Set Design

Set Design

When it finally got to the stage of filming we had to get ourselves prepared for it all. Of course we all had a rough idea as to what we were doing but setting it all up physically is another thing. Thankfully our group get on incredibly well with each other and it really brought a benefit to us.

Prop use in set-up:
Setting up was great fun due to a great deal of it being just mess making. Some props we used were great at creating an atmosphere. Paperwork was used to encourage the viewer into believing it has some significance in the householder's (the spy's) life. The reason for the paperwork being a mess is to show some disturbance.

Surroundings:
It also came in very handy to use objects that were already in the home. As you can see above we used a table but below you can see a coffee table and unit was used that weren't even seen in the opening sequence much at all... This was done because we felt like it made it look more realistic instead of staged.

Lighting:
Lighting brings an incredible contribution to atmosphere in films and so, we used it for our opening sequence set. Thank goodness Samuel (a member of our group) has a professional lighting set which we used to our benefit. Different coloured lighting gels were used to change what colour of light was used. Toward the main door we had a tint of blue (CTB- Colour Temperature Blue) because it was a very calm colour and reflected the wallpaper. The main room was an orange sheet (CTO- Colour Temperature Orange) so it was more neutral, without the sheet it would have been over powering and less effective for the genre we are using (action-thriller).

Props

Props:

 

This is a fire poker from Hannah's house. We wish to use this as a self-defence weapon for the spy as he enters his home. Our aim is to make it at close reach-perhaps in a nearby room-to show the spy has instantly adapted to his threatened surrounding.

 

Here is some fake blood. Our group feels like this is a strong benefit for an action movie. After looking into it we discovered it's both easy to make and cheap to buy! However, it is rather ironic I still have some left over from Halloween that would be easy to use.

 

Blades. Of course we're not going to stab someone with a real knife even if would look more effective. Samuel kindly bought in his own money to buy two fake knives that retract which is very useful.

 

A top secret file would be helpful to use as it notifies the audience that something is important (even if it seems a bit cliché it is a very useful way to project significance). I have brown paper envelopes that will be used and red pen to write "TOP SECRET" onto it. 

Destination

Destination:

We decided that our film should be set in an urban location, which fits in with our genre; this is considering the fact that the opening scene would be set in the spy's living quarters (of which the assassin has broken into and searched). As a group we thought it would work well if the spy was to be living alone due to his dangerous profession. He would also want to live in an inconspicuous place that is easy to miss. At first we were thinking of using a house but this didn't agree with the whole group. We asked around to see what was available and when I found my friend's flat was accessible we discovered it fit the story better.

A friend of mine was more than happy to let us use his flat and so was his mum which made it so much more easier for our group. This enabled us to link the story boards to the location since one of us knew it so well. The flat is a common place for someone to live in everyday life and it is therefore an ideal place to film. It is relatively small and fairly homely which is best suited for an individual character. The setting is a very normal neighbourhood and has nothing extra tire to it.

Here are some images of the location:

Exterior:

On the exterior we can see an alleyway which will come in very handy for some camera shots that we are intending on using.

Interior:

One useful thing we have for the interior is an empty hallway leading straight from the door to the next room. This will be helpful for a certain technique our group wishes to use. The flat is laid out in a simple structure and has the main room leading directly to the others which will make it far more appropriate for filming.

Casting

Casting

Possible Actors/Actresses
Crystal Brain
Reuel James
Oliver Nicholls

Crystal Brain:

I have always been into drama. I've taken the BTEC, GCSE and am currently taking A-level Theatre Skills. As an actual member of this group it made things a whole lot easier especially as some of my performed monologues have been somewhat 'chilling'. I haven't been in any professional productions but I think this is a great way of getting a small taster.
The part I am interested in is the assassin; she is an emotionless character and full of mystery, gets joys from killing and just does her job as swiftly as it comes- another fun fact was that she always wore heels and with a job like this, she needs to be prepared for anything... Thankfully, I can run in heels.
I think I would be good in this role because I enjoy the acting out of 'disturbed' characters. After reading the screenplay I immediately thought of how exciting the role of the assassin would be.

Reuel James:

Reuel was a potential character to play the spy who we knew through a group member (Hannah). Reuel has been in a selection of his own short films and after watching a couple of them we decided he was a fairly good actor.
Unfortunately we decided he was a bit too young to play the part of the spy and we didn't think he could convince an audience of his age.

Oliver Nicholls:

Oliver was another option to play the part of the spy. We could tell he was the right age for our character and he has done a lot of stage work. Oliver is a very outgoing person and easy to contact, this made it very efficient to us. Oliver was also available at such short notice which was very helpful for us.