reshoot)

Total amount of shots needed: 10

• Hallway Shots

Total amount of shots needed: 3

- Shot of Protagonist listening to a football Podcast

-RE SHOOT of framing against the window

- Protagonist reading a book on football drills