Post-Production update

I have added a wild track along with sound effects to the footage but I now need to shorten the length of it by 30 seconds before I can add titles, and a sound track.  The titles will be added later today and then I'm left with just needing a score for the movie.

The titles are likely to be as follows:

A Country Park Production
Directed by Ben Aldis
Starring Martina Bassenger
Lee Squires
and Lewis Prior
GHOST FACE
Music by Bobby Dunning
Edited by Lee Squires
Screeenplay by Ben Aldis

Final Storyboard - by Ben Aldis

Post-Production Update

When watching our footage back we quickly realised that we did not record any sound (wrong setting on the camera).  We were pleased enough with the footage to stick with it rather than shooting it again.  I am going to record a wild track this weekend at the same location (Hornchurch Country Park) as well as additional sound effects such as screams, yells, laughter, foot steps to create our ambient sounds for the footage.  In the edit I will cut all dialogue scenes to avoid needing to dub voices, which would be difficult.  We plan to write our own score track which will run the entire length of the movie.  This combined with ambient sounds and sound effects will hopefully provide enough sound for the movie, dispite our initial mistake.

Ultimately, what we have learned from this is to do a quick test of that everything is working (e.g. microphone) before proceeding to shoot our movie.  I have now started the editing of the movie, mainly conventrating on removing dialogue scenes and perfecting match-on-actions before I incorporate titles or audio.

Preliminary Task

We have uploaded our short movie to Youtube


The first time we shot the sequence we had the wrong audio setting on the camera, resulting in no sound, so we needed to shoot again. The room we used for our location was very small and restricted our camerawork significantly. Technically, our 2nd shot breaks the 180 degree rule, but the match-on-action edit makes it unnoticable. The editing of the clip was fairly simple and straight forward, but we could have spent more time on it if nessacery to shorten the length of the over-the-shoulder shots, which seem a bit slow.

Reflecting on the task, we should have used a larger room and kept the camera on the same side of our actor at all times, unless shown crossing the 180 degree line in the movie.

Script

EXT. PARK - DAY

A park at twilight hour. A group of teenagers are hanging around, some sitting on logs, talking, laughing. Two of them, a Jason and Lucy are sitting together away from the others. Jason stands up suddenly and walks off.

LUCY

Where are you going?

Jason pauses and looks at her.

JASON

C'mon I'll show you!

Jason speed walks down the path. Lucy follows from behind. They reach a lake with the sunset shining over
it.

EXT. LAKE - DAY

JASON

Here we are

They both look out into the horizon 

LUCY

Oh wow. Its so nice

They remain silent for a while. She takes his hand and they kiss. Suddenly someone comes up from behind and stabs Jason in the back. He drops to his knees and the killer is revealed behind him. He is wearing a mask and carring a large knife. Jason groans in pain on the ground. Lucy backs up terrified, too shocked to scream.

JASON (Shouting)
Lucy, run!!

Lucy turns quickly and runs. The killer stands there watching her leave while Jason is dying on the ground. The killer raises his knife again and finishes off Jason as the screen cuts to black.

Location

Our 'sunset above lake shot' idea is endangered by construction work around the lake and the high likeliness of it being too cloudy. We are working on a back-up plan if things do not work out.

Location

It's forecast to snow again tomorrow (the day before shooting) and so we have considered altering the script to suit the conditions if we do get snow.

Risk Assessment

Production crew tripping over
We will minimze the risk by clearing the pathway for the crew prior to shooting of sticks, rocks etc and having 1 or 2 grips to support the cameraman.

Weathering damage to equipment
We will make sure a member of production has an umbrella at all times whilst outside, incase of rain, snow etc.

Production Schedule

Saturday 11th February

11:00 - 13:00 Rehearsal
13:30 - 14:00 Establish shot
14:00 - 14:30 Filming of the 'party'
14:30 - 16:30 Filming Lucy & Jason's dialogue
16:30 - 17:30 Filming the murder scene

Equipment List

Camera
Tripod
Microphone
Skateboard (for dolly shot)
Fake knife
Mask
Watch
Fake blood
Umbrella

Shot list

Once the 'party' has arrived (13:00 - 14:00 with high natural light)

1 - Establishing shot + pan to 'party'
2 - Point of view shot of party (from behind trees)
3 - Dolly shot around party 25-30 seconds
4 - Long shot of Party (Lucy's POV)

Shots of Lucy & Jason (14:00 - 16:00 natural light fading and sunset)

1 - Long shot
2 - Medium shot
3 - Close up (Jason)
5 - Over the shoulder shot (Jason)
6 - Over the shoulder shot (Lucy)
7 - Medium shot - Jason getting up
8 - Long shot - from Jason's new position
9 - Medium - Lucy looking at Jason, then to party, then back to Jason
11 - Long shot, pan (following Lucy)
12 - Medium shot of Jason walking (Lucy following in the background)
13 - Point of view shot from behind trees (of couple)

Shots with the Killer (Lower natural lighting)

1 - Two shot at destination - long take (looking at sunset, taking his hand, kiss & stabbing)
2 - Close up of hands
3 - Close up of Lucy kissing Jason
4 - Point of view shot (sunset)
5 - Point of view shot (killer behind trees)
6 - Close up of Killer (stabbing motion)

Shots with applied fake blood (Low natural lighting)

1 - Low angle inverted shot (of killer)
2 - High angle inverted shot (of Jason from Lucy's pov)
3 - Low angle medium shot (behind Lucy stepping backwards)
4 - Close up (Lucy)
5 - Medium shot (behind Lucy)
6 - Close up of knfe
7 - Low angle shot of killer (Jason's pov)
8 - Long shot (behind Lucy)

Draft Script

LUCY

 Where are you going? [Reluctant to follow]

JASON

I wana show you something [Running ahead, glancing back at her]

LUCY

[She nervously swigs at her drink and walks with some urgency]
[Looking out at the sunset]

[Lucy looks down for a moment and then back at the view. She takes his hand, they look at each other and kiss]

[They release each other and Jason is stabbed from behind]
Jason: Ahh! Ahhh! [Dropping to his knees]

[Frozen for a moment, she covers her mouth in shock]

[Jason is stabbed again, he tries to fight back but is overpowered and is stabbed again]

Jason:[In tremendous pain] Run!
[Lucy is slow off her feet but she gets away from the killer]
[Jason yells in pain]
[Lucy stops and slowly turns. She looks horrified]
[The killer stands up straight and stares back at Lucy, but doesn't move]

-Black-